The Troy Trojans could not extend their winning streak past ten games, and Duke wins the Birmingham Bowl 17-10. Duke controlled most of the game with its defense, and had a solid effort from the offense. The Blue Devils built a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter before Troy attempted to rally back. The game ended with an interception by Duke defensive back Jeremiah Lewis with 1:22 remaining in the game. The Duke offense was led by their run game which totaled 147 yards.
The defense held Troy to 89 yards on the ground and limited Troy running back Kimani Vidal to 79 yards. Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson struggled with consistency throughout the game after dealing with a stomach virus throughout the week. In his final college game, Watson passed for 230 yards and was 21 of 36. The win makes Duke 7-5 for the season, and the loss gives Troy an 11-3 record.
Duke Wins the Birmingham Bowl 17-10
Troy Missed Opportunity
The Trojans started the game with the ball and were forced to punt after five plays. Duke would then get the ball on their own 30 but would give it right back to Troy. On a second and nine play, quarterback Grayson Loftis was hit by T.J. Jackson which caused a fumble. Defensive back Dell Pettus recovered at the Duke 37. Watson then found Jabre Barber on the first play for 21 yards to get to the 16-yard line. The Trojans would go backward after that play though. The nation’s second leader rusher Kimani Vidal had a touchdown called back due to holding, and Watson took a sack for a seven-yard loss. They settled for a 48-yard field goal attempt by Scott Taylor Renfroe that was slightly missed.
The Troy defensive line had its way with the Duke offensive line for the first two possessions of the game. The Blue Devils found some offense in their third possession that led to a Jaylen Coleman one-yard touchdown run to go up 6-0 with 2:29 in the first quarter. They would convert for two points on a direct snap to tight end Nicky Dalmolin to go up 8-0. Loftis connected with Jalon Calhoun for 26 yards to set up the score. Running back Jaquez Moore had 29 yards rushing on the drive as well.
Duke Defense Quiets Trojans
As the game shifted into the second quarter, the Duke Blue Devils looked to be on the move. The Troy Trojans had other ideas though. At midfield, the Trojan defense made a big stand on a fourth and one. Coleman was stopped to a no gain to give the Trojans the ball at their own 47. Troy would fail on their own fourth down attempt. Watson completed a pass to Barber, but he was stopped short by cornerback Al Blades by one yard.
Duke would use the great field position and turn it into points. Troy was poised to get the ball back, but on a third and 13, they were called for pass interference. That would get the Blue Devils to their own 45, and they would make it to the Troy 17. The offense would sputter and settle for a Todd Pelino field goal of 34 yards to go up 11-0 with 6:51 in the second. A 23-yard pass from Loftis to Sahmir Hagans was the big play of the drive.
The struggles for Troy’s offense struggled, and they were forced to punt again. Duke would take the possession and run out the rest of the clock in the first half. The drive resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Pelino to go up 14-0 at halftime. The Blue Devils held the ball for 6:24 on a 17-play, 54-yard drive. The run game was the key with 39 yards coming on the ground. Duke went into the locker room with 208 yards and 80 rushing. For Troy, they had only 15 yards on the ground and 106 total yards. The Duke defense was in control for one-half of the Birmingham Bowl.
Duke Holds Serve
Duke started the second half with a 22-yard run by Jordan Waters to get to their own 47. Waters was playing despite entering the transfer portal and already committing to NC State. The Troy defense stood strong after the big run, forcing a punt. The Troy offense showed some life and got Vidal going in the run game. He got the ball on four of five plays for 22 yards, but then the offense went away from the run. Watson found Devonte Ross for 15 yards, and then Barber for 13 on consecutive plays. Four straight incompletions followed, and turnover on downs gave the ball back to Duke at the 43 with 8:49 left.
The Trojans finally put points on the board with a 44-yard field goal by Renfroe. That kick made the score 14-3 with 1:36 left in the third quarter. Watson hit some big throws in the drive to get Troy into scoring position. He found tight end Clayton Ollendieck for 14 yards after a Vidal run of seven yards. Later in the drive, Ethan Conner caught a 13-yard pass to get to the Duke 27. The offense sputtered after that play and settled for the field goal. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Birmingham Bowl was in control by Duke.
Duke Takes the Birmingham Bowl
Duke extended the lead to 17-3 with 13:29 remaining when Pelino connected on a 47-yard field goal. Loftis connected with Hagans for 11 yards and Coleman for 28 yards to get into Troy territory. Troy made it to their own 47 and faced with a fourth and two. Instead of giving the handoff to Vidal, Watson kept the ball and was stopped short of the first down. That would give the ball back to Duke near midfield with 10:23 left in the game.
Duke was now in a position to potentially put the game away. After getting a first down to the 37, Loftis went with a deep pass but was intercepted by Damaje Yancey. The Trojans did not waste the opportunity and found the endzone to make the score 17-10 with 5:54 left in the game. They did so in the most unconventional ways. It was not a running back or wide receiver reaching the endzone but left tackle Derrick Graham. Troy went with a backward pass on the two-yard score. Watson was three of four on the drive but the biggest was to Peyton Higgins. The sixth-year senior found Higgins down the sideline for 30 yards when he made the diving catch. That play got Troy to the Duke 15.
After kicking the ball back to Duke, the Trojans got the ball back with 1:40 left at their own 11. On the first play of the series, Watson found Conner for 15 yards to the 26. On the following play Watson was trying to connect with Barber he was hit while making the throw. The pass went high and was intercepted by Lewis to seal a win for Duke. With no timeouts remaining, the Blue Devils were able to run out the clock. Duke wins the Birmingham Bowl 17-10.
