With the victory, the Trojans secured bowl eligibility
The Troy Trojans continue to roll this season, picking up their fifth straight victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns with a score of 35-23 on Saturday night. With the victory, the Trojans secured bowl eligibility and improved to 6-2 on the season but remained tied for first place in the Sun Belt at 4-0. This loss for the Ragin’ Cajun drops them to 2-6 on the season.
In a game without starting running back Tae Meadows, who in the first seven games of the season rushed for 498 yards, a lot of pressure was going to be on Jordan Lovett to keep the run game going, and Lovett certainly delivered with 21 carries for 113 yards and found the endzone twice.
Lovett knew the importance of this one, knowing he would need to perform. “Me and Tae are going through the things we need to go through, and it’s really just all the running backs from the room. We just keep each other held up, we keep each other accountable on the things that the standard is,” Lovett said. “I feel like that played a big part, and I already knew what the job was coming into this game.”
Lovett got this one started early, where on the first drive he had multiple 10+ yard rushes to help get them into the red zone. The drive ended with Tucker Kilcrease scrambling out to his left and lunging for the end zone to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
The Ragin’ Cajuns responded two plays later. The first play was Lunch Winfield breaking free for a 39-yard run, and then he found Shelton Sampson Jr. wide open off a busted coverage for a 36-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
Lunch delivery to Shelton Sampson 😤
📺 https://t.co/eaR2jfvJ6r
📻 https://t.co/xd9K9MSmEs
📊 https://t.co/Kj3NJ5BPz3#cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/PGJYXN7Gl0— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) October 25, 2025
After a missed field goal by Troy and a Kilcrease interception that bounced off the receiver’s hands into the hands of Courtline Flowers, Louisiana took advantage of the short field with Zylan Perry punching it in from a yard out to give Louisiana their first and only lead of the game.
After the Trojans were stood up on fourth and one, maybe the biggest play of the game happened. The Ragin’ Cajuns inserted backup quarterback Walker Howard, and he had a pass that was bobbled by the receiver, and the ball popped up and into the hands of Jaquez White for the pick-six.
JAQUEZ WHITE PICK SIX!!! pic.twitter.com/gj11MKfcg6
— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) October 26, 2025
Winfield came back into the game, and he threw an interception to Kaleno Levine, which happened to be the first career interception for Levine. Troy responded a few plays later with Kilcrease getting an assist from his teammates and getting pushed into the end zone to give Troy a 21-14 lead.
Despite leading 21-17 at the half, Trojans Head Coach Gerad Parker was none too pleased with the overall team performance that half. “It don’t feel like a lead,” Parker said. “Played poorly in special teams, we’re not playing sound, we’re not lining up properly on defense, inefficient on offense, we’ve got to get things fixed, it doesn’t feel like a lead.
Troy responded out of the half with Kilcrease connecting with Ethan Conner for a pickup of 28 yards. Several plays later, Lovett found the end zone from a yard out to give the Trojans a 28-17 lead.
The Trojans defense performed in the second half, only allowing six points on field goals, those two field goals cut the lead to 28-23 mid-way through the fourth.
Lovett stuck the dagger when he broke loose for a 19-yard score. Another interception, this one by Justin Powe, wrapped this victory up for the Trojans.
Let us say it again 🗣️
HAVE A NIGHT, JORDAN LOVETT! pic.twitter.com/gBSyCEmzZ7
— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) October 26, 2025
Kilcrease completed 16-of-24 passes for 180 yards and one interception. He added two scores on the ground. Winfield went 12-for-22 for 187 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Winfield also added 139 yards rushing.
With the Trojans clinching bowl eligibility, Parker isn’t satisfied. “The tradition of this place goes long before we ever got here. It’s our job to uphold it.”
About The Author
