Louisiana Tech Beats Troy 41-17 as Calwise Jr. and Jackson Jr. Lead

Marcus Calwise Jr. caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while Alonzo Jackson Jr. returned a fumble 66 yards for a score, leading Louisiana Tech to a 41-17 victory over Troy on Saturday in Troy, Alabama.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the Sun Belt Conference by scoring on each of their first three drives and four of their first five possessions. Those early scores built a 20-10 halftime lead that the visiting team steadily expanded.

Kaegan Kent contributed field goals of 28 and 45 yards. Calwise added his 28-yard receiving score, and Sergio Snider punched in a rushing touchdown from the 7-yard line to help secure the conference win.

Louisiana Tech’s defense held Troy to just seven points in the second half and forced three turnovers. The standout defensive sequence came when Kolbe Fields delivered a strip-sack that resulted in Jackson’s scoop-and-score touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the contest.

Troy dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play following the loss. The home side had briefly narrowed the gap early in the third quarter when a strip-sack of Louisiana Tech quarterback Blake Baker was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Jackson anchored the defensive effort with 11 total tackles, two sacks, and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Troy quarterbacks Blake Baker and Trey Kukuk split time under center, with each throwing a single touchdown pass. Tucker Kilcrease threw for 215 yards for Troy and lost two of the team’s five fumbles on the afternoon.

Looking ahead on the schedule, Louisiana Tech will return home to host Southern Miss next Saturday. Troy will hit the road to face South Alabama next Saturday.