By Troy Athletics

AKRON, OHIO – Kaleb Barker accounted for four touchdowns and the Troy defense limited Akron to just 242 yards as the Trojans defeated the Zips, 35-7, Saturday at InfoCision Stadium.

Troy (2-1) broke the game open in the second quarter with a pair of touchdowns – a 2-yard pass from Barker to Khalil McClain and a 9-yard run by Barker – to start a run of 28-straight points by the Trojans to end the game.

Barker completed 27-of-37 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns while rushing for 42 yards on eight carries and the touchdown. In his first game since taking over for B.J. Smith, DK Billingsley rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while Trevon Woolfolk rushed for 84 yards and Tanner Blatt added 44 yards.

The Trojans rolled up 485 yards of total offense on the Zips (0-4) and 32 first downs – Troy ran 95 plays compared to just 50 by Akron. The Troy defense bounced back in a big way limiting Akron to just 10 first downs, 39 yards on the ground and 203 yards through the air.

Billingsley capped a 15-play scoring drive to open the second half with a 1-yard score to extend Troy’s lead to 28-7 and then Bret Clark pulled down an 11-yard strike from Barker in the closing seconds of the third quarter to ice the game for Troy. 

The teams traded touchdowns in the opening quarter of play with A.J. Lewis scoring from eight yards out for his first career touchdown on Troy’s opening drive of the game, and then Maverick Wolfley pulled down a 21-yard touchdown from Kato Nelson for the lone Zip score of the game. Nelson finished the game 15-of-29 for 200 yards.

Luke Whittemore and Kaylon Geiger both finished with a career-best seven receptions to pace the Trojans. T.J. Harris led the Trojans with six tackles, while Orlando Lacey recorded his first career interception.