SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 12, 2013
Arkansas State 41, Troy 34: Michael Gordon rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries as the host Red Wolves outlasted the Trojans in a Sun Belt shootout.
David Oku also had a pair of rushing touchdowns and Fredi Knighten punched in the go-ahead score with a 13-yard run with 3:56 left for Arkansas State (2-1, 1-0 Sun Belt). Frankie Jackson intercepted Troy's Corey Robinson near the goal line on the Trojans' final possession to preserve the win.
The teams combined for more than 1,100 total yards, but the difference was in the turnover battle as the Trojans committed four and forced none. Robinson was 30-of-51 for 371 yards and two touchdowns but threw three interceptions.
Arkansas State scored on three straight possessions in the first quarter to open a 20-7 lead, only to see Troy (2-1, 0-1) score the only two touchdowns of the second for a one-point halftime advantage.
The seesaw battle continued throughout the second half, as Gordon sandwiched scoring runs of 11 and 64 yards around a 58-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Bryan Holmes. The Trojans pulled even at 34 on Deon Anthony's 53-yard TD pass to Chandler Worthy with 12:18 left, but Knighten capped a seven-play, 60-yard drive with the winning score.