Troy Stuns Buffalo With Fourth-Quarter Rally, 21-17 Victory
Troy defeated Buffalo 21-17 on Saturday in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. The Trojans were held scoreless through three quarters before exploding for 21 points in the final frame to secure the upset victory.
Buffalo struck first, scoring a touchdown in the opening quarter and adding a field goal in the fourth to build what appeared to be a commanding position. The Bulls led 17-0 entering the final quarter, but Troy's offense awakened when it mattered most.
Troy quarterback Ui Ale led the comeback effort, completing 54 passes. Wide receiver Rara Thomas was the game's leading receiver with 78 yards, including a critical 41-yard completion to keep drives alive. The pivotal moment came when Tae Meadows scored on a 20-yard run with the extra point, giving Troy its first lead of the game.
The win proved decisive as Troy covered the 5.5-point spread. The game finished under the 44-point over-under. Buffalo's defense made key plays throughout, but couldn't contain Troy's fourth-quarter surge, which featured multiple high-impact offensive plays that swung momentum entirely in the visitors' favor.
AI-generated recap · Aug 15, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Troy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
 Buffalo | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Troy | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 19-36 | 14-28 |
| Pass Yards | 202 | 153 |
| Rush Yards | 163 | 125 |
| Total Yards | 365 | 278 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| 3rd Down | 10-21 | 6-17 |
| Penalties | 5-60 | 5-30 |
| Possession | 32:52 | 27:08 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Nik McMillan for 6 yds to the BUF 31
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Al-Jay Henderson for 10 yds to the BUF 41 for a 1ST down
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Victor Snow for a loss of 1 yard to the BUF 40
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Jasaiah Gathings for 8 yds to the BUF 48
Al-Jay Henderson run for 1 yd to the BUF 49
Dylan Drennan punt for 44 yds
Tae Meadows run for 7 yds to the TROY 14
Tucker Kilcrease sacked by Red Murdock for a loss of 5 yards to the TROY 9 Tucker Kilcrease fumbled, recovered by TROY Tae Meadows , return for 0 yards
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Tray Taylor for no gain to the TROY 9
Evan Crenshaw punt for 62 yds
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Jasaiah Gathings for 39 yds to the TROY 32 for a 1ST down
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Victor Snow for 16 yds to the TROY 16 for a 1ST down
Al-Jay Henderson run for no gain to the TROY 16
Al-Jay Henderson run for 5 yds to the TROY 11
Al-Jay Henderson run for 8 yds to the TROY 3 for a 1ST down
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the TROY 1
James McNeil Jr. run for 1 yd for a TD (Jack Howes KICK)
Jack Howes kickoff for 34 yds , Dylan Mann return for 3 yds to the TROY 34
Tae Meadows run for 4 yds to the TROY 38
Tucker Kilcrease sacked by Junior Poyser for a loss of 3 yards to the TROY 35
Tucker Kilcrease sacked by Kobe Stewart and Devin Morgan for a loss of 4 yards to the TROY 31
Evan Crenshaw punt for 49 yds , Victor Snow returns for no gain to the BUF 20
Buffalo Penalty, false start (Tyler Doty) to the BUF 15
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Messiah Burch for 2 yds to the BUF 17
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete to Nik McMillan
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Al-Jay Henderson for 16 yds to the BUF 33 for a 1ST down
Ta'Quan Roberson run for 5 yds to the BUF 38
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the BUF 40
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete
Dylan Drennan punt for 37 yds
Tucker Kilcrease run for 2 yds to the TROY 25
Jordan Lovett run for 4 yds to the TROY 29
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Peyton Higgins for 7 yds to the TROY 36 for a 1ST down
Jordan Lovett run for 5 yds to the TROY 41
Jordan Lovett run for 8 yds to the TROY 49 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete
Troy Penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct (Tae Meadows) to the TROY 34
Tray Taylor run for 7 yds to the TROY 41
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Peyton Higgins for 6 yds to the TROY 47
Troy Penalty, false start (Colton Walls) to the TROY 42
Evan Crenshaw punt for 54 yds
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the BUF 6
Al-Jay Henderson run for 3 yds to the BUF 9
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete to Chance Morrow
Dylan Drennan punt for 46 yds , Peyton Higgins returns for 2 yds to the TROY 47
Tae Meadows run for 2 yds to the TROY 49
Mojo Dortch run for 9 yds to the BUF 42 for a 1ST down
Ui Ale pass complete to Rara Thomas for 14 yds to the BUF 28 for a 1ST down
Jordan Lovett run for 5 yds to the BUF 23
Tae Meadows run for 3 yds to the BUF 20
Ui Ale run for 2 yds to the BUF 18 for a 1ST down
Tae Meadows run for 6 yds to the BUF 12
Ui Ale pass incomplete to Rara Thomas, broken up by Keontez Bradley
Ui Ale pass complete to DJ Epps for no gain to the BUF 12 Troy Penalty, Offensive pass interference (Roman Mothershed) to the BUF 27
Ui Ale pass complete to Tray Taylor for 9 yds Ui Ale fumbled, recovered by BUF Red Murdock
Ta'Quan Roberson run for a loss of 1 yard to the BUF 17
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete to Nik McMillan
Ta'Quan Roberson pass incomplete to Nik McMillan
Dylan Drennan punt for 44 yds , Peyton Higgins returns for no gain to the TROY 38
Jordan Lovett run for 5 yds to the TROY 43
Tucker Kilcrease run for 8 yds to the BUF 49 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Jarris Williams
Jordan Lovett run for a loss of 2 yards to the TROY 49
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Peyton Higgins
Evan Crenshaw punt for 43 yds Buffalo Penalty, Offensive holding (Devin Morgan) to the BUF 4
Al-Jay Henderson run for a loss of 1 yard to the BUF 3
Al-Jay Henderson run for no gain to the BUF 3 Buffalo Penalty, illegal formation (Yards) to the BUF 2
Al-Jay Henderson run for 3 yds to the BUF 6
Al-Jay Henderson run for 1 yd to the BUF 3
Dylan Drennan punt for 48 yds , Peyton Higgins returns for 9 yds to the BUF 45
Ui Ale pass incomplete to Rara Thomas
Ui Ale pass incomplete to Tray Taylor, broken up by Marquis Cooper
Ui Ale run for 8 yds to the BUF 37
Ui Ale run for 2 yds to the BUF 35 for a 1ST down
Ui Ale sacked by Devin Morgan for a loss of 4 yards to the BUF 39
Ui Ale pass complete to Mojo Dortch for 11 yds to the BUF 28
Ui Ale pass complete to Rara Thomas for 6 yds to the BUF 22 for a 1ST down
Ui Ale sacked by Miles Greer for a loss of 4 yards to the BUF 26
Ui Ale sacked by Dion Crawford for a loss of 1 yard to the BUF 35
Jack Howes kickoff for 61 yds , Peyton Higgins return for 7 yds to the TROY 25 , DJ Epps return for 14 yds to the TROY 25
Tae Meadows run for no gain to the TROY 25
Tucker Kilcrease run for 5 yds to the TROY 30
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Tray Taylor for a 1ST down Buffalo Penalty, Defensive pass interference (Solomon Brown) to the TROY 45 for a 1ST down
Tae Meadows run for 3 yds to the TROY 48
Tae Meadows run for 4 yds to the BUF 48
Tae Meadows run for a loss of 1 yard to the BUF 49
Tucker Kilcrease run for 2 yds to the BUF 47
Al-Jay Henderson run for 4 yds to the TROY 49
Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Victor Snow for 8 yds to the TROY 41 for a 1ST down
Al-Jay Henderson run for a loss of 1 yard to the TROY 42 Al-Jay Henderson fumbled, recovered by BUF Al-Jay Henderson
Lamar Sperling run for 2 yds to the TROY 40
Ta'Quan Roberson run for 3 yds to the TROY 37
Troy Penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct (David Daniel-Sisavanh) to the TROY 22 for a 1ST down
Al-Jay Henderson 22 Yd Run (Jack Howes Kick)
Jack Howes kickoff for 65 yds , DJ Epps return for 25 yds to the TROY 40 Troy Penalty, Offensive holding (Trent Henry) to the TROY 15
Jordan Lovett run for a loss of 1 yard to the TROY 14
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Tray Taylor for 3 yds to the TROY 17
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Rara Thomas for 41 yds to the BUF 42 for a 1ST down
Jordan Lovett run for 3 yds to the BUF 39
Jalen McNair return for no gain to the BUF 28
Buffalo Penalty, false start (Tyler Doty) to the BUF 23
Gunnar Gray pass complete to Victor Snow for a loss of 2 yards to the BUF 21
Gunnar Gray pass complete to Lamar Sperling for 5 yds to the BUF 26
Lamar Sperling run for 14 yds to the BUF 40 for a 1ST down
Lamar Sperling run for 13 yds to the TROY 47 for a 1ST down
Lamar Sperling run for 3 yds to the TROY 44
Messiah Burch run for 6 yds to the TROY 38
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the TROY 36 for a 1ST down
Al-Jay Henderson run for 4 yds to the TROY 32
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the TROY 30
Al-Jay Henderson run for 7 yds to the TROY 23 for a 1ST down
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Victor Snow
Lamar Sperling run for a loss of 1 yard to the TROY 24
Lamar Sperling run for 3 yds to the TROY 21
Jack Howes 39 yd FG GOOD
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to DJ Epps for 14 yds to the TROY 39 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Roman Mothershed for 9 yds to the TROY 48
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Tray Taylor
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Jordan Lovett for 1 yd to the TROY 49 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Roman Mothershed
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Rara Thomas for 7 yds to the BUF 44
Ui Ale pass incomplete to Rara Thomas
Ui Ale pass complete to Roman Mothershed for 14 yds to the BUF 30 for a 1ST down
Ui Ale pass incomplete to Roman Mothershed
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to DJ Epps for 4 yds to the BUF 26
Tucker Kilcrease run for 13 yds to the BUF 13 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease run for 7 yds to the BUF 6
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Rara Thomas, broken up by Charles McCartherens
Tucker Kilcrease run for 6 yds for a TD (Scott Taylor Renfroe KICK)
Paddy McAteer kickoff for 62 yds , Patrick Clacks III return for 22 yds to the BUF 25
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the BUF 27
Al-Jay Henderson run for 2 yds to the BUF 29
Lamar Sperling run for 1 yd to the BUF 30
Dylan Drennan punt for 36 yds
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Rara Thomas, broken up by Charles McCartherens
Tucker Kilcrease run for 5 yds to the TROY 39
Tucker Kilcrease run for 2 yds to the TROY 41
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Mojo Dortch for 9 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease run for 11 yds to the BUF 39 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Roman Mothershed for 29 yds to the BUF 10 for a 1ST down
Rara Thomas 10 Yd pass from Tucker Kilcrease (Scott Taylor Renfroe Kick)
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Marcus Velez
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Nik McMillan
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Patrick Clacks III
Dylan Drennan punt for 42 yds , Peyton Higgins returns for 5 yds to the TROY 38
Tucker Kilcrease run for 2 yds to the TROY 40
Tucker Kilcrease sacked by Dion Crawford for a loss of 3 yards to the TROY 37
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Roman Mothershed
Evan Crenshaw punt for 53 yds
Al-Jay Henderson run for 3 yds to the BUF 13
Al-Jay Henderson run for 3 yds to the BUF 16
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Chance Morrow
Dylan Drennan punt for 36 yds , Peyton Higgins returns for 2 yds to the 50 yard line
Tae Meadows run for 1 yd to the BUF 49
Tucker Kilcrease pass complete to Tray Taylor for 8 yds to the BUF 41
Tucker Kilcrease run for 2 yds to the BUF 39 for a 1ST down
Tae Meadows run for 6 yds to the BUF 33
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Rara Thomas
Tae Meadows run for 7 yds to the BUF 26 for a 1ST down
Tucker Kilcrease pass incomplete to Mojo Dortch, broken up by Keontez Bradley
Tae Meadows run for 6 yds to the BUF 20
Tae Meadows 20 Yd Run (Scott Taylor Renfroe Kick)
Gunnar Gray pass complete to Chance Morrow for 20 yds to the BUF 45 for a 1ST down
Gunnar Gray pass complete to Victor Snow for 17 yds to the TROY 38 for a 1ST down
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Nik McMillan, broken up by Kaleno Levine
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Patrick Clacks III
Gunnar Gray pass complete to Al-Jay Henderson for 9 yds to the TROY 29
Gunnar Gray pass incomplete to Chance Morrow, broken up by Joe Lott
Tucker Kilcrease run for a loss of 1 yard to the TROY 29