Troy made the clutch plays when it mattered most in a 28-10 victory over South Alabama on Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, their sixth straight in the “Battle for the Belt.”

Kimani Vidal scored on fourth-and-1 from the 1 with 3:12 left to put the game out of reach for the Trojans, who also won their sixth straight game overall. That touchdown came not long after the Troy defense had stuffed South Alabama on third-and-goal from the 1 to force a field goal and keep the Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-1 Sun Belt) in the lead.

The Jaguars (4-5, 2-3) played without starting quarterback Carter Bradley, injured late in last Saturday’s game vs. Louisiana. Freshman Gio Lopez got his first career start for South Alabama, but could not lift the Jaguars to victory.

Vidal ran for 125 yards on 24 carries, going over 1,000 yards for the season and breaking Troy’s career rushing record in the process. The senior from Marietta, Ga., now has 1,121 yards this season and 3,468 in his career, breaking the program record of 3,441 set by DeWhitt Betterson Sr. from 2001-04.

Troy’s Gunnar Watson passed for 271 yards and three touchdowns, all long throws to Chris Lewis — two in the second quarter. The 6-foot-4 Lewis beat single coverage on both scores, a 47-yarder that tied the game at 7-7, a 26-yarder that put the Trojans on top to stay just before halftime and a 29-yarder with 1:48 left that provided the final margin.

Lopez passed for 155 yards and ran for 39, using his mobility to buy time in several cases. Caullin Lacy caught nine passes for 89 yards to go over 1,000 yards for the season, but saw his string of seven straight 100-yard games snapped.

South Alabama went up 7-0 after Troy fumbled at its 44 in the first quarter. Quentin Wilfawn jarred the ball loose from Trojans receiver Jabre’ Barber and Jamall Hickbottom fell on the loose ball.

La’Damian Webb ran for a 6-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars the early lead with 10:13 left in the first. It was South Alabama’s first lead over Troy since it was also up 7-0 early in the 2021 game, which the Trojans won 31-24.

After South Alabama’s Diego Guajardo was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt, Troy evened the score quickly. A pair of Kimani Vidal runs moved the ball into USA territory, then Watson found Lewis on a post route for a 47-yard touchdown and a 7-7 score with 11:30 left in the half.

Troy took the lead just before the half after a 12-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that included a fourth-down conversion on a 5-yard run by Vidal. On third-and-5 from the 26, Watson went deep to Lewis again, and the 6-foot-4 Kentucky transfer outmuscled South Alabama’s Marquise Robinson and made a one-handed catch while backpeddling into the end zone for a 14-7 Trojans lead with 19 seconds left in the half.

Scott Taylor Renfroe missed a 40-yard field goal on Troy’s first possession of the second half, which began on the South Alabama 43 after the Jaguars botched the fair catch on the third-quarter kickoff and had to punt after starting at their 3. The Trojans got to the USA 15, but a holding penalty and a third-down sack by Trey Kiser moved them back out of the red zone.

After South Alabama’s Jalen Jordan stopped Troy’s Damien Taylor on fourth-and-1 at the USA 33, the Jaguars drove for Diego Guajardo’s 29-yard field goal to cut the Trojans’ lead to 14-10 with 11:47 left. USA had third-and-goal on the Troy 1, but the Trojans’ Richard Jibunor and T.J. Jackson stuffed Webb at the line and he was eventually dropped for a 10-yard loss by Caleb Ransaw and O’Shai Fletcher after he broke the initial tackle.

Troy then drove 75 yards for Vidal’s clinching touchdown, which came after South Alabama stuffed the Trojans on three straight plays from the 1. Vidal took a handoff from Watson and powered through two Jaguars defenders to just barely break the plane for the touchdown with 3:12 left.

After Troy’s Reddy Steward picked off Lopez on a tipped ball and returned it to the 32, the Trojans got their final touchdown with 1:48 left on Lewis’ third touchdown. Lewis caught four passes for 120 yards in the game.

South Alabama next plays Nov. 11 at home vs. Arkansas State, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. Troy is at Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m. the same day.