He didn’t want to give up the ball. Why would he? In the type of moment that can define a college career, senior cornerback Don Callis streaked off the edge on a blitz, stripped the ball right out of Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar’s hands and ran it in himself for a 10-yard touchdown.

It all happened so fast, hardly enough time for his defensive teams to react and meet him in the endzone. So Callis streaked back toward his sideline, ripped his helmet off and refused to let go of the ball. His teammates mobbed him in this, the biggest play of the biggest game, and Callis continued on strutting down the sideline. At the end of the furthest bench from the endzone where he’d just scored, Callis knelt down bench the bench, clutched tight onto that ball and tried to take one moment for himself, even if his teammates wouldn’t let him.

This moment, as he took it all in on the ground, was the defining moment in Troy’s 49-23 Belt championship win over Appalachian State — clinching back-to-back Sun Belt championships for the Trojans under second-year head coach John Sumrall.

And as much as Sumrall wanted to say his team had moved on in the build-up to this game, it was a day about redemption. A hail-mary loss to this same Appalachian State team 441 days ago still keen on many players’ minds. And that includes running back Kimani Vidal, who showed up on a rainy night and delivered a record-setting performance to get his team out to a two-score lead in the fourth quarter before Callis sealed it.

He finished with five touchdowns and blasted past the previous Sun Belt championship game rushing record, and finished with 233 yards on 26 carries. He was named the game’s MVP.

Appalachian State made it to the championship game on a technicality. It finished second in its division behind James Madison. But because of an NCAA rule as James Madison transitions from the FCS to FBS level, it was ineligible to play in this game. Appalachian State was next up to fill the spot — and despite having one more loss than James Madison, Appalachian State was only team to beat the Dukes this season.

Troy was supposed to be here, and it won on a day where the weather at Veterans Memorial Stadium made for a slog of a game as heavy rain began to pick up in the middle of the first quarter and hardly relented the rest of the game.

In what felt more like the Rain Belt title game than the Sun Belt, a sparse crowd stuck it out as Troy pulled away. The poor weather and direct conflict with Alabama playing in the SEC championship game kept many fans tucked on the concourse beneath the upper deck if they came to watch the game at all.

The Troy students, though, filled the student section through the downpour.

But the rain didn’t necessarily make this a defensive battle, far from it. Two prolific offenses were not slowed down, producing more than 800 total yards.

A stretch of five touchdowns across seven drives between the two teams gave this game the feel of the high-flying matchup that could have been expected on a dry day.

But the rain certainly was a factor. It led to drops, missed tackles and a Troy muffed punt in the third quarter that set up an Appalachian State touchdown as it got the ball just outside the redzone.

Appalachian State made its closest push to Troy sandwiching halftime as it scored at touchdown with fewer than a minute to play in the second quarter, then got the ball back out of halftime and scored another touchdown to tie the game at 14.

But the Mountaineers would never gain the lead.

Troy responded with two touchdowns on its next three drives and immediately followed that second score with the Callis fumble return.

The back-to-back championships are Troy’s only appearances and wins since the Sun Belt added a conference championship game in 2018. It is Troy’s eighth Sun Belt championship overall since it joined the league in 2004.

Despite an 11-2 record, Troy is unlikely to take the Group of 5′s automatic big to a New Year’s Six bowl game with two ranked Group of 5 teams ahead of it.

Bowl projections vary for Troy. Some say it could be headed to the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Others mention the Armed Forced Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. And others think Troy could be headed for the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida, which it won last year. There were New Orleans Bowl representatives in the press box during the game.

There has also been talk among Troy officials about the potential of playing locally in the Birmingham Bowl.

Bowl destinations will be determined officially on Sunday after the College Football Playoff field and New Year’s Six bowls are selected.