Troy forced four turnovers and scored after every one of them on the way to a 27-10 victory over Southern Miss at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

Three interceptions and a fumble recovery led directly to 20 points for the Trojans, who won their third straight game and improved to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Golden Eagles, playing in their first conference game as a Sun Belt member, fell to 2-3, 0-1.

Southern Miss took its only lead at 7-3 early in the second quarter, when Zack Wilcke threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jason Brownlee. That score was also set up by a turnover, when the Golden Eagles’ Camron Harrell intercepted Troy’s Jarret Doege.

Troy took the lead back for good with 3:52 left in the first half, after Markeis Colvin intercepted Wilcke and returned the ball to the Southern Miss 27. DK Billingsley burst into the end zone on third-and-goal from the 1, making it a 10-7 game at halftime.

The Trojans took the second-half kickoff and drove 83 yards for a touchdown, Kimani Vidal’s 10-yard run that made it 17-7 at the 11:23 mark. Vidal also had a 29-yard run on the drive, part of a 17-carry, 79-yard night for the sophomore.

Southern Miss pulled within 17-10 on Briggs Bourgeios’ 34-yard field goal with 2:24 left in the third, but Troy converted two final turnovers into 10 points in the fourth quarter. Kyle Cass picked off Wilcke, resulting in Brooks Buce’s 30-yard field goal and a 20-10 Trojans lead with 9:14 to play.

On the ensuing possession, Richard Jibunor knocked the ball loose from Wilcke, and Buddha Jones fell on it at the Southern Miss 23. On the next play, Doege hit Tez Johnson in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown and Troy was up 17 with 8:48 left.

Troy’s first points of the game — Buce’s 48-yard field goal that made it 3-0 in the first quarter — also came after a turnover, Craig Slocum’s interception in Trojans territory. Troy totaled five sacks, eight tackles for loss and four pass breakups in addition to the three interceptions and one forced fumble.

Doege, making his first start for the Trojans in place of the injured Gunnar Watson, completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Troy outgained Southern Miss 338 yards to 205 in the game, and held the Golden Eagles to just 48 yards rushing.

Slocum led the Trojans’ defense with eight tackles in addition to an interception and a pass breakup. Carlton Martial added seven tackles, increasing his Sun Belt Conference career record to 494, 51 behind the FBS mark of 545 held by former Northwestern linebacker Tim McGarigle.

Troy hosts Texas State at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday for homecoming.