2008 Troy Trojans Season

2008 Troy Trojans Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Troy Trojans

Dec. 21
2008 New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss 30 ... Troy 27 OT
Southern Miss, got a blocked field goal from Michael McGee in overtime to overcome an awful start, and the loss of its star WR DeAndre Brown to a broken leg, for the win. The offense rallied with the final 13 points of the game including a 39-yard Britt Barefoot field goal in overtime that doinked off the upright and through. To get into the extra time, USM got a 35-yard touchdown catch from Jonathan Massey with :20 top play and a 46-yard field goal from Barefoot to tie it with just under three minutes to play. Troy had one final shot in regulation, but a potential Hail Mary attempt was stopped by a sack. Troy started out well with Jorrick Calvin batting down a bad USM option pitch and taking it 17 yards for a score on the first drive of the game, and got up 10 in the second half on a six-yard run on a direct snap to Jernel Jernigan before USM took over.
Player of the game: Southern Miss PK Britt Barefoot hit all three of his field goal attempts from 38, 46 to tie the score in the fourth, and the game-winner from 39. He hadn't hit a field goal longer than 29 yards all year.
Stat Leaders: Southern Miss - Passing: Austin Davis, 30-24, 276 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 14-78, 1 TD. Receiving: Gerald Baptiste, 5-88, 1 TD
Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 26-43, 255 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 19-52. Receiving: Jernel Jernigan, 9-65
Inside The Boxscore ... Boris Lee made 13 tackles and two sacks for Troy, while Southern Miss star LB made 11 stops with a sack. ... Third down conversions: Troy 10-of-18 - USM 6-of-15 ... Net yards per punt: Troy 40.3 on three punts - USM 16 on four punts. ... Each team had four sacks ... First quarter time of possession: USM 10:16 - Troy 4:44, but Troy led 14-7 going into the second.

- 2008 Troy Preview
- 2007 Troy Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 8-5

Aug. 28 at Middle Tenn W 31-17
Sept. 6 at LSU PPD
Sept. 13 Alcorn State W 65-0
Sept. 20 at Ohio State L 28-10
Sept. 27 at Oklahoma St L 55-24
Oct. 7 at Florida Atlantic W 30-17
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 FIU W 33-23
Oct. 25 at North Texas W 45-17
Nov. 1 at UL Monroe L 31-30
Nov. 8 West. Kentucky W 17-7
Nov. 15 at LSU L 41-30
Nov. 22 UL Lafayette W 48-3
Nov. 29 OPEN DATE
Dec. 6 Arkansas State W 35-9
New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 21 So. Miss L 30-27 OT

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2007 Record: 8-4

Sept. 1 at Arkansas L 46-26
Sept. 8 at Florida L 59-31
Sept. 14 Oklahoma St W 41-23
Sept. 22 at UL Laf. W 48-31
Sept. 29 UL Monroe W 24-7
Oct. 6 at FIU W 34-16
Oct. 20 North Texas W 45-7
Oct. 27 at Ark. St W 27-0
Nov. 3 at Georgia L 44-34
Nov. 10 at West. Ky W 21-17
Nov. 20 Middle Tenn W 45-7
Dec. 1 Florida Atlantic L 38-32

Nov. 22
Troy 48 …. UL Lafayette 3
DuJuan Harris ran wild with 234 rushing yards and touchdown dashes from nine and 35 yards out, and he threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Mykeal Terry in the blowout win. In the domination, ULL only came up with 255 yards and a 29-yard Drew Edmiston field goal. Hurt by a whopping 15 penalties and two turnovers, the Ragin’ Cajuns stalled throughout. Troy ended up with 391 rushing yards.
Player of the game: Troy RB DuJuan Harris ran 28 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and he threw a touchdown pass
Stat Leaders: UL Lafayette - Passing: Michael Desormeaux, 7-13, 72 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Desormeaux, 15-136. Receiving: Jason Chery, 4-57
Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 7-16, 51 yds
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 28-234, 2 TD. Receiving: Gerald Tate, 2-14
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy ran for 391 yards on ULL and the Ragin’ Cajuns only managed 183 yards. The roles have to be reversed for ULL to be successful, but this was the team’s sloppiest game in a long time with 15 penalties, one third down conversion in 12 tries, and nothing from Tyrell Fenroy who was held to 23 yards. Michael Desormeaux did what he could, rushing for 136 yards, but the team wasn’t equipped to come back in a game like this. Now on a three-game losing streak, ULL has to beat Middle Tennessee just to be bowl eligible.

Nov. 15
LSU 40 … Troy 31
Troy got up 31-3 as Levi Brown threw two touchdown passes and Terence Moore returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown in the shocker. And then the final 17 minutes were all LSU as the Tigers scored 37 unanswered points with Brandon LaFell catching a 33-yard touchdown pass and QB Jordan Jefferson, Charles Scott and Quinn Johnson all ran for short scores, with Johnson taking in two from one yard out. The defense stuffed the Trojans throughout the second half leading to a 30-point fourth quarter, but it wasn’t until Scott ran it in from four yards out that LSU finally took the lead for good.
Player of the game: LSU WR Brandon LaFell caught 12 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 34-72, 316 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 14-65. Receiving: Jernel Jernigan, 10-63
LSU - Passing: Jarrett Lee, 20-34, 216 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Charles Scott, 24-90, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon LaFell, 12-126, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy simply ran into a fourth quarter buzzsaw when nothing went right against LSU. The lack of a steady running game proved to be a killer, the Trojans were unable to get the chains moving and had to rely solely on the arm of Levi Brown, and the D couldn’t slow down the late momentum. The key, now, is to get over the heartbreak in a hurry. The Sun Belt title is over if the Trojans can beat UL Lafayette next week, and while this loss stinks, that’s nothing compared to what will happen if Troy blows the Sun Belt championship.

Nov. 8
Troy 17 … Western Kentucky 7
Levi Brown connected with Andrew Davis for a 58-yard first quarter touchdown and Gerald Tate for a nine-yard score in the second, and the defense did the rest. Western Kentucky got a 20-yard Brandon Smith touchdown run in the third, but only managed 216 yards of total offense for the game and couldn’t keep the chains moving.
Player of the game: Troy QB Levi Brown completed 30-of-46 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and he ran for 12 yards.
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing: Brandon Smith, 10-22, 56 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Smith, 13-43, 1 TD. Receiving: Jake Gebler, 6-27
Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 30-46, 298 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 23-101. Receiving: Jerrel Jernigan, 6-88
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy came up with a lot of yards against Western Kentucky and a dominant defensive effort, and it was still a struggle to get by. The offense is at its best when it’s running effectively, and while it wasn’t bad, especially with DuJuan Harris running for 101 yards, Levi Brown had to throw too much. Call this a tune-up game for the passing attack with the showdowns against UL Lafayette and Arkansas State coming up to decide the Sun Belt title.

Nov. 1
UL Monroe 31 … Troy 30
Trey Revell connected with J.J. McCoy for a seven-yard touchdown with 34 seconds to play to give ULM the win. In the see-saw game, Troy took the lead on a 29-yard touchdown catch from DuJuan Harris with just under five minutes to play, but was only up five after missing on the two-point conversion. Troy took the first half lead on two of Levi Brown’s three touchdown passes, but Kinsmon Lancaster led ULM back with two short touchdown passes before Harris ran 45 yards for another Troy lead. Lancaster got knocked out of the game and Revell came in and went 5-for-5.
Player of the game: UL Monroe QB Trey Revell completed all five of his passes for 44 yards and the game-winning touchdown, and he ran four times for 29 ards
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 23-36, 221 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 20-143, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Davis, 5-45, 1 TD
UL Monroe - Passing: Kinsmon Lancaster, 15-26, 125 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Frank Goodin, 18-60. Receiving: Kenneth Zacharie, 6-71
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy had everything set up to beat ULM, but the defense couldn’t come up with the late stop on the final drive to seal the win. Levi Brown played well, but he couldn’t hit on enough third down conversions to keep the chains moving to keep the ULM offense off the field. The Troy D was gassed at the end. On the plus side, Troy is still in control of its Sun Belt destiny as long as it wins out. The UL Lafayette game is in Troy.

Oct. 25
Troy 45 … North Texas 17
Troy’s Levi Brown set a school record with 50 pass attempts with a six-yard touchdown pass to Jerrel Jernigan and a 29-yard play to Mykeal Terry in the blowout win. The Trojans put the first 22 points on the board before UNT came up with a 32-yard Casey Fitzgerald touchdown catch to break the run. Even with UNT got a break, like with a 46-yard Jeremy Knott field goal, Troy answered with Jorrick Calvin taking a kick back 94 yards for a score. DuJuan Harris scored two short ones.
Player of the game: Troy QB Levi Brown completed 40-of-50 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: North Texas - Passing: Giovanni Vizza, 31-52, 246 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Cam Montgomery, 16-92, 1 TD. Receiving: Casey Fitzgerald, 14-113, 1 TD
Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 40-50, 391 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Maurice Green, 7-41. Receiving: Jerrel Jernigan, 9-123, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Levi Brown might be a new Sun Belt star. He wasn’t afraid to start bombing away against North Texas and he didn’t make any big mistakes. He has a little bit of mobility, but he’s a passer. The defense never led UNT in the game, forcing four turnovers and only allowing one big play. If the Trojans are focused, there should be no problems with UL Monroe or Western Kentucky over the next few weeks before the bye.

Oct. 18
Troy 33 … Florida International 23
Troy got out to a quick 13-0 lead on a 15-yard Cornelius Williams catch and an 86-yard touchdown play from Jerrell Jernigan. Levi Brown, playing for Jamie Hampton, finished with 253 yards, while Jernigan did a little of everything as the team’s leading rusher and receiver; he also threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Justin Bray. FIU stayed close on two Paul McCall touchdown passes and a one-yard Daunte Owens scoring run, but never grabbed the lead. The two teams combined for 21 penalties for 144 yards.
Player of the game: Troy RB Jerrel Jernigan ran 10 times for 88 yards and caught five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass.
Stat Leaders: FIU - Passing: Paul McCall, 22-33, 266 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Daunte Owens, 14-69, 1 TD. Receiving: T.Y. Hilton, 6-116
Troy - Passing: Levi Brown, 18-28, 253 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jerrel Jernigan, 10-88. Receiving: Jerrel Jernigan, 5-131, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy took a major step forward with a nice, efficient win over FIU thanks to everyone stepping up their play. With Jamie Hampton out for the year with a knee injury, the Trojans got a big day from Jerrel Jernigan running and receiving, while the offense line did a good job of keeping Levi Brown upright. However, Brown struggled mightily on third downs as the Trojans went 0-for-11 on conversion tries and committed 11 penalties.

Oct. 7
Troy 30 ... Florida Atlantic 17
Troy jumped out to a 17-3 lead helped by a two-yard Jamie Hampton touchdown run and a 16-yard DuJuan Harris scoring dash. But FAU stayed alive with an eight-yard Jamari Grant touchdown catch late in the first half. Troy ended the drama with two of Sam Glusman's three field goals coming in the second half, while Hampton added a one-yard rushing touchdown. The Trojans finished with 233 yards on the ground while the defense came up with four sacks.
Player of the game: Troy FS Tavares Williams made nine tackles and a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty Smith, 21-41, 283, yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: DiIvory Edgecomb, 7-42. Receiving: Jamari Grant, 6-82, 1 TD
Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 10-21, 116 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamie Hampton, 17-61, 2 TD. Receiving: Jerrel Jernigan, 6-63
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... At 2-0 in the Sun Belt with the two big road games off the schedule, Troy is now in a great position to win its second Sun Belt title in three years. Florida Atlantic's ground game was held in check by the Troy D, and while Rusty Smith threw well, Jamie Hampton had the game well in control. The pass rush, that has adjusted well without Kenny Mainor, got to Smith four times and did a good job of keeping up the pressure. Now the team has to keep its focus with layups against FIU and North Texas up next.

Sept. 27
Oklahoma State 55 … Troy 24
Oklahoma State rolled for 358 rushing yards and 254 through the air in a total offensive domination. Dez Bryant caught three touchdown passes in the first half from 16, 26 and 44 yards out and Kendal Hunter and Keith Toston each ran for two scores. Troy came up with a score here and there with Jamie Hampton throwing three touchdown passes to three different receivers, but they didn’t matter. Troy linebackers Bear Woods and Boris Lee combined for 22 tackles.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter ran 24 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 27 yards.  
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 16-21, 254 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 24-169, 2 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 6-118, 3 TD
Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 24-45, 253 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamie Hampton, 9-54. Receiving: Kennard Burton, 7-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Troy needs to have a short memory. After a nice showing in a loss to Ohio State, the Trojan defense got ripped to shreds by everything the Oklahoma State offense wanted to do. By the time Troy blinked, it was 21-0 OSU and the game was over. Jamie Hampton moved the ball through the air, but he had to press. He’s better when he doesn’t have to force his throws. While this might have been an aberration, now the pass defense has to prove it can hold up against the Florida Atlantic passing game next week.

Sept. 20
Ohio State 28 ... Troy 10
Terrelle Pryor got the start, and he didn't disappoint throwing four touchdown passes including two to Brian Hartline from 39 and 16 yards away. Even so, the Buckeyes were a bit sluggish, up only 14-10 at halftime, but two Pryor fourth quarter touchdown passes in the fourth quarter ended any drama. Troy got its touchdown on a 45-yard catch from Jerrell Jernigan late in the second quarter, but it outpassed Ohio State 218 yards to 139.
Player of the game: Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor went 10-of-16 for 139 yards, four touchdowns and an interception, adding 66 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 30-43, 218 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 11-54. Receiving: Jerrell Jernigan, 8-66, 1 TD
Ohio State - Passing: Terrelle Pryor, 10-16, 139 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan Herron, 20-94. Receiving: Brian Hartline, 2-55, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Trojans just couldn't get that one big play in the second half to turn the tide against Ohio State. The offense wasn't awful, it outgained the Buckeyes 315 yards to 309, and there was a nice big pass play for a touchdown to Jernell Jernigan, but there wasn't anything to take control. Defensively, the linebackers kept Terrelle Pryor in relative check, Boris Lee and Bear Woods combined for 27 tackles, and now they'll have to do even more next week against Oklahoma State's backfield.

Sept. 13
Troy 65 … Alcorn State 0
Troy set a school record with 736 yards of total offense and hung up 52 points at halftime thanks to four Jamie Hampton touchdown passes and a one-yard scoring run. Maurice Greer added a 60-yard dash in the 38-point second quarter, and all the starters came out. The Trojans forced seven turnovers and picked off ASU quarterbacks seven times.  
Player of the game: Troy QB Jamie Hampton completed 26-of-37 passes for 323 yards and four touchdown with two interceptions, and he ran six times for 45 yards and a score in just one half.
Stat Leaders: Alcorn State - Passing: Tony Hobson, 4-12, 24 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Eric Relf, 7-43. Receiving: Elliott Moore, 4-7
Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 26-37, 323 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Maurice Greer, 9-113, 1 TD. Receiving: Jerrell Jernigan, 8-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... 11 penalties for 85 yards and four turnovers. That’s all there is to dog about the Troy 65-0 win over Alcorn State. The Trojans outgained ASU 736 yards to 120, came up with 36 first downs to nine, and the defense forced seven turnovers. QB Jamie Hampton was able to take a few chances with the passing game with no worries of any major comeback, and he showed just how explosive the offense has the potential to be.

Aug. 28
Troy 31 ... Middle Tennessee 17
Troy took a 24-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to a 33-yard touchdown from DuJuan Harris, to go along with a five-yard scoring grab  and a four-yard Jamie Hampton touchdown dash, but Middle Tennessee came back kicked off by a 46-yard scoring run from Malcolm Beyah and a three-yard Phillip Tanner dash, but the Trojans answered late with a 79-yard, 11-play drive capped off by a 13-yard Harris run. Troy turned it over four times, but came up with five sacks and held the Blue Raiders to 1.7 yards per carry.
Player of the game: Troy LBs Bear Woods and Boris Lee combined for 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and an interception
Stat Leaders: Middle Tennessee - Passing: Joe Craddock, 20-32, 200 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Phillip Tanner, 16-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Sancho McDonald, 6-65
Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 17-28, 136 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 19-148, 2 TD. Receiving: Jerrel Jernigan, 6-43
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Trojans got sloppy against Middle Tennessee and turned the ball over way too often, but the defense came up with just enough big plays and the offense got a whale of a game out of DuJuan Harris to take an important step in the Sun Belt title chase. Harris might have been the star, but it was the continued play by the linebackers, especially Bear Woods and Boris Lee, the kept the game in Troy's favor. However, to have any hope of staying with LSU next week, QB Jamie Hampton has to be better and he can't turn the ball over.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Jacoby Thomas LB 6-2 230 Mobile, Ala./Murphy HS

Potential Instant Impact Players
 

Mario Addison DE 6-4 245 Birmingham, Ala./Tarrant HS/Northeast Miss. CC

Rest of the Class

Mario Addison DE 6-4 245 Birmingham, Ala./Tarrant HS/Northeast Miss. CC

Chris Anderson RB 5-10 180 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Boyd-Anderson HS

Jimmie Arnold OL 6-2 290 Belle Glades, Fla./Day HS

Brandon Boudreax* DL 6-1 230 Auburn, Ala./Auburn HS

Talris Brown ATH 6-2 200 Milton, Fla./Milton HS

Jorrick Calvin DB 6-0 200 Baton Rouge, La./Scotlandville Magnet HS/East Central (MS) CC

Jacob Creech* OL 6-3 275 Boaz, Ala./Boaz HS

Kanorris Davis LB 5-11 215 Perry, Ga./Perry HS

Tony Davis DL 6-2 250 Perry, Ga./Perry HS

DeAndre Dorn DT 6-5 300 Orlando, Fla./Olympia HS

Gavin Ellis WR 6-6 210 Cullman, Ala./Cullman HS

Calvin Francois DT 6-1 280 Hollywood, Fla./Hollywood Hills HS

Tebiarus Gill WR 6-3 190 Mobile, Ala./Vigor HS/Jones County (MS) JC

Maurice Greer RB 5-11 205 Denver, Colo./Mullen HS/Garden City (KS) CC

Stoney Jackson DE 6-4 220 Luverne, Ala./Luverne HS

Tim Lamb DT 6-1 300 Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln HS/Hargrave (VA) Military Academy

Kedric Manning DB 5-11 190 Eatonton, Ga./Putnam County HS/Kilgore (TX) CC

Tony Mitchell RB 5-10 175 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Hollywood-Chaminade HS

Darius Morgan WR 6-4 200 Citra, Fla./North Marion HS

Chigozie Nwankwo DT 6-3 260 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Hollywood-Chaminade HS

Dan Parker QB 6-0 200 Miami, Fla./Columbus HS

Felton Payton WR 6-3 180 Ft. Walton Beach, Fla./Ft. Walton Beach HS

Chris Perry ATH 5-9 165 Winter Park, Fla./Lake Howell HS

Kejuan Phillips* DB 5-10 180 Waycross, Ga./Ware County HS

Charles Reeves WR 5-11 180 Stone Mountain, Ga./Stone Mountain HS

Michael Ricks* S 6-3 190 Courtland, Ala./Courtland HS/Northeast Miss. CC

DeMarcus Robertson DB 5-11 195 Sunrise, Fla./Piper HS/Garden City (KS) CC

Corey Robinson QB 6-1 190 Paducah, Ky./Lone Oak HS

James Searcy DE 6-3 260 Newnan, Ga./Northgate HS

Daniel Sheffield S 6-4 210 Ashburn, Ga./Turner County HS/Garden City (KS) CC

Jacoby Thomas LB 6-2 230 Mobile, Ala./Murphy HS

Johnny Thompson LB 6-1 210 Valley, Ala./Valley HS

Kyle Wilborn OL 6-5 280 Newnan, Ga./Heritage HS

Terrence Williams LB 6-1 200 Prattville, Ala./Prattville HS

Bryan Willis DB 6-0 180 Columbus, Ga./Shaw HS

2008 Recap

Recap: The Trojans were built for a second straight Sun Belt Conference championship, and seemingly headed in that direction with one final hurdle remaining.  Florida Atlantic, however, had other plans.  The underdog Owls shocked Troy on Dec. 1, dethroning Troy and ending its eight-game winning streak in league games.  Although it was a good year on many levels for the Trojans, which beat Oklahoma State in September and hung with Georgia in November, they were unable to land another bowl game as the Sun Belt runner-up.

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Omar Haugabook

Defensive Player of the Year: CB Elbert Mack

Biggest Surprise: Sure, Troy was dangerous, but no one expected it to obliterate Oklahoma State on Sept. 15.  The Trojans dominated from the kickoff, opening up a 41-10 bulge after three quarters behind a monster effort through the air and on the ground from Haugabook.

Biggest Disappointment: With the league crown at stake, it was a foregone conclusion that the Trojans would beat Florida Atlantic at home, right? Uh-uh.  The Owl passing game took it to Troy for four quarters, winning 38-32, and leaving the defending champs without a 13^th game to play in December.          

Looking Ahead: It’s a good thing that Larry Blakeney has recruited so well in recent years because he’s going to need the depth in a post-Haugabook era.  While the offense gets up to speed in 2008, the Trojans will be paced by a defense that returns an all-league performer at each level.