Troy University Athletics
Troy University
4-5
Tennessee
4-5
Troy Drops Heartbreaker in Shootout on Rocky Top
11/3/2012 4:42:00 PM | Football
PHOTO GALLERY
TROY POST GAME NOTES
KNOXVILLE – Troy torched the Tennessee defense for 721 yards, but the Vols scored a pair of touchdowns over the final three minutes of the game to rally from a late deficit and win a 55-48 shootout over the Trojans Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Troy took a 48-41 lead with 3:14 to play in the game on a highlight-reel, one-handed catch by Eric Thomas that covered 67 yards from Corey Robinson. The duo hooked up again on the two-point conversion to make it a seven-point game.
The 721 yards is the most allowed by a Tennessee team in school history and the second most ever by Troy. In two games against SEC competition this season, the Trojans have accumulated 1,293 yards of total offense or 646.5 per game; Troy had 572 yards against Mississippi State.
Troy's total against Tennessee is the most yards allowed by an SEC defense this season and the Trojans have two of the top five totals this year. The 48 points scored by the Trojans are the most in school history against an SEC team (previous high was 34 at Georgia in 2007).
On the drive following the Thomas touchdown, Tennessee was the beneficiary of a pass interference call on the first play and Tyler Bray hit Justin Hunter on the next play for a 46-yard score to tie the game with 2:54 to play.
Following a Troy three-and-out, the Vols took over on their own 34-yard line with 2:11 to play in the game. Bray connected with Hunter on third-and-10 to keep the drive alive and on the next play Marlin Lane ran in for the score from nine yards out.
Troy was able to move to the Tennessee 43-yard line on its final possession of the game, but Robinson's Hail Mary pass as time expired fell incomplete.
Robinson finished the game 30-of-46 for 393 yards and a touchdown through the air while Deon Anthony completed 8-of-12 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Shawn Southward rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns to move into second place on the Troy career rushing touchdown list with 32; just two shy of the record.
Thomas totaled 147 yards on six catches and a pair of scores while Chip Reeves had five catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Reeves became the first player in Troy history to top the 100-yard receiving plateau in four games during one season.
Tennessee (4-5) jumped out to a 28-10 lead after the first quarter of play thanks to a pair of touchdown passes by Bray and a Lane 17-yard run. Troy kicker Will Scott put the first points of the game on the board with an early 37-yard field goal and Southward gave the Trojans a 10-7 lead with his first touchdown.
Bray completed 29-of-47 passes for 530 yards and five touchdowns. Cordarrelle Patterson hauled in nine of Bray's passes for 219 yards and one touchdown, while Hunter finished with 181 yards and three scores on nine receptions. Lane rushed 19 times for 132 yards.
The Trojans (4-5) stormed back with touchdowns on their next four possessions – the first time they had done that since 2008 against Alcorn State. Southward rushed in from 1-yard out, Reeves caught a 51-yard pass from Anthony and Anthony trucked a Tennessee defender to complete a 28-yard touchdown run that gave the Trojans a 30-28 lead with 1:12 to play in the opening half.
Michael Palardy booted a 21-yard field goal as time expired to give the Vols a 31-30 lead at the half and then hit a 31-yard attempt on the first drive of the second half to stretch the lead to 34-30.
Troy regained the lead, 37-34, as Anthony capped a 9-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Thomas with 7:31 to play in the third quarter.
The only turnover of the game occurred on the next drive when Eli Canton ripped the ball loose from wildcat quarterback Alton Howard and Bryan Willis recovered on the Troy 4-yard line. The Trojans moved down to the Tennessee 24-yard line before the drive stalled and Scott booted a 42-yard field goal to give Troy a 40-34 lead late in the third quarter.
Bray put Tennessee back in front, 41-40, with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Rajion Neal on the ensuing possession.
The Trojans wrap up non-conference play next Saturday when they play host to Navy in Veterans Memorial Stadium. Kickoff between the Trojans and Midshipmen is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast by ESPN3.
Scoring Summary
TROY – Scott 37-yard FG, 11:09, 1st 0-3
UT – Patterson 14-yard pass from Bray (Palardy kick), 7:36, 1st 7-3
TROY – Southward 4-yard run (Scott kick), 4:42, 1st 7-10
UT – Lane 17-yard run (Palardy kick), 3:03, 1st 14-10
UT – Hunter 21-yard pass from Bray (Palardy kick), 0:44, 1st 21-10
UT – Hunter 41-yard pass from Bray (Palardy kick), 11:06, 2nd 28-10
TROY – Southward 1-yard run (Scott kick), 6:40, 2nd 28-17
TROY – Reeves 51-yard pass from Anthony (Scott kick failed), 4:37, 2nd 28-23
TROY – Anthony 28-yard run (Scott kick), 1:12, 2nd 28-30
UT – Palardy 21-yard FG, 0:00, 2nd 31-30
UT – Palardy 31-yard FG, 11:47, 3rd 34-30
TROY – Thomas 3-yard pass from Anthony (Scott kick), 7:31, 3rd 34-37
TROY – Scott 42-yard FG, 0:34, 3rd 34-40
UT – Neal 23-yard pass from Bray (Palardy kick), 13:38, 4th 41-40
TROY – Thomas 67-yard pass from Robinson (Thomas pass from Robinson), 3:14, 4th 41-48
UT – Hunter 46-yard pass from Bray (Palardy kick), 2:54, 4th 48-48
UT – Lane 9-yard run (Palardy kick), 0:46, 4th 55-48
Team Stats
TROY 3, UT 0
TROY - Scott, Will 37 yd field goal 10 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:51
TROY 3, UT 7
UT - Patterson, C. 14 yd pass from Bray, T. (Palardy, M. kick) 13 plays, 65 yards, TOP 3:33
TROY 10, UT 7
TROY - Shawn Southward 7 yd run (Scott, Will kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:54
TROY 10, UT 14
UT - Lane, M. 17 yd run (Palardy, M. kick), 4 plays, 53 yards, TOP 1:31
TROY 10, UT 21
UT - Hunter, J. 21 yd pass from Bray, T. (Palardy, M. kick) 5 plays, 47 yards, TOP 1:30
TROY 10, UT 28
UT - Hunter, J. 40 yd pass from Bray, T. (Palardy, M. kick) 2 plays, 81 yards, TOP 0:37
TROY 17, UT 28
TROY - Shawn Southward 1 yd run (Scott, Will kick), 12 plays, 72 yards, TOP 4:19
TROY 23, UT 28
TROY - Reeves, Chip 51 yd pass from Anthony, Deon (Scott, Will kickfailed) 2 plays, 66 yards, TOP 0:31
TROY 30, UT 28
TROY - Anthony, Deon 28 yd run (Scott, Will kick), 7 plays, 79 yards, TOP 2:21
TROY 30, UT 31
UT - Palardy, M. 21 yd field goal 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 1:12
TROY 30, UT 34
UT - Palardy, M. 31 yd field goal 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP 3:06
TROY 37, UT 34
TROY - Thomas, Eric 3 yd pass from Anthony, Deon (Scott, Will kick) 9 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:16
TROY 40, UT 34
TROY - Scott, Will 42 yd field goal 12 plays, 72 yards, TOP 4:44
TROY 40, UT 41
UT - Neal, R. 23 yd pass from Bray, T. (Palardy, M. kick) 8 plays, 90 yards, TOP 1:50
TROY 48, UT 41
TROY - Thomas, Eric 67 yd pass from Robinson, Corey (Thomas, Eric pass) 3 plays, 93 yards, TOP 1:26
TROY 48, UT 48
UT - Hunter, J. 46 yd pass from Bray, T. (Palardy, M. kick) 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:16
TROY 48, UT 55
UT - Lane, M. 9 yd run (Palardy, M. kick), 6 plays, 66 yards, TOP 0:46
