Troy University Athletics
Trojans Strike Early And Often In 47-7 Rout Of Idaho
10/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. - Troy senior running back DeWhitt Betterson did not leave any doubt.
The Starke, Fla., native broke loose on a 56-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the Trojans' 47-7 whipping of Sun Belt Conference foe Idaho to cruise past the school career rushing mark. His 184-yard performance against the Vandals gives him 2,979 career rushing yards, surpassing an almost 20-year-old school record.
Troy evened its overall record on the season at 4-4 with the victory and improved to 2-2 in the Sun Belt. Idaho fell to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in league play.
Ted Horstead set the old Troy rushing record with 2,926 yards from 1983-86. He and more than 30 other members of the Trojans' 1984 Division II National Championship team were on hand at the game to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that title. Coach Chan Gailey, who led that team to the crown and is now head coach at Georgia Tech, was also in attendance.
"This is the best thing in the world," Betterson said. "God has blessed me. It is a long story of how I got here, but I know I wouldn't want to trade this for the world."
The Trojans put together a potent ground game with 280 rushing yards and three touchdowns, but it was on defense and special teams where Troy took control of the game. Troy forced Idaho into seven turnovers, two of which were returned for Trojan touchdowns.
Junior corner Johnny Faulk (Dothan, Ala.) got the festivities started when he scooped up a fumble by Idaho's Rolly Lumbala on the opening possession of the game and returned the loose ball 79 yards for a touchdown.
The defensive fumble return was the longest in school history and was the first defensive fumble return for a touchdown for the Trojans since David Philyaw returned a fumble eight yards for a score against Louisiana-Monroe during the 2001 season.
"That was just something we needed to get us started," Faulk said. "Leverne (Johnson) made a good tackle and the ball bounced in my favor. I wasn't going to let anybody catch me them."
That play was the first in what turned out to be an amazing first quarter for the Trojans in all three phases of the game.
After forcing a punt on Idaho's next possession, the Trojans used a nine-play drive to move the ball 76 yards, scoring an 8-yard Betterson run. Another quick three-and-out by the Troy defense forced the Vandals to punt again, and this time freshman Leodis McKelvin (Waycross, Ga.) took the 30-yard Mike Barrow punt back 60 yards for a Troy touchdown.
In the first eight minutes and 20 seconds of the game, the Trojans scored touchdowns in all three phases, taking a 20-0 lead. It was the first time the Trojans have scored a TD in all three phases in a game since Sept. 16, 2000, when Troy defeated Alabama State 62-19. As far as records indicate, it is the first time in school history a Trojans team has pulled off that feat in a single quarter.
"We played a game for the ages as far as scoring just about every way you can score," Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. "In the third quarter we got the momentum back on the field goal and we started picking off balls here and there and making plays."
Despite the shocking turn of events in the first quarter, the Vandals came back late in the period, driving 80 yards in eight plays, primarily on the passing of junior quarterback Michael Harrington (Portland, Ore.). Harrington was 4-for-4 on the drive for 48 yards, including the final 28 yards to tight end Luke Smith-Anderson (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho).
That, however, would be the only bright spot in the game for the Vandals, who turned the ball over seven times (five interceptions, two fumbles), which results in three Troy touchdowns.
"Any time you have seven turnovers you're note going to beat anybody," Idaho coach Nick Holt said. "It's uncharacteristic for us to have seven turnovers and I'm really disappointed that we didn't take care of the football."
After a second quarter that remained scoreless until Greg Whibbs' (Pensacola, Fla.) 37-yard field goal on the final play of the half, the fireworks really started for the Trojans in the third quarter.
Whibbs booted his second field goal of the game, from 19 yards out, on the Trojans first possession. Three plays later Troy linebacker Leverne Johnson (Jasper, Ala.) stepped in front of a Harrington pass and returned the pick 24 yards for a touchdown. It was his first career interception and first touchdown.
Another short Idaho possession and punt gave Troy the ball at its own 44 yard line. From there, it was Betterson time. After an incomplete pass on first down, Betterson broke through the Idaho line and sprinted down the home sideline, tightrope walking the final 15 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, and a spot in the Troy record book.
"Coach told me that would be my last series, and that I needed five yards for the record," Betterson said. "It was a long run and I finished it off with a touchdown. It's real special."
The Trojans finished off the scoring late in the third quarter when freshman Kenny Cattouse (Keyport, NJ) scored on a 26-yard run one play after Arthur Adams (Lithonia, Ga.) Picked off a pass from Idaho backup quarterback Brian Nooy (Pendleton, Ore.).
While the Trojans had a big day on defense and running the ball, the passing game struggled behind the play of true freshman D.T. McDowell (Stone Mountain, Ga.) Wo was making just his second start.
McDowell completed just three of 12 passes for 48 yards and he was intercepted once. All three completions went to senior Jason Samples (Swainsboro, Ga.). McDowell was sacked five times in the game for 43 yards in losses.
"Their defense had a great idea of blitzing our young quarterback, and he cooperated with them a little bit," Blakeney said. "That's all part of the learning process."
The duo of Harrington and Nooy completed 18 of 42 passes for the Vandals, gaining 261 yards to go with the five interceptions. Troy's defense got the pair six times for sacks. The Vandals managed just 81 yards rushing in the game.
Troy will try to keep the momentum going next week when the Trojans host Florida Atlantic (6-1), a 38-8 winner over Florida A&M Saturday. The game does count in the Sun Belt Conference standings for the Trojans and will be homecoming on the Troy campus. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.
