Troy University Athletics
Trojans Fall to Missouri in First Road Game of 2005 Season
9/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Columbia, Mo. - Missouri quarterback Brad Smith completed 23 of 33 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and ran for 79 yards and another score as the Tigers avenged last season's upset loss at Troy 52-21 on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans (1-2) battled to a 20-7 deficit in the first half, but were outscored 25-7 by Mizzou (2-1) in a decisive third quarter.
The Trojan offense established a new season high with 334 yards of total offense, including a yearly best of 260 through the air. Quarterback Carl Meadows completed 16 of 28 passing attempts for 199 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. Smokey Hampton established new career highs for receptions (10) and receiving yards (87), while Kenny Cattouse ran eight times for a team-high 41 yards.
Following punts by both teams, Mizzouri's Tony Temple opened the scoring with a 59-yard run to paydirt. Just four minutes later, the Tigers capitalized on a blocked punt to increase their lead to 10-0. A 22-yard field goal by Adam Crossett capped an eight-play, 28-yard drive.
The Trojans cut into the deficit before the quarter ended. Meadows found Toris Rutledge in the corner of the endzone. The 33-yard pass play was the finishing touch to the longest drive of the season, 76 yards, and made the score 10-7 with 4:01 to play in the period. Troy rushed eight straight times, with a MU pass interference penalty mixed in, before the final play.
The second quarter was all Missouri as the Tigers increased the lead to 20-7 by intermission. Smith was instrumental in both drives, tossing a 10-yard pass to Brad Ekwerekwu for a score with 2:30 left, then converting two straight third-down attempts to set up a 42-yard Crossett field goal.
Troy tried to answer with a final drive before the half, moving 28 yards in the final 24 seconds, but Greg Whibbs saw his career-long 51-yard field goal attempt at the gun hit the crossbar and fall back into the endzone.
Missouri needed just two touches of the ball in the third quarter to explode for 14 points. A Meadows' fumble on the first play of the half gave the Tigers possession at the Troy 13, where Smith started a touchdown run around left end on the first snap. After holding the Trojans on three plays, Marcus Woods returned the punt 73 yards for a touchdown.
Meadows capped an eight-play, 80 yard drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak at the 9:06 mark, but Missouri tallied the next 17 points to open a 52-14 lead. The final score of the game came on Josh Allen's first career touchdown reception. He hauled in a 17-yard pass from Larry Dockery with 1:01 remaining in the contest.
Troy returns to action next Saturday when it travels to South Carolina for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff.
