Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Georgia
Georgia Stops Troy's Win Streak
11/3/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
Those two minutes, the last minute of the first half and the final minute of the third quarter, produced 28 of the Bulldogs' points in a 44-34 homecoming victory over the Trojans, snapping Troy's six-game win streak.
Georgia improved to 7-2 with the win while dropping Troy's record to 6-3. All three Trojan losses on the year have been to members of the Southeastern Conference.
It took Georgia just 37 seconds late in the first half to turn a 10-10 score into a 24-10 Bulldogs' lead. After Troy battled back to within 24-10 late in the third, the Bulldogs used another scoring spurt, this time scoring 10 points in 55 seconds.
The Trojans continued to battle, closing back to within 34-27 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs answered with another scoring drive to put the game away.
The Trojans struck first thanks to the play of the Troy defense. Junior Terence Moore, a native of Columbus and one of 28 Trojans from Georgia, forced Bulldogs freshman running back Knowshon Moreno to fumble on the second play from scrimmage. Junior linebacker David McDowell recovered for the Trojans at the UGA 26.
After the turnover, freshman Jamie Hampton, making his first start at quarterback for Troy, took a throwback pass from senior Gary Banks down to the Bulldogs' nine. The Georgia defense stiffened there, forcing Troy to take a 25-yard Greg Whibbs field goal and a 3-0 lead at the 13:11 mark of the first quarter.
The Troy defense forced another turnover on the next Georgia possession, this time senior Leodis McKelvin, a Waycross native, forced the ball loose from fullback Brannan Southerland and another Georgia native, junior Sherrod Martin from Griffin, recovered at the Georgia 35.
This time the Trojans were their own worst enemies, with a false start penalty nullifying a 49-yard Whibbs field goal. After the penalty, the Trojans pooch punted, but the ball, trickled into the end zone for a touchback.
Georgia needed only one play to get into the end zone when Mareno, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week, went up the middle for 80 yards and a touchdown. The PAT gave Georgia a 7-3 lead with 10:12 left in the quarter.
After Troy turned the ball over on an interception, the Bulldogs failed to get into scoring position and gave the ball back to the Trojans after a punt into the end zone.
It took the Troy offense just four plays to cover the 80 yards, with Haugabook hitting freshman Jerrel Jernigan for a 32-yard touchdown with 4:47 left in the quarter. The scoring play was set up by a 29-yard pass to Gary Banks, a nine-yard completion to Jernigan and a 10-yard run by freshman DuJuan Harris. Whibbs' PAT gave the Trojans a 10-7 lead.
Georgia came back to tie the game early in the second quarter when senior kicker Brandon Coutu capped an eight-play Bulldogs drive with a 36-yard field goal at the 14:45 mark of the quarter.
Most of the second quarter was quiet, as the Trojans and Bulldogs traded punts and played field position. That changed late in the quarter when Georgia's Thomas Flowers returned a Whibbs punt to near midfield. It took the Bulldogs just three plays to cover 52 yards, with the final 22 coming on a post pass from Stafford to tight end Tripp Chandler with 45 seconds left in the half.
With a 17-10 lead, the Bulldogs kicked short to avoid McKelvin and Troy sophomore Travis Boyd was unable to handle the kick, giving the ball back to Georgia at the Troy 43. The Bulldogs needed just five plays to score their second touchdown in the final minute of the half, with Stafford hitting senior receiver Sean Bailey from 20 yards out with eight second left in the half.
The Trojan secondary was burned on the two late TD passes thanks in large part to the fact that both starting safeties, Terrence Moore and Tavares Williams, had already been sent to the locker room to get fluids as a result of cramping.
Troy came out after halftime and mounted a 13-play drive that feel just short of the Georgia end zone, ending in a 19-yard Whibbs field goal with 10:16 left in the quarter, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 24-13.
On Georgia's next possession, the Bulldogs drove right down the field but had their drive snuffed out by senior Elbert Mack, who intercepted a Stafford pass in the end zone after having surrendered a 37-yard completion on the previous play.
The Trojans turned the turnover into points quickly, using just five plays to cover 80 yards in 1:55, with the final 44 yards coming on a bomb from Haugabook to Kennard Burton between two defenders for the touchdown with 5:29 left in the quarter. The TD catch was Burton's team-leading third of the season.
Georgia came back on its next possession, driving 38 yards in seven plays, but having to settle for a 46 yard field goal from Coutu with 2:03 left in the quarter for a 27-20 Bulldogs lead.
That lead grew to 34-20 a minute later after Haugabook was stripped of the ball by Marcus Howard, who recovered the loose ball at the Troy 1. Moreno punched into the end zone on the next play, upping the Bulldogs' lead to 34-20 with 1:08 left in the third.
Troy, however, still had some fight left. As the third quarter ended, the Trojans' Kenny Cattouse ripped off a 38-yard run to the Georgia eight. After the teams changed ends of the field, it took the Trojans four downs to cover those eight yards, with Haugabook converting on fourth and goal from the one for the touchdown with 12:54 to play. Whibbs' PAT cut the Georgia lead to 34-27.
As was the case all afternoon, the Bulldogs answered the Trojans' scoring drive with one of their own. Georgia used seven plays to move into range for Coutu, who converted from 36 yards with 8:53 left, pushing the Georgia lead to 37-27.
Thomas Flowers returned Whibbs' punt 59 yards back to th one yard line where Moreno punched it in for his third score of the day giving Georgia the 44-27 lead.
Freshman DuJuan Harris led the Trojans down the field with 51 rushing yards on Troy's final drive. Jernigan caught a tipped pass thrown by Hampton for the touchdown closing the score to 44-34.
*
*
* Jamie Hampton started his first career game against UGA.
* Knowshon Moreno's 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter tied the longest run against
* Gary Banks reception in the first quarter extends his streak to 28 games with a reception.
* Kennard Burton's touchdown reception in the third quarter was his third of the season.
* Jerrel Jernigan had a career high nine catches.
