Troy Comeback Falls Short, 38-32

Saturday, December 1

Troy, Ala.

1:00 PM

Troy University

Florida Atlantic

12/1/2007 6:00:00 AM | Football

TROY, Ala. ? Troy scored 20 points in the fourth quarter but ultimately failed to get the final score needed as quarterback Omar Haugabook was unable to find a receiver on fourth and eight with 24 seconds remaining as Troy fell to Florida Atlantic 38-32 Saturday afternoon at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.

FAU (7-5, 6-1 SBC) kneeled the ball to expire the final seconds off the clock and end the game. The victory earned the Owls a share of the Sun Belt Conference title and a berth opposite Memphis in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 21.

The Trojans (8-4, 6-1 SBC) turned the ball over three times, including two costly fumbles. Troy shared the Sun Belt crown for a second straight year, but must wait, and hope, for an at large bid into another bowl game.

"We just couldn't quite get it going and it seemed like Florida Atlantic was really ready to play," Trojans coach Larry Blakeney said. "I was really proud of our guys for hanging in there and having a chance to win at the end. Sometimes everything you do seems to go the wrong way, and that was the way it seemed today."

Troy managed its first touchdown in a dramatic fourth quarter with 14:03 remaining when Zack Marcum hauled in a nine yard pass from senior quarterback Omar Haugabook. Marcum became the 14th different Trojan to catch a touchdown pass this season.

The touchdown closed the deficit to 35-19 and was set up by a 74-yard Leodis McKelvin kickoff return. McKelvin averaged 38.8 yards per kickoff return on the day.

The Trojans picked up another score four minutes later on a two-yard Sean Dawkins run, but Haugabook was sacked on the two-point conversion attempt, leaving Troy with a 35-25 with 10:32 remaining.

Dawkins finished the game with 38 yards rushing on five carries, along with seven catches for 37 yards.

Florida Atlantic added three points on a 34-yard Warley Leroy field goal pushing its lead to 13 at 38-25. The score was set up by a 47-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Rusty Smith to Cortez Gent.

The Troy comeback continued with 4:25 remaining when Haugabook scrambled to the right and found Gerald Tate across the back of the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown.

The touchdown cut the FAU lead to six points at 38-32 and capped a six-play, 61-yard drive that used up only 1:58 off the game clock.

Haugabook finished the day 35-of-47 passing for 265 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for 86 yards on 23 carries.

Gary Banks (eight catches for 75 yards) and Tate (seven catches for 69 yards and one touchdown) led the Trojans receiving corp.

The Troy defense came up with a big third down play when senior Shawn Todd tracked down Smith for a 13-yard loss forcing the Owls to punt. The Trojans were unable to capitalize, however, when Haugabook's fourth down pass fell incomplete.

"It was our game because we had the ball in our hands with two minutes left and there was a good chance we would go down and score," Haugabook said. "That didn't happen and we are going to have to live with that."

DiIvory Edgecomb's one-yard touchdown run put Florida Atlantic on top early. The Owls were the first team to score on their opening drive against Troy at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium this season. It had been seven games since a team scored on the Trojans on their opening drive. Louisiana-Lafayette was the last team to do so.

Edgecomb's carry capped a 12-play, 70 yard drive that used 4:26 and gave the Owls an early 7-0 lead.

Troy answered back with points, putting its first score on the board with a 34-yard Greg Whibbs field goal. The kick capped a 12-play, 45-yard drive that used 5:28 and saw the Trojans convert two fourth down attempts.

“We were able to drive the ball into the red zone every time," Banks said. "We'd drive it and drive it and then have to kick a field goal. It was frustrating because we were moving the ball and had a chance to score some touchdowns but weren't able to get it done.”

The Trojans closed the gap to 7-6 with another Whibbs field goal, this time a 45-yarder that capped a 12-play, 23-yard drive with 1:03 left in the first quarter. Whibbs etched his name in the Troy record books in the second quarter, and gave Troy its first lead of the day, with another field goal, this one from 39 yards, with 5:13 remaining.

The field goals was the 49th of Whibbs' career, breaking the school record of 48 previously shared by Lawrence Tynes and Ted Clem. The two squads entered halftime with Troy holding a 9-7 lead.

“I am upset because I felt like we left a lot of points on the field," Haugabook said. "We didn't come out the way we were supposed to, but we were able to battle back and have a chance at the end of the game. Time just ran out on us."

Only nine seconds into the third quarter the Trojans turned the ball over on a fumble by Banks. The turnover immediately proved costly for Troy as the Owls jumped back on top on a Charles Pierre two-yard touchdown run.

Whibbs added his fourth field goal of the day on Troy's next drive, this one coming from 31 yards away. It concluded a 12-play, 67-yard drive and cut the FAU lead to 14-12.

The four field goals by Whibbs also set a Troy single game record, breaking a mark that had been matched on 10 different occasions.

Florida Atlantic delivered another blow to the Trojans with 6:12 remaining in the third quarter when Willie Rose broke a 44-yard touchdown run down the sideline to push the FAU lead to 21-12. Smith padded the lead when he threw his first touchdown of the contest, connecting with Jason Harmon for a 12-yard score. The touchdown extended the Owls' lead to 28-12.

Smith tossed another touchdown just six seconds into the fourth quarter, completing a pass to Gent for a 13-yard score. With 14:54 remaining the Owls led 35-12.

Smith passed for 291 yards on the day, completing 23-of-34 passes. Gent had 155 yards on eight receptions to lead the Owls.

“There were several times today where our offense and our defense could have quit, but they didn't do that,” Blakeney said. “I am proud of this football team and where we have come from.”

The Trojans now have to wait, and hope. The Sun Belt Conference is guaranteed only one bowl spot and an opening for the Trojans will depend on what bowl committees decide.

"It will be a shame if we don't get a bowl spot somewhere,” Banks said. “We lost this game tonight to a great team, but we have eight wins and beat some very good teams. We are in the Sun Belt Conference and we have that against us, but I hope that someone out there will recognize that we did a great job this year and deserve to be in a bowl game."