Troy University Athletics
From the Pressbox
12/22/2008 6:00:00 AM | Football
NEW ORLEANS, La. ? The 2008 Troy University football season will be remembered for a lot of reasons, some for all the right reasons and others for less than pleasant reasons.
Sunday night's 30-27 overtime loss to Southern Miss in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will not be one of the most pleasant memories of the year but, to a man, the Trojans have no reason to hang their heads.
The team played well, and played hard. While that is little consolation, that is what you want to have every time out. For this Troy team, every game was about business, and all of the credit for that attitude lies at the feet of the 21 seniors.
In 2007 the Trojans never got to experience a bowl game of any kind because of one loss. The senior class this year was determined from the moment they returned to campus in January that would not happen again.
Early on this year, the squad lost starting defensive end Kenny Mainor, one of the best pass-rushers in school history, to a knee injury, but the Trojans still were among the best in the country in terms of pressuring the quarterback.
The seniors refused to let that loss affect the team, and a pair of juniors ? Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield ? stepped up, and both became All-Conference players.
After a tough loss to Ohio State, the Trojans went west to Oklahoma State and, frankly, got man-handled by a talented and motivated Cowboys squad. There were questions about what kind of team Troy would have at that point, but those questions were quickly answered.
A trip to FAU to face the team that ended Troy's season in 2007 showed that this Troy squad would never let adversity deter them from their goals. But, even in that game, the Trojans faced adversity in the loss of sophomore quarterback Jamie Hampton.
Even though they were 2-0 in league at the time, there were real doubts as to whether the Trojans would still be contenders for the Sun Belt title.
Those questions were answered by a junior walk-on quarterback. Levi Brown stepped in for Hampton and played as if he had been starting at Troy for four years. In eight starts for the Trojans, Brown completed 201-of-326 passes (61.7 percent) for 2,030 yards and 15 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
But there was more adversity around the corner. A trip to Monroe produced a heart-breaking one-point loss to the Warhawks, opening the door for the rest of the Sun Belt to get back into the league race.
A hard-fought homecoming victory over Western Kentucky was followed by the highest high, and the lowest low, of the entire season.
Troy went to Baton Rouge and Dominated, with a capital D, the defending national champions for three quarters, building a 31-3 lead. But, the high of that moment was followed by the low of seeing that victory, which would have been a defining moment in Troy's short-time as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, fall into one of the most devastating losses in school history.
After that game, in the locker room, the Trojans were at a cross roads. It would have been so easy for the team to take the easy path, to throw in the towel on the year and get a severe case of the “poor me's”, but there was no way that would happen.
The seniors would not allow it, and the rest of the squad followed their lead.
One day after the loss, the LSU game was put in the past. Seven days later, the Trojans let everyone know that the league title was not about to escape their grasp. After another week, Arkansas State fell as well, giving Troy it's third straight Sun Belt title and it's first outright championship since the Southland Conference days.
Everyone went to New Orleans expecting a repeat performance of the 2006 victory over Rice, but Southern Miss gave the Trojans a much better fight that Rice ever could and, despite leading all night, Troy came up just short at the end.
The fact that the last game of the year didn't end the way everyone wanted is disappointing to be sure. All losses are disappointing.
This one was more disappointing than most because it was the last game for a senior class that has been special in more ways than just wins and losses. They are all outstanding men as well as great players. Most, if not all, of them will receive their degrees and it is certain that all will go on to lead productive lives.
I have high hopes that several of the seniors will get a chance to continue playing football because they have the talent and desire to be outstanding professionals, but I know they will be successful with whatever they do.
The fact that they have already set a solid foundation for the future of the Troy football program is enough evidence of their talent and determination.
For that, they deserve the thanks of all Troy fans because their legacy will go on for years and years.
Sunday night's 30-27 overtime loss to Southern Miss in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will not be one of the most pleasant memories of the year but, to a man, the Trojans have no reason to hang their heads.
The team played well, and played hard. While that is little consolation, that is what you want to have every time out. For this Troy team, every game was about business, and all of the credit for that attitude lies at the feet of the 21 seniors.
In 2007 the Trojans never got to experience a bowl game of any kind because of one loss. The senior class this year was determined from the moment they returned to campus in January that would not happen again.
Early on this year, the squad lost starting defensive end Kenny Mainor, one of the best pass-rushers in school history, to a knee injury, but the Trojans still were among the best in the country in terms of pressuring the quarterback.
The seniors refused to let that loss affect the team, and a pair of juniors ? Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield ? stepped up, and both became All-Conference players.
After a tough loss to Ohio State, the Trojans went west to Oklahoma State and, frankly, got man-handled by a talented and motivated Cowboys squad. There were questions about what kind of team Troy would have at that point, but those questions were quickly answered.
A trip to FAU to face the team that ended Troy's season in 2007 showed that this Troy squad would never let adversity deter them from their goals. But, even in that game, the Trojans faced adversity in the loss of sophomore quarterback Jamie Hampton.
Even though they were 2-0 in league at the time, there were real doubts as to whether the Trojans would still be contenders for the Sun Belt title.
Those questions were answered by a junior walk-on quarterback. Levi Brown stepped in for Hampton and played as if he had been starting at Troy for four years. In eight starts for the Trojans, Brown completed 201-of-326 passes (61.7 percent) for 2,030 yards and 15 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
But there was more adversity around the corner. A trip to Monroe produced a heart-breaking one-point loss to the Warhawks, opening the door for the rest of the Sun Belt to get back into the league race.
A hard-fought homecoming victory over Western Kentucky was followed by the highest high, and the lowest low, of the entire season.
Troy went to Baton Rouge and Dominated, with a capital D, the defending national champions for three quarters, building a 31-3 lead. But, the high of that moment was followed by the low of seeing that victory, which would have been a defining moment in Troy's short-time as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, fall into one of the most devastating losses in school history.
After that game, in the locker room, the Trojans were at a cross roads. It would have been so easy for the team to take the easy path, to throw in the towel on the year and get a severe case of the “poor me's”, but there was no way that would happen.
The seniors would not allow it, and the rest of the squad followed their lead.
One day after the loss, the LSU game was put in the past. Seven days later, the Trojans let everyone know that the league title was not about to escape their grasp. After another week, Arkansas State fell as well, giving Troy it's third straight Sun Belt title and it's first outright championship since the Southland Conference days.
Everyone went to New Orleans expecting a repeat performance of the 2006 victory over Rice, but Southern Miss gave the Trojans a much better fight that Rice ever could and, despite leading all night, Troy came up just short at the end.
The fact that the last game of the year didn't end the way everyone wanted is disappointing to be sure. All losses are disappointing.
This one was more disappointing than most because it was the last game for a senior class that has been special in more ways than just wins and losses. They are all outstanding men as well as great players. Most, if not all, of them will receive their degrees and it is certain that all will go on to lead productive lives.
I have high hopes that several of the seniors will get a chance to continue playing football because they have the talent and desire to be outstanding professionals, but I know they will be successful with whatever they do.
The fact that they have already set a solid foundation for the future of the Troy football program is enough evidence of their talent and determination.
For that, they deserve the thanks of all Troy fans because their legacy will go on for years and years.
Goose Crowder - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Donnie Smith - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - April 16
Thursday, April 16