Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Central Michigan
Trojans Drop Heart-Breaker in GMAC Bowl
1/6/2010 11:00:00 PM | Football
MOBILE, Ala. – For the second time in as many seasons, the Troy University Trojans got their post-season hearts broken in the flash of an overtime blocked field goal.
This time, in the 2010 GMAC Bowl, it was sophomore Michael Taylor's attempt from 31 yards in the second overtime that was blocked by Central Michigan's Vince Agnew, opening the door for the Chippewas' game-winning 37-yard field goal in a 44-41 victory over Troy.
“I hate [it] for the kids, it hurts them,” Trojans coach Larry Blakeney said. “I'm an old guy, I can handle it more readily. When your older and more mature your able to handle winning and losing a little better.
“I'm proud of the Troy fans. They showed up and did their part. They'll be like me, scratching around trying to get back to the GMAC bowl next year. I want to commend everyone from the leadership to the volunteers who took real good care of us.”
With the loss, the Trojans finish with a 9-4 record on the year. Troy also falls to 1-3 in bowl games, with consecutive overtime losses. Central Michigan finished its season with a 12-2 record and snapped the Mid-American Conference's streak of 14 consecutive bowl losses.
Taylor connected on a GMAC Bowl record 46-yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime after CMU took the lead with just 1:17 to play when Dan LeFevour connected with Bryan Anderson for a 4-yard TD pass. It was the only TD pass of the game for the NCAA's all-time touchdown leader.
“I was just thankful that Levi and the offense drove down to give me the opportunity,” Taylor said of his game-tying kick. “Without them I wouldn't have had the chance. I was grateful for all of it – the snap, hold, kick and the blocking was terrific.”
In overtime, CMU got the ball first and got into the end zone on a 13-yard run by LeFevour, but the Trojans quickly answered.
Senior Levi Brown connected with Jason Bruce for an 18-yard gain on third down, give Troy a first down at the CMU two. Freshman Shawn Southward powered into the end zone on his second attempt, and Taylor converted the PAT to knot the score at 41.
In the second overtime, the Trojans went on the attack first and junior DuJuan Harris, who had the best game of his season with 14 carries for 112 yards and two scores, rambled 10 yards to the CMU 15. After Harris got one on the next play, Brown had consecutive passes fall incomplete, including a second down throw to Jernigan in the corner of the end zone that slipped through his fingers.
After Taylor's kick was blocked, the Chippewas were happy to keep the ball in the middle of the field, where Andrew Aguila drilled a 37-yard game-winner. It was his fifth field goal of the game, after shanking his first attempt from 46 yards in the first quarter.
“Both offenses were clicking the second half,” Jernigan said. “We made big plays and they made big plays. They just made more big plays then us. It felt like de-ja-vu, we lost the same way last year in overtime with a blocked field goal.”
Troy led almost from the very start of the game. After both teams missed field goals on their opening possessions, the Trojans got the scoring started with a 71 yard drive that Brown capped with a nine-yard scoring pass to Harris with 3:52 left in the opening quarter.
“I'm proud of our guys, proud of our team, and I thought we accomplished a lot this year,” Brown said. “It stinks ending with a loss but at the same time it really doesn't take away from what we did this season.
“Even though we lost we played really hard on both sides of the ball.”
The rest of the first half was a battle of field goals. Aguila connected from 28, 35 and 44 yards while Taylor was good from 22, leaving the Trojans with a 10-9 lead at the half.
“When we look back on tape there will be about one big play on each drive, and it's hard to stop these offenses when they start rolling,” senior linebacker Bear Woods said. “They have a great offense. We showed up defensively the first half, we played stellar in the first half, but it's hard to stop their offense when they start rolling.”
Troy opened the second half with a five play scoring drive after Bryant McKissic intercepted a LeFevour pass at the CMU 41. Southward capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge, giving Troy a 17-9 lead.
CMU came right back, getting another Aguila field goal, followed by a nine-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a seven-yard run by Antonio Brown, giving the Chippewas their first lead at 19-17.
That play would not be, however, Brown's biggest of the night.
Troy answered the CMU challenge quickly, with consecutive possessions ending in Harris touchdown runs. He capped a nine-play, 72-yard drive with a six-yard run to regain the lead for Troy, and then followed with a one-yard plunge to cap a 13-play drive that ate 5:11 off the clock.
With the Trojans up 31-17 with just eight minutes to play, Brown turned the momentum of the game when he returned Troy's ensuing kickoff 95-yards for a score.
Troy still had a chance to run out the clock, but consecutive passes on second and third down with four yards to go fell incomplete, forcing Troy to punt the ball back to CMU with 4:22 to play.
Because of his late-game heroics in lifting CMU to the victory, LeFevour was named the games' most valuable player. The senior closed his collegiate career by passing for 395 yards, completing 33-of-55 attempts.
Brown earned the award for outstanding offensive player, with 13 receptions for 178 yards, plus four rushes for 22 yards and a score. He also had 203 yards on seven kickoff returns, totaling 403 all-purpose yards.
Agnew was named defensive player of the game thanks to his block of Troy's overtime field goal attempt and Aguila was named special teams player of the game.
For the Trojans, Brown passes for 386 yards and a touchdown to become the first player in school and Sun Belt history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Jernigan had nine receptions in the game for 154 yards, and became just the fourth player in school history with more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
Jernigan finished the game with 350 all-purpose yards.
Harris had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and scored three touchdowns in the game for the Trojans.
“We're losing a lot of seniors and we're gonna have a tough time replacing some of those 'cats',” Blakeney said. “I just told them they'd be forever remembered and forever would be a part of Troy University football.”
· Troy's captains for the GMAC Bowl were quarterback Levi Brown, linebackers Boris Lee and Bear Woods and wide receiver Cornelius Williams
· Safety Bryant McKissic made his first career start and also recorded his first career interception.
GAME NOTES
- With 154 yards receiving against Central Michigan, wide out Jerrel Jernigan surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the year. Jernigan is just the fourth receiver with more than one thousand yards in a season. His total of 1,101 is the second highest total in school history. The game was his fourth 100-yard game of the year.
- Levi Brown became the first player in Sun Belt history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season. He finished the year with a Troy record 4,254 yards and finished his two-year Troy career with 6,284 yards, the third-most in Troy history.
- Running back DuJuan Harris rushed for 112 yards on the night. It was his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and first since rushing for a career-best 234 yards during the 2008 season against Louisiana-Lafayette.
- The GMAC Bowl was Troy's first game ever played in January.
- The loss to Central Michigan evens Troy's record against teams from Michigan. The Trojans defeated Northern Michigan 49-28 in 1977. The loss also dropped Troy's record to 2-1 at Ladd Peebles Stadium. The Trojans defeated FAMU 24-7 in 2002 and Alcorn State 30-0 in 1997.
- Linebacker Boris Lee said after the game that he received an email inviting him to participate in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game. The game will be played on February 6 in Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The senior also received an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine that will be held in Indianapolis from February 18-24.
