Troy University Athletics
Troy Completes First Fall Scrimmage
8/7/2010 5:43:04 PM | Football
TROY - Scrimmages always have some surprises, but going into Saturday's first fall scrimmage for the four-time defending Sun Belt champion Troy Trojans, head coach Larry Blakeney wasn't sure what he would see.
“You never know what to expect when you come out here,” Blakeney said. “I thought we did some really good things defensively as far as getting after it, knocking the ball loose and getting turnovers. We were sort of lackluster and sputtered a bit on offense.
“Anytime I watch a scrimmage, it's like a blur until you go watch the tape and get a report on it.”
Deep within a quarterback competition, four different players took snaps from under center, with junior Jamie Hampton and freshman Corey Robinson alternating series with the first team offense.
Neither player was able to guide the squad into the end zone, but Robinson fared better on the afternoon completing 17-of-23 passes for 146 yards and no turnovers. His best chance at a score was derailed when Garry Williams fumbled inside the five yard line after a catch and run.
Hampton struggled with deflections and dropped balls, but did complete 9-of-21 attempts for 82 yards and the lone interception of the day – a fantastic read by reserve defensive end RJ Roberts, who jumped a dump-off into the flats for a diving pick-off.
The only touchdown of the day came from fourth string quarterback Brent Poole. He was successful on 6-of-8 attempts, including a 15 yard strike to tight end Matt Stidham for six. Poole passed for 56 yards total.
Five different runners received at least four carries for the Trojans with Cord Grider totaling 34 yards to pace the squad. 2009 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Shawn Southward ran for 26 yards on five attempts.
The air attack was equally spread out with nine different Trojans catching at least two passes. Freshman Eric Thomas led the way with four catches for 44 yards, while Chip Reeves (3 for 36), Jason Bruce (3 for 36) and Tebiarus Gill (3 for 35) each had strong efforts.
Defensively, safety Barry Valcin led the way with 10 tackles, while projected starters at linebackers Donnell Golden and Xavier Lamb added five tackles apiece, respectively. Reserve nickel back Chris Blanton tallied six stops on defense.The stars of the afternoon were Troy's kickers with all three showing off their leg strength. Punter Will Goggans booted five punts at an average of 38.6 yards per punt, while returning place kicker Michael Taylor connect on 2-of-3 attempts from 50 and 30 yards out.
Freshman Dylan Johnson was also successful on his two attempts with a long of 35 yards.
The Trojans are off on Sunday before getting back on the practice field Monday morning at 3:30 am. For more on the Trojans and their Drive for Five stay tuned to TroyTrojans.com and @TroyAthletics on Twitter.
Troy Trojans
August 7, 2010 - Scrimmage Statistics
Passing
6 Corey Robinson 17/23 146 yards
7 Jamie Hampton 9/21 82 yards 1 interception
2 Greg Jenkins 4/6 8 yards
18 Brent Poole 6/8 56 yards 1 touchdown
Rushing
37 Cord Grider 4 carries 34 yards
36 Brian Exley 6 carries 31 yards
20 Shawn Southward 5 carries 26 yards
4 Chris Anderson 5 carries 21 yards
31 DJ Taylor 4 carries 9 yards one fumble
2 Greg Jenkins 1 carry 6 yards
32 DuJuan Harris 1 carry 4 yards
Receiving
81 Eric Thomas 4 receptions 44 yards
8 Chip Reeves 3 receptions 36 yards
9 Jason Bruce 3 receptions 36 yards
10 Tebiarus Gill 3 receptions 35 yards
21 Austin Silvoy 4 receptions 23 yards
88 Garry Williams 3 receptions 20 yards 1 fumble
1 Brett Moncrief 3 receptions 20 yards
32 DuJuan Harris 3 receptions 19 yards
80 Matt Stidham 1 reception 15 yards 1 touchdown
89 Drew Forrest 2 receptions 14 yards
Defense
15 Barry Valcin 10 tackles
24 Chris Blanton 6 tackles
40 Donnell Golden 5 tackles
25 Xavier Lamb 5 tackles
30 LaDarrius Madden 5 tackles
43 Caleb Massey 3 tackles 1 forced fumble 1 break-up
19 Jimmie Anderson 3 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1 break-up
7 Mario Addison 3 tackles 1 TFL-3 yards
Special Teams
18 Michael Taylor 2/3 FG's (50 and 30 yards)
61 Dylan Johnson 2/2 FG's (24 and 35 yards)
47 Will Goggans 5 punts, 193 yards (38.6 yards per punt)
