2001: The Cal State Northridge Game
After a successful trip to the Magnolia State, Troy returned home to Veterans Memorial Stadium for only its second home game of the 2001 season. The Trojans faced off against their second Division I-AA foe of the season, the Cal State Northridge Matadors.
I know what you’re thinking: Who? I know you’re thinking this because I asked myself the same question.
The Matadors out of Northridge, California competed in various divisions of NCAA football beginning in 1962. They only won three conference titles and made one playoff appearance in their history.
Immediately after that 2001 season, the team was disbanded due to budgetary concerns. They would finish the season 3-7 in 2001.
The Troy State game was the last time the Matadors would leave the West Coast.
After the win over Mississippi State, it didn’t matter who the opponent was. Troy was ready to continue adding to the win column. The Matadors just happened to be the next ones up.
Having survived the gauntlet of the first five games, the team seemed to be gelling and the Trojan Spread offense was finally beginning to click. For a team that had the Sword of Damocles looming over it, Cal State Northridge did not come in like a lamb to Veterans Memorial Stadium. The 16,852 folks in attendance were in for a show from both teams.
The score went quickly in favor of the Trojans with two touchdowns from the arm of Brock Nutter. He hit Heyward Skipper for a 12-yard score with 12:35 left in the first. He followed that up with a 32-yard bomb to Demontray Carter with 7:51 left.
The Matadors added a touchdown in the first quarter and a field goal early in the second, closing the gap to 14-10. The scoring in the second quarter took off from there.
Demontray Carter added another touchdown, this time on the ground for 65 yards. Northridge answered back with an 82-yard bomb from their star quarterback Marcus Brady. Brady set the all-time career completion record for NCAA Division I-AA during the game with his 935th completion. (The record has since been surpassed and sits at 1,310, set by Samford QB Devin Hodges from 2015-18.)
Demontray Carter increased his rushing total by 23 with his second rushing score of the game at about 4:07 left in the first half. The second quarter went a bit berserk after this.
Brady hit another big play for the Matadors, a 69-yard pass with 2:08 left. The Trojans answered about a minute later when Nutter hit Heyward Skipper with a 90-yard rocket of his own, giving the Trojans what they thought would be the final score of the second half.
Marcus Brady had other ideas.
CSN worked their way down the field after the kickoff and scored once more with only 10 seconds left on the clock. At the half, the score stood at 34-31. The fact the defense held the Matadors to a field goal on their second score meant the Trojans’ lead could have easily been a deficit.
Apparently both teams used up their scoring opportunities in the second quarter because the second half was nowhere near as explosive as the first. The teams traded possessions and the Troy defense really dug in, preventing CSN from scoring again in the game.
Interception master Rayshun Reed made the biggest play of the second half when he intercepted a Marcus Brady pass and scored a 26-yard pick six.
“The coaches were looking for that route and had Rayshun sitting on it,” Coach Blakeney said after the game. “They ran a slant to the second receiver and he was waiting for it.”
Reed himself commented on his third interception touchdown of his career.
“We were looking for that play with trips to one side,” he said. “I just looked in and saw the ball coming my way.”
Drew Boetler wrapped up the scoring with a 27-yard kick of his own. The final score was 44-31.
While the Matadors surged in the first half, the Troy defense calmed down in the second half and played one of its most complete games of the year. The Trojans controlled most of the game from a statistical standpoint.
They had more first downs (23-20), more rushing yards (184-81), and more return yards (129-40). Cal State Northridge did outpace Troy in the passing game (378-339), with more time of possession and fewer penalties. Crucially, what kept them in the game was the fact that, while both teams had two fumbles, the Trojans lost both of theirs.
Troy performed quite well on the day. Brock Nutter went 22-for-37 for 339 yards and three touchdowns. His 339 was a personal best, breaking his 332-yard performance against App State the year before.
Demontray Carter led all rushers with 164 yards on 17 carries. He also added two touchdowns on the ground to his receiving touchdown.
Heyward Skipper continued leading the Trojans in the receiving corps, picking up 165 yards on only 6 catches. He would haul in Nutter’s other two touchdown throws. Jason Samples helped out as well, adding another 66 yards with 6 catches of his own.
During halftime, the defense had a closed door meeting to assess the problems from the first half.
“We were embarrassed by our performance in the first half,” linebacker Jimmy McClain said. “We came in at the half and had a meeting and decided we had to go out and stop them.
“It wasn’t any shouting or anything. Everybody was pretty calm. We just needed to get together and go back over some things.”
This set the tone for the second half and led to the shutout of the strong Matador offense.
The Trojans found a way to springboard off the Mississippi State win and come out strong at home. They would have to wait two more weeks for the next opponent: they finally reached the original bye week.
When they returned, it would be Homecoming in the Wiregrass, and the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah would be flying in to visit.
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