1987: The Southeast Missouri State Game

With all of the excitement of Coach Rhoades’ January, the team was finally on the right track, heading into what should be a successful season. The team felt that the 10-2 1986 season left something on the table. The Trojans’ 9-game win streak was cut short in the semifinal round of the Division II playoffs by a strong South Dakota squad. 

The team looked forward to the coming season and appeared to be building something even more special than 1986, especially with Coach Rhoades returning. The team weren’t the only ones who knew it though.

When the All-Gulf South Conference preseason team came out, five Trojans were on the list.

Gerrick Pimenta and Freddie Thomas represented the defense, while Mike Turk, Brent Roe, and Chris Cosper were selected on offense. The GSC coaches poll ranked Troy first, with 62 total points and 6 first place votes, easily leading #2 Jacksonville State, who had 2 first place votes and 46 points.

The Sports Information Directors got in on the voting as well. Troy had 8 first place votes and 64 points, again beating out Jacksonville State.

National attention was focused on the Trojans too. When the Associated Press Preseason Poll came out on September 6th, Troy found itself ranked 3rd in the country, behind defending National Champion North Dakota State and runner-up South Dakota, Troy’s semi-final opponent.

The hype was high for the Trojans as they embarked on their first test of the season in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Wait, where?

The city of Cape Girardeau is a two hours’ trip south from St. Louis. It’s nestled on the Mississippi River right by the Illinois border.

Founded in 1873, SEMO shares a common history with Troy, both founded as a Normal School. The first SEMO football team played in 1902. The then-Indians (now Redhawks) were not in a good spot in the few years before this game.

Head Coach Bob Smith was 1-10 in his first year in 1984. He improved to 4-7 the next year and was 6-5 in 1986. Needless to say, as the Trojans made their 8 hour trek north, based on 1986 records, this game looked well in hand.

Once the whistle blew, it would be anything but.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle, with both teams failing to score any points. Moving into the second quarter, the fight continued much the same.

With just over four minutes left in the half, the Trojans finally broke the deadlock with a Ted Clem kick. The 28-yard field goal was set up by a mishandled SEMO punt at the 11-yard line that gave the ball back to Troy State.

Just when things looked like they were going the Trojans’ way, the Indians answered. They took the kickoff, marched 83 yards and threw a touchdown pass with only 4 seconds left in the half.

Things were looking bleak for the Trojan offense in the first half. The Indians had 205 yards, while Rhoades and Co.’s Wishbone could only muster 49.

SEMO continued its offensive output to start the third quarter. The Indians marched from their 45 all the way to the Trojan’s 2 yard line, where the defense held them to a field goal.

The score was 10-7 with a little over 4 minutes gone in the third quarter. Both offenses sputtered, trading punts following the field goal. 

The Trojans blocked one of the Indian punts and took over at their 8. They took seven shots at the endzone, aided by a facemask and a fresh set of downs, but nothing worked. 

Finally though, the vaunted Trojan offense began to click.

With just under 7 minutes left in the third, it drove 72 yards in only four plays to tie the game at 10. Robert Carter helped set up the score with a 40 yard run, and Greg Harris got the touchdown on a 28-yard catch from the arm of Mike Turk.

The Troy special teams decided to make an impact by blocking a punt on the next Indian drive. Kerry Brooks made the block and Troy took over at the SEMO 36.

Four plays later, Mike Turk tossed a pass over the middle to an open Michael Kelly for a 23-yard touchdown and a 17-10 lead at the end of the third.

Later in the fourth, Ted Clem missed a field goal from 30 yards that would’ve made it a two-score game. Southeast Missouri rallied from the defensive stand and took over at their own 20 with about 10:51 left in the fourth.

The Indians then drove the length of the field on what would become the game-sealing drive. They went 80 yards in 17 plays to score with 3:28 left in the game. They also made the 2 point conversion, taking an 18-17 lead over Troy State. 

Troy would get one more shot at the win, starting at their own 44. The Trojans got to the Indians 25, where the drive stalled out and they were forced to attempt a 42-yard field goal.

Unfortunately, the normally clutch Ted Clem, hero of the 1984 national championship, missed the kick with 38 seconds left. The Indians ran the clock out, costing the Trojans the chance at a perfect season.

“I don’t think we were a very good football team this afternoon,” Coach Rhoades said after the game. “We played poorly for three quarters of this game. I did a poor job of preparing us to play offensively. The poor first half goes straight back to coaching.

“The defense hit hard and played hard, but they did give up two long scoring drives. I feel we have the character to bounce back. If anything else happens, it will be a long year for us.”

SEMO would go on to become co-champions of the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1987, with a 6-4-1 record (4-0-1 in conference).

After nearly falling out of the top 25, Troy’s next focus would be the Colonels of Nicholls State.