The History of Troy-Florida A&M

September 8, 2018 Thomas Gleaton

Troy, as a program, is all too familiar with Florida A&M. That is to say, the two teams have met many times before.

Matter of fact, they’ve met at the height of their respective dominance. It almost goes without saying, when two teams meet in the FCS Playoffs. That’s only half of the story though.

1984	W	17-3	Jacksonville, FL
1996	W	29-25	Troy, AL
1998	L	17-27	Jacksonville, FL
1999	L	10-17	Troy, AL
2002	W	24-7	Mobile, AL
2018	W	59-7	Troy, AL
2024	W	34-12	Troy, AL

Just from this grid, we can see close scores, but the circumstances in these are notable too. Let’s take a look at each of these games.

1984 – The Champions

This game is something, because it’s basically impossible to find stats for it. I’m not entirely sure it’s all that necessary though—the Division II Trojans rolled into Jacksonville and shut the FCS Rattlers down.

This is directly comparable to… any of North Dakota State’s FBS upsets. Troy State went on to win the 1984 and 1987 D-II National Titles, and A&M went 3-7-1 that year. The Rattlers were also in this weird stage of independency.

Allow me to explain. They have this tumultuous relationship with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference:

In 1984 they left the MEAC to go independent.
In 1986 FAMU returned to the MEAC.
Then, in 2004, FAMU went independent again.
The next year, FAMU returned to the MEAC.

So yeah. I think Mike Turk scared them so badly they went back, at least the first time.

1996 – The Comeback

The ’96 Trojans were 10-1, their best record since 1993. That was also the last time they had a postseason victory.

FAMU was in a worse drought. Though they played in the 1995 Heritage Bowl (effectively an HBCU championship) the Rattlers had not been in the championship hunt since they won the I-AA title outright in 1978.

These two met in Troy for the first round of the playoffs, and going into halftime the home team led 13-10. FAMU dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Trojans 15-6, making the score 25-19 in its favor.

Up until this point, the kicker had missed two extra points, and quarterback Stan Davis would only throw for 89 yards. A field goal, passing touchdown and made PAT—all in the fourth quarter—made the difference. The Trojan defense held them scoreless, completing the comeback.

FAMU was out, and two games later Montana smothered Troy State 70-7.

1998 – The Champions Part II

Two years later, everything basically swapped. FAMU was 10-1, and Troy State slipped into the playoffs with three losses. The game returned to Jacksonville, and the outcome was different from years past.

The Rattlers dominated the first half 20-3, then set the cruise control. A touchdown run and interception return kept the Trojans in the game, but a scoreless fourth quarter ended all hopes for a comeback.

Brock Nutter (what a name) only threw for 115 yards, but two separate Troy backs ran for 100 yards: Phillip Jones (104) and Wayne Thomas (100). Unfortunately the Trojans gave up more offensive yards to the Rattlers, two fumbles and an interception.

FAMU lost the next game, but it was awarded the Black College National Championship for its 12-2 season, the first time since 1978.

1999 – Al Lucas Crashes the Party

If you have a bachelors’ degree in Troy football lore like I do, you’re well aware of Al Lucas, the 1999 Buck Buchanan award winner (the FCS defensive Heisman), and tragically, one of only three professional football players (and the most recent) to die as a result of in-game injuries.

In college, he was a monster defensive lineman, and he directly paved the way for Osi Umenyiora and Demarcus Ware. In fact, 1999, Lucas’s senior year, was Osi’s freshman season. Both Troy State and FAMU won their first-round games, meaning the common matchup was moved to the quarterfinals.

Lucas is still No. 6 all-time in tackles for loss among Troy players. Following a FAMU punt, the Trojans drove down the field. At the two-yard line, Nutter took the snap and handed Lucas the ball.

He scored.

I’m pretty sure that’s the picture at the top of the page.

2024 Update: It was not. This is:

Unfortunately, the Rattlers scored 17 unanswered points. Troy kicked a field goal in the fourth, but that was all she wrote. FAMU again lost the next game to Youngstown State, the I-AA runner-up.

2002 – Smackdown in the Port City

For reasons I have yet to figure out, Troy played Florida A&M in Ladd-Peebles Stadium. That’s right, Mobile.

Our good buddies Osi and Demarcus? They combined for seven sacks—four and three, respectively—and the whole team combined for 10 total sacks of 39 yards. Those numbers are good enough for the No. 1 and No. 3 (tied several times over) single-game spots.

Despite this (and an interception return for touchdown), Troy State gave up 273 yards of total offense. Hansell Bearden threw for 63 yards and no touchdowns. The offense went 4-for-16 on third down.

Troy won 24-7.

Seriously. That 2002 Troy defensive line was incredible. Ware played defensive end. He and Umenyiora set the No. 4 and No. 2 Troy season record for tackles for loss.

Sure, Troy gave up 44 to Mizzou and 42 to Iowa State—two explosive Big Twelve offenses. (Please ignore the seven in both teams’ loss columns.) But, the next highest points against was 31 to then-No. 9 Nebraska. Again, ignore the seven in the loss column.

Troy hadn’t been to Mobile since 1997, and they wouldn’t return till the 2010 GMAC Bowl.

2018 – The Throwback Showdown

This year, Troy comes in off its best season at the highest level, and A&M… does not. I don’t quite expect the game to be close, but there’s a possibility it will be more interesting than I’d like.

Last year, Troy followed up the Boise loss with a 34-7 win over Alabama State. That’s a solid score on paper, but later in the year the Trojans decimated Texas State 62-8 and beat North Texas 50-30. This should’ve been a higher score.

I’m afraid Troy will fail to cover. They’ll win, but it won’t be as pretty as I’d like. I’d like to be wrong.

2024 Update: I was very, very wrong. Troy obliterated Florida A&M 59-7.

The first appearance of the 1968 Throwback Helmets was a massacre. The Trojans ran for more than 300 yards and forced four turnovers—two of which were interceptions by Tron Folsom.

Kaleb Barker put up 140 yards and 5 touchdowns, including one on the ground. He was just one shy of a record he tied the next year against Coastal Carolina.

The Trojans absolutely rolled FAMU, a beatdown becoming of the reigning Sun Belt Champions.

2024 – The Throwback Showdown Part II

Two rings and three coaches later, Troy welcomed FAMU back to the Vet. Even Rattlers coach Willie Simmons dipped, taking a job at Duke.

Once again, Troy is honoring a national championship team with throwback helmets. Once again, Troy is coming off a loss to a team that looked beatable… but proved itself superior.

This time, both Troy AND A&M are coming off their best seasons, but it’s clear the Trojans needed a shot at a lesser opponent just to get into the win column.

That’s exactly what happened.

Devonte Ross set Troy’s all-time single-game receiving record with 229 yards and another three-touchdown game. The Trojans slugged through an ugly first half, but the offense came alive in the last two quarters.

Ross put the nail in the coffin with a 98-yard touchdown catch, likely tied for the second-longest play from scrimmage in Troy history. Penalties bogged the two teams down though, and Troy escaped with a 34-12 win that should’ve been worse.