Top Plays in Troy History: A Retrospective (Part I)

Every team has a specific set of plays that bring up memories for their fan base. Some saw them live, others learned about them secondhand. These plays grow from merely feats of human strength and will to legends passed down through time.

As such, I’ve taken a look back through Trojan History to come up with a listing of the defining plays that made the Trojan Dynasty. A couple of notes before getting to the list itself.

First, due to the ready availability of video, this list is going to have a heavy recency bias on it. For games before the move to FBS, I am relying on those same stories I mentioned above and the few available videos.

Second, I have tried to pick out the best plays and have tried to narrow it down to one play per game. There are certain instances where that was not possible, so multiple plays from the same game may be on the list.

Finally, I have to give a shoutout to the inspiration for this article, Michael Orlofsky. Or should I say Sun Belt Faculty Member of the year for Troy and Ingalls Award Winner, Michael Orlofsky.

Mr. O, as he is affectionately called, gave me the idea for this article after running into Troy great and current sideline reporter, Junior Louissaint. He spoke admiringly about Junior’s legendary play (more on that later) and reached out to me about compiling a fairly definitive listing of Troy’s Greatest Plays.

This list will be done in two parts: #10-6 and #5-1.

 

Honorable Mentions

The First Play – November 5, 1909

While we don’t know exactly what that first play was, it’s safe to say that the team we know today as the Trojans would not exist without that first play in the first game, a 0-0 tie at Union Springs High School.

The Kick, Part 2 – December 1, 2001

2001 marked the first season as a D1 football team for Troy. The Trojans went 7-4, while only playing 5 games at home with only one being a D1 opponent.

That school was the North Texas Mean Green. The Mean Green came into Troy on a rainy afternoon and looked to take down the Men of Troy on the rain-soaked Richard M. Scrushy Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Mean Green took a quick 14-0 lead in the second quarter. The Trojans rallied back to take a 15-14 lead on a Drew Boteler field goal. Troy, however, gave up a safety with four minutes left in the game. Fighting back and with only 23 seconds left, Troy sent Drew Boteler back out for the game-winning kick.

He made it, but not without some challenges. First, Boteler slipped on the slick turf while trying to plant his foot. Second, one of the Mean Green linemen actually tipped the ball, but the slip and the slap were nothing for Boteler’s foot. Troy won 18-16, securing their first D1 home win over a D1 opponent.

The Top 10 Greatest Troy Plays (Part 1)

#10 – Frye’s Fast Feet  – September 10, 2016

Anytime a G5 school travels to the often unfriendly confines of a P5 school, it is going to be a challenge. Troy traveled to Clemson’s Death Valley back in 2016 on the heels of a 4-8 season in Neal Brown’s first campaign.

One would not have been crazy to have expected a blowout administered on the Trojans by the eventual National Champions. But G5 schools know that you must go punch for punch with a P5 if you want to win. The Trojans prepared to do just that by scoring the first points with a Ryan Kay field goal. The Tigers absorbed the blow and scored 10 unanswered points.

Troy took over with 9:52 remaining in the first half. This was a crucial drive, due to the fact that if Troy didn’t return that punch, the Tigers would have all the momentum. The Trojans did just that.

From their own 25, Josh Anderson lost a yard on the first play setting up a 2nd and 11. Jordan Chunn  picked up 3 yards to the 27. A Brandon Silvers pass to John Johnson picked up another 7. Neal Brown called a timeout on the fourth and 1.

The Play (1:55 in video)

After the timeout Troy came out in a singleback formation under center. For anyone who had been watching Troy football since 2006, this was very unusual. But Neal Brown had a trick up his sleeve.

Before the snap, 5’7″ running back Jabir Daughtry-Frye started in motion left to right. Brandon Silvers snapped the ball quickly and handed the ball off to Frye as he ran past. After getting two blocks on the edge, Frye was loose. His quickness allowed him to break through what little of the Clemson secondary all the way to the house for a 66 yard touchdown.

While the Trojans did eventually lose to the Tigers, this play helped the Trojans stay competitive. It also signaled what Trojan fans could expect out of the Neal Brown era. His teams had a toughness and tenacity, as well as, an unwillingness to back down from any opponent.

This play allowed the Trojans to carry serious goodwill from the national media well into the season. Because of this play and Troy’s fight against Clemson, the Trojans became the first Sun Belt Conference team to become ranked in the Coaches Poll at #25.

#9 – Thomas’s Timely TD  – October 5, 2013

Rivalries are a crucial and indelible part of the college football experience. Some are fueled by long-standing hate (Auburn vs Alabama, Ohio State vs Michigan). Others are contrived (Texas A&M-South Carolina, Nebraska-Iowa). Some just grow over time.

That is the case with Troy’s rivalry with South Alabama. While competing against one another in other sports, the Trojans had never faced the Jaguars in football. After a 21 point blowout in the inaugural 2012 game, USA came into the 2013 game hungry. It showed in the second half.

Troy and South were tied at the end of the first quarter, but the Trojans had built a 24-7 lead by the third quarter. The Jaguars thundered back, going on a 26-3 run capped off by a 2 point conversion with 48 seconds left on the clock. Down 33-27 and with only 41 seconds left after the kickoff, Troy started to work.

Corey Robinson completed two passes for 16 yards to get Troy just over the 50. He completed two more after a timeout to get Troy to the 20 yard line with 7 seconds left.

The Play (2:51 in video)

Troy came out in their standard shotgun set with two receivers flanked to each side. Chris Williams was in the slot and Eric Thomas was near the sideline on the home side  of the field.

Robinson takes a quick three step drop and fires a pass as the Jaguar’s safety blitz bears down on him. The pass is high and seems to hang in the air. It floats down to Eric Thomas who stands two feet inside the endzone.

A South defender drapes himself over Thomas trying to disrupt the catch. The ball bounces off of both of their hands before Thomas cradles it for the tying score.

The referee threw a flag for defensive pass interference as Eric Thomas ran to the Trojan bench, carrying the game ball. The penalty was declined and Will Scott’s point after sealed the come-from-behind win for Troy.

This play is the only one on this list that is from a less than stellar season. The win over South that it helped earn was a bright spot in the doldrums years of 2011-2015. The play also propelled the Trojans to bowl eligibility for the 2013 season, although they were ultimately not invited to a bowl.

#8 – MegaChunn’s Fun Run – September 16, 2016

While Ryan Kay should probably have been player of the game (3 FGs) for this rainy trip to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the breakout star was runningback Jordan Chunn. Fresh off the near upset of #2 Clemson, Troy faced off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on a wet September night.

Troy opened up a 17-7 cushion after a special teams fumble allowed the Trojans to score two touchdowns in 20 seconds. The teams traded scores, but the Trojans stayed in the lead. That is until Ito Smith made his presence known with a 70 yard touchdown run 22 seconds into the third quarter.

With both teams knotted up at 24 apiece, Ryan Kay knocked in his second of three field goals, giving Troy a slim 27-24 lead. After a failed fake punt attempt by the Golden Eagles on a 4th and 6 with 10:06 left in the game, the Trojans regained possession. Jordan Chunn carried the ball ten yards on the first play, giving the Trojans a decent spot to work from on the USM 39.

The Play (2:23 in video)

Chunn took the handoff from Brandon Silvers and followed his blocker straight up the gut of the USM defense. The line cleared out a decent running lane for him before he met his first defender. The Golden Eagle linebacker was flattened by the sheer force of MegaChunn bearing down on him.

After cutting around a great block from the outside receiver, Chunn barreled towards the near sideline. With 6 USM players, Jordan Chunn hustled to the corner of the endzone. Only the safety had the angle on him and they collided at the 5 yard line.

Chunn dove his body forward, somehow managing to contort his body in such a way that he stayed in bounds. He made sure to keep the ball in the field of play and it crossed the pylon as he fell finally out of bounds in the end zone. Ryan Kay added the point after and another field goal and the Trojans maintained their one loss record with a 37-31 win.

#7 – The Miracle in Murfreesboro – November 25, 2006

One of the most exciting parts of a rivalry isn’t just winning. It’s finding a way to beat your opponent and, if possible, take something from them. That’s just what the Trojans did to Middle Tennessee State back in 2006.

The Blue Raiders came into the game with an undefeated record in the Sun Belt Conference Standings. If they beat Troy, they were conference champions. After a loss to Arkansas State the previous week, the Men of Troy had to win out to have any chance at the title.

The Trojans fell into a 20-7 hole to the Blue Raiders by the fourth quarter, with the only score being an 8 yard run by Omar Haugabook in the second quarter. The final points scored by MTSU were with 11 minutes to go in the game.

The teams traded possessions without scoring until Troy gained possession after a Blue Raider punt. With 3:33 left in the game, Coach Blakeney’s team drove from the MTSU 47 and scored on a 19 yard Haugabook pass to receiver Smokey Hampton. This still left the Trojans down 6 points, 20-14.

Luck was on the Trojans’ side on that night though. Greg Whibbs’ onside kick bounced off of a Blue Raider and the Trojans recovered it on the MTSU 42 with 2:19 left in the ballgame.

A Haugabook rush of 9 yards moved the Trojans to the 33. Kenny Cattouse picked up 5 more, giving Troy a first down at the 28. Smokey Hampton snagged a 13 yard reception to put the Trojans on the MTSU 15.

Cattouse rushed twice for 4 yards on first and second, getting the Trojans to the 11. The Blue Raider defense overwhelmed Haugabook and sacked him for an 11 yard loss to the 22. Coach Blakeney called a timeout before the 4th and 17 play.

The Play (0:28 in video)

A special #TBT today and one that needs no introduction.#MiracleInMurfreesboro #RTW #OneTROY pic.twitter.com/OTnJfIRbEp

— Troy Trojans Football (@TroyTrojansFB) June 7, 2018

Troy came out of the timeout lined up with 1 receive to the far side and trips to the near. Smokey Hampton was the receiver nearest Haugabook in the trips set. Cattouse stayed in the backfield to block for the pass. MTSU is in prevent with three safeties lined up at the goal line. Hampton stutter steps off the ball and then sprints to his right, cutting up the seam.

This creates just enough space for him to get behind the receiver and create separation. The safety rushes up when he sees Hampton is going to catch the ball near the goal line. The safety, linebacker, and the ball on collide at Hampton at the 5 yard line. Hampton is hit low by the safety as he jumps to make the catch, causing him to flip over and land on his head and neck at the MTSU 3 with 19 seconds to go and keeping the drive alive.

Omar Haugabook would hit Gary Banks on a slant route for a 3 yard touchdown to tie the game. Greg Whibbs kicked the go-ahead point after, securing the comeback win for the Trojans and at least a share of the Sun Belt Championship. That was so long as the Trojans handled the FIU Panthers.

They won 26-13 to seal the Championship and beginning a run a 5 straight Sun Belt Championships.

#6 – 4th and 6 vs App – November 12, 2016

Unstoppable force vs Immovable Object.

That is what was in store for fans who came to The Vet when App State came to town. Both teams came into the game undefeated in conference and looking to maintain that record.

Troy jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, behind a Jordan Chunn rush and a Deondre Douglas reception. App rallied back, however, scoring 17 of their own.

Troy took back the lead with an uncharacteristic Brandon Silvers rush for 51 yards. With 3:29 left in the fourth, the dagger looked to be in the Trojans’ side when the Mountaineers scored on a 5 yard rush.

The Trojans started their next drive from their own 15. Troy took 5 plays to push forward to their 46. The drive looked to have stalled out though coming down to a 4th and 6 with 1:21 left on the clock.

The Play (7:53 in video)

Troy lined up on the 4th and 6 with trips to the left and a single receiver on the right. Sidney Davis was lined up in the middle of the trips. Once the ball is snapped, he moves toward the sideline on a go route, while John Johnson and Deondre Douglas cut back to the center of the field. This puts Davis in single coverage against the App defender.

Brandon Silvers drops back almost to the 35 waiting on the coverage to open. Once it does, he lobs the ball deep towards the streaking Davis. The referee threw a flag for pass interference as Sidney Davis leaped about the 16 yard line before landing on the 11. This set up the go-ahead Jordan Chunn run from that spot, capping off an 85 yard touchdown drive.

The game ended as a 28-24 Trojan victory and set the scene for the first Sun Belt team to be ranked the next day.

 

Part II coming next week

Stay tuned for #5-1 of Troy’s Top Plays. Give me your thoughts on the Honorable Mentions and #10-6 in the comments. You can also find me at @benonsports on Twitter.