Fort Lauderdale-It didn’t take long for the Troy State Trojans to crush FAU hopes of attending their first bowl game. After the Owls staked a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter, the Trojans took the lead shortly before halftime and never looked back in front of 12,340, the highest home attendance of the season.
The Owls are now mathematically eliminated from a post season bowl berth. Troy 5-4 (4-0 in Sun-Belt Conference), kept its bowl game hopes alive with a barrage of long passes by an explosive Trojan offense. Not even the largest FAU home crowd of the year, a very enthusiastic bunch could help the Owls. While their offense moved the ball very well, the defense was non-existent at times.
The last two games the Owls defense has given up a total of over 58 points, a truly impossible total to prevail with a win.
With the score 24-17 in favor of Troy, FAU quarterback Rusty Smith drove his Owls down the field in a valiant effort to tie the game before throwing an interception in the Trojan end zone. The interception deflated the Owls hopes of upsetting the Trojans.
FAU Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger, was optimistic of his team’s effort in the close defeat.
“We are where we are,” Schnellenberger said.
“We’re better than we were last year.”
With 8:42 left in the first quarter Troy quarterback and Belle Glade, Florida, native Omar Haugabook threw a 70 yard touchdown pass to Trojan wide receiver Toris Rutledge. FAU answered back with an eight yard touchdown pass from quarterback Rusty Smith to fullback Aaron Sanchez. The Owls struck again when FAU booted a second quarter field goal to make the score 10-7 in favor of FAU. But the Trojans came back and chalked up ten unanswered points, seven on a 67 yard touchdown pass from Omar Haugabook to Mykeal Terry, and a 41 yard field goal by Trojan kicker Greg Whibbs, make the score 17-10.
With the score 17-10 in favor of the Trojans, quarterback Rusty Smith led the Owls on another scoring drive connecting on a 14 yard touchdown pass with tight end Jamari Grant. The touchdown made the score 17-17, and the touchdown was the first of Grant’s career.
“The first touchdown catch felt great but is was a bad situation in a losing effort,” Grant said.
But the lead was short lived, as Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook found wide receiver Mykeal Terry on another touchdown pass. The 50 yard touchdown pass was the third touchdown pass of the game over 50 yards for Haugabook. The touchdown also gave Troy back the lead 24-17. On the next FAU possession Rusty Smith threw an interception setting up a Troy field goal attempt. Whibbs missed his second attempt of the game wide left. FAU linebacker Cergile Sincere, a high school teammate of Haugabook’s felt the Troy quarterback played well.
“I was pretty impressed out there except when I caused him to fumble,” Sincere said.
“He really played a great game.”
After the field goal attempt that missed wide left again, FAU received the ball at their 20 yard line. A flat FAU offensive drive gave Troy the ball back and the Trojans drove deep into FAU territory before Haugabook fumbled and defensive tackle Josh Savidge recovered.
FAU Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger felt before the game that his team had to overcome last week’s tough loss at Middle Tennessee State University.
“It is very important for us to play well in these last three games, as it was the previous three. We have had some degree of success since we got into conference play, but the game last weekend was really disheartening,” Schnellenberger said before the game.
30 Troy State Trojans hail from the state of Florida. The game against FAU was Troy’s third trip to the state of Florida this year. It’s the first time since 1993 that Troy has played as many as three games in a state other than Alabama in the same season. The Trojans are tough at home, since 2003 they’re ranked ninth in the nation in best home winning percentage (16-2, .889). FAU has lost at Troy three times in the six year program existence.
Troy State-FAU Fact Box
? FAU averages 14.46 yards per punt return, that average places them first out of eight Sun-Belt teams.
? Troy State Head Football Coach Larry Blakeney stressed the “Don’t look Ahead,” theme to his players and coached during this week’s preparation for FAU.
? Troy State University has an enrollement of 27,000, 1,000 more than FAU.
? FAU linebacker Cergile Sincere played at Glades Central High School with Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook.
