Trojans stumble, Robinson breaks records
Troy, Ala. - A game that Troy saw as a tone-setter for the season, left players and fans alike questioning whether the Trojans were doomed to suffer through another season like 2011.
Troy (1-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) finished just 3-9 last year and some of the same issues the team had a year ago, showed themselves in a 37-24 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.
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The Trojans moved the ball with ease, out-gaining ULL 588-389, only to have a mistake cost them points.
Quarterback Corey Robinson completed 46 of 70 pass attempts for 485 yards, all career highs and Troy single-game records. The junior also had two touchdown passes in the game.
With the performance, Robinson became Troy's new career leader in pass attempts (1,103), yards (7,786) and total offense (7,591).
Troy scored first on backup quarterback Deon Anthony's, who is used often as a mobile alternative to Robinson, 11-yard run just 2:45 into the game.
ULL answered with a 10-yard touchdown run from its quarterback, Blaine Gautier. The Ragin's Cajuns signal caller injured his ribs after the play in the end zone and would not return to the game.
Backup Terra Broadway would take over for Louisiana-Lafayette and finished the game 10-for-16 for 143 yards and a touchdown.
On the ensuing drive, Troy would move the ball 47 yards before receiver Chandler Worthy fumbled the ball near the Trojans side line. Jermarlo Moten picked it up and returned it 56 yards to give ULL a 14-7 lead.
Despite the fumble, Worthy turned in a career performance with 154 yards on nine receptions.
Boradway would get all the help he needed from running back Alonzo Harris, the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year. Harris gashed the Trojans defense for 139 yards on 21 carries.
After ULL took a 20-7 lead in the second quarter, Troy responded with a 5-yard scoring pass from Robinson to Jaquon Robinson with just 52 seconds left in the half.
The Trojans added a field goal early in the third quarter to cut the deficit to three, but that would be as close as they would get. The Ragin' Cajuns scored 17 points before Troy could answer with a late, fourth quarter touchdown.
Troy running back Shawn Southward, who rushed for 204 yards the week before against UAB, was held to just 33 yards on 16 carries.
Troy will need to rebound quickly as they host their first-ever SEC opponent in Mississippi State this week.
GAME NOTES
- Captains for Troy were OL Kyle Wilborn, LB Brannon Bryan, RB Shawn Southward, and DL Tony Davis.
- Louisiana-Lafayette won the toss and deferred until the second half.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson moved in to first place on Troy's career passing yard list with 485 yards in the game. He now as 7,786 career passing yards.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson also moved into fourth place on the Sun Belt career passing yards list with 7,786 career passing yards.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson set a Troy school record with 485 passing yards, passing the mark of 477 yards set by Levi Brown against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 21, 2009.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson had 485 passing yards, marking the 14th 300-yard performance in his 27 career games and the second 400-yard performance of his career.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson set career highs with 46 completions, 70 attempts and 485 passing yards.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson set a Troy school record with 46 completions, breaking the previous record of 40 set by Levi Brown against North Texas on Oct. 25, 2008.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson moved into first place in Troy history with 1,103 career passing attempts. Robinson's 70 attempts in the game moved him past Brock Nutter (1997-2001) who had 1,037 career attempts.
- Quarterback Corey Robinson became Troy's career leader in total offense with 474 yards in the game (485 pass, -9 rush). He noe has 7,591 yards in his career, surpassing the mark of 7,373 yards set by Sim Byrd (1966-68).
- Wide receiver Eric Thomas moved into 15th place on the Troy career leaderboard with 85 career receptions. Thomas caught nine passes on the day after entering with 76 in his career.
- Wide receiver Eric Thomas moved into a tie for 15th place on the Troy career leaderboard with 11 career receiving touchdowns after catching one today.
- Wide Receiver Eric Thomas surpassed the 1,000 receiving yard milestone in the first quarter with his 4-yard catch. Thomas entered the game with 999 career receiving yards and finished with 1,054 after picking up 55 on nine catches.
- Wise receiver Eric Thomas has now caught a pass in 15 consecutive game. That streak dates back to the 2010 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
- Quarterback Deon Anthony picked up his first career touchdown with 12:15 remaining in the first quarter. Anthony's 11-yard touchdown rush put the Trojans ahead 7-0.
- Wide receiver K.D. Edenfield's first career catch came in the second quarter, going for 12 yards and a first down.
- Wide receiver Chandler Worthy recorded 154 receiving yards, marking the second different Trojan to eclipse the 100-yard mark in tow games this season. Chip Reeves recorded 125 yards last week at UAB.
- Troy's loss in their home opener snapped a streak of 25 consecutive wins in home openers. The streak was thee fourth longest in the nation behind Ohio State (36), Oklahoma (30) and Nebraska (28).
- The loss also broke a streak of seven consecutive victories in Sun Belt openers for the Trojans, teh longest streak in the league's history. Troy is now 7-2 all-time in Sun Belt openers.