The first road test of the Gerad Parker era ended much like the first game. The Trojans were unable to keep up with an overpowering Memphis offense, losing the game 38-17.
“When you play good football teams the room for error is very small,” said Coach Parker in his postgame interview with Troy Athletics. “If you don’t win any phase of the football game you aren’t going to win the game.”
Trojans starting quarterback Goose Crowder went down with an injury in the first quarter, stalling Troy’s offensive momentum for good. Backup Matthew Caldwell performed well in Crowder’s absence, going 11-for-19 for 113 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“It is just a next guy up mentality,” Caldwell said. “I was ready to go out there, and we fought hard and played tough.”
The game started off slow for Troy. The first drive ended in a punt after two straight incomplete passes on second and third down. Memphis scored on a 14 play, 70-yard drive immediately following a Troy punt.
The same issues plagued the defense, not being able to stop the run. Tigers running back Mario Anderson had 28 yards on the first drive of the game and finished with 125. The Tigers would go on to have 211 rushing yards as a team, making it the second straight week the Trojans defense has given up 200 or more rushing yards.
The Troy offense stalled until five minutes left in the first quarter. Crowder led a 13 play, seven-minute scoring drive to tie the game 7-7. Crowder converted on an 11-yard scramble to the left side but injured himself in the process. Backup quarterback Caldwell entered the game.
“That’s why you have to prepare the right way because you never know when it's your turn,” Parker said. “I am certainly proud of how he operated and responded.”
Memphis answered on the next drive after Tigers quarterback Seth Henigan decisively picked apart Troy’s defense. Anderson seemed unstoppable, ripping off a 26-yard run on the first play of the drive to set up a Tigers score.
Troy needed to answer and answer quick, but after just six plays the Trojans had to punt the ball away. Memphis return man Koby Drake brought the ball out all the way to the 50-yard line, and two plays later Anderson ran in for a 21-yard score.
The Trojans trailed 21-7 at halftime and would not have their starting quarterback the rest of the game.
“We were already in an uphill battle down our starting quarterback and center,” Parker said. “Memphis is a good program with great players and coaches, and this put us in a very difficult position.”
Out of halftime things looked promising. Damien Taylor returned to the field from his first half suspension after a targeting call when playing Nevada. The defense stifled Memphis on their first drive, forcing a fast three-and-out.
Troy received the ball but quickly lost its momentum. Gerald Green coughed up the football, setting the Tigers up in plus territory. Six plays later, Memphis converted a field goal going up 24-7.
Troy’s offense did not find momentum until the game was already out of hand. Caldwell led a ten-play drive that resulted in a 22-yard Scott Taylor Renfroe field goal. The score was 31-10 at the end of the third quarter, but Memphis put the game out of reach with a touchdown on the first drive of the fourth.
Troy would score one more time on a 14 play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Caldwell quarterback sneak on the one-yard line.
“We are going to be prepared for next week,” Caldwell said. “We need to run the ball to get the offense going, and clean up the operation, but we will be ready.”
Troy looks to carry the offensive momentum found on the final drive into next week’s road test in Iowa City. The Trojans will battle Iowa at 3 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 14.
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