Troy Trojans football
Troy Trojans football | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
First season | 1909 | ||
Athletic director | Jeremy McClain | ||
Head coach |
Neal Brown 3rd season, 14–11 (.560) | ||
Other staff |
Kenny Edenfield (Co-OC) Matt Moore (Co-OC) Vic Koenning (DC) | ||
Stadium |
Veterans Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,000) | ||
Field surface | ProGrass | ||
Location | Troy, Alabama | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | Sun Belt Conference | ||
Division | East | ||
All-time record | 520–402–27 (.562) | ||
Bowl record | 6–4 (.600) | ||
Claimed nat'l titles | 3 (1 NAIA, 2 Division II) | ||
Conference titles |
Alabama Intercollegiate: 3 Alabama Collegiate: 3 Mid-South: 1 Gulf South: 5 Southland: 3 Sun Belt: 5 | ||
Rivalries |
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders UAB Blazers South Alabama Jaguars | ||
Consensus All-Americans |
6 NAIA 10 Div-II 13 FCS 1 FBS | ||
Current uniform | |||
Colors |
Cardinal, Silver, and Black[1] | ||
Fight song | "Trojans One & All" | ||
Mascot | T-Roy | ||
Marching band | The Sound of the South | ||
Outfitter | Adidas | ||
Website | TroyTrojans.com |
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University in Troy, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001. The current head coach of the team is Neal Brown. The football program joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, while the other Troy athletic programs didn't join the SBC until 2005.
History
Early History (1909–1965)
Troy University has fielded a football team continuously since 1946. Prior to that year, the team was fielded with a lot of interruptions from 1909 to 1942. Eight years were skipped due to lack of participation and later World War I from 1913–1920, while the Wall Street Crash of 1929 kept the team from playing that year.
Coach George Penton led the Troy Trojans for two seasons, 1911 and 1912. Under his tutelage, the Trojans completed their only undefeated season, a 3–0 record.
Albert Elmore began coaching in 1931 at the Troy. He is credited with changing the team mascot to "Red Wave" (this was a variation of Alabama's "Crimson Tide", and the current nickname is "Trojans").[2] Elmore left Troy after the 1937 season. In seven years at Troy State, five of which were winning seasons, Elmore compiled a 35–30–3 record.[3]
In 1947, Fred McCollum took the head coaching position at Troy State. From 1947 to 1950, he compiled an overall record of twenty wins, eighteen losses and three ties (20–18–3) with the Red Wave, which included back to back six-win seasons in 1948–1949.[3]
Bill Atkins era (1966–1971)
On January 8, 1966, Bill Atkins was named the head coach of the Troy State Trojans football team.[4] In 1968, he coached Troy State to an NAIA National Championship and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year.[4] Atkins finished at Troy State with a 44–16–2 record before leaving in 1971.[4] He is the second-most winningest coach in Troy history, only behind Larry Blakeney.
Tom Jones era (1972–1973)
Tom Jones was hired as Troy State's head coach in 1972.[5] He served as the head football coach from 1972 to 1973, compiling a record of 11–7–2.
Byrd Whigham era (1974–1975)
Byrd Whigham led the Troy Trojans football program for two seasons and his teams compiled a 12–8 record in his two seasons. He departed the Red Ware after the 1975 season.[6]
Charlie Bradshaw era (1976–1982)
Former Kentucky head coach Charlie Bradshaw came out of retirement to accept the position of head coach of the Trojans,[6] which had become the school's mascot just a short time earlier. Under Bradshaw's tutelage, the Trojans compiled a 41–27–2 record, which included three eight-win seasons and one conference championship.[7] However, a 3–7 campaign in 1981 and a 2–8 season in 1982 ended Bradshaw's tenure at Troy State.
Chan Gailey era (1983–1984)
In 1983, Chan Gailey took over the head coaching duties at Troy State, where he led the Trojans to a 12–1 record in 1984 en route to the Division II championship.[8] Gailey departed Troy State after two seasons to accept the position of tight ends coach and special teams coordinator with the NFL's Denver Broncos.[9]
Rick Rhoades era (1985–1987)
Rick Rhoades, previously the Trojans' defensive coordinator, was the head coach at Troy State from 1985 to 1987.[10] In 1987, he led the team to the NCAA Division II Football Championship.[10] Rhoades left Troy State after three seasons.
Robert Maddox era (1988–1990)
At Troy State, head coach Robert Maddox inherited a team which the previous season had gone 12–1–1, winning the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Despite this, in 1988, Troy State had its first losing season since 1982, going 4–6. The following season, the team showed little improvement, finishing with an identical 4–6 record. In 1990, Troy State improved slightly to 5–5, but Maddox resigned following a season-ending 24–23 win over Nicholls State.[11]
Larry Blakeney era (1991–2014)
Larry Blakeney became the twentieth head football coach at Troy State University[12] on December 3, 1990. The program was officially still a Division II program, but were already approved to transition to Division I-AA the following season. He took over a program that had won two national championships the previous decade, but were 13–17 the previous three years.
The first full year at Division I-AA, the Troy State Trojans made it to the semifinal game and finished 12–1–1, 10–0–1 in the regular season. This marked the first undefeated, regular, full season of Troy State Trojans football and they finished ranked first in the end of season poll by Sports Network. In 1995, the team improved on that record finishing 11–0 in the regular season for the first undefeated and untied season in history. During the eight seasons the team was a member of I-AA football, they made the playoffs seven seasons and won the Southland Conference championship three times and made the playoff semifinals twice.
Troy State transitioned to Division I-A in 2001. During that season they defeated three Division I-A schools, including their first win over a BCS conference school, Mississippi State. The transition makes Blakeney one of two coaches to ever take a football team from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).
In 2004, Troy's first year in the Sun Belt Conference, Blakeney coached his team to one of the biggest victories in the school's and the Sun Belt's history after defeating then #17 ranked Missouri 24–14 at home, in front of a national audience on ESPN2. He once again coached his team to a victory over a BCS school in 2007 at home, routing Oklahoma State 41–23 on ESPN2.
Blakeney would earn his first bowl win in 2006, beating the Rice Owls football team 41–17 in the New Orleans Bowl. The team won their first Sun Belt Conference title that year. After losing the 2008 New Orleans Bowl in overtime against Southern Miss and losing the 2010 GMAC Bowl in double-overtime against Central Michigan, Blakeney would get his second bowl victory in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, defeating Ohio 48–21.
ESPN recognized Blakeney as one of the top 5 non-AQ recruiting closers in 2009.[13] Blakeney retired at the end of the 2014 season after serving twenty three years as Head Coach for Troy University.[14]
Troy University football began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State University at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a count of 21–9 to notch the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program. The Trojans began their 2004 campaign with a win over Marshall, and then garnered the program's largest win one game later as the Trojans defeated then #17 ranked Missouri, 24–14, in front of a Movie Gallery Stadium record crowd. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004 that same season, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating Middle Tennessee in dramatic fashion in the last game of the 2006 season in a game that is now referred to as "The Miracle in Murfreesboro". As the 2006 Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy played in the New Orleans Bowl on December 22, 2006 against Rice University, routing the Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41–17. The New Orleans Bowl victory was Troy's first bowl victory in history.
Troy football former head coach Larry Blakeney officially retired at the end of the 2014 season. He led the program to three Southland Football League titles and five straight Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and four FBS bowl games. Blakeney finished with an overall record of 178–113–1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the 4th winningest collegiate coach all-time in the state of Alabama, only behind greats Paul "Bear" Bryant, Cleveland L. Abbott, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Blakeney is just one of two coaches to ever take a football program from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).[15]
Troy's only perfect regular season record in football came at the conclusion of the 1995 season as the Trojans finished 11–0 and were crowned champions of the Southland Football League heading into the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Neal Brown era (2015–present)
Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown, who had served in the same capacity at Troy from 2008–2009, was named the Trojans head coach in November 2014.[16] In 2015, Brown's Trojans posted a 4–8 record.[17] Troy was ranked for the first time in the AP top 25 on November 13, 2016, they became the first team from the Sun Belt Conference to be ranked in the Top 25 and finished the year with a record of 10–3.[18]
Head coaches
Name | From | To | Record | Postseason | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | ||||
Virgil P. McKinley | 1909 | 1909 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Dan Harren | 1910 | 1910 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
George Penton | 1911 | 1912 | 7 | 1 | 1 | |
Professor J. W. Campbell | 1921 | 1923 | 12 | 14 | 1 | |
Flivver Ford | 1924 | 1924 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
Otis Bynum | 1925 | 1926 | 12 | 4 | 1 | |
Gladwin Gaumer | 1927 | 1928 | 6 | 7 | 0 | |
No Coach | 1930 | 1930 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
Albert Elmore | 1931 | 1937 | 33 | 25 | 3 | |
Albert Choate | 1938 | 1942 | 28 | 25 | 1 | |
Buddy McCollum | 1947 | 1950 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 1948 Paper Bowl |
Jim Grantham | 1951 | 1954 | 11 | 23 | 1 | |
William Clipson | 1955 | 1965 | 26 | 68 | 0 | |
Billy Atkins | 1966 | 1971 | 44 | 16 | 2 | 1968 NAIA National Champions |
Tom Jones | 1972 | 1973 | 11 | 7 | 2 | |
Byrd Whigham | 1974 | 1975 | 12 | 8 | 0 | |
Charlie Bradshaw | 1976 | 1982 | 41 | 27 | 2 | |
Chan Gailey | 1983 | 1984 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 1984 NCAA Division II National Champions |
Rick Rhoades | 1985 | 1987 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 1987 NCAA Division II National Champions |
Robert Maddox | 1988 | 1990 | 13 | 17 | 0 | |
Larry Blakeney | 1990 | 2014 | 178 | 113 | 1 | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 Bowl Appearances; 2006, 2010 Bowl Wins |
Neal Brown | 2015 | Present | 14 | 11 | 0 | 2016 Bowl Appearances; 2016 Bowl Wins |
Composite Record | 1909 | 2015 | 496 | 377 | 27 |
Championships
Troy has won 20 total conference championships to go along with 3 national championships. The program won the 1968 NAIA National Championship against Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville). Troy beat North Dakota State in 1984 to win their first Division II national title. They won their second Division II national title in 1987 after defeating Portland State.
Bold indicates national championship. |
FBS Records (2001–Present)
Year | Record | Conference | Finish | Coach | Bowl | Poll | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Troy State Trojans (I-A transition) (Independent) (2001) | ||||||||
2001 | 7–4 | – | – | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
Troy State Trojans (Independent) (2002–2003) | ||||||||
2002 | 4–8 | – | – | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2003 | 6–6 | – | – | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
Troy Trojans (Sun Belt Conference) (2004–Present) | ||||||||
2004 | 7–5 | 5–2 | 2nd | Larry Blakeney | Silicon Valley Bowl | – | ||
2005 | 4–7 | 3–4 | T-4th | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2006 | 8–5 | 6–1 | T-1st | Larry Blakeney | New Orleans Bowl | – | ||
2007 | 8–4 | 6–1 | T-1st | Larry Blakeney | – | |||
2008 | 8–5 | 7–1 | 1st | Larry Blakeney | New Orleans Bowl | – | ||
2009 | 9–4 | 8–0 | 1st | Larry Blakeney | GMAC Bowl | – | ||
2010 | 8–5 | 6–2 | T-1st | Larry Blakeney | New Orleans Bowl | – | ||
2011 | 3–9 | 2–6 | 7th | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2012 | 5–7 | 3–5 | 6th | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2013 | 6–6 | 4–3 | 3rd | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2014 | 3–9 | 3–5 | T-7th | Larry Blakeney | – | – | ||
2015 | 4–8 | 3–5 | T-5th | Neal Brown | – | – | ||
2016 | 10–3 | 6–2 | T-3rd | Neal Brown | Dollar General Bowl | – | ||
All-time | 100–87 | 59–32 | All-time | 2 coaches | 6 Bowl Games | AP | ||
"Poll" indicates team ranking at end of season from the Associated Press Poll. *Ranked by the AP Poll for Division I-A Football. |
All-time record vs. Sun Belt teams
Official record (including any NCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current Sun Belt opponents:
Opponent | Won | Lost | Tied | Percentage | Streak | First | Last |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appalachian State | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | Won 1 | 1940 | 2016 |
Arkansas State | 5 | 10 | 0 | .333 | Lost 4 | 1950 | 2016 |
Coastal Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — | — |
Georgia Southern | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | Lost 4 | 1934 | 2016 |
Georgia State | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | Won 1 | 2013 | 2016 |
Idaho | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | Won 1 | 2004 | 2016 |
Louisiana–Lafayette | 8 | 11 | 0 | .421 | Won 1 | 1946 | 2015 |
Louisiana–Monroe | 9 | 7 | 1 | .559 | Won 1 | 1970 | 2015 |
New Mexico State | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | Won 3 | 2004 | 2016 |
South Alabama | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | Won 1 | 2012 | 2016 |
Texas State | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | Won 5 | 1996 | 2016 |
Totals | 52 | 42 | 1 | .553 |
Traditions
Trojan Walk
Before each Troy home football game, hundreds of Troy fans and students line University Avenue on campus to cheer on the team as they march with the Sound of the South band and cheerleaders from the Quad to Tailgate Terrace, surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk toward Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Band Show on University
Before each home game, the Sound of the South marching band performs a pre-game show on University Avenue in between all of the tailgating areas before the Trojan Walk begins.
Trojan Fanfare
During the pre-game show at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Sound of the South will perform what is known as the "Trojan Fanfare." It is a favorite among most fans and energizes the fanbase leading up to kickoff.
Post-game Band Show
After every home football game, the Sound of the South marching bands performs a final show for fans in attendance.
Players/Band Celebration
After Troy wins a home game, the players will go to the corner of the stadium where the Sound of the South is and will sing the fight song, alma mater, and sometimes do chants with them.
Trojan Warrior
Before every game and after every touchdown, the Trojan Warrior or Trojan Princess would blaze down the football field on a horse named "Big Red." This tradition is no longer used because the football field turf was changed from grass to artificial grass. There has been recent talk of bringing the tradition back.
Postseason Results
Division II Playoff Results
Year | Round | Opponent | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | First Round Semifinals Championship (Palm Bowl) | Central State Towson State North Dakota State | W 31–21 W 45–3 W 18–17 | |
1986 | First Round Semifinals | Virginia Union South Dakota | W 31–7 L 28–42 | |
1987 | First Round Semifinals Championship (Palm Bowl) | Winston-Salem State Central Florida Portland State | W 45–14 W 31–10 W 31–17 | |
Playoff Record | 7–1 | |||
FCS Playoff Results
Troy made seven appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs from 1993 to 2000.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Stephen F. Austin McNeese State Marshall | W 42–20 W 35–28 L 21–24 | |
1994 | First Round | James Madison | L 26–45 | |
1995 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 21–24 | |
1996 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Murray State Montana | W 31–3 L 7–70 | |
1998 | First Round | Florida A&M | L 17–27 | |
1999 | First Round Quarterfinals | James Madison Florida A&M | W 27–7 L 10–17 | |
2000 | First Round | Appalachian State | L 30–33 | |
Playoff Record | 5–7 | |||
NAIA/Division II Bowl Results
W/L | Date | PF | Opponent | PA | Game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
L | 12-18-1948 | 0 | Jacksonville State | 19 | Paper Bowl |
W | 12-14-1968 | 43 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 35 | Championship Bowl |
W | 12-08-1984 | 18 | North Dakota State | 17 | Palm Bowl |
W | 12-12-1987 | 31 | Portland State | 17 | Palm Bowl |
- Palm Bowl is NCAA Division II National Championship.
- Championship Bowl is the NAIA National Championship.
FBS Bowl Results
W/L | Date | PF | Opponent | PA | Bowl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
L | 12-30-2004 | 21 | Northern Illinois | 34 | Silicon Valley Classic |
W | 12-22-2006 | 41 | Rice | 17 | New Orleans Bowl |
L | 12-21-2008 | 27 | Southern Mississippi | 30 | New Orleans Bowl |
L | 01-06-2010 | 41 | Central Michigan | 44 | GMAC Bowl |
W | 12-18-2010 | 48 | Ohio | 21 | New Orleans Bowl |
W | 12-23-2016 | 28 | Ohio | 23 | Dollar General Bowl |
Top 25 Finishes
1-AA/FCS
Year | Record | Sports Network Rank | USA/ESPN Rank |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | 12–1–1 | #1 | |
1994 | 8–4 | #10 | |
1995 | 11–1 | #3 | |
1996 | 12–2 | #5 | |
1998 | 8–4 | #11 | #11 |
1999 | 11–2 | #6 | #6 |
2000 | 10–2 | #9 | #3 |
Source:[19]
1-A/FBS
Since Troy began play in the 1-A/FBS division in 2001, Troy has never finished ranked in the Top 25 of any major poll.
NFL players
Trojans in the NFL | |
---|---|
NFL Draft selections | |
Total selected: | 35 |
1st Round: | 2 |
2nd Round: | 2 |
3rd Round: | 3 |
Current players
Former players
- DeMarcus Ware
- Osi Umenyiora
- Lawrence Tynes
- Bubba Marriott
- Matt Allen
- Kerry Jenkins
- Al Lucas
- Jerrel Jernigan
- Jimmy McClain
- Rayshun Reed
- Shawn Stuckey
- Dion Gales
- Rod Walker
- Pratt Lyons
- Michael Moore
- Jonathan Carter
- Perry Griggs
- Titus Dixon
- Clifford Ivory
- Mareno Philyaw
- Jack Smith
- Davern Williams
- Willie Tullis
- Virgil Seay
- Brannon Condren
- Levi Brown
- Jack Smith
- Anthony Henton
- Derrick Moore
- Jonathan Carter
- Chris Bradwell
- Kanorris Davis
- Boris Lee
- Bear Woods
- Alfred Malone
- Corey Robinson
Rivalries
Battle for the Belt
Troy's has an annual intra-conference rivalry with in-state foe South Alabama, known as the Battle for the Belt. Troy leads the series 3–2 after winning the 2016 Battle For The Belt while South Alabama won the inaugural Battle For The Belt in 2015.
Troy vs. UAB
Troy enjoys another in-state rivalry with UAB. Troy's rivalry with UAB started in 1993. UAB was in Conference USA and the two teams had scheduled each other due to their close proximity as non-conference opponents for several years. The two schools have played annually since 2009 until 2014, when UAB disbanded their football program. Troy holds the lead in the rivalry 7–5, which is currently inactive. There are currently no future games scheduled between Troy and UAB.
Battle for the Palladium
Troy's rivalry with Middle Tennessee, now dormant following Middle Tennessee's 2013 move to Conference USA, is known as the Battle for the Palladium. Troy and Middle Tennessee first played each other in 1936, but it wasn't until 2003 that the schools started playing annually for the Palladium Trophy.
Battle for the Ol' School Bell
When Troy was a member of Division I-AA in football, they played Jacksonville State almost annually in the Battle for the Ol' School Bell rivalry. The idea for a school bell trophy stemmed from the two schools' common origins as teachers' colleges from the late 1800s to the 1930s. The last meeting between Troy and Jacksonville State was in 2001, with Troy (then known as Troy State) winning 21–3.
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of May 18, 2017.[20]
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | TBA |
at Boise State | vs Boise State | vs Southern Miss | at Massachusetts | vs Liberty | at Ole Miss | vs Utah State |
vs Alabama State | vs Presbyterian | at Akron | vs NC State | at Utah State | ||
vs Akron | at Nebraska | at Missouri | ||||
at LSU | at Liberty |
References
- ↑ "2015 Troy Football Media Guide" (PDF). July 7, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Troy University Football." Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- 1 2
- 1 2 3 http://ashof.org/index.php?id=333&src=directory&srctype=display&view=company_detail
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19720201&id=P8sfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1dcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4406,231270&hl=en
- 1 2 http://www.troymessenger.com/2016/10/12/troy-fortunate-to-have-a-long-line-of-successful-coaches/
- ↑ http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=224
- ↑
- ↑ http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/gailey_chan00.html
- 1 2 http://www.ahsfhs.org/coaches/coachestop.asp?Coach=Rick%20Rhoades
- ↑ cfbdatawarehouse.com, Troy State Yearly Results 1980–1984, 1985–1989, 1990–1994, retrieved March 2, 2008; "Colonels lose; Troy coach quits", The Advocate, November 11, 1990.
- ↑ The school did not become Troy University until 2004.
- ↑ "Top non-AQ recruiting closers". ESPN.
- ↑ http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/football/close-call-at-clemson-set-up-troy-as-a-top/article_0f10293a-af8d-5caa-821b-037e47c6cea4.html
- ↑ http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/troy-university/2016/11/10/troy-unveils-24m-stadium-expansion/93596790/
- ↑ http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/11/29/neal-brown-troy-coach-hire
- ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/troy/2015-schedule.html
- ↑ http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/11/13/troy-becomes-first-sun-belt-team-ever-in-ap-top-25/
- ↑ http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/t/troy_state/in_the_polls.php
- ↑ "Troy Trojans Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.