Birmingham, AL (Sports Network) - Troy's rushing attack was on point today
with Shawn Southward turning 28 carries into 204 yards and three touchdowns,
triggering a 39-29 victory for the Troy Trojans over the UAB Blazers.
Corey Robinson was efficient in the air, throwing for 184 yards and two
touchdowns as he finished 12-of-21 for the Trojans (1-0). Chip Reeves reeled
in six passes for 125 yards and a score for the visitors as well.
The Blazers (0-1) were paced by Jonathan Perry he connected on 18-of-33 for
317 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Perry's favorite targets
were Patrick Hearn (seven receptions, 108 yards) and Jackie Williams (six
catches, 157 yards), the latter now having caught at least one pass in
all 23 games in his UAB career.
Troy kicker Will Scott put the Trojans on the scoreboard with a 44-yard field
goal on their first drive of the game.
Later in the first quarter Southward carried Troy into the end zone with a
one-yard run to cap a seven-play, 36-yard drive.
Less than three minutes into the second frame Robinson directed an 80-yard
drive that required a mere four plays, the signal-caller hitting Reeves with a
55-yard TD strike to give the Trojans a 17-0 advantage.
UAB finally got on the scoreboard late in the first half when Perry combined
with Greg Franklin on a 21-yard TD pass play to cut the deficit to 17-7 at the
break.
On the opening drive to start the second half Greg Franklin, Darrin Reaves,
and Dontavius Jackson took the Blazers down the field and into the end zone
within five plays, culminating with a Jackson nine-yard run to make the score
17-14.
Midway through the third quarter Troy answered defensively with a safety due
to miscommunication by the UAB special teams unit, which made the score 19-14.
UAB kicker Ty Long drew the Blazers to within two points at the 2:20 mark of
the third quarter as he knocked through a 27-yard field goal.
Troy came right back with a big run by Southward for 55 yards and then he
punched it into the end zone with a seven-yard effort to put the Trojans up
25-17, with the subsequent PAT being blocked by UAB's Connor Boyett.
The beginning of the fourth quarter had Perry and the Blazer's balanced
running attack respond with a Perry one-yard touchdown run. The two-point
conversion failed however and that left UAB trailing by two.
Robinson got back on track with a 44-yard completion to Reeves and a 25-yard
touchdown pass to B.J. Chitty to move Troy out to a 32-23 advantage.
It got worse for the UAB offense, as Perry fumbled on their own 13-yard line
and Tony Davis recovered it for the Trojan defense. Southward recorded a
five-yard touchdown run to give the visitors a commanding 16-point advantage.
UAB managed to put together an eight-play, 78-yard drive that took just 2:32
off the clock and was finished off with a 24-yard TD pass from Perry to
Jamarcus Nelson, but a failed two-point conversion left the Blazers facing a
double-digit deficit at 39-29.
This was the first game for UAB's new head coach Garrick McGee, a former
offensive coordinator at Arkansas, who is the fourth head coach in school
history.
GAME NOTES:
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