Roberts’ block turns momentum to Troy

TROY — The biggest play of R.J. Roberts’ young Troy career may have been the one that sparked a blowout.

Roberts, a true freshman walk-on from Enterprise, blocked a second-quarter punt and saw the ball go out of bounds at the MTSU 4. Troy scored three plays later and went on to defeat rival Middle Tennessee 45-7 Tuesday.

Troy special teams coach Shayne Wasden called a twist, and Roberts shot through an open gap and got his hand on the ball.

“We felt like from watching film that particular block had a chance,” Wasden said. “R.J. Roberts came through and got his hand on it. At that point of the game, it was a really big play.”

Roberts was greeted on the sideline by teammates. The last time Troy blocked a punt was Sept. 9, 2004, when Bernard Davis blocked a punt against Missouri.

Troy won that game 24-14. Like Roberts’ block, it was also available for a national television audience to see.

“I put my hands on it, and there it was,” Roberts said. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my college career.”

The ensuing touchdown gave Troy a 17-7 lead, and MTSU never could respond.

“The air comes out of one team and right into the other,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. “(Momentum) stayed with us. It may have been a deciding factor. It really hurt their cause and helped our cause.”

The play exemplified Roberts’ work ethic since he arrived on campus. A dual-sport athlete at Enterprise, Roberts considered offers from smaller schools in football and basketball before he decided to walk on at Troy.

“R.J. plays extremely hard all the time,” Wasden said. “He’s got a great motor and from day one, when the ball’s snapped, he’s playing full speed.”

With the situation at linebacker crowded with veterans, Roberts found his niche as a special teams player.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pounder has seen time at linebacker and defensive end at the end of blowouts.

“I just knew I had to come in and work hard,” Roberts said.

And Tuesday night, all that hard work paid off in a big way.