Troy wraps up perfect Sun Belt record

LAFAYETTE, La. — With his team’s back against the wall and a perfect Sun Belt season on the line, Levi Brown delivered like he has all year for the Trojans.

Brown’s 293-yard, three-touchdown performance was mediocre by the high standards he’s set this season, but his performance in the fourth quarter sealed an unbeaten conference season for the Trojans and likely a Sun Belt Player of the Year Award.

The Trojans blew a 24-point lead but responded with four fourth-quarter scores in a 48-31 win over UL-Lafayette Saturday to finish 9-3, 8-0 in Sun Belt play and win the league title outright for the second straight year.

Troy led 24-0 early, but ULL took a 25-24 lead late in the third quarter. Michael Taylor’s 26-yard field goal gave Troy a 2-point lead, and Brown threw touchdown passes to TeBiarus Gill and Jerrel Jernigan to ice it.

“I said way back when that whoever wins this conference would be undefeated,” linebacker Bear Woods said. “I knew then it would be us, but I didn’t say anything and here we are.”

Troy looked to be coasting to an easy win after taking a 24-0 lead, sparked by touchdown runs of 3 and 23 yards by Shawn Southward and a 17-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Jason Bruce, but ULL quarterbacks Chris Masson and Brad McGuire led a rally.

Masson’s 57-yard scoring pass to Luke Aubrey cut the halftime lead to 24-13, but Masson left with injury. McGuire, who earlier ran for a 6-yard score, threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ladarius Green then hit Green for a 91-yard score on a fluke play, giving ULL a 25-24 lead.

McGuire was hit on the play, which was supposed to be a screen pass.

Green was not the intended receiver, but the ball landed in his hands and he burned the defense for the score.

“That’s just bad luck, but we bounced back the next series with a three-and-out,” Woods said. “That’s what championship teams do. It was a no-play. We tipped the ball. It’s just bad luck, that’s all it is.”

That’s where Brown and Jernigan, a likely first-team all-league receiver, delivered. Brown hit Jernigan for 67 yards to set up Taylor’s field goal. He later threw the two touchdown passes — 14 yards to Gill and 26 to Jernigan.

Jernigan had 142 yards on five catches, four of which came on Troy’s last three scoring drives.

“We were struggling, and we needed somebody to make a play for us,” Brown said of Jernigan’s 67-yard reception. “From there, we just took off.”

The late numbers say it all. Brown hit his last eight passes for 174 yards. He broke the Sun Belt record for passing yards in a season, previously held by FAU’s Rusty Smith, and now has 3,868.

“That’s great,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. “Levi may have sealed some (postseason) all-star games tonight, too.”

ULL got a late score, but Bryan Willis returned the onside kick 38 yards for the final score. The last time Troy came to ULL, in 2007, the Trojans won 48-31.
Southward, a true freshman, set a career high with 152 yards rushing on just 15 carries with the two scores. His longest run was 42 yards.

“He really has a knack that everybody doesn’t have,” Blakeney said. “We call it sticking your foot in the ground. He runs by a lot of things that other people will stop for. He’s just got something a little special.”

Troy will now wait on its bowl destination, which could be determined after the BCS games are announced. The New Orleans Bowl will take Troy or a 9-3 Middle Tennessee team, though the Trojans could end up in another bowl.

“New Orleans,” said Woods, when asked which bowl he wanted to go to. “Wherever Coach Blakeney wants to go, I’ll go.”

First quarter
12:50 Troy 7, ULL 0: Shawn Southward 4-yard run (Michael Taylor PAT). 1 play, 3 yards, 0:04. Key play: Courtland Fuller returned an interception 48 yards to the 3.

3:49 Troy 14, ULL 0: Jason Bruce 17 pass from Levi Brown (Taylor PAT). 8 plays, 56 yards, 2:21. Key play: A 20-yard pass to Jason Bruce on 3rd and 10 to the ULL 36.

Second quarter
14:15 Troy 17, ULL 0: Taylor 31 FG. 6 plays, 40 yards, 1:45. Key play: Southward’s 42-yard run to the ULL 7.

12:07 Troy 24, ULL 0: Southward 23 run (Taylor PAT). 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:44. Key play: ULL quarterback Brad McGuire fumbled, Courtland Fuller recovered at the ULL 27.

6:31 Troy 24, ULL 7: Brad McGuire 6-yard run (Tyler Albrecht PAT). 12 plays, 82 yards, 5:36. Key play: A shovel pass to Marlin Miller gained 19 to the Troy 14.

4:30 Troy 24, ULL 13: Luke Albrey 57 pass from Chris Masson (Albrecht missed PAT). 1 plays, 57 yards, 0:11. Key play: The touchdown.

Third quarter
8:08 Troy 24, ULL 19: Ladarius Green 1-yard pass from McGuire (Albrecht missed PAT). 15 plays, 78 yards, 6:12. Key play: Troy’s Kevin Dixon was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a third down stop, giving ULL the ball at the 18.

4:11 ULL 25, Troy 24: Ladarius Green 91-yard pass from McGuire (2-point conversion failed). 3 plays, 96 yards, 1:15. Key play: The touchdown, a fluky play that came on a wounded duck after McGuire was hammered, went to Green who burned the defense.

Fourth quarter
13:01 Troy 27, ULL 25: Taylor 26-yard FG. 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:13. Key play: A 67-yard pass to Jernigan to the ULL 13 on the first play.

10:44 Troy 34, ULL 25: TeBiarus Gill 14 pass from Levi Brown (Taylor PAT). 3 plays, 51 yards, 0:52. Key play: A 22-yard pass to Jernigan to open the drive.

4:47 Troy 41, ULL 25: Jerrel Jernigan 26 pass from Levi Brown (Taylor PAT). 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:47. Key play: The touchdown.

2:16 Troy 41, ULL 31: Vernon Wolfe 9 pass from Blaine Gautier (pass failed). 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:31. Key play: Luke Aubrey’s 19-yard reception to the Troy 9.

2:10 Troy 48, ULL 31: Bryan Willis 38 kickoff return on onside kick (Taylor PAT).