Troy makes a comeback in overtime play
Off the foot of Hayden Wolfe, Troy football walked out of Harrisonburg, Virgina, after pulling off an upset against James Madison in overtime Saturday night, 24-21.
The Trojans' defense stopped the Dukes' offense on fourth-and-1 on the first drive of overtime, which allowed Troy to be able to control the game. After the Trojans drove the ball to the 9-yard line, Wolfe scored a 27-yard field goal, the first of his Troy career, to seal the game.
"This is just a dream come true," Wolfe said. "Every kicker wants that moment, you know.
"There's just no better feeling than that."
James Madison started the game with a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after two passing touchdowns by quarterback Camden Coleman. Wide receiver Corey Scott caught the first, a 2-yard touchdown, while wide receiver Braeden Wisloski grabbed a 31-yard pass for the second score.
Troy running back Gavin Griffin ran one in to start the second quarter for the Trojans' first score, but James Madison’s running back Seth Cromwell answered with a 14-yard run. However, James Madison's turnover troubles began with a fumble after a 43-yard catch and an interception by Justin Powe.
Despite the turnovers late in the second quarter, Troy's offense still lagged behind James Madison, as the Dukes outgained the Trojans 226 yards to 151. Head coach Gerad Parker said he knew his team wasn't playing at the level they should have been.
"It's my job to see what is best for our football and how great they can be and what's in them," Parker said. "We weren't getting that in the first half.
"So, the message was to play free, quit playing small."
The Trojans took the message to heart, as Powe got his second interception of the game on only the second play of the half and returned it for a pick six. Later in the third quarter, running back Jaheim Merriweather tied the game up for Troy with a 28-yard touchdown.
Powe followed it up with another interception on the ensuing James Madison drive. For Powe, the interceptions were mainly a result of seeing how his teammates played on the field and using that as motivation.
"Just playing on my teammates, seeing them and seeing their determination," Powe said. "Playing off of them, feeding off of them and playing as hard as I can for them for four quarters."
With the tie continuing through the fourth, Troy eventually sealed it with the overtime victory. Despite the up-and-down season, Parker said this win shows not only the fans, but his players, that Troy is a team worth believing in.
"As fans would have it, the reaction to winning can create belief," Parker said. "My job as head coach is to make sure we have belief without seeing.
"I've got to make sure that our staff and players understand we're doing the right things. I know that I'm not perfect, we'll make our mistakes and move forward, but we're doing the right things."
Troy returns home to face Louisiana Tech Saturday afternoon in the first matchup between the two schools as conference foes. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
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