Sun Belt Sports Fans

Louisiana-Monroe 28, Troy 14

It took long enough, but after two months of football in the 2010 regular season, the Troy Trojans finally missed bad, bad Levi Brown, the baddest man in the whole downtown of Troy, Alabama.

After moving to 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference, the Troy Trojans looked to be in complete command of the league, but now the narrative is different after a surprising 28-14 loss to a Louisiana-Monroe team that got drummed by 28 points the week before at Middle Tennessee. Troy quarterback Corey Robinson has been producing a stellar freshman season, but on Saturday in Monroe, Louisiana, Robinson played like a freshman. He completed just 16-of-38 passes and threw two interceptions as Troy managed just 285 yards of offense and failed to score a single point over the game’s final two and a half quarters. The marked inconsistency of Robinson did indeed make Troy fans recall the times when their former quarterback would drive daggers into the hearts of opponents.

Indeed, Mr. Brown a – a multi-year starter for Troy under decorated head coach Larry Blakeney – was the man who made Troy a household name in the Sun Belt Conference and one of the great small-school quarterbacks in the history of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

While many elite players have led power-conference schools to gridiron glories over the years, Troy established and maintained control of the Sun Belt thanks to Brown, a prolific quarterback who was as close to money in the bank as you’ll find in the world of college pigskin. Over two full years, Brown delivered a pair of Sun Belt championships to the Trojans, cementing his place as an elite college football leader.

So in 2007, Brown decided to transfer from Richmond to Troy, a Sun Belt power that had a highly touted freshman named Jamie Hampton coming in at th time. The two young men battled for the No. 1 role during fall camp, but Hampton prevailed on the practice field because he was on scholarship and had more years in line to be the starter. Brown floated between second and third string and started questioning whether he’d made the right decision to transfer.

On Oct. 7, 2008, Hampton went down with a season-ending knee injury, however. Brown wasn’t the first to go in, but after a weeklong QB competition, he earned the starting role and finally got the opportunity he’d been waiting for. Brown completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 2,030 yards, 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions to close the 2010 season. He was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and led the Trojans to their third consecutive Sun Belt title and first outright championship.

In 2009, Hampton decided to redshirt and allow Brown to play his senior year uncontested. Brown broke numerous Troy and Sun Belt records and became the first Sun Belt quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. He led the Trojans to their fourth consecutive title, second outright, and was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Yes, this was the man Troy could count on in road environments such as Malone Stadium, which rallied coach Todd Berry’s underdogs to a huge statement win.

Yes, this was the man Corey Robinson has not yet become for the Trojans, and that fact did catch them off guard.

Now, Troy must be vigilant; otherwise, a once-commanding Sun Belt lead can evaporate in a heartbeat.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer