Troy officials issue “call to arms”

By Drew Champlin

Published: November 18, 2008

TROY — Note to Troy students: the same players that saw you packed out in the first half of the 17-7 homecoming win over Western Kentucky Nov. 8 were wondering where you were in the second half.

After the homecoming king and queen results were announced, about two-thirds of the student section emptied out. The halftime score was 14-0 and WKU scored on its first possession of the second half.

It left Troy players perplexed and even angered.

“We’re focusing on the game, but after the game we realize that all the people have gone,” left tackle Chris Jamison said. “It’s not good. If you’re a student at Troy, you should be a Troy fan. That’s how I feel.”

Last year, just 17,893 fans — barely half of capacity — came to the Dec. 1 showdown with Florida Atlantic for the Sun Belt title. Saturday’s 6 p.m. game with UL-Lafayette has the same kind of implications. Troy controls its own destiny, and winning the final games against ULL and on Dec. 6 against Arkansas State would make the Trojans outright champions.

Even if Florida Atlantic beats Arkansas State on Saturday, the Trojans can wrap up the title thanks to tiebreakers, but winning out makes sure Troy is the champion.

Athletics director Steve Dennis is calling for a crowd bigger than Troy’s 30,000-seat capacity at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium and wants all fans to wear cardinal.

“I don’t want it to go unnoticed that this week is like a state championship football game,” Dennis said. “It’s at another level. Everybody needs to be up here, and they ought to not be able to get a ticket to get in. It ought to be full.

“Wear cardinal, show your pride, come to the game early and stay late.”

Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins sent out a mass e-mail to everyone with a troy.edu e-mail address and everyone subscribed to Troy e-mail newsletters. The “call to arms” was the first he’d sent out in 20 football seasons at Troy, his e-mail said.

“We need to support our Trojans by wearing CARDINAL colors and by remaining at the game for 4 QUARTERS! Too often our students and fans depart before the end of the game but OUR TEAM NEEDS US FOR THE ENTIRE GAME,” Hawkins’ email said, capital letters included.

Dennis knows a good crowd will entice bowl representatives. Monday he said representatives from the New Orleans Bowl, where the Sun Belt is contractually obligated to send a team, and the St. Petersburg Bowl, where the conference has a secondary tie-in, would be there. It’s possible that a rep from the Papajohns.com Bowl would be there as well.

Jamison said he wants the true fans to keep coming.

“I love our fans, our true fans that we have,” the senior said. “I feel that if you’re not a true fan, then just don’t even come. I’d rather celebrate a victory or suffer a loss with people that I know are always going to be here. I don’t want to be with people that are leaving at halftime when we’ve got a great team right here in Troy.”

The Trojans filled their half of the bowl-shaped section in the Superdome at the 2006 New Orleans Bowl. This year’s game is Dec. 21, a Sunday.

“We’ll still be good with or without the fans,” Jamison said. “When I say that, I mean the true fans, the loyal fans. That’s why we want to get back to New Orleans, for them.”

But having a full house would definitely inspire the troops, linebacker Boris Lee said. The place was nearly sold out last year when Oklahoma State came to down. Troy forced a fumble on OSU’s first play and scored not long after that.

“Sometimes for a player to be on the field and look up at the stands and see empty spots, it does have an effect on us but we have to play through it,” Lee said. “If we come out of the helmet and see a packed stadium, I get the feeling we can go out and perform at our highest level.”