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2004 Trojan Football RecapIt all started way back when in early August 2004, when the Trojans of Virginia State University began their preparation for the 2004 Football Season. Coach Faison and his staff invited over 110 student-athletes to give their best for the Orange and Blue of VSU. In game one the Trojans faced for the first time the Rams of Shepherd College from Shepherdstown, WVA. The Trojans drew first blood on a 21-yard TD strike from freshman Lamar Blizzard to Mr. Excitement, PJ Berry with 1:55 left in the first quarter. By the end of the first half the Trojans had a 7-0 advantage. Midway through the third quarter Jerome Jeter made an over the shoulder catch on the near sideline and scooted 83-yards to pay dirt, giving VSU a 13-0 lead. Then with 4:03 left in the third quarter, the Rams came back with a two consecutive field goals by Ricky Schmitt to pull the Shepherd College closer 13-6. Now that the Rams offense had generated some points, their defense decided to put some points on the board as well when they sacked VSU’s Lamar Blizzard for a safety with 7:51 left in the game. Fortunately, the Trojans held off the Rams to record their first victory on the 2004 season, 13-8. Game two marked the 42nd meeting between the Spartans of Norfolk State University and the Trojans of VSU. NSU’s student body of defense was massively manhandled by the Mighty Trojan’s offensive-line. VSU had three different rushers to sprint and juke for impressive yardage. Newcomer Curtis Johnson had two carries for 34 yards and a touchdown while fullback George Boykins dismantled defenders with his wall-destructing strength for 49 yards on 4 touches. The 2004 Labor Day Classic MVP recipient Dennis Jones spun and stiff-armed tacklers for 95 yards on 24 handoffs and a touchdown. After Spartan McKinney’s 13:44 first quarter streak into the end zone for six points and Gomez’s successful attempt for the PAT, VSU’s Department of Defense seemed to be a haunting headache for the NSU offense. If Trojan defenders were not sacking the quarterback, they were speeding in his direction and putting hands in his face to hurry the pass. If Trojan defenders were not breaking up passes, they were knocking the wind out of receivers. The VSU defense only allowed the Spartans to produce 218 yards of total offense. The “Trojan LB Brothers” Dewayne Taylor and Yuri Norrell were determinedly dominant as they combined for a total of 18 tackles. The Trojans were victorious in securing their second consecutive Labor Day Classic. In game three VSU boarded the bus to Bowie, Maryland to battle the Bulldogs of Bowie State University. The Trojans hoped to return back to the Land of Troy on Trojan Transportation with an undefeated 3 – 0 record, but the Bulldogs handed the Trojans their first 2004 season loss in a 26 – 23 defeat. If the defense of Bowie State was sleep, they were surely awakened by the smoke from the jets of none other than Mr. Excitement himself, P. J. Berry. At 15:00 minutes, Bulldog kicker Ronald Walls booted the football to the Virginia State 11 yard line. However at 14:48, VSU’s Hopewell Hero was handing that same football to the nearby official after running an Olympic 89 yard sprint to the Bulldog end zone. BSU would retaliate on a 1 yard run by Isaac Redman, but VSU’s Air Attack Force would strike back as QB Lamar Blizzard connected with PJ Berry on a 45-yard TD reception. VSU hustled into halftime with a 17 – 6 lead. Whether it was a motivational speech by the coaching staff or player or just the score itself? The Bulldogs busted out of their locker-room ready to trample the Trojans. The competitions first three second half scores were submitted by the Bulldogs. BSU QB Glenn Thomas hit WR Lamar Manigo for two touchdowns and Isaac Redman rushed for his second TD. VSU’s P.J. Berry would tally another TD as he would receive a lateral pass from Freshman QB Michael Terry. Game four was the chance for the Trojans to bounce back against the 2003 CIAA Champions, Fayetteville State University. With defensive stops and take-a-ways the Trojans defeated FSU 19-3 to get their confidence back on track. With less than a minute left in the first quarter the Trojans defense kept the Broncos out of the pay dirt. Broncos PK Ross Mckernan, kicked a field goal from 22 yards that split the uprights. That field goal would be the Broncos only score of the game. VSU’s Nick Fleming scored on a 6-yard scamper to the Trojans a 6-3 lead going into the halftime. The second half produced four interceptions and 1 fumble recovery for the Trojans who just clamped down defensively on the Broncos. Keith Johnson collected two interceptions, Sean Wade had one and Pierre Lee stole a Bronco pass as well. Midway through the fourth quarter FB Curtis Johnson, received a Michael Terry pass that increased the Trojan’s lead 12-3. Then with 3:09 left in the game, Nick Fleming sealed the game for VSU with a 4-yard burst up the middle. Game five produced another victory for the Trojans under the lights in Rogers Stadium in 80-degree weather, 19-13. VSU came out the gates first, recovering a Blue Bears’ fumble in which the Trojans turned that fumble into a scoring opportunity. Nick Fleming darted across the goal-line from 3-yards out. In the second quarter it more VSU and more VSU, when Musa Conteh connected on 27-yard field goal to increase the Trojans advantage10-0. Still in the second quarter P.J. Berry decided to pump the volume with 39-yard TD reception from Michael Terry with 9:07 on the clock. The Blue Bears struck back with a 25-yard TD strike David Melton hit Chris Jeter with 4:44 before the end of the first half. The Trojans went into halftime with a 17-7 lead. Ball control was the Blue Bears sole purpose in the second half as they move the ball the length of the field and eventually scoring off a David Melton to Chris Jeter 25-yard TD pass. On the PAT attempt VSU’s Keith Johnson intercepted a two-point conversion try and returned it for a safety, giving VSU a 19-13 lead that wouldn’t change. The let down in game six was a hurting experience for the Trojans as they defeated by the Vikings of Elizabeth City State University, 15-14. The Trojans were looking to increase their win streak and their hold on the CIAA Eastern Division, but Vikings proved to be a very worthy opponent. Both teams had little to no offensive production in the first half until P.J. Berry scored on 71-yard TD reception from Michael Terry with 7:01 left in the second quarter. Berry’s TD along with Nick Fleming’s first quarter ending TD were the only points that the Trojans were able to produce. At the halfway point of the third quarter, ECSU scored off a Victor Branch 2-yard power run and a team safety against the Trojans, making the score 14-9 VSU. Towards the end the fourth quarter the Vikings began to move the football with ease as the Trojans’ defense began to wear down. ECSU’s Donald Norman connected with Marvin Jackson on a 35-yard completion that doomed the Trojans’ chances on extending their win streak. A chance to rebound in game seven was a must the Trojans as they played host to Rowan University for VSU’s 2004 Homecoming. Rebound is exactly what the Trojans did by crushing Rowan, 27-7. The Trojans’ defense produced a first quarter turnover by Rowan University’s Pat Thompson at the VSU 1-yard line. Quincy Byas recovered the ball to give the Trojans’ offense a chance to put some points on the board. In a very unorganized first quarter the Trojans were unable to take advantage to two Rowan University fumbles. However with 13:30 left in the second quarter the Trojans finally made the crowd roar when Jerome Jeter ran crossing pattern and Michael Terry put ball in his hands to give VSU a 7-0 lead. Then the Trojans defense made Rowan cough up the ball again in good field position. Dennis Jones scooted across the goal-line for the Trojans second score of the second quarter to VSU a 14-0 advantage. In the second half the Trojans continued to play like warriors, when David Rogers was the receiving end of 52-yard bomb from Michael Terry to open up the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Rowan finally put up some numbers when Ed Rankin hit Brad Stys on 9-yard pass play for Rowan’s only points of the day. Late in the fourth quarter VSU was not finished until Nick Fleming ran 13-yards for a TD to draw down the curtain on Rowan University. Gold Bowl was golden in game eight for the Trojans and Michael Terry the games MVP for the 27th Annual Gold Bowl. The Trojans handled the Panthers’ claws 24-7. In the first quarter the Trojans move the ball down the field in 10 plays for 44 yards that produced a 37-yard field goal by Musa Conteh to make the score 3-0. The Trojans #1 defense was working on all cylinders against the Panthers, who only generated 198 yards of total offense on the day. Keith Johnson gave the Trojans their first TD of the day when returned an interception 46 yards to give VSU a 10-0 lead with time running out in the first quarter. The second half was controlled by the Trojans’ #1 defense that never allowed the Panthers of Virginia Union University to gain any confidence. With only a couple of minutes left in regulation, VSU’s Dennis Jones dashed around the far side into pay dirt for a 36-yard TD run to dim the Panthers’ hopes. In an up and down season, game nine would leave VSU behind in the quest for the CIAA Eastern Division Title as the Bears of Shaw University defeated the Trojans 14-7. The first half proved to be the battle of the both team’s defenses with neither defense yielding any high moments or any spectacular plays from either of the offenses. Shaw’s Dion McIver scored on a 3-yard run late in the first quarter to give Shaw University a 7-0 lead. Neither team had any offensive production in the second quarter. In the second, VSU tried to step up their play, but Shaw University’s defense was still on the prowl. Jermonty Kimbrough hit Marquis Rutherford for a 26-yard TD to the Bears a 14-0 advantage going into the fourth quarter. The Trojans only score came with 3:42 left on the clock when Michael Terry found Jerome Jeter for a 20-yard TD strike. It was too little too late for VSU. Game ten had the Trojans’ hopes still alive, but Eagles of N.C. Central University had other plans as they defeated VSU 42-33.
N.C. Central University jumped out the box quick with a 14-0 lead on 6-yard carry by Adrian Warren and 13-yd TD pass from Warren to Torey Ross. The Trojans defense who have been the kings of the take-a-ways all season, were able get an interception by Theo Plummer who ran it in for a TD. With the score 14-7 in favor the Eagles, Jonathan Sherrill intercepted a Michael Terry Pass and returned for a Eagle touchdown giving NCCU a 21-7 advantage. Down by 14, but not yet out the Trojans struck back when Michael Terry ran a QB draw 47 yards to end the first half. Turnovers titled the second half of play for the Trojans that left them in hole so deep you couldn’t see any light at the end. Adrian Warren found Torey Ross for scoring stikes of 15 and 18 yards to give the Eagles a 35-14 lead. Then P.J. Berry hooked up with Michael Terry for 69-yard catch and run to close the Eagles’ gap 35-21. A few plays later Michael Terry found P.J. Berry once again for 23-yard TD strike with 6:06 left in regulation. Berry finished with10 catches for 195 yards and 2 TD’s, but his heroics were not enough as the Eagles two more times to keep VSU out of reach.
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