TROY, Ala. – The Savannah State Tigers tasted a different flavor of poison on Saturday. They didn’t see the triple option, but that doesn’t mean Troy didn’t provide multiple problems.
Time after time, the Tigers couldn’t defend the Trojans’ spread offense.
Corey Robinson, one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football, dissected SSU secondary while completing 17 of 19 passes for 180 yards and a career-tying four touchdowns as Troy breezed past the Tigers 66-3 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Trojans, who took a knee three times inside the SSU 15 on their final possession, scored their most points since posting 66 against Charleston Southern on Oct. 14, 1995.
Troy raised its record to 2-0.
SSU (0-2) lost for the third time against Football Bowl Subdivision competition in the last two years. It has been outscored 205-3 in those three games.
The future is a little scary too. The Tigers must play the Miami Hurricanes in two weeks.
SSU pocketed $175,000 to play against the 85-scholarship Troy of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Tigers plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, where teams are allowed a maximum of 63 scholarships.
Robinson, who set an FBS percentage record by completing 30-of-32 passes (minimum of 30 throws) against Alabama-Birmingham in the season-opener, was sympathetic. He gave the Tigers a glimpse of the synchronized passing game on the first possession, completing passes of 3, 9, 28, 9, and 8 on his first five plays to move Troy 57 yards for a touchdown in just one minute and 44 seconds.
Robinson, who set a national record by throwing for 91 touchdowns and 5,872 yards as a high school senior, finished the first drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eric Thomas.
The Robinson to Thomas duo connected three times for scores – another 8-yarder in the first quarter and a 50-yarder in the third quarter.
Robinson also had a 39-yard scoring toss to Bryan Holmes later in the third quarter.
Troy’s third-string quarterback Dallas Tidwell threw two touchdown passes.
The team’s six touchdown passes tied the school record set in 1967 against Louisiana College and again in 1968 against Concordia.
In the fourth quarter, Eli Canton returned an interception 78 yards for a score. It was the Trojans’ longest interception return since Eric Sloan had an 82-yarder at Chattanooga in 1998.
SSU’s lone score came on a 40-yard field goal by freshman John Barron.
It was a rough showing for the Tigers, who were overwhelmed by Georgia Southern 77-9 in the season-opener.
Leon Prunty started at quarterback for the Tigers and had some good moments, particularly in the second quarter when the visitors put together three first downs and positioned itself for Barron’s field goal.