Eagles run out of time; Drop opener to Troy 17-14 August 25, 2008. TROY – After a slow start, the Eagles got things going in the second half only to run out of time. The Trojan’s opened the game with a 14 play 70 yard drive that consumed 6:48 of the clock and ended on a 4 yard TD run by Tyler Wright on 4th & Goal. It didn’t take much time to get the C-J crowed back into the game. Knowing that Troy had been preparing for an aerial attack all week, Head Coach Andy Helms did just the opposite to open C-J’s first drive. Put the ball in the hands of junior running back Ahmad Mack, the Eagles quickly moved into Trojan territory as he rushed for 30 yards on his first 4 carries. The drive’s momentum staled on a questionable holding call, and the Eagles later turning the ball over on downs on the 33 yard line. It was a different story on Troy’s next possession as the Eagles forced a three and out to end the 1st quarter. After a 12 yard punt return by junior Jermar Rayford, C-J began their drive from their own 24 yard line. Sparked by a 41 yard pass from Kurt Hess to Mack, the Eagles moved the ball all the way to the Trojan’s 9 yard line before the momentum was stopped from a sack by Troy’s Andrew Robbins on a 3rd and 4. Alex Kauth pushed a 34 yard field goal wide right as the Eagles remained scoreless. With 3:54 to go in the half Matt Allen put Troy up 14-0 with the Trojan’s only offensive play of more than 15 yards on a 34 yard TD run. Sophomore Justin Vaughn gave the Eagles a spark going into halftime as he ended the Trojan’s last drive registering his first career sack. C-J’s first possession out of half time failed when Hess fumbled as he was hit while beginning to throw. The Eagle D came out of the break firing on all cylinders. Both Senior Patrick Bruggeman and Matt Miller sacked Troy’s Tyler Wright on separate plays forcing another three and out. Vaughn stepped up once again on Troy’s following possession as he striped Wright. Junior Andy Jomantas recovered the ball on the 31 yard line, putting the Eagles in position for a 6 yard touchdown pass from Hess to senior Mike Raiff. With 7:21 left in the game the Trojan’s went up 17-7 on a Ashlin Stoltz 28 yard field goal. Mack took the kickoff 37 yards back to the 50 yard line. Less than 2 minutes would run off the clock by the time Mack closed the gap to 17-14 on a 2 yard touchdown run. The Eagle D would step up once again forcing the Trojans to punt with a little over 3 minutes to go in the game, but a costly era would give the ball right back on a dropped punt. The Defense would step up and get the ball back in Hess’s hands but it would come with 38 seconds on the clock from the 4 yard line with no time outs. Three plays later time ran out. Notes: The Eagles get back go back to work this week with their focus turning to Thurgood Marshall. The work week will seem as short as the drive to Welcome Stadium as the game this week is on Thursday. A short week is just what the Eagles need as they look to get on a roll. Kickoff is at 7:00pm with the Eagles the away team at Welcome Stadium. All season you can check out all the Eagle action on 1660 am radio and www.1610.info as this year CJ begins to broadcast all football games live over the radio.