COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Here are ten things that every fan should know as they get ready to watch the Tigers' game against Maryland at Byrd Stadium.
No. 1 - First Meeting: Towson and Maryland will be playing a football game for the first time ever on Saturday afternoon. While the Tigers are playing their 43rd season of intercollegiate football, the Terrapins are in the midst of their 121st season. Maryland started its football program in 1892.
No. 2 - 2 Transfers: The Tigers have two players on their roster, wide receivers Gerrard Sheppard and Leon Kinnard, who transferred from the University of Connecticut after Randy Edsall became the new coach at Maryland. Sheppard is a Baltimore native and a McDonogh school graduate while Kinnard attended Loyola High School, located less than a mile from the Towson campus.
No. 3 - 3 Consecutive Wins: The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2006 season. En route to three straight wins, the Tigers have outscored Morgan State, Villanova and Colgate by a 115-30 margin.
No. 4 - 4th Game Against NCAA FBS Team: When the Tigers face Maryland, it will be their fourth game against an NCAA FBS team. In 2008, the Tigers opened their season at Navy and lost, 41-13. In 2009, Northwestern handed the Tigers a 47-14 defeat in the season opener. Last year, the Tigers opened the season at Indiana and dropped a 51-17 decision to the Hoosiers.
#5 - 5 Touchdowns: Freshman Terrance West has scored five touchdowns in the last two games. He leads the Tigers and ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring.
#6 - 6 Points: In their first three games of the season, the Tigers have allowed only six points in the first half. In their season-opening 42-3 win over Morgan State, the Tigers allowed a field goal by the Bears on their opening drive. Last week, Colgate also kicked a field goal off its opening drive.
#7 - 7 Nationally-Ranked Teams: The Tigers are one of seven Colonial Athletic Association teams that are ranked in the NCAA FCS Top 25. While Towson is ranked 23rd, Delaware is ranked sixth. New Hampshire is ranked seventh while No. 9 James Madison and No. 10 Richmond are also among the top ten teams. William & Mary is ranked 11th while Massachusetts is ranked 20th. There are 11 teams in the CAA.
#8 - 8 Turnovers: In their first three games of the season, the Tigers have forced eight turnovers and have a plus-five turnover ratio. The Tiger defense has forced five fumbles and intercepted three passes. Safety Jordan Dangerfield, safety Nick Oates and linebacker Alexander DiSanzo each has one interception.
#9 - 9 Receivers: In their first three games of the season, nine Tigers have caught at least three passes. Junior Tom Ryan leads the Tigers with ten catches for 116 yards while Leon Kinnard has caught eight passes for 54 yards. Sophomore tight end James Oboh has six receptions 82 yards.
#10 - 10 Points Per Game: The Tigers' defensive unit is allowing only ten points per game, a mark that leads NCAA FCS. Towson has given up 30 points in three games to lead the nation. It should be noted that the Tigers have given up 17 points in the fourth quarter when each game was out of hand.
