Despite playing two outstanding FBS defenses in LSU and Kent State last season, the Towson offense managed to average 31.9 points per game and 441 yards per game total (both third in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)).
Towson's New Offensive Coordinator
One of the architects of the offense was quarterbacks coach Jared Ambrose, who was promoted in the offseason to offensive coordinator.
The younger brother of Head Coach Rob Ambrose, Jared wasn't given the job on a silver platter. He had to work his way up from tight ends coach (2009-10) to quarterbacks coach (2011) to this present promotion.
"It's more of an administrative thing than it is a duty change," said Jared Ambrose. "As a quarterbacks coach, I had to make sure the quarterbacks knew how to administer the offense. Now I have to make sure that I have to administer the coaches."
Replacing Enders
The biggest challenge for Ambrose this spring is to find a quarterback to replace Grant Enders, who threw for over 4,400 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions in two seasons. He also rushed for 1,002 yards and 11 touchdowns. Enders won guided the team to two CAA Championships and was arguably the greatest dual-threat quarterback in the history of Towson football.
Finding his replacement is no easy chore but Towson's starting quarterback will play behind an offensive that line that will likely start four seniors and a sophomore. That quarterback will be handing the ball off to junior All-American Terrance West. He'll be throwing to another senior in tight end James Oboh, who could be the best at his position in the CAA this year.
The QB Competition
Junior Joe Brennan (6-3, 208), senior Peter Athens (6-1, 209) and sophomore Connor Frazier (6-0, 200) are fighting it out to be Enders' replacement.
"Every quarterback is different," said Ambrose. "Connor is the best runner, Peter is the best passer and Joe can do both. He's the best overall physically. I want them to take care of the football first and foremost. If we don't have it in our hands, we're probably not winning the ballgame."
Joe Brennan
Brennan started his career at Wisconsin and transferred to Towson last year but never took a snap. He appeared in six game with the Badgers and threw for 48 yards, completing 6-of-15 passes.
"[Joe] needs to be able to run our offense," said Ambrose. "The catch-22 with transfers [not necessarily Brennan] is that they come in and think they are better than the place they're going or they have preconceived notions about how they want to run things. Rob and I are very specific about what we want done with our players. Joe needs to do things the Towson way. He's buying in. He just needs to keep growing."
Peter Athens
Last year at this time, Athens was playing for Shawn Nadelen on the lacrosse team, but he has the most experience by far of the three quarterbacks. He started six games as a freshman in 2009 before injuring his knee and started against Maryland in 2011.
"I've never encountered a kid who has the same type of hurdles throughout the career that Peter has had," said Ambrose.
"He's grown so much from the guy that started six games as a freshman to the guy going into his fifth year. It's reallyrewarding for me to see him turn into the man I always wanted him to be."
Connor Frazier
Frazier is a scrappy and athletic quarterback who played well in the Tiger Bowl last year, completing 14-of-25 passes of 167 yards. He's also a winner who led Damascus H.S. to a 12-1 record and a berth in the 2010 Maryland Class 3A state semifinals.
"He has to win our guys' hearts," said Ambrose. "You look at Connor, and you think he's not tall, not exceptionally fast, not a great arm. He just needs to be better. He needs to get stronger, command the offense."
