It's been fun to bask in the glow of the Towson football team's victory over the Huskies of the University of Connecticut, but for the players and coaches that game was over and done with by the time the team buses got back to Towson around 5:00 am Friday.
A trend develops
The 33-18 victory was the first for the Tigers against an FBS school in seven tries. However a trend had been developing. When the Tigers opened against Kent State last year, they lost by 20. That was their closest FBS contest until they played LSU a few weeks later. Towson lost to the number three team in the country by just 16. Obviously, last Thursday night in Storrs, the Tigers busted through that FBS door.
Standouts against UConn
For those who saw the game, one thing had to stand out. Towson dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage. Coach Ambrose and his staff knew they had a very good experienced offensive line.
Eric Pike, Randall Harris, Doug Shaw, and Anthony Davis have all been outstanding linemen for the Tigers over the last few years. The newcomer was freshman Sam Evans from Loyola Blakefield. Sam did a great job in his first game against a UConn team that was known for its defense.
Terrance West was able to rush for 156 yards, and after the game he made sure he gave kudos to the five big guys up front. Peter Athens also had plenty of time to throw the football. The senior quarterback did not get sacked once all night. Chandler Whitmer, the Huskies' quarterback, could not say the same thing.
Defensive questions answered?
The Tigers' defensive line had some question marks coming into the season. Yes, the big guy Arnold Farmer was back to clog up the middle, but who was going to play around him? We found out on Thursday night that Defensive Coordinator Matt Hachmann has plenty of options.
Coach Hachmann rotated a number of players in and out of the defensive line, and the results were great. Whitmer was sacked five times. Ryan Delaire led the way with 1.5 sacks. He got a lot of help along the front line from Jon Desir, who not only had a half sack but also had a huge interception in the first half. Drew Cheripko came up with six tackles and a sack. The defensive line did a fine job of keeping the UConn offense in check for most of the game.
Next week against Holy Cross
Now is no time for the Tigers to read their press clippings. Towson will be on the road this Saturday to take on an old Patriot League foe in Holy Cross. The Tigers have not won back-to-back road games to open the season since 2000. The Crusaders are coming off a tough loss to Bryan,t 17-16. Bryant kicked a field goal on the last play of the game to come away with the home victory. So the Crusaders will be hungry to get a win in their home opener.
For the Tigers, “leave no doubt” has to be continued. In all honesty, with the goals this Tiger team has, a loss to Holy Cross would be unacceptable. But this team is focused. Coach Ambrose and his staff will have these guys ready for another game in a hostile environment.
Coming home from Connecticut after the game last Thursday, it was fun to listen to the radio and hear national broadcasts talk about the Tigers' win over UConn. I have to say, I have never seen Director of New Media Damon Lewis as giddy as he was during that long seven-hour drive back. The best part is we get to do it again this weekend.
You can tune in to Damon, me, Hall of Famer Ron Meehan and Zack Maskavich this Saturday at noon on the Towson Sports Network. To listen, all you have to do is come here to TowsonTigers.com and hit the "listen live" button. You can also listen on your smart phone by downloading the Towson Tigers app.
Finally, I would like to send good luck wishes to Mark Burlin. Many of you don't know who Mark is, but you are very aware of his work. Mark has been the Tigers' video director. You see his work here on this website. Mark's work for Towson and especially the football team has been outstanding. He is leaving this week for a new venture, and I just want to say thanks. He has been a great co-worker and friend. We will all miss him.
