TOWSON vs. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
WHEN: Saturday, September 20, 2014 -- Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. -- Tickets
WHERE: Johnny Unitas® Stadium -- Towson, Md.
GAME NOTES: Towson | North Carolina Central
RADIO: CBS Sports Radio 1300 (Spiro Morekas, Gordy Combs) | Listen Live
FOLLOW: Live Stats | Twitter
STORYLINES
•Towson is seeking its second straight win after starting the year 0-2.
•The Tigers have won four games in a row against teams currently in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), including last week's 21-7 victory at Delaware State.
•Towson is 36-14 all-time against the MEAC. Towson's last loss to a MEAC school came on September 26, 2009 when the Tigers fell at Morgan State, 12-9.
•Towson has yet to commit a turnover this season. Through three games, the Tigers are +3 in the turnover department as they have recovered a fumble in each game.
•On just six carries, Darius Victor rushed for 53 yards and two touchdowns in Towson's 35-17 win at NC Central last year.
•Senior wide receiver and return specialist Derrick Joseph and redshirt freshman linebacker James Simms earned weekly honors from the CAA on Monday. Joseph was selected as the CAA Special teams Player of the Week, while Simms earned his first CAA Rookie of the Week honor.
The Series
•Saturday will be the second meeting between NCCU and Towson. The squads also met last September with the Tigers pulling away from the Eagles to post a 35-17 win in Durham, N.C.
Last Week
•A pair of fourth quarter special teams touchdowns propelled Towson to a 21-7 win over Delaware State at rain-soaked Alumni Field last Saturday. Trailing 7-6 in the fourth quarter, sophomore Jordan Mynatt blocked a Delaware State punt that senior Fred Overstreet recovered in the end zone to give the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish. Later in the quarter, senior Derrick Joseph returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown to seal the win.
•North Carolina Central tied a school record with 28 fourth-quarter points, but a slow start by the Eagles allowed Charlotte to escape with a 40-28 victory inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C. last Saturday. NCCU redshirt sophomore quarterback Malcolm Bell came off the bench with 11:36 left in the second quarter to throw for a career-high 337 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing.
Joseph Puts the "Special" in Special Teams
•Senior Derrick Joseph earned his fourth career CAA Special Teams Player of the Week honor on Monday.
•Joseph returned a Delaware State punt 81 yards for a touchdown that gave Towson a two-score lead during the fourth quarter of last Saturday's win. The play marked Joseph's first-career punt return for a touchdown and was the longest punt return by a CAA player thus far this season.
•Before Joseph, Dennis Cliggett was the last Tiger to return a punt for a touchdown (that wasn't blocked) in 1998 against Fordham. Josh Corle returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in 2005.
•Joseph also has four career kickoff return TD's.
Tackling Tigers
•Towson boasts two of the top tacklers in the CAA.
•Redshirt freshman James Simms leads the Tigers and ranks second in the CAA by averaging 11.0 tackles per game. Junior Donnell Lewis isn't far behind, ranking second on the team and eighth in the league by averaging 9.0 tackles per game. Lewis had a career-high 15 tackles in Towson's loss at West Virginia.
•Junior Jon Desir ranks first among CAA defensive ends and linemen in tackles with 7.3 per game.
Scouting the Opponent
•NCCU senior running back Andre Clarke averages 55.3 rushing yards per game and has four touchdowns on the year.
•Redshirt junior Adrian Wilkins caught seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown last week against Charlotte.
•The Eagles top the MEAC and ranks fifth nationally (FCS) in punt returns, averaging 24.4 yards per punt return. NCCU also leads the MEAC and ranks sixth in the nation in third down conversion defense, allowing opponents to move the chains on third down only 24.3 percent of the time.
•NCCU senior defensive end Felix Small has forced a fumble in each of the first three games, which leads the MEAC and ranks second in the nation (FCS).
FCS & CAA Rankings
•Towson leads the CAA and ranks second nationally in the FCS in punt return average (34.0 yards per return).
•The Tigers rank second in the CAA and tied for 13th nationally with a +3 turnover margin.
•Senior Derrick Joseph ranks second in the CAA by averaging 25.4 yards per kickoff return.
•Sophomore running back Darius Victor ranks fifth in the CAA by averaging 87.7 rushing yards per game. Victor and Stony Brook's Stacey Bedell are the only two players in the CAA to have a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season. Victor's career-high 131 yards against Delaware State is the third best rushing performance by a CAA player this season.
•Senior Ryan Delaire is tied for second in the CAA in sacks (3) and tied for third in the league in tackles for a loss (5).
Mistake Free Football
•Not only has Towson not committed a turnover this season, but the Tigers are also one of the least penalized teams in the country.
•Towson averages just five penalties a game, which ranks 20th in the FCS. Those five penalties are for an average of 44.7 yards per game, which ranks 27th nationally.
-TowsonTigers.com-
