Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Towson University Athletics

Scoreboard

Now Loading: Football
Ambrose post scrimmage talk

Football

Tigers Battle Pirates in 2015 Season Opener


Towson (0-0, 0-0 CAA) at East Carolina (0-0, 0-0 AAC)
Sept. 5 - 6 p.m. - ESPN3
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - Greenville, N.C.

Story Lines
Towson is opening its 47th season of college football.  The Tigers are 28-18 in season openers since their first year of football in 1969.

The Tigers are opening the season on the road against an FBS opponent for the fourth time in the seven-year tenure of head coach Rob Ambrose.

The last time Towson opened the season against a team from the American Athletic Conference was in 2013.  That season, the Tigers went on the road and defeated UConn, 33-18.  Towson would finish that season 13-3 and advance all the way to the FCS National Championship game.

The Tigers and the Pirates will be meeting on the gridiron for the first time.  Towson is 2-1 all-time against current members of the AAC.  The Tigers are 2-0 against UConn and 0-1 against AAC newcomer Navy.

The Game
Towson opens its 48th season of college football when the Tigers travel to face East Carolina Sept. 5.  Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and the game can bes seen live on ESPN3.

Saturday Weather
The gameday weather forecast is calling for temperatures in the upper 80s with minimal chance of rain.  The temps are supposed to dropped in the upper 60s later in the evening.

vs. East Carolina
The Tigers and Pirates are meeting for the first time on the gridiron.

vs. the American Athletic Conference
The game will be the fourth for the Tigers against current members of the American Athletic Conference.  Towson is 2-1 in the previous three games, with both victories coming against UConn.  The other game came against AAC newcomer Navy.

Last Time Tigers Opened Against AAC
Tiger fans will not have to look back far to find the last time Towson opened the season against a team from the AAC.  In 2013, the Tigers opened the season with a 33-18 victory over UConn on the way to a trip to the National Championship game.

Opening Against FBS Opponent
Saturday's opener marks the fifth time in the seven-year tenure of head coach Rob Ambrose that the Tigers have opened against an FBS opponent.  

vs. FBS Opponents
Towson is 1-7 all-time against FBS opponents.  The Tigers lone win came against Connecticut in 2013.
Year    Opponent    Result
Aug. 30, 1008    Navy    L, 13-41
Sept. 5, 2009    Northwestern    L, 14-47
Sept. 2, 2010    Indiana    L, 17-51
Oct. 1, 2011    Maryland    L, 3-28
Aug. 30, 2012    Kent State    L, 21-41
Sept. 29, 2012    LSU    L, 22-38
Aug. 29, 2013    Connecticut    W, 33-18
Sept. 6, 2014    West Virginia    L, 0-54

Opening Season on Sept. 5
Saturday will mark the fourth time since 1969 that the Tigers have opened the season on Sept. 5.  Towson is 1-2 in their previous openers on this date.
Year    Opponent    Result
2009    @ Northwestern    L, 14-47
2002    Morgan State    W, 49-28
1981    Morgan State    L, 13-17

Season Openers
Towson is 28-18 in season openers dating back to 1969.  The Tigers are 6-12 in road season openers over that span.

Ambrose in Season Openers
The Towson Tigers are 2-4 in season openers under head coach Rob Ambrose.

Battle For Quarterback Spot
The battle for the starting spot in the season opener will not be determined until later in the week.  Senior Connor Frazier and redshirt freshman Ellis Knudson have shared snaps all camp.

Victor Climbs Rushing Charts
Junior running back Darius Victor is climbing his way up the Towson rushing charts.  He currently ranks eighth on the all-time list with 1.934 yards.
Rushing (minimum 1,000 yards)
Player     Att.    Yards    TDs
1.  Terrance West (2011-13)     802    4,849    84
2.  Jason Corle (1996-99)    781    3,601    33
3.  Tony Vinson (1992-93)    484    3,058    29
4.  Brian McCarty (1991-94)    479    2,594    32
5.  Noah Read (1998-01)    587    2,577    21
6.  Nick Williams (2004-07)    473    1,985    13
7.  Matt Romeo (2000-03)    460    1,950    17
8.  Darius Victor (2013-)    348    1,934    19

Coker Has Strong Preseason
Senior defensive lineman Tungie Coker had one of the best preseason camps for a defensive lineman.  He is coming off a season in which he recorded 30 tackles and a sack.

Simms Returns as Top Tackler
Sophomore James Simms made an immediate impact his freshman season as he recorded a team-best 99 tackles.  With a year of experience, along with another full year in the weight room, Simms looks for another strong season from his linebacker spot.

Speed in the Secondary
The Tigers will not have the luxury of All-American Tye Smith on the outside, but they will make up for that with one of the fastest units they have put on the field in recent years.  That unit will be tested early against the spread attack of East Carolina.

Veii Looks to Make Impact
Transfer Jacquille Veii will look to make an immediate impact on the outside for the Tigers.  The Maryland transfer had 35 touches as a wide receiver or running back last season.  He found the endzone three times on those touches.

Coordinators Remain
For the third-straight season, Towson will enter the season with the same offensive and defensive coordinators.  Jared Ambrose is in his third year as the offensive coordinator, while Matt Hachman is in his seventh season as the defensive coordinator.

Victor Named to STATS Watch List
Running back Darius Victor was one of 22 players named to the STATS Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Watch List, formerly the Walter Payton Award.

The 6 Kings
Instead of naming captains, Towson has named six kings.  These players were honored for the way they conduct themselves on and off the field.  Each king has several sentinels under them.  The six kings are Bryton Barr, Jon Desir, Connor Frazier, James Handy, Emmanuel Holder and Darius Victor.

Victor and Desir Earn Preseason Honors
Senior defensive tackle Jon Desir and junior running back Darius Victor were selected to the Preseason All-CAA team.

Up Next
The Tigers play their 2015 home opener when they welcome St. Francis (PA) to Johnny Unitas Stadium on Sept. 12.  Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.  The game will be the annual Gold Rush game, as well as honor our first responders.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Tye Smith

#24 Tye Smith

CB
6' 0"
Senior
Bryton Barr

#22 Bryton Barr

OLB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Tungie Coker

#94 Tungie Coker

DT
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Jon Desir

#99 Jon Desir

DT
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Connor Frazier

#4 Connor Frazier

QB
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Emmanuel Holder

#49 Emmanuel Holder

FB
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Ellis Knudson

#8 Ellis Knudson

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
James Simms

#53 James Simms

LB
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Darius Victor

#7 Darius Victor

RB
5' 8"
Junior
Jacquille Veii

#11 Jacquille Veii

WR
5' 9"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Tye Smith

#24 Tye Smith

6' 0"
Senior
CB
Bryton Barr

#22 Bryton Barr

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
OLB
Tungie Coker

#94 Tungie Coker

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
DT
Jon Desir

#99 Jon Desir

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
DT
Connor Frazier

#4 Connor Frazier

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
QB
Emmanuel Holder

#49 Emmanuel Holder

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
FB
Ellis Knudson

#8 Ellis Knudson

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
James Simms

#53 James Simms

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
LB
Darius Victor

#7 Darius Victor

5' 8"
Junior
RB
Jacquille Veii

#11 Jacquille Veii

5' 9"
Junior
WR