TOWSON, Md. – The No. 23/24 Towson University football team (4-1, 2-0 CAA) earned a statement 52-28 victory over No. 13/13 Stony Brook (4-2, 2-1 CAA) on Saturday night for its second win over a top-15 opponent in its last three games.
 
Key Game Stats:

• Towson got started with three touchdowns in as many drives for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.  After SBU scored two touchdowns quickly in the second, Towson responded with 24 consecutive points to effectively seal the game.
• The Tigers notched 439 total yards of offense, compared to SBU's 343.
• Towson held the CAA's top rushing team in Stony Brook, averaging 222 yards a game on the ground, to 104 rushing yards.
• Five different Tigers scored a total of seven touchdowns, with Shane Simpson and Chris Clark having two each.
• Tom Flacco went 23-for-33 from the air with four touchdowns and an interception.  He had completions to eight different receivers.
• Simpson had 204 all-purpose yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the game.  He added a running touchdown, also in the first quarter.
• Shane Leatherbury made nine catches for 129 yards, while Chris Clark made two catches, each for touchdowns, for 36 yards.
• On defense, the Tigers forced eight three-and-out drives vs. Stony Brook, holding the Seawolves to 14 first downs.  Robert Heyward led Towson with 10 total tackles.  Mantriel Reaves had seven tackles and a fumble recovery.  Diondre Wallace and Malik Tyne each forced fumbles.
• For Stony Brook, Joe Carbone went 15-for-24 for two touchdowns, with Marshall Ellick having 77 yards on catches with two scores.  Casey Williams and Shayne Lawless each had nine tackles, including one for loss.

Postgame Quotes:
Towson head coach Rob Ambrose: "I'm very proud of our players coming off a physical game last week.  Stony Brook is a great football team, there is a reason they are ranked as high as they are.  I'm very proud of our guys, coaches, support staff, this is bigger than just the guys in the locker room.  This is everybody.  This is a big win.
 
How it Happened:

• Towson got started with a bang as Shane Simpson returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead off the bat.  The Towson defense responded the other way by forcing a three-and-out to get back the ball.
• On offense for the first time, Tom Flacco completed three passes of over 11 yards as Towson drove into the red zone.  On the eight, Towson's fooled the defense as Simpson ran up the gut free of potential tacklers for a touchdown, making it 14-0 Tigers.
• Again, the defense held Stony Brook to a three-and-out as Towson started on its own 44 on the next drive.  Started by 11 yard completions to Shane Leatherbury and Zach Heron, Towson again moved down the field, completing the drive on a Flacco pass to Chris Clark in the end zone.  Towson led 21-0 with just under 10 minutes elapsed.
• Stony Brook earned its first first down on the next drive, then later on a 3^rd and 1, Keon Paye and Diondre Wallace stopped Jordan Gowins on the line of scrimmage to end the Seawolf drive.
• Two big plays, a Leatherbury catch for 24 yards and a Flacco breakout run for 28, put Towson back in the SBU red zone.  Towson ended the 1^st quarter up 21-0, with the next play, a field goal attempt missing right.
• The defense forced another three and out, but on the offensive end, Towson threw an interception, putting Stony Brook up just behind midfield.  Joe Carbone found Marshall Elick deep for 53 yards and a touchdown, making it 21-7 Towson with 11:35 left in the 2^nd.
• Stony Brook took advantage of another turnover as Towson lost a fumble on the next drive on its own 25.  Carbone passed to an open Donald Liotine for 25 yards and a touchdown, pulling the Seawolves within seven at 21-14 Towson.
• Towson got back into SBU territory with a couple of third down conversions, including a pass to Sam Gallahan for 18 yards.  Towson was halted on a 3^rd and six as Pat Toomey placed a punt to the two-yard line, pinning down the Seawolves on the next drive, forcing a three-and-out.
• Starting the next drive on the SBU27, Towson earned a trip to the end zone on two passes, completing the drive on a 24-yard catch by Clark down the sideline.  Towson led 28-14 with 6:12 remaining in the 2^nd.
• Despite a nine-yard gain on first down by Stony Brook, Towson held for a 3-and-out.  Flacco showed great movement in the pocket and completed four consecutive passes, including two to Leatherbury for 16+ yards.  On 3^rd and 11 from the SBU 30, Flacco dropped a high arc pass to an open Brent Richardson, who plowed into the end zone for the touchdown.  Tigers led 35-14 with 1:05 remaining in the half, the eventual halftime score.
• On the second half kickoff, Malik Tyne stripped the ball from the returner as Terrill Gillette recovered on the SBU 29.  Simpson rushed 16 yards on the first play of the drive, leading to a 31-yard field goal by Aiden O'Neill to make it 38-14 Towson minutes into the second half.
• After each side did not make a first down, Diondre Wallace forced a fumble around midfield on an SBU completed pass, when Mantriel Reaves recovered.  Two plays later, Towson returned to the end zone on a 10-yard run by Yeedee Thaenrat to put the score at 45-14 Tigers with 8:38 remaining in the second half.
• SBU came back with a drive that lasted nearly five minutes, scoring a touchdown on a Gowins goal line rush to put the score at 45-21 Towson with 3:41 left in the 3^rd.
• Towson again responded with a touchdown drive, using a number of Flacco completions to go down the field, including a 19-yard completion to Gallahan.  Jabari Allen leaped high in the corner to grab the ball in the end zone just into the fourth quarter start as Towson led 52-21.
• Towson's lead proved plenty to finish the game.  SBU picked up a touchdown with 8:01 left as Towson took the victory 52-28.

Inside the Numbers:

• Towson earns its second victory over a top-13 opponent this season.  The Tigers took down then-#10 Villanova 45-35 on Sept. 15.
• Towson has scored at least 44 points in three consecutive games, the first such three-game span in program history.
• Towson scored at least 50 points for the first time since Nov. 17, 2012, a 64-35 victory at New Hampshire.
• Simpson's kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the game was the first for Towson since Keon Paye did vs. William & Mary on Nov. 12, 2016.
• Towson's 21-point first quarter matches the season-high for points in a quarter, with the Tigers having 21 points in the first period vs. Villanova.  21 points is the biggest lead after the first quarter for Towson in any game this season.
• This was the first matchup of two ranked opponents at Unitas Stadium since 2013, when then #4 Towson defeated #10 Fordham in the FCS Playoffs.

Up Next:
Towson will host William & Mary on Family Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. at Johnny Unitas® Stadium to wrap up the three-game homestand. 
 
Purchase Single Game Tickets 
Tickets are available now by calling 1-855-TU-TIGER or email 4tigertix@towson.edu.
 
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