The Game: #25/RV Towson (2-1, 1-0 CAA) vs. The Citadel (1-2, 1-2 SoCon)
When: Sat., Sept. 29, 4 p.m. kickoff
Where: Johnny Unitas® Stadium – Towson, Md.
Online Broadcast: CAA.tv
Radio: CBS Sports Radio 1300
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: First Meeting
 
TOWSON, Md. – The #25 Towson University football team will celebrate its 50^th season in the home opener vs. The Citadel on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
 
This fall, fans can help the Tigers celebrate their 50th season with a special $50 season ticket package to all five home games. Those that purchase season tickets have the option of an equal number of road tickets for the Delaware game (Oct. 27, 3:30 p.m.). In honor of the 50th year of football at Towson, fans can purchase season tickets for just $50. Additionally, season tickets in the Gaburick Gold Back Seats are priced at $75. 
 
Tickets are available now by calling 1-855-TU-TIGER or email 4tigertix@towson.edu.
 
The game will be broadcast online on CAA.tv and on the radio on CBS Sports 1300.  Spiro Morekas, the Voice of the Tigers, will be on the call live from Towson, joined by Gordy Combs.
 
Towson is celebrating its 50^th year of football in this contest.  Former Tigers across all decades will be returning to campus and will be honored during the game.  Towson established its first team in 1969, winning 272 games since its beginning under four total head coaches. In its history, Towson has two national runner-up finishes (1976, 2013), two CAA titles (2011, 2012) and 11 seasons, across Division III, II and I-AA (FCS), finishing in the top-26 nationally.
 
Towson earned its first victory over a top-10 opponent on Sept. 15, taking down then-#10 Villanova 45-35 in its CAA opener, coming in at 2-1 overall.  The Citadel defeated Mercer on the road 38-31 this past Saturday to come in at 1-2, with all games coming in Southern Conference play.
 
This is the first-ever meeting between Towson and The Citadel. Towson takes on a South Carolina-based team for the first time since 2010, a home game vs. Coastal Carolina, and the first contest against a Southern Conference opponent since 2006, when the Tigers played Elon.
 
Towson All-Time in Home Openers
This is Towson's 50th home opener all-time, including the 41st at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
 
All-time, Towson is 38-11 in home openers, having won its last three and 12 of its previous 13.  Under head coach Rob Ambrose, Towson is 8-1 in home openers.  Last year on Sept. 2, Towson took down Morgan State 10-0 in its home opener.
 
Sept. 29 is the latest date for a home opener in Towson football history.
 
Towson Ranked #25 in STATS FCS Poll
After its bye week, and a week following the victory over top-10 Villanova, Towson is nationally ranked in the STATS FCS Poll at #25, plus is the last team out of the FCS Coaches Poll.
 
It is the first time that Towson is nationally ranked since 2014. Towson had been ranked at some point in each season from 2011 through 2014, including as high as #2 in the 2013 season.
 
The CAA currently has seven of its 12 teams ranked, tying a league record plus is the most among all FCS conferences.  James Madison (#2 in STATS), Elon (#11), Villanova (#13), Maine (#16), Stony Brook (#18) and Rhode Island (#22) are also in the rankings.  Delaware and Richmond are each receiving votes.
 
Top Passing QB in the CAA...
Tom Flacco has already turned heads this season, standing as the #1 QB in the CAA in passing yards a game with 303.3 and total offense with 338 yards a contest.  He is currently throwing 69.0 percent in the air.
 
Flacco's 303.3 passing yards a game stands sixth in all of FCS football, while his 26.67 completions a contest is also sixth.
 
His 386 total offensive yards in the game at Villanova is currently the second-highest single game total by a CAA player this season.  In that game, he had 320 passing yards and 66 yards on the ground.
 
...and Getting His Name in Towson Records
Tom Flacco completed 35 (out of 51) passes against Wake Forest on Sept. 8, tying for seventh all-time in Towson history in a single game.
 
Flacco was the first Tiger to earn over 30 completions in a game since Sean Schaefer in 2008.
 
Streaking Shane
Shane Leatherbury stands in the top-6 in the CAA in numerous categories, including being fourth with 98 receiving yards a game, sixth with six receptions a contest and also sixth in scoring on 8.3 points per game.
 
Last Time Out (Towson 45, Villanova 35)
(9/15/18 - Villanova, Pa.)
Towson used 35 consecutive points to come back and take down #10/10 Villanova 45-35 on the road to win its Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opener.
Passing
Tom Flacco (TU): 27-37, 320 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Zach Bednarczyk (VU): 26-35, 389 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Shane Simpson (TU): 19 rush, 100 yards
Aaron Forbes (VU): 8 rush, 74 yards
Receiving
Shane Leatherbury (TU): 5 catches, 113 yards, 2 TD
Jarrett McClenton (VU): 6 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD
Defense
Keon Paye (TU): 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TFL
Bryce Carter (TU): 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 2 TFL
Christian Benford (VU): 11 tackles, 1 TFL
Jeff Steeb (VU): 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT
 
Towson Picked 10th in CAA Preseason Poll
Towson was voted 10th in the CAA preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and media relations directors.  Towson went 5-6 last season and finished tied for seventh in the CAA at 3-5.
CAA Preseason Poll (first place votes, points)
1. James Madison (21), 241
2. New Hampshire (2), 206
3. Delaware, 182
4. Stony Brook, 169
5. Elon (1), 168
6. Villanova, 164
7. Richmond, 127
8. Maine, 81
9. UAlbany, 78
10. Towson, 74
11. William & Mary, 55
12. Rhode Island, 39
 
Towson University Finishes Second in Helper Helper Community Service
As a university, Towson finished second nationally in the 2018 NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition from January to April 2018.
 
With football in the mix, Towson student-athletes participated in 44 events during the competitions, logging 6,427 hours of community service.
 
Ambrose - 4th Longest Tenured CAA Coach
Head coach Rob Ambrose is serving at the helm of Towson for his 10th season in 2018, making him the fourth-longest tenured coach in the CAA.
 
With William & Mary's Jimmye Laycock (39th season) retiring after the 2018 season, Ambrose will move up to third in tenure next year. 
 
Also ahead of Ambrose in years is New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell (20th season) and Stony Brook's Chuck Priore (13th season).
 
O'Neill Sets School Career FG Record
Junior Aidan O'Neill set a new school all-time record for career field goals made on Sept. 1.  In his career, O'Neill has connected on 36 field goals, including four on Sept. 1 at Morgan State to set the new record.
 
His surpassed the mark set by Ed Kulic (1998-2001) and Randy Bielski (1976-79) for the previous all-time record of 32.  O'Neill also holds the single-season record with 18 made field goals in 2016.
 
Wallace Approaching Towson Top-10 in Tackles
Senior Diondre Wallace has 224 career tackles, including 128 unassisted, earning at least 45 tackles each of his first three seasons.
 
394t more tackles would place Wallace in the top-10 all time in Towson history.  Randy Bielski had 263 tackles from 1976-79.
 
The all-time leader in tackles in Towson history is Jeff Boller, who had 382 from 1979-82.
 
Fenner Rising Up the INT Ranks
Including three interceptions last year, redshirt senior Monty Fenner has five picks in his collegiate career.  He is three away from tying for 10th all-time in Towson history.
 
Towson's all-time leader in interceptions is Gary Rubeling, with 25 from 1980-83.
 
Eight Graduates Suiting Up for Towson
In the true form of student-athlete, eight Towson players take the field as college graduates.  SIx of them are Towson graduates and two are graduate transfers.
 
Sam Gallahan, Joseph Green, Zain Harps Upshur, Matt Kauffman, Grant Udinski and Troy Vincent Jr. all graduated from Towson this past year and continue to play for the Tigers.
 
Ricky DeBerry earned his degree from the University of Oklahoma while Tom Flacco graduated from Rutgers University.
 
All eight players were honored, along with all other graduates continuing to play college football, in a press release by the National Football Foundation.
 
Baltimore Natives Staying Home...
Towson sports a trio of players from the city of Baltimore.
 
Out of Arundel High comes Diondre Wallace, who has over 200 tackles with Towson.  Also at linebacker is sophomore Marcel Allen from Milford Mill Academy, while tight end Myles Wright comes from St. Frances Academy.
 
...As are Marylanders...
In all, 27 Towson players on the numerical roster hail from the state of Maryland.  They come from all across the state, including as far west as Frederick, as far south as Waldorf and across the Shore from Salisbury.
 
...Plus Those Across the Sea
Two international players will assist the Tigers this season.
 
Malik Tyne will play his redshirt junior campaign after playing the last two years at linebacker.  From Belgium comes Tibo Debaillie, who played all 11 games last year on the defensive line.
 
Nice to Meet You
Towson has two games this season against opponents meeting the Tigers for the first time in program history.
 
Towson's game against an FBS opponent is against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 8th, the first game against an ACC opponent since 2011, when the Tigers played Maryland.
 
In addition, the home opener will be played against the Citadel, a school in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
Scouting The Citadel
The Citadel was predicted to finish seventh in the Southern Conference preseason poll after tying for sixth in the league last year.  The Bulldogs, playing their first non-conference game of the year, run the triple option offense.
 
Brent Thompson is in his third season as head coach of the Bulldogs and fifth season overall with the program.  He worked for two years under Mike Houston, who is now the head coach at James Madison.  Thompson led the team to 15 wins in his first two years, which is the top such mark in program.
 
At quarterback is junior Jordan Black.  On passes, he is 38.7% from the air with 280 yards and two touchdowns, averaging four completions a game.  He top target on passing is running back Grant Drakeford, a senior with five catches for 127 yards and a touchdown.
 
For the triple option, five Bulldogs have at least 19 carries.  Drakeford has the most success with 220 yards on 24 carries and a score.  Junior Lorenzo Ward has taken the ball 57 times for 219 yards and two touchdowns, while Black from QB has 148 yards on 46 carries, scoring three times.  The Citadel has two preseason all-conference players on the offensive line: senior right guard Tyler Davis and junior right tackle Drew McEntyre.
 
On defense, The Citadel is fourth in the SoCon in yards allowed a game at 399.  The team's two leaders in tackles each play linebacker: sophomore Willie Eubanks III has a team-high 17 tackles with a sack while senior Noah Dawkins has tallied 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and 3.5 tackles for loss.  On the defensive line: senior Joseph Randolph III has 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.