The Towson University football team hasn't played a game in Johnny Unitas ® Stadium since Nov. 24, 2018. But on Sept. 7, nine months and fourteen days later, the Tigers will try to get the bad taste out of their mouth from their last home game.
The Tigers lost to Duquesne in that last home game. Now, the Tigers will take on North Carolina Central on Saturday at 6 p.m. They will be coming into the game in a really good frame of mind.
Towson defeated The Citadel this past Saturday by a score of 28-21. The Tigers had to come from behind in the final three minutes and 31 seconds to grab the victory over the Bulldogs. The Tigers led from early in the first quarter until The Citadel scored a touchdown with 3:31 left in the game, taking a 21-20 lead.
Football may be the ultimate team game. As Tiger head coach
Rob Ambrose says all the time, if one guy screws up, whatever the other 10 are doing probably won't make a difference. It takes all 11 doing their job to make a play work on offense, or to stop the offense on defense.
But you also need exceptional players. The four Tigers on offense that have gotten most of the accolades in the preseason came through on Saturday. Walter Payton Award Watch List candidates
Tom Flacco and
Shane Simpson both did their part against The Citadel.
Flacco was 21-36 for 328 yards and a touchdown. He also calmly marched the Tigers down the field for the winning touchdown drive. All Simpson did was score three touchdowns. One was receiving, two were rushing, including a tremendous 45-yard run. Shane also had a great kickoff return as he racked up 151 all-purpose yards.
Shane Leatherbury, who was CAA Preseason All-Conference, led the Tigers with five receptions for 78 yards. The other CAA Preseason All-Conference pick for the Tigers,
Aidan O'Neill, made both of his field goal attempts. The offense gained 461 yards against a solid Citadel defense.
Speaking of defense, the Tigers' CAA Preseason All-Conference selection on the defensive side of the ball,
Robert Heyward, made 10 tackles on the day. That was second on the team behind defensive lineman
Bryce Carter, who had 14.
So Towson now comes home. When the Tigers face the Eagles, they will be trying to get to 2-0 for the first time since 2013. That happens to be the year the Tigers went to the FCS championship game. But, you have to win the game first.
The Eagles will come in trying to show they are better than the 41-10 loss they suffered to Austin Peay this past weekend.
One thing that will be a little easier for the Tigers, will be seeing a more standard offense then they saw last Saturday against the Citadel. The Bulldogs run the triple option. It is always hard to face a unique offense, but to go up against an offense like that in the first week is even more difficult.
The offense did its job last week. The defense did its job, and the special teams were solid. If Coach Ambrose gets that every week, they may end up having a lot more in common with the 2013 Tiger football team.
If you can't make it out to Johnny Unitas ® Stadium this Saturday, Gordy Combs and I will have the call for you on CBS SportsRadio 1300 and TowsonTigers.com starting at 5:45 p.m. with the pregame show.
Until next week, GO TIGERS!!!
