The Game: Towson (4-6, 3-4 CAA) at #2 James Madison (9-1, 6-1 CAA)
When: Sat., Nov. 20 – 2 p.m.
Where: Bridgeforth Stadium – Harrisonburg, Va.
Online Broadcast: NBC Sports Washington/FloSports ($)
----Broadcasters: Curt Dudley, Steve Buckhantz, Corey Proctor
Radio/Online Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: JMU leads 22-6-1
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Towson University football team hits the road for its final regular season game of 2021, taking on James Madison on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The game will be broadcast locally on NBC Sports Washington and online via FloSports, available via subscription, with Curt Dudley, Steve Buckhantz and Corey Spector on the call from Bridgeforth Stadium. Visit FloSports.tv/CAA to view the full Colonial Athletic Association schedule and sign up today. Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs will also have the audio call on towsontigers.com.
This is Towson's third trip to the state of Virginia in the last five weeks, including previous trips to Williamsburg and Richmond for other CAA games.
Towson fell on Senior Day at home to Elon 37-14 last Saturday to enter this game at 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the CAA. James Madison has won its past five games, the last a 32-22 road victory at William & Mary on Saturday, to stand at 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the league. JMU is nationally ranked #2 in each the STATS FCS Top-25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll.
This will be the 30th all-time meeting between Towson and James Madison. JMU has won the last four meetings, including a 27-10 victory on Oct. 26, 2019 in Harrisonburg, and a 22-6-1 all-time lead in the series. Towson's last win in the series came on Nov. 23, 2013, a 28-17 victory at home.
TOWSON RETURNS TO THE FIELD
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Towson did not play football during the 2020-21 academic year. The CAA suspended the fall season, then Towson opted out of the spring season.
When Towson took the field on Sept. 4, 2021 against Morgan State, it was 651 days (93 weeks) since its previous game vs. Elon on Nov. 23, 2019.
Towson was one of 35 FCS teams across the country that opted out of the 2021 spring season. Eight more FCS programs would opt out of the spring by season's end. All players retained their year of eligibility with the NCAA.
When Towson announced its opt out from the spring on Oct. 19, 2020, head coach
Rob Ambrose said the following: "In today's world, there are no easy decisions anymore, everything is a long, planned out decision. The first thing we did is we took a step back once we knew there was going to be a plan for this, and we asked the players, and we listened. It is amazing how aware, broad-minded, forward-thinking and how intelligent our student-athletes really are. We surveyed the guys, more than 75% of the team did not want to trade a full season next year for a six-game season this spring. After listening to the players, I could not come up with a good reason on why we should do this."
Towson Director of Athletics
Tim Leonard added: "With football being a high-contact sport, the student-athletes and coaches agree that potentially sacrificing a normal fall season for a shortened spring year is not the safest course of action. We support our student-athletes and coaches in this decision, and we look forward to a return to the field for the 2021 season."
DIXON SELECTED AS CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Leading the defense in the victory over #12/14 Rhode Island,
Christian Dixon was selected as the CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 18. The redshirt senior linebacker tallied up 11 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in the game. His forced fumble in the first quarter led to Towson's second touchdown drive.
THREE TIGERS RECOGNIZED IN 2021 CAA PRESEASON AWARDS
Three Tigers were recognized with preseason honors from the CAA:
D'Ago Hunter is the 2021 CAA Preseason All-Conference Team kick returner while linebacker
Christian Dixon and punter
Shane McDonough were each honorable mention.
Hunter became Towson's primary special teams returner in 2019, earning 26.7 yards a kick return on average, just under two yards behind the CAA leader in that category that season.
In his first year as Towson's punter in 2019, McDonough finished second in the CAA in punt average with 43.6 yards per punt, having nine punts of over 50 yards and 14 punts placed inside the 20.
Dixon moved into a starting role at linebacker in 2019, finishing in the top-25 in tackles in the league. He tallied up 77 tackles, two forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss on the year plus tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks.
GRZYMKOWSKI NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY®
Aaron Grzymkowski was honored as a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, one of the most prestigious awards in college football.
The Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the best football scholar-athlete for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. 176 players across all divisions, including 36 FCS players, were named semifinalists.
Grzymkowski, a team captain and two-time All-CAA guard, earned his undergraduate degree with a 3.67 GPA and has a 4.0 GPA currently, working on a Master's Degree in applied information technology.
BATTLE FOR GREATER BALTIMORE SERIES EXTENDED THROUGH 2027
In July, Towson and Morgan State announced an extension of the Battle for Greater Baltimore series through the 2027 season. With Morgan State being the home team in 2021, the two teams will alternate hosting rights each year.
The teams are separated by five miles, the closest pair of teams in all of FCS play. 2021 will be the 26th meeting between Towson and Morgan State.
TOWSON PICKED SEVENTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
Towson was predicted to finish seventh in the CAA preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and media relations directors.
Before sitting out the 2020-21 academic year, Towson had its second straight winning season in 2019, going 7-5. Wins included four victories against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the polls at the time of the game.
2021 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish (1st-place votes, points)
1. James Madison (15), 231
2. Delaware (7), 222
3. Villanova, 194
4. Richmond (2), 169
5. New Hampshire, 135
6. Rhode Island, 121
7. Towson, 115
8. UAlbany, 114
9. Maine, 99
10. Stony Brook, 73
11. William & Mary, 61
12. Elon, 50
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Former Towson players are making their mark in the professional ranks, including Tye Smith playing in the National Football League. After playing three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Smith signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason and was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for games on Oct. 9 and Nov. 14.
The 2020 NFL season saw two Tigers in the NFL postseason: Smith and Jordan Dangerfield. Dangerfield served as the special teams captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers in his fourth year with the team.
Several Tigers looked to make their debut in the Canadian Football League this year, with a pair earning spots on the Edmonton Elks. In April 2020, Malik Tyne was the first-ever draft pick from Towson into the Canadian Football League, taken 24th overall by Edmonton.
Tigers in the Pros - 2021
--Tye Smith (CB): Minnesota Vikings (practice squad), NFL
--Frank Beltre (DL): Ottawa Redblacks, CFL
--Tom Flacco, Ottawa Redblacks (CFL)
--
Tibo Debaillie (DL): Edmonton Elks, CFL
--Malik Tyne (LB): Edmonton Elks, CFL
--Robert Heyward (LB): Marburg Mercenaries, German Football League
-----------
--Shane Leatherbury, BC Lions preseason camp (CFL)
BRINGING BACK TWO 2019 ALL-CAA PLAYERS
Despite the nearly two years between playing a football season, two all-CAA players for Towson return for 2021.
Aaron Grzymkowski is a two-time All-CAA guard, including Second Team in 2019, while punter
Shane McDonough earned All-CAA Third Team in his first year with the team in 2019.
ALLEN APPROACHING RECORDS
Jabari Allen is approaching the top-10 of several receiving records for the program.
Jabari Allen (R-Sr. WR)
Receiving Yards: 1,255
--10th: Shane Leatherbury, 1,848 (2017-19)
Receiving Touchdowns: 13
--9th: Many players, 14
Receptions: 105
--10th: Mike Deal, 138 (1996-99)
QUARTERBACK COMPETITION.....
Needing a new QB this season, three players were in the mix during camp for the starting role (in order of last name):
Vincent Amendola (6-3, 215 R-So.)
--Backup QB for North Carolina in 2019
Chris Ferguson (6-3, 230 Grad.)
--Three-year starter at Maine, spent 2020 at Liberty
Jeff Miller (6-6, 235 R-Jr.)
--Reserve QB with Towson since 2018
.....WITH AN EXPERIENCED WR CORPS
Towson's QB will have plenty of potential targets in the air with four players back from 2019 with at least 200 receiving yards.
WR (yards) - 2019 2021 Career
A DIFFERENT LOOKING DEFENSE
Two years is changing up the Towson defense with just three 2019 starters,
S.J. Brown II (S),
Christian Dixon (LB) and
Sam Gyeni (DL) returning.
Of the 22 defensive players on the two-deep, 12 are transfers from other four-year colleges while three others are junior college transfers.
AMBROSE - 3RD LONGEST TENURED CAA COACH
Head coach
Rob Ambrose, a Towson graduate of 1993, returns at the helm of the Tigers for his 12th season in 2019 and is the third-longest tenured head coach in the CAA.
Going into its 52nd season, Towson football has had four head coaches, with three, including Ambrose, serving at the helm for at least 10 seasons. Ambrose was formerly an assistant under Gordy Combs from 1992 to 2000.
Ahead of Ambrose in years is New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell (22nd season) and Stony Brook's Chuck Priore (16th season).
NEW FACES ON THE COACHING STAFF
Several Towson assistant coaches enter their first season with the team.
--
Almondo Curry: cornerbacks
--
Drew Rodriguez: quarterbacks
--
Christian Runza: outside linebackers
--
Alex Stadler: offensive line
FOUR GRADUATES SUITING UP FOR TOWSON
Several Tigers are playing as college graduates. Towson has 23 total graduate players, one behind Northern Colorado for the most in FCS this season.
Towson graduates (11) -
Jabari Allen Aaron Grzymkowski
Marcus Bowman Ryan Rutkowski
Conrad Brake Robert Schwob
Brendan Cassels Caleb Smith
Jason Epps Darian Street
Andrew Garnett
Graduates of other schools (12) -
Keyvone Bruton (Temple)
Marcus Joyner (ODU)
Darian Bryant (Temple)
Elorm Lumor (Rutgers)
Mason Cholewa (UCF)
Tatah Njoka (Glenville St.)
Mark Collins Jr. (South Dakota)
DJ Pratt (Virginia)
Chris Ferguson (Maine)
Tramar Reece (Indiana)
Jerry Howard Jr. (Georgia Tech) Darian Reynolds (Gardner-Webb)
LAST GAME (ELON 37, TOWSON 14)
(11/13/2021, TOWSON, MD.):
Towson got another 100-yard rushing game from
Jerry Howard Jr. on Senior Day, but fell to Elon 37-14 to close out the home season.
Important Stat:
Towson - Finished with 203 rushing yards
Elon - Scored points on seven of 11 offensive drives
Top Passer:
Towson -
Vincent Amendola: 10-24, 89 yards, 1 TD
Elon - Davis Cheek: 16-27, 251 yards, 1 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson -
Jerry Howard Jr.: 17 rush, 126 yards
Elon - Jaylan Thomas: 14 rush, 58 yards, 1 TD
Top Receiver:
Towson - Ty'Shaun Granger: 3 catches, 29 yards
Elon - Kortez Weeks: 6 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson -
Darien Reynolds (LB): 6 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 QBH
Elon - Devonte Chandler (LB): 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 QBH
INTERNATIONAL TIGERS
Towson's influence is growing across the world. Two Towson offensive linemen are from Germany:
Roman Wahrheit and
Florian Staehler. Towson has other ties to Germany: Konstantinos Kosmakos is an assistant coach for the Marburg Mercenaries, which includes Towson graduate Robert Heyward at linebacker.
In Ambrose's time, Towson has had players from Belgium, Canada, Finland, Germany, and Norway.
FROM UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST...
The Towson roster nearly covers every state along the coastline from New York to Florida. 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, are represented by the Tigers. Away from the Eastern Seaboard, Towson has players from California, Illinois and Missouri.
...AND REPPING THE HOME STATE
The Towson roster represents the Old Line State well, sporting 39 players from the home state of Maryland. This includes five players from the Baltimore City/County area:
Anthony Delle Donne (Baltimore),
Chris Gross (Baltimore),
Dion Crews-Harris (Baltimore),
Vinnie Shaffer (Middle River) and
Scott Smith III (Brooklandville).
COACH PHIL ALBERT (1944-2020)
On Dec. 8, 2020, former Towson head football coach Phil Albert passed away. He was the program's second-ever head coach and served that role for 20 years from 1972-91, earning 117 victories, including a perfect 10-0 season in 1974, and coaching 28 All-Americans.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON:
James Madison has the top scoring offense in the CAA and is second in scoring defense.
Redshirt sophomore Latrele Palmer is the team's primary rusher, having 651 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At quarterback is redshirt senior Cole Johnson with 2,590, 26 touchdowns and two picks, with his top target being redshirt junior Kris Thornton with 780 receiving yards and 10 scores. On defense, redshirt junior linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey has a team-best 74 tackles, six for loss.
LAST TIME VS. JMU (#2 JMU 27, #16/17 TOWSON 10)
(10/26/19, HARRISONBURG, VA.):
#16/17 Towson had an early 10-7 lead on the second-ranked team in FCS, but the Black & Gold fell to #2 James Madison 27-10 in Harrisonburg.
Important Stat:
Towson - Flacco - Surpassed 5,000 career passing yards
JMU - Eighth straight victory
Top Passer:
Towson - Tom Flacco: 18-32, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
JMU - Ben DiNucci: 14-25, 201 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Top Rusher:
Towson - Yeedee Thaenrat: 8 rush, 65 yards
JMU - Percy Agyei-Obese: 20 rush, 111 yards, 1 TD
Top Receiver:
Towson -
Caleb Smith: 3 catches, 69 yards
JMU - Brandon Polk: 8 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Keon Paye (LB): 7 tackles, 1 sack, 2.0 TFL
JMU - John Daka (DL): 7 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 FR, 2 QBH
IMPORTANT DATES: TOWSON VS. JMU
--Nov. 19, 1983 (Harrisonburg, Va. - Towson 10-3):
Towson scored 10 points in the first half and held the lead for the rest of the game to win at JMU 10-3, finishing the regular season 10-1 and clinching a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history. The Towson defense only allowed one third down conversion in 12 attempts for JMU.
--Oct. 24, 1992 (Towson, Md. - Towson 28-21):
Tony Vinson ran for a then-Towson record 264 yards on 41 carries, averaging 6.4 yards a rush, and scored two touchdowns en route to a 28-21 Homecoming victory vs. JMU. Towson scored a touchdown in each quarter and had 490 yards of total offense, including 367 on the ground off 65 total carries.
--Nov. 23, 2013 (Towson, Md. - Towson 28-17)
Three consecutive first half touchdowns for the Tigers led Towson to a 28-17 victory, securing its 10th regular season win, its first 10-win season since 1983, and an at-large berth into the FCS playoffs. Terrance West rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns while Tye Smith had eight tackles, an interception and three pass break-ups.
BUSHROD, SCHAEFER, O'CONNELL INDUCTED INTO TOWSON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Among the inductees into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 include three members of the Towson football program: Jermon Bushrod, Sean Schaefer and Dan O'Connell.
Bushrod was a four-year starter at offensive tackle from 2003-06, going from walk-on to scholarship player and being a three-time All-Atlantic 10 honoree. His led him to be taken in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, which he would be a starter for the Super Bowl XLIV champion.
Schaefer was a four-year starting quarterback for Towson from 2005-08, finishing his career as the program's all-time passing leader with 11,644 yards. The 2008 All-CAA selection also holds program records in total offense, passing attempts, passing completions and completion percentage.
O'Connell served in the Towson media relations office for 35 years from 1979-2014 and was the football SID and scorekeeper. He served on the CoSIDA Academic All-America committee for 27 years and works statistics for the Baltimore Ravens.
