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Towson University Athletics

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Jerry Howard
ENP Photography
10
Towson TOW 4-7 , 3-5
56
Winner James Madison JMU 10-1 , 7-1
Towson TOW
4-7 , 3-5
10
Final
56
James Madison JMU
10-1 , 7-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TOW Towson 7 0 0 3 10
JMU James Madison 14 28 14 0 56

Game Recap: Football |

Towson Football Falls in Season Finale at No. 2 James Madison

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Towson University football team concluded the 2021 campaign with a 56-10 defeat at No. 2 James Madison on Saturday afternoon.
 
Towson (4-7, 3-5 CAA) had a touchdown midway through the first quarter on a catch by Caleb Smith over a cornerback's helmet to pull within a score, but JMU led the rest of the way en route to the win.
 
Key Stats:
  • As a team, Towson held JMU to 58 yards rushing.  The Tigers outgained JMU 134-69 on offense in the first quarter.
  • Jerry Howard Jr. bolted for 162 yards on 30 carries, averaging 5.4 yards a rush, including a game-long of 40 yards.  It is the most amount of rushing yards by a single player in a game since Tom Flacco had 185 yards rushing vs. The Citadel on Sept. 29, 2018.
  • On the passing end, Chris Ferguson was 9-for-20 for 90 yards, a score and two interceptions while Nathan Kent, in his Towson debut, was 5-for-10 for 61 yards and a pick.  The top target was Caleb Smith, who made seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
  • Keegan Vaughan converted a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, his career long.
  • On the defensive end, Charles Peeples led Towson in tackles with eight, adding a pass-breakup.  Vinnie Shaffer, recently selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® Team, had five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.  DJ Pratt had his first career interception on defense.
  • For JMU, Cole Johnson was 21-for-25 on passing for 363 yards and six touchdowns.  One of his top receivers was Antwane Wells Jr., who had nine receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns.  Diamonte Tucker-Dorcey finished with eight tackles and an interception.
How It Happened:
  • Towson had to begin down early as JMU returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown for a 7-0 Dukes lead.
  • On Towson's first offensive drive, Jerry Howard Jr. burst forward for a 12-yard gain on second down to get to the Towson 32.  Towson was stopped on the next set of downs, ended by an interception at its own 26.  Five plays later, a Cole Johnson pass to Antwane Wells Jr. for eight yards and the touchdown made the score 14-0 Dukes less than four minutes in.
  • On the next drive following a first down, Howard Jr. was nearly taken down at the line of scrimmage, stayed up and sprinted down the sideline 40 yards after the initial hit.  Howard kept going forward on other plays, then on second down, Chris Ferguson found Caleb Smith for a catch over the cornerback's helmet for the eight-yard touchdown.  Towson trailed 14-7 with 7:26 left in the 1st.
  • Though JMU got a kickoff to midfield, Towson halted JMU on a third and two off a Darien Reynolds nine-yard sack up the middle.  Towson started to march up the field, aided by a roughing the passer and a 22-yard rush up the middle by Howard.  Towson attempted a field goal after getting to the JMU 25, but missed left.
  • JMU got into Towson territory on a 41-yard catch by Reggie Brown.  Going into the second quarter, Christian Dixon broke-up a pass that would have converted a third down.  Ethan Ratke's field goal attempt of 47 missed short, giving the ball back to Towson.
  • Towson converted a third down on a pass to Smith, who pushed his way to the first down marker, but was stopped on the next set.  Shane McDonough punted the ball to the JMU 17. Next play, a catch by Kris Thornton for 83 yards and a touchdown made it 21-7 JMU with 11:08 in the 2nd.
  • Following a Towson three-and-out, JMU continued the air attack down the field.  Despite a sack fumble forced by Vinnie Shaffer, JMU used a pass interference and then a 25-yard pass across the middle to Wells Jr. to go up 28-7.  Following an interception, another TD catch by JMU for 30 yards made it 35-7 JMU with 6:43 in the 2nd.
  • Smith had another big reception with one-hand while interfered with to get 22 yards and into JMU territory.  Towson was stopped there despite a nine-yard pass to Smith across the middle.  JMU scored again on the next drive to take a 42-7 lead into halftime.
  • Nathan Kent made his Towson debut to begin the second half, getting an eight-yard scramble but did not get a first down on the opening series.  JMU took advantage of a short field and used seven plays to get another passing touchdown, this one to Solomon Vanhorse for 10 yards, to be up 49-7.
  • Kent started to get into a rhythm on his second drive, finding Smith down the sideline for 18 yards then a dart across the middle to Darian Street for eight yards, each converting to a new set of downs.  A pair of sacks just before midfield stopped Towson's drive and sent the ball back to JMU.  Again the Dukes came down to score a touchdown to make it 56-7 JMU with 2:20 left in the 3rd.
  • Into the fourth quarter, a Towson interception gave the ball back to JMU.  JMU went for it on fourth and two, being stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Ryan Kearney for a turnover on downs.  Howard kept running down the field, including a 23-yard burst on the second play.  Towson got down to the JMU 19 but was backed up on a false start.  Keegan Vaughan converted the 41-yard field goal to make it 56-10 JMU.  Neither side scored again as JMU took the 56-10 victory.
- TowsonTigers.com – 
 
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