The Game: Towson (2-5, 0-4 CAA) at Monmouth (4-4, 2-3 CAA)
When: Sat., Oct. 29, 1 p.m.
Where: Kessler Stadium – West Long Branch, N.J.
Online Broadcast: FloSports ($)
----Broadcasters: Mark Harmon (PxP), Emory Hunt (Analyst)
Radio/Online Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: Towson leads 7-1
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – For the first time in 20 years, the Towson University football team will take on Monmouth, meeting in West Long Branch, New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m.
 
This contest will also be broadcast online on FloSports as well on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with Mark Harmon and Emory Hunt on the call from Kessler Stadium.  Visit https://flosports.link/3PiZj24 to view the full Colonial Athletic Association schedule and sign up today.  In addition, the radio call will be on towsontigers.com, with Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs on the call.
 
Towson fell in its third consecutive game against a top-15 opponent last Saturday, a 44-24 defeat vs. #12/13 William & Mary, to stand at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the CAA.  Monmouth played a seven OT game last Saturday, a 48-46 defeat vs. Rhode Island, to be 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the CAA.
 
This is the first time Towson and Monmouth will play at CAA opponents, with the Hawks joining the league this season.  The two played every year from 1995 to 2002 with Towson leading the series 7-1, winning the last game 20-0 in West Long Branch on Nov. 2, 2002.
 
This game features two of the three longest tenured head coaches in the CAA: Monmouth's Kevin Callahan (30th season) and Towson's Rob Ambrose (13th season).
 
GIBBS NAMED TO REESE'S SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST
Towson defensive lineman Jesus Gibbs has been selected to the 10th Annual Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List. The Senior Bowl, set for Feb. 4, 2023, will gather some of the top prospects for the upcoming National Football League (NFL) Draft.  Gibbs will look to be the first Towson player to compete in the Reese's Senior Bowl since Tony Vinson played in the game in 1994.
 
Gibbs, a South Carolina transfer, enters his third year playing for the Tigers in 2022.  The standout defensive lineman had three games with at least four tackles each before ending the year due to injury, including three total tackles for loss.  He was recently featured on Bruce Feldman's 2022 College Football "Freaks" List as one of the top college football players with unique physical abilities.
 
WOODS SELECTED TO JERRY RICE AWARD WATCH LIST
Mason Woods has been honored with a place on the 2022 Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List.  The Jerry Rice Award, in its 12^th season, is presented to the top freshman in FCS each year.  Woods is one of 25 freshmen across FCS to be placed on the watch list, including one of four linebackers.
 
Woods is the first member of the Jerry Rice Award Watch List since Shane Simpson finished ninth in the voting in 2016.  Former Towson running back Terrance West won the inaugural Jerry Rice Award for the 2011 season.
 
Woods has started all six games this season for the Tigers, standing tied for first on the team with 54 tackles, adding a sack, and interception and three pass-breakups. 
 
HAMILTON, HUNTER RECOGNIZED ON CAA PRESEASON AWARDS
Two Tigers were recognized on the CAA preseason awards: Luke Hamilton earned 2022 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team while D'Ago Hunter was an honorable mention at kick/punt returner.
 
Hamilton was the 2021 Second Team All-CAA fullback and picks up his first-ever preseason all-league selection.  The senior was one of the top blocking fullbacks in the league last season in seven games played, also making receptions in five contests.
 
Hunter is recognized in the preseason by the CAA for the first time.  The 2021 All-CAA Third Team punt returner, the redshirt senior was Towson's all-purpose yards leader last season with 1,104, including 753 on kickoff returns and 121 on punt returns.
 
BATTLE FOR GREATER BALTIMORE SERIES EXTENDED THROUGH 2027
In July 2021, Towson and Morgan State announced an extension of the Battle for Greater Baltimore series through the 2027 season.  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.
 
Towson will host Morgan State on Sept. 10, the first game between the two at Unitas since 2017.  On Sept. 4, 2021, Towson defeated Morgan State 31-0.  Towson leads the all-time series 20-6.
 
21 GRADUATES SUITING UP FOR TOWSON
Several Tigers are playing as college graduates. Towson has 21 total graduate players, tied for third-most across FCS.
Towson graduates (10) -
Jabari Allen                             Charles Peeples
Cole Cheripko                         Robert Schwob
Alex Desire                             Vinnie Shaffer
Jamal Gay                               Darian Street
Ryan Kearney                         Robert Topps III
           
Graduates of other schools (11) -
Juwan Burgess (Indiana)                    Tyrrell Pigrome (WKU)
Mason Cholewa (UCF)                       Tramar Reece (Indiana)
Shaheem Haltiwanger (SCSU)          Josh Roberts (Lafayette)
Da'Kendall James (Norfolk St.)          Julian Singh (LIU)
Tyler Johnston III (UAB)                     Makye Smith (Stony Brook)
Janaz Jordan (Colorado)
 
TOWSON PICKED 11TH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
The Tigers were predicted to finish 11th in the league in the preseason coaches poll.  Towson received 81 points in the poll.
 
2021 CAA co-champion Villanova was predicted to finish first with 16 first-place votes and 270 points while Delaware is second with seven first-place votes and 235 points.
 
2022 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Villanova (16 first-place votes), 270 points
2. Delaware (7), 235
3. Rhode Island, 224
4. Richmond, 219
5. William & Mary (2), 206
6. Elon (1), 191
7. Stony Brook, 151
8. Maine, 134
9. New Hampshire, 117
10. Monmouth, 105
11. Towson, 81
12. UAlbany, 64
13. Hampton, 31
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Former Towson players are making their mark in the professional ranks.  Tye Smith was in preseason camp with the Minnesota Vikings, seeking to play in his sixth season in the NFL and second with the Vikings.  In all, he has played in 45 regular season games, competing at cornerback and special teams.
 
In 2022, Darius Victor was the Offensive Player of the Year in the reformed USFL, earning 577 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the North Division regular season champion New Jersey Generals. 
 
Towson has also made its mark in the Canadian Football League.  Two former Towson players, Malik Tyne and Andrew Garnett, currently compete for the Edmonton Elks while Tibo Debaillie plays for the BC Lions.
 
Tigers in the Pros – 2022
--Tye Smith (CB): Minnesota Vikings, NFL (released 8/29)
--Darius Victor (RB): New Jersey Generals, USFL
--Diondre Wallace (LB): New Orleans Breakers, USFL (draftee)
--Malik Tyne (LB): Edmonton Elks, CFL
--Tibo Debaillie (DL): BC Lions, CFL (formerly Edmonton Elks)
--Andrew Garnett (OL): Edmonton Elks, CFL
--Shane Simpson (RB): Winnipeg Blue Bombers (signee)
 
PUNTER FROM DOWN UNDER
Riley Williams, a native of Victoria, Australia, has been a stellar punter for the Tigers, standing sixth in FCS and first in the CAA with 44.8 yards per punt, totaling 1,242 yards on 28 punts.
 
Williams has 12 punts of over 50 yards and 12 punts placed inside the 20-yard line.
 
LINE UP THE LINEBACKERS
Two linebackers are tied for the team-lead in tackles: Ryan Kearney has 54, after having 27 in 2021, plus four pass-breakups.  Playing his first season, Mason Woods also has 54, adding three pass break-ups.
 
LAST GAME (#12/13 W&M 44, TOWSON 24)
(10/22/2022 - TOWSON, MD.):
Despite 291 yards of total offense from Tyrrell Pigrome, Towson fell to No. 12/13 William & Mary 44-24 on Homecoming Weekend.
Important Stat:
Towson - Second 100+ yard passing, rushing game for Tyrrell Pigrome
W&M - Earned 300 yards rushing
Top Passer:
Towson - Tyrrell Pigrome: 16-28, 179 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
W&M - Darius Wilson: 8-15, 164 yards, 2 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson - Tyrrell Pigrome: 22 rush, 112 yards, 1 TD
W&M - Malachi Imoh: 8 rush, 94 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - Da'Kendall James: 5 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
W&M - Caylin Newton: 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Mason Woods (LB): 5 tackles, 1 TFL
W&M - Tyler Freeland (CB): 9 tackles, 3 FF, 1 TFL
 
QUARTERBACK COMPETITION.....
With Towson's primary three quarterbacks all leaving after last season, the Tigers have been having a position battle with several competitors.
 
#2 Rishon Holmes, Fr.
Three-star recruit, Baltimore native at Milford Mill
#14 Zack Jackson, R-Fr.
University of Maryland transfer after 2021 redshirt season
#17 Tyler Johnston III, Gr.
Grad transfer from UAB, led Blazers to two league titles
#15 Nathan Kent, R-So.
Played in final game of 2021 (only returner to play at TU)
#4 Tyrrell Pigrome, Gr.
Former starting QB at Maryland and Western Kentucky
#16 Scott Smith III, R-Fr.
2021 top-10 QBs in DMV by NBC Sports Washington
 
TRANSFERS LINE THE D-LINE.....
Towson's defensive line is stacked with transfers to bolster the ranks, including the top two tacklers so far in 2022.
    --Jesus Gibbs (South Carolina): 29 tackles
    --Vinnie Shaffer (Saint Anselm): 28 tackles
    --Bryce Lauer (not a transfer): 23 tackles
    --Tramar Reece (Indiana): 17 tackles
    Also on the line rotation includes Oly Okombi (Kent St.), Janaz Jordan (Colorado), Shaheem Halitwanger (South Carolina St.) and Mason Cholewa (UCF).
 
.....AND THE WR CORPS
Early on, two of Towson's top three receivers are also transfers.
    Da'Kendall James (Norfolk St.) - 298 rec. yards
    Isaiah Perkins (not a transfer) - 176 rec. yards
    Darian Street (Pittsburgh) - 143 rec. yards
 
AMBROSE - 3RD LONGEST TENURED CAA COACH
Head coach Rob Ambrose, a Towson graduate of 1993, returns at the helm of the Tigers for his 13th season in 2022 and is the third-longest tenured head coach in the CAA.
 
Going into its 53rd 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 Monmouth's Kevin Callahan (30th season) and Stony Brook's Chuck Priore (17th season).
 
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.
 
New to the team this year from overseas includes punter Riley Williams from Australia and offensive lineman Sahil Bhullar from Canada.
 
In Ambrose's time, Towson has also had players from Belgium, 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, with Delaware as the lone exception.  12 states, plus the District of Columbia, are represented by the Tigers.  Away from the East Coast, Towson has players from Alabama, Illinois and Oregon.
 
...AND REPPING THE HOME STATE
The Towson roster represents the Old Line State well, sporting 48 players from the home state of Maryland.  This includes six players from Baltimore City/County: Keith Bagwell (Baltimore), Anthony Delle Donne (Baltimore), Dion Crews-Harris (Baltimore), Rishon Holmes (Baltimore), Vinnie Shaffer (Middle River) and Scott Smith III (Brooklandville).
 
SCOUTING MONMOUTH:
Monmouth became a full member of the CAA this year after competing in the Big South in football.  The Hawks were Big South champions in 2019 and spring 2021.
 
Monmouth has the top scoring offense in the CAA at 38.9 points per game, eighth in the CAA.  Junior quarterback Tony Muskett is three yards away from 2,000, throwing 64.1% for 17 scores and eight interceptions.  Sophomore Jaden Shirden leads FCS with 8.4 yards per carry for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns.  The defense allows 31.9 points per game, led by junior Mike Reid with 43 tackles and 11 pass-breakups.
 
LAST GAME (TOWSON 20, MONMOUTH 0)
(11/2/2002, WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.):
The Towson defense held Monmouth to eight first downs as the Tigers shut out the Hawks 20-0 on the road.
Important Stat:
Towson - Held Monmouth to 3.4 yards per play
Monmouth - Had eight players with at least 0.5 tackles for loss
Top Passer:
Towson - Jay Amer: 20-34, 248 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Monmouth - Bill Rankin: 15-38, 155 yards, 1 INT
Top Rusher:
Towson - Kerry Miles: 18 rush, 62 yards
Monmouth - Mike DiBella: 8 rush, 20 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - Jamal White: 8 catches, 115 yards, 1 TD
Monmouth - Tim Hiltwine: 6 catches, 65 yards
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Justin Yelverton (DL): 5 tackles, 1 sack
Monmouth - Joe Sentipal (LB): 11.5 tackles, 1 FF
 
IMPORTANT DATES: TOWSON VS. MONMOUTH:
--Oct. 19, 1996 (West Long Branch, N.J. - Towson 15-6):
Towson held Monmouth scoreless for nearly 50 minutes  and earned 299 yards rushing in a 15-6 win against Monmouth.  Future Towson Athletics Hall of Famer Jason Corle rushed 40 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns as Towson had 63 rushing plays to just seven passing attempts.
 
--Sept. 6, 1997 (Towson, Md. - Towson 22-21):
Towson came back from down 21-0 in the second quarter with 22 unanswered points, going ahead for good on a George Perdikakis 35-yard field goal with 2:47 left to win 22-21 in the season opener.  Kevin Smith threw for 303 yards while Kevyn Dodson scored two touchdowns in the third quarter.
 
--Oct. 28, 2000 (West Long Branch, N.J. - Towson 12-0)
A stellar Towson defensive effort, including allowing four first downs and 105 total yards plus earning a safety, led to a 12-0 shutout victory at Monmouth.  Noah Reed outgained Monmouth with 115 rushing yards while future Towson Athletics Hall of Famer Andrew Hollingsworth had three sacks for 16 yards.
 
STAN EISENHOOTH ENTERS TOWSON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Among the inductees into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022 includes former offensive lineman Stan Eisenhooth.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Oct. 21.
 
Eisenhooth started for three years on the Towson offensive line from 1983 to 1985, helping the Tigers to two appearances in the NCAA D2 Playoffs, including getting to the semifinal in 1984.
 
He would go on to play in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.
 
CAA FOOTBALL SHAKEUP
CAA Football added a pair of programs in the past academic season: Hampton and Monmouth are new CAA members this year.  Though Stony Brook was already a CAA Football member, the Seawolves joined the CAA as a full member this year.
 
Towson will play each new program this year: at Monmouth on Oct. 29 and vs. Hampton on Nov. 19.
 
In addition, two more programs will join the conference starting in the 2023-24 athletic year: Campbell and North Carolina A&T.