WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Towson University football team earned its best offensive performance since 2019 and best in a road game since 2018, scoring on nine of its first 10 offensive drives and a kickoff return to earn a 52-48 victory at Monmouth on Saturday afternoon.
 
Towson (3-5, 1-4 CAA) scored seven touchdowns and a pair of field goals to win in an offensive battle at Monmouth (4-5, 2-4 CAA) for its second road win of the season. 
 
The Towson offense had a stellar afternoon, going 12-for-15 on third down and scoring on all seven red zone chances.  The Tigers had 35:35 time of possession to Monmouth's 24:25.
 
Key Stats:

• The team stats were very close, with Monmouth having a slight edge in total yards 484-479.  Towson had the edge in passing 216-213 while Monmouth had the advantage in rushing 271-263.
• Towson did not have a turnover in the game, punting only once to Monmouth.
• Tyrrell Pigrome completed his first 13 passes, finishing 20-for-25 for 216 yards and a touchdown, adding 41 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.  His main target was Da'Kendall James, who caught five passes for 87 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown in the opening quarter.
• On the ground, Devin Matthews tied his career-high of 112 rushing yards on 15 carries, also having a score.  Joachim Bangda ran the ball 12 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
• Towson starting center Cole Cheripko earned his first-career touchdown with a direct snap one-yard rush in the second quarter.
• D'Ago Hunter earned 334 all-purpose yards, just 23 shy of the Towson record of Tony Vinson's 357 in 1993.  This included a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 74-yard punt return.  Hunter had 181 kickoff return yards, 90 punt return yards, 52 rushing yards and 11 receiving yards.
• Keegan Vaughan converted each field goal attempt, hitting kicks of 32 and 26 yards.
• On defense, Mason Woods notched eight tackles, including two for loss and a half-sack.
• For Monmouth, Jaden Shirden ran the ball 19 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Enzo Arjona was 18-for25 for 213 yards and three scores.  Da'Quan Grimes led all players with 13 tackles.

 
How It Happened:

• Monmouth started on offense and got into Towson territory on a couple of rushes and scrambles.  Shaheem Halitwanger stacked up the runner to force fourth down on the Towson 30, but an Enzo Arjona 30-yard pass to Dymere Miller gave Monmouth a touchdown and 7-0 lead.
• Towson was quick to respond, bursting forward on a 22-yard run by Devin Matthews.  Two plays later, Tyrrell Pigrome heaved deep and found Da'Kendall James one-on-one.  James made the catch, shook off his defender and sprinted the remaining 14 yards for the 61-yard touchdown catch.  A missed extra point attempt later and the score was 7-6 Monmouth, 10:02 left in the 1^st.
• A sack by Vinnie Shaffer and Jesus Gibbs stopped Monmouth's next drive around midfield.  D'Ago Hunter returned the ball 74 yards off the punt to set up Towson on the Monmouth 15.  Pigrome rolled out and scored on the 15-yard rush down the sideline.  Towson went for two and missed on a fade pass to the corner as Towson led 12-7 with 6:34 remaining in the 1^st.
• Monmouth replied quickly on the first play of the next drive as Jaden Shirden went 75 yards down the near sideline to push Monmouth ahead 14-12 with 6:16 in the 1^st.
• Pigrome kept finding James for passes, going down the field including three passes to the Norfolk State transfer to help get down to the Monmouth 23.  Joachim Bangda barreled up the middle three times for 12 yards, five yards and six yards for the touchdown.  Another failed two-point conversion, but Towson led 18-14 with 1:42 left in the opening quarter.
• The Towson defense forced a three-and-out and got the ball back.  Into the second quarter, Towson pushed towards midfield on short passes, breaking into Monmouth territory on a drop-off pass to Bangda for 14 yards.  Matthews pushed down the field with 33 yards on four carries to get to the Monmouth 1.  Cole Cheripko took the direct snap and ran up the gut for the touchdown, making the score 25-14 Towson with 9:13 to go in the first half.
• Three Towson penalties aided Monmouth on the next drive, getting out to the Towson 24.  Shirden got through the middle and scored on the 24-yard rush.  Towson stopped Monmouth on the two-point conversion attempt, with Tramar Reece recovering a fumble, as the Tigers led 25-20 with 6:57 remaining in the second quarter.
• Towson again went with Bangda early for rushes as the Kent State transfer earned a 20-yard gain on second down to get to the edge of Monmouth territory, then Matthews got a 12-yard pass and a few rushes to reach the Monmouth 44.  Pigrome recovered from a first down sack with a six-yard scramble then an 11-yard pass to Hunter, then Hunter burst up the middle twice to get to the Monmouth red zone with the first half clock clicking down.  Towson ran down clock but was stopped at the nine.  Keegan Vaughan knocked the 26-yard field goal through to send Towson into the locker room up 28-20.
• Into the second half, Towson had to punt after a three-and-out.  Monmouth got into Towson territory with the aid of a penalty, then a sack and a tackle in the backfield by Towson would force fourth down.  A high pass made a turnover on downs.
• Pigrome led Towson down the field with the hurry-up offense with he and Matthews finding space to convert a trio of third downs on rushing plays.  Matthews took a direct snap and pounded up the middle for five yards and the score for a 35-20 Towson advantage with 4:14 left in the third.
• Next drive, two early 11-yard passes and a couple of rushes got Monmouth deep into Towson territory.  Shirden got a hole on the right side and went for 22 yards and a touchdown to make it 35-26 Towson with 1:56 left in the 3^rd.
• Into the fourth quarter, Pigrome got out of the pocket with immense pressure and passed off to Malik Jackson for the 12-yard catch.  Hunter and Pigrome burst up the middle a couple of times, then a pass to Dion Crews-Harris got Towson to the Monmouth 1.  Bangda finished the play with the one-yard touchdown to push Towson up 42-26 with 11:01 to play.
• Monmouth played a hurry-up offense and used four plays of double digit yardage, capped by an 11-yard pass to Dymere Miller in the back of the end zone, for a touchdown.  The two-point conversion attempt was successful on a pass as Monmouth pulled to within a score.  Towson led 42-34 with 8:28 left in regulation.
• Towson wasted no time.  Hunter received the kickoff and went down the far sideline for 92 yards and the touchdown.  Towson led 49-34 with 8:13 to play.
• Monmouth continued the hurry-up and had several runs to get down field.  On third and four, Arjona threw across the middle for 19 to Miller to get to the Towson 5, then three rushes later, a Monmouth touchdown.  The two-point conversion was good as Towson led 49-42, 3:47 to play.
• Ubayd Steed recovered the onside kick by falling on the ball at the Monmouth 45.  Towson ran down clock with runs and got up to the Monmouth 15.  Vaughan kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Towson the two-score lead.
• Monmouth quickly went down field and scored on a 26-yard passing touchdown.  After a missed extra point attempt, the onside kick attempt went out-of-bounds and Towson held for the 52-48 victory.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Towson earns over 40 points in a game for the first time since Oct. 19, 2019 when the Tigers defeating Bucknell 56-7.  It is the most in a road contest since Towson defeated UAlbany 56-28 on Oct. 20, 2018.
• This is the most combined points ever in a Towson football game with 100.  The Towson-UNH game on Nov. 17, 2012 had 99 combined points.
• This was the first game between Towson and Monmouth in 20 years.  Towson is 8-1 all-time against the Hawks.
• D'Ago Hunter now has two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season to tie a Towson single season record.  The last was Derrick Joseph, who had two kickoff return touchdowns in 2013.
• Tony Vinson had 357 all-purpose yards vs. Bucknell on Nov. 13, 1993 off 364 rushing yards and minus-7 receiving yards.
• Devin Matthews tied his career-high of 112 rushing yards, also achieved vs. Bucknell on Sept. 3, 2022.
• Mason Woods has led Towson in tackles in each of the last three games.

 
Next Game:

• Towson hosts Villanova on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. for the Military Appreciation Game.
• For ticket information, interested parties may contact the Towson Athletics ticket office by visiting www.towsontigers.com, calling 1-855-TU-TIGER or emailing dkogok@towson.edu.