TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University football team had one of its best defensive efforts ever in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) contest on Saturday afternoon, taking down league preseason favorite Villanova 27-3 at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
 
Towson (4-5, 2-4 CAA) allowed a field goal on Villanova's (5-4, 3-3 CAA) opening drive and responded with 27 unanswered points, holding the Wildcats to their lowest point total in a game since 2018.
 
Towson earns its top defensive effort since Sept. 4, 2021 when the Tigers shut out Morgan State 31-0.  It is the least amount of points allowed in a CAA game by Towson since the Tigers shut out Delaware 19-0 on Oct. 31, 2015.
 
Key Stats:

• The Towson defense held Villanova to 153 total offensive yards while the Tigers had 392.  Villanova averaged 2.7 yards per offensive play.  On the final 11 Villanova drives, the Tigers had an interception and forced 10 punts.
• On the offensive side, Towson ran the ball for 267 yards, including the first 100+ yard rushing game as a Tiger for Joachim Bangda.  Bangda had 17 rushes for 107 yards, averaging 6.3 yards a carry.
• Tyrrell Pigrome threw 11-for-21 for 125 yards and two touchdowns and an interception, adding 73 yards on 14 carries.  His two touchdowns were to Isaiah Perkins, who finished with four catches and 60 yards.
• D'Ago Hunter earned his third special teams touchdown of the season, earning a 77-yard punt return for a score in the fourth quarter.  He also had a 60-yard kickoff return, totaling 172 all-purpose yards.
• Makye Smith and Mason Woods tied for the team-lead in tackles with six.  Robert Topps III had his first career interception.
• For Villanova, TD Ayo-Durojaiye had 17 rushes for 49 yards.  Quarterback Connor Watkins was 7-for-21 for 68 yards and a pick.  Brendan Bell led all players with 10 tackles, including one for loss.

How It Happened:

• Towson had an early chance with a 60-yard kickoff return from D'Ago Hunter to put Towson on the Villanova 33, but a three-and-out and a missed 52-yard field goal attempt ended the chance.
• Villanova used the run and methodically came down field to the Towson 10.  A three-yard run and two incomplete passes stopped the drive as Villanova hit a 25-yard field goal to lead 3-0 with 6:13 left in the first.
• On the first play of the next drive, an interception gave Villanova the ball on the Towson 49.  The Towson defense forced a three and out and a punt to start again at its own eight.  The Tigers used short rushes and passes to press to its own 35, then broke through with a 33-yard rush by Joachim Bangda to the Villanova 32.  Two plays later into the second quarter, Tyrrell Pigrome found Isaiah Perkins in the corner of the end zone for a 26-yard catch and touchdown, making it 7-3 Towson.
• Villanova pushed next drive to midfield with the aid of a pass interference penalty, with Towson holding again to force a punt.  Towson this time started on its own nine, again going on the run to grind its way past midfield.  Devin Matthews burst for 15 yards to set up Towson for a field goal attempt, but the 47-yard chance missed wide.
• Towson forced a three-and-out and got the ball again on its own eight, breaking out with rushes but punting from its 27.  Chris Watkins threw deep and was picked off by Robert Topps III, who returned it 39 yards to the Villanova 14.  Towson got closer to the Villanova 5 but was down to four seconds, kicking a 22-yard field goal to go into the locker room up 10-3.
• Villanova lost three yards on the second half opening drive and punted away.  Pigrome led the way with a 20-yard dart to Da'Kendall James, a 13-yard burst ahead and a 15-yard pass to Perkins.  Towson got stopped on the Villanova 25, with Keegan Vaughan knocking down the 42-yard field goal to make it 13-3 Towson with 8:56 left in the third.
• An Olyfride Okombi 11-yard sack doomed Villanova's next drive and resulted in a punt.  A 28-yard Pigrome rush and a nine-yard pass to James got Towson to the Villanova 26, but a fumble recovered by the Wildcats gave the ball back to the visitors.  The Wildcats got a 19-yard pass to begin the drive, but Towson's pass rush stifled the drive and led to a punt.
• Towson continued to run the ball and got into Villanova territory via a Hunter 13-yard pass into the fourth quarter.  But Towson would have to punt as Riley Williams pinned in the Wildcats to their own six.
• Two rushes and an incompletion and Villanova punted a short kick to its own 29.  Towson took advantage of its chance, pushing to the 10 on four rushes.  Pigrome again found Perkins in the end zone corner for a touchdown, pushing Towson up 20-3 with 11:22 left.
• An Ernie Smith sack halted Villanova's next drive.  On a punt from the Villanova 30, Hunter returned the ball 77 yards for the touchdown, pushing Towson up 27-3 with 9:23 left.
• Villanova started on its own nine and punted after one first down.  Curtis Murray had rushes of 10 and 18 yards to get into Villanova territory as Towson looked for another field goal, hitting the post on a 43-yard attempt.  The Towson defense held Villanova on another three-and-out, including a six-yard sack by Jesus Gibbs, to secure the 27-3 victory.

Inside the Numbers

• Towson earns its top defensive effort since Sept. 4, 2021 when the Tigers shut out Morgan State 31-0.  It is the least amount of points allowed in a CAA game by Towson since the Tigers shut out Delaware 19-0 on Oct. 31, 2015.
• Towson held Villanova to three points, the lowest point total for the Wildcats since being shut out by UNH 34-0 on Oct. 27, 2018.
• 24 points is the largest margin of victory ever for Towson over Villanova.  Towson won by 21 points over Villanova on Sept. 10, 2011 (W, 31-10).
• This was Joachim Bangda's first 100+ yard rushing game since having 114 yards with Kent State against Bowling Green on Sept. 21, 2019.
• D'Ago Hunter earned the first punt return for a touchdown for Towson since Coby Tippett did on Nov. 11, 2017 at William & Mary.  He has earned a special teams touchdown each of the last two games.
• Rob Ambrose earned his 47^th victory against CAA competition, tying him for 10^th all-time in league history.

Next Game:

• Towson will play its last road game of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 12, playing Stony Brook on Long Island at 1 p.m.