The Game: Towson (3-4, 1-2 CAA) @ Monmouth (4-3, 2-1 CAA)
When: Sat., Oct. 26 – 1 p.m.
Where: Kessler Stadium – West Long Branch, N.J.
Online Broadcast: FloSports
----Broadcasters: Eddy Occhipinti (PxP), Emory Hunt (analyst)
Audio Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: Towson leads 8-2
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Towson University football team's next two games are on the road, beginning with a trip to New Jersey to take on Monmouth on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.
 
The game will air live online on FloSports, with Eddy Occhipinti and Emory Hunt on the call live from Kessler Stadium.  Towson Athletics Hall of Fame members Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs will have the radio call on Towsontigers.com.
 
Towson is coming off a 52-24 home defeat against Stony Brook on Oct. 19 to stand 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the CAA.  Monmouth, which is receiving votes in the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches Polls, defeated Bryant 55-17 on Oct. 19 to be 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the CAA.  This is Monmouth's fourth straight home game.
 
This will be the 11th all-time meeting between Towson and Monmouth and third since the Hawks joined the CAA in 2022.  Towson leads the all-time series 8-2, including winning all five contests in West Long Branch.  Monmouth won the last meeting, a 42-23 victory in Towson on Sept. 9, 2023.
 
This is Towson's fifth game this year against an FCS team either ranked or receiving votes in the polls.  Next week's opponent, Richmond, is ranked in the top-20 of each poll.
 
SECOND YEAR IN PETE SHINNICK ERA
Towson enters its second season under head coach Pete Shinnick in 2024.  Towson retained its entire coaching staff from 2023.  Under coach Shinnick, Towson has three victories over then-top-15 teams, including a 34-27 win vs. then-#12/10 William & Mary on Oct. 5.
 
Towson has had five head coaches in program history: Carl Runk (1969-71), Phil Albert (1972-91), Gordy Combs (1992-2008), Rob Ambrose (2009-22) and Pete Shinnick (2023-pres.).
 
RUNYON - PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Carter Runyon has been honored as a FCS Preseason All-American by each STATS Perform (First Team) and FCS Football Central (Second Team).  Runyon has also been named to the watch list for the Reese's Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl 1000.
 
The first-ever Towson DI tight end to earn All-America honors in 2023, being Second Team by the Associated Press, Runyon led all CAA tight ends in receiving yards with 549 in 2023. He also led Towson with 43 catches and four receiving touchdowns.
 
He is a three-time all-league honoree, including 2023 All-CAA First Team with Towson.  At Shenandoah, he twice was All-ODAC: 2022 Second Team at tight end and 2021 Third Team at offensive line.
 
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNDEFEATED 1974 TIGERS
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Towson State College's (TSC) undefeated 1974 team.  The Tigers went 10-0 that year in DIII under head coach Phil Albert, including two shutouts.
 
TSC allowed just 9.7 points per game and 190.3 yards a contest that year, with opponents averaging 3.3 yards per offensive play led by Joe Kelly (78 tackles), John Carmichael (66 tackles, 3 INT) and Billy Mills (39 tackles, 5 INT).  On offense, Dan Dullea led DIII with a 61% completion rate for 1,861 yards and 18 touchdowns.
 
FOUR TIGERS RECOGNIZED IN 2024 CAA PRESEASON AWARDS
Four Tigers were recognized on the CAA preseason awards. Three players were named to the 2024 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team: Ralph Paige Jr. at offensive line, Carter Runyon at tight end and Keegan Vaughan at kicker.  In addition, Dion Crews-Harris was selected as CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Honorable Mention.  All four earned their first-ever CAA Preseason Honors.
 
DYNAMIC RUNNING DUO
Two Tigers stand in the top-10 in FCS in rush yards per carry, the only team in FCS with two in the top-10.
 
Tyrell Greene Jr. is seventh in FCS with 7.01 yards per rush, totaling 526 yards and three touchdowns on 75 carries.  Devin Matthews earns 6.88 yards per carry for 10th in FCS, having 77 carries for 530 yards and two touchdowns.  Each Greene and Matthews have combined for three carries of at least 70 yards and are first and third in the CAA in yards per rush.
 
12 GRADUATES SUITING UP FOR TOWSON
12 Tigers are suiting up as college graduates, including seven who earned a Towson degree.
Towson graduates (7) -
Anthony Delle Donne              Ernie Smith
Malik Jackson                         Brockman Wallace
Brady McElhaney                    Chris Watkins
Nathan Kent
                       
Graduates of other schools (5) -
Carlos Davis (UMass)
John Gioia (Wagner)
Justin Ritter (James Madison)
Kam Snell (Gannon)
Justin Toler (Norfolk State)
 
RECEIVER DEPTH
Towson has a lot of depth in those catching the football, returning three players who have at least 500 career receiving yards.

Player	2024 Stats	Career Stats
#80 Carter Runyon	26 rec., 265 yds, 2 TD	85 rec., 969 yds, 7 TD
#19 Zay Perkins	10 rec., 100 yds	66 rec., 767 yds, 9 TD
#14 Lukkas Londono	5 rec., 55 yds	45 rec., 585 yds, 1 TD
#0 John Dunmore	25 rec., 342 yds, 4 TD	35 rec., 441 yds, 4 TD
#11 Jaceon Doss	16 rec., 280 yds, 2 TD	16 rec., 280 yds, 2 TD
#12 Sam Reynolds	9 rec., 141 yds, 1 TD	20 rec., 192 yds, 1 TD
#82 Brady McElhaney	--	19 rec., 151 yds

 
TOWSON PICKED NINTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
The Tigers were predicted to finish ninth in the league in the preseason coaches poll for the second straight year.  Towson received 114 points in the poll.  2023 CAA co-champions Villanova, Richmond and UAlbany ranked 1-3 in the preseason poll respectively.
2024 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes)
1. Villanova (9), 217
2. Richmond (1), 189
3. UAlbany (3), 179
4. William & Mary, 175
5. Delaware (3), 163
6. Elon, 157
7. New Hampshire, 150
8. Rhode Island, 142
9. Towson, 114
10. Monmouth, 95
11. Campbell, 83
12. Hampton, 62
13. Maine, 57
14. North Carolina A&T, 49
15. Bryant, 46
16. Stony Brook, 42
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Several Tigers have been competing in the professional ranks after their time with the Black & Gold.
 
Robert Javier was an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans into the NFL, appearing in the team's three preseason games.
 
In the first year of the United Football League, four Tigers made inaugural rosters.  Darius Victor headlined the crew as the league's 2024 Sportsman of the Year, which honors service off the field and excellence on the field.  Jesus GIbbs was signed mid-year by the Michigan Panthers, helping the team reach the playoffs in his first professional year.
 
Tigers in the Pros – 2024
National Football League
--Robert Javier, DB: Tennessee Titans (preseason)
 
Canadian Football League
--Tibo Debaillie, DL: BC Lions
 
United Football League
--Tom Flacco, QB: San Antonio Brahmas
--Jesus Gibbs, DL: Michigan Panthers
--Elorm Lumor, DL: St. Louis Battlehawks
--Darius Victor, RB: Memphis Showboats
 
Arena Football League
--Caleb Smith, WR: Albany Firebirds
 
Indoor Football League
--Shane Simpson, RB: Bay Area Panthers
 
VAUGHAN NAMED TO FRED MITCHELL AWARD WATCH LIST
Keegan Vaughan has been placed on the 2024 Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List.  The Fred Mitchell Award is given annually to the top place-kicker in FCS, DII, DII, NAIA and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community.
 
The 2023 All-CAA Second Team selection has been Towson's primary place-kicker for the Tigers all four years.  On Oct. 5, Vaughan surpassed the career 200-point mark, having 205 off 38 career field goals and 91 career extra points.
 
NEWCOMERS HAVING BIG IMPACT ON DEFENSE
Towson brought in several players this past year who were all-conference at previous schools and are having a strong impact on defense this season.
Will Middleton (Sr. LB - Montgomery, Ala.)
--2023 All-NEC Second Team at Saint Francis Univ.
--Team's leader in tackles with 49, adds 2.5 sacks
 
Kam Snell (Gr. DB - Owings Mills, Md.)
--2023 All-PSAC West Second Team at Gannon Univ.
--Third on the team with 40 tackles
 
John Gioia (Gr. LB - LaGrangeville, N.Y.)
--2023 All-NEC First Team at Wagner College
--Averaging 8.3 tackles per game in four contests
 
MATTHEWS IN TOWSON TOP-10 IN RUSHING TDS
Devin Matthews has moved into the top-10 all-time in Towson history in career rushing touchdowns, standing seventh.  Now in his fourth year with Towson, he has 24 career rushing touchdowns.
Career Rushing Touchdowns - Towson History
1. Terrance West - 84 (2011-13)
2. Darius Victor - 41 (2013-16)
3. Jason Corle - 33 (1996-99)
4. Brian McCarty - 32 (1991-94)
5. Tony Vinson - 29 (1992-93)
6. Dan Ricker - 26 (1983-87)
7. Devin Matthews - 25 (2021-pres.)
 
TOWSON FOOTBALL PHRASES
The Towson football team is spurred on by a couple of phrases unique to the Black & Gold.
 
ARETE! (prononuced r-ah-TAY)
--Arete is the Greek word for "excellence of any kind," to live up to your fullest potential.  Shinnick brought Arete to Towson football from West Florida, which he built as the culture around West Florida's mascot, the Argonauts.
 
Goh Tigers
--The official slogan of the Towson University Athletics department, Goh Tigers references the Baltimore dialect and connects to Towson's strong history to the Greater Baltimore area.
 
Special Forces
--The Towson special teams unit is referred to as special forces by the team.  The unit has several different plays and formations, which are confirmed in pregame walkthroughs.
 
LAST GAME (STONY BROOK 52, TOWSON 24)
(10/19/2024 - TOWSON, MD.):
Despite leading 17-14 in the second quarter, Towson fell to Stony Brook 52-24 on Homecoming.
Important Stat:
Towson - Averaged 7.3 yards per rush play
Stony Brook - Had 80 offensive plays for 37:04 time of possession
Top Passer:
Towson - Sean Brown: 12-20, 158 yards, 1 INT
Stony Brook - Tyler Knoop: 34-40, 387 yards, 6 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson - Tyrell Greene Jr.: 16 rush, 115 yards, 1 TD
Stony Brook - Roland Dempster: 16 rush, 103 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - John Dunmore: 3 receptions, 60 yards
Stony Brook - Jasiah Williams: 9 receptions, 92 yards, 3 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Daniel Raymond (LB): 6 tackles, 2 BrUp
Stony Brook - Rushawn Lawrence (DL): 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 FF
 
INTERNATIONAL TIGERS
Towson's influence is growing across the world. Three Towson players hail from outside the United States.
            --Sahil Bhullar, OL: Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
            --Mazio Randall, DL: Nassau, The Bahamas
            --Prabdeep Singh-Mann, LB: Hamilton, Ontario
            --Florian Staehler, OL: Köln, Germany
 
In the last 15 years, Towson has also had former players from Australia, Belgium, Finland and Norway.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
The Towson roster represents the Old Line State well, sporting 42 players from the home state of Maryland.  This includes eight players from Baltimore City/County: Dion Crews-Harris (Baltimore), Carlos Davis (Baltimore), Anthony Delle Donne (Baltimore), Nick Gamble (Windsor Mill), Tyrell Greene Jr. (Baltimore), Rishon Holmes (Baltimore), Scott Smith III (Brooklandville), Kam Snell (Owings Mills) and Isaiah Yates (Baltimore).
 
TOWSON TO APPEAR ON MONUMENTAL SPORTS NETWORK
Four Towson football home games will be appearing on Monumental Sports Network this season.
 
The home of the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards, Monumental Sports Network is based out of Bethesda and is aired across the DMV, spanning from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina.
 
In addition, all Towson home games and road games at CAA opponents will be aired on FloFootball, the exclusive streaming home of the CAA.  Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs return as the Towson football broadcast team.
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK:
Stony Brook, which was predicted to finish last in the CAA, is fifth in the league in scoring defense with 23 points allowed per game under first-year head coach Billy Cosh.
 
Redshirt senior running back Roland Dempster is second in the CAA in touchdowns with 12, running 133 times for 700 yards.  The Seawolves have played two quarterbacks, combining to throw 54.9% for 1,092 yards.  Stony Brook is second in the league with 17 sacks, with five players having multiple sacks.  Redshirt senior defensive lineman Rushawn Lawrence is the team leader in sacks with 3.5, having 24 tackles.
 
SCOUTING MONMOUTH:
Monmouth stands with the top scoring offense in all of FCS at 44.4 points per game, averaging 525.4 total offensive yards per contest.
 
Senior quarterback Derek Robertson is the CAA leader in total offense, throwing 65.8% for 2274 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.  On the ground, graduate student Sone Ntoh leads all of FCS with 17 rushing touchdowns, adding 332 rushing yards.  Leading a defense which allows 32.3 points a game, graduate student linebacker Ryan Moran has a team-best 41 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
 
LAST GAME (MONMOUTH 42, TOWSON 23)
(9/9/2023 - TOWSON, MD.):
A 10-0 first quarter was not enough for Towson as the Tigers fell in their home and CAA opener to Monmouth 42-23.
Important Stat:
Towson - Scored on all three red zone chances
Monmouth - Had a 36:57 time of possession
Top Passer:
Towson - Nathan Kent: 16-27, 200 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Monmouth - Marquez McCray: 21-30, 237, 2 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson - Devin Matthews: 12 rush, 46 yards
Monmouth - Jaden Shirden: 33 rush, 145 yards, 1 TD
Top Receiver:
Towson - Lukkas Londono: 6 receptions, 92 yards
Monmouth - Assanti Kearney: 4 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TD
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Makye Smith (LB): 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR
Monmouth - Jake Brown (LB): 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF
 
POIST, MOREKAS TO BE INDUCTED INTO TOWSON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Among the inductees into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 include former linebacker Bobby Poist and current broadcaster Spiro Morekas.  They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Oct. 18.
 
Poist played at Towson from 1980-83, earning a then Towson-record 31 sacks (now 2nd all-time) and being third with 252 tackles.  He anchored a 1983 Towson State team which allowed just 7.3 points per game, leading the team with a program single season record 17 sacks, adding 65 tackles.
 
Morekas, a 1983 Towson graduate, has been the play-by-play voice of Tiger football, men's basketball and men's lacrosse since 1991.  He also is the coaches show host for all three sports and was formerly Towson's golf coach from 1989-94.
 
IMPORTANT DATES: TOWSON VS. MONMOUTH:
--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 win at Monmouth.  Noah Reed outgained Monmouth with 115 rushing yards while future Towson Athletics Hall of Famer Andrew Hollingsworth had three sacks.
 
--Oct. 29, 2022 (West Long Branch, N.J. - Towson 52-48)
In a wild offensive game, Towson scored on nine of its first 10 offensive drives and had the ball in 35:35 of the game to win 52-48 in the first meeting between the teams in 20 years.  D'Ago Hunter would earn FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week with 334 all-purpose yards, including a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 74-yard punt return.
 
CAA FOOTBALL SHAKEUP
CAA Football has undergone changes for the 2024 season, including bringing in a new member.  Bryant, which formerly played in the Big South, begins CAA play this season.
 
Two CAA Football members will play their final year in the conference in 2024.  Full CAA member Delaware is headed to Conference USA while associate member Richmond, which Towson will play on Nov. 2, is going to the Patriot League.