The Game: Towson (6-5, 4-3 CAA) @ Campbell (3-8, 1-6 CAA)
When: Sat., Nov. 23 – 2 p.m.
Where: Barker-Lane Stadium – Buies Creek, N.C.
Online Broadcast: FloSports
----Broadcasters: Chris Hemeyer (PxP), Mark Covert (Analyst)
Audio Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
----Broadcasters: Spiro Morekas (PxP), Gordy Combs (Analyst)
Series: First Meeting
 
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Towson University football team will look to earn a winning season in 2024, playing at Campbell on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in North Carolina.
 
Towson has won its last two games, coming off a 31-13 home victory over N.C. A&T on Senior Day, to stand at 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the CAA.  Campbell is trying to snap a three-game losing streak, last coming off a 41-22 defeat at Delaware, to be 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the league.
 
This is the first-ever meeting between Towson and Campbell with the Camels joining the CAA in 2023 from the Big South.
 
If Towson wins, the Tigers will secure a winning season for the second time in three seasons and the first under second-year head coach Pete Shinnick.  In addition, Towson is looking for its first seven-win season since 2019.
 
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-25 in FCS in rush yards per carry, the only CAA team with two in the top-70.  Devin Matthews earns 6.51 yards per carry for 12th in FCS, having 117 carries for 762 yards and four touchdowns.  Tyrell Greene Jr. is 21st in FCS with 6.08 yards per rush, totaling 711 yards and six touchdowns on 117 carries.  Each Matthews and Greene have combined for three carries of at least 70 yards and are second and fourth in the CAA respectively in yards per rush.
 
MOVING UP THE SACKS LIST
During the Shinnick era, Towson has caused more pressure on the quarterback with 32 sacks this year.  With 29 sacks in 2023, Towson has had its top two sack totals in a season since 2013.  Towson's six sacks vs. N.C. A&T ties the most amount in a game for the Tigers since having seven at Villanova on Oct. 27, 2012.  Also, Towson is second in the CAA to Richmond (33) in sacks.
 
Season Sacks - Towson
2013 - 41                     2019 - 22
2014 - 28                     2020 - No season (COVID)
2015 - 22                     2021 - 22
2016 - 20                     2022 - 21
2017 - 26                     2023 - 29
2018 - 23                     2024 – 32
 
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	43 rec., 447 yds, 5 TD	102 rec., 1151 yds, 10 TD
#19 Zay Perkins	13 rec., 132 yds	69 rec., 799 yds, 9 TD
#0 John Dunmore	41 rec., 610 yds, 5 TD	51 rec., 709 yds, 5 TD
#14 Lukkas Londono	12 rec., 148 yds	52 rec., 678 yds, 1 TD
#11 Jaceon Doss	27 rec., 399 yds, 2 TD	27 rec., 399 yds, 2 TD
#12 Sam Reynolds	15 rec., 215 yds, 1 TD	26 rec., 266 yds, 1 TD

 
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 member surpassed the career 200-point mark, having 241 off 45 career field goals and 104 career extra points.  In addition, he has made his last 10 field goals dating back to the Sept. 21 game at North Dakota State.
 
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 79, adds 2.5 sacks
 
Kam Snell (Gr. DB - Owings Mills, Md.)
--2023 All-PSAC West Second Team at Gannon Univ.
--Fourth on the team with 55 tackles, adds 5 pass breakups
 
John Gioia (Gr. LB - LaGrangeville, N.Y.)
--2023 All-NEC First Team at Wagner College
--Averaging 7.9 tackles per game in eight contests for 63 this year
 
MATTHEWS IN TOWSON TOP-10 IN RUSHING TDS, RUSHING YARDS
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 26 career rushing touchdowns.  He also is one of seven Towson players to have over 2,000 career rushing yards.
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. Devin Matthews - 27 (2021-pres.)
7. Dan Ricker - 26 (1983-87)
 
Career Rushing Yards - Towson History
1. Terrance West - 4,849 (2011-13)
2. Jason Corle - 3,601 (1996-99)
3. Darius Victor - 3,309 (2013-16)
4. Tony Vinson - 3,058 (1992-93)
5. Brian McCarty - 2,594 (1991-94)
6. Noah Read - 2,577 (1998-2001)
7. Devin Matthews - 2,167 (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 (TOWSON 31, N.C. A&T 13)
(11/16/2024 - TOWSON, MD.):
Towson used a strong defensive effort, shutting out its opponent in the first 52:12 to win 31-13 over North Carolina A&T.
Important Stat:
Towson - Outscored N.C. A&T 31-0 in opening 52 minutes
N.C. A&T - Had 141 passing yards in the fourth quarter
Top Passer:
Towson - Sean Brown: 23-35, 251 yards, 1 TD
N.C. A&T - Justin Fomby: 14-20, 176 yards, 2 TD
Top Rusher:
Towson - Tyrell Greene Jr.: 11 rush, 74 yards, 1 TD
N.C. A&T - Shimique Blizzard: 13 rush, 41 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - Carter Runyon: 7 receptions, 81 yards
N.C. A&T - Ger-Cari Caldwell: 4 receptions, 56 yards
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Xavier Terry (DB): 7 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR
N.C. A&T - Kade Moledor (LB): 16 tackles, 0.5 TFL
 
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 radio team.
 
SCOUTING CAMPBELL:
Campbell is under the leadership of Braxton Harris, who was the head coach at Houston Christian in 2023.
 
Campbell is fourth in the league with 235.8 passing yards a game.  Redshirt senior Mike Chandler II has been the primary QB the last couple of games, throwing 54.5% for 983 yards, 11 TD and four interceptions.
 
On defense, redshirt senior linebacker Jalen Brooks is second in the CAA in total tackles with 105, including 7.5 for loss and four sacks.
 
LAST GAME IN NORTH CAROLINA (TOWSON 42, N.C. A&T 32)
(11/4/2023 - GREENSBORO, N.C.):
The balanced offense of Towson led the Tigers to a 42-32 victory at North Carolina A&T for the team's fourth road win of the season.
Important Stat:
Towson - Scored at least one touchdown every quarter
N.C. A&T - Finished with 501 yards of total offense
Top Passer:
Towson - Nathan Kent: 18-28, 263 yards, 2 TD
N.C. A&T  - Eli Brickhandler: 10-16, 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top Rusher:
Towson - Devin Matthews: 17 rush, 98 yards, 3 TD
N.C. A&T  - Kenji Christian: 22 rush, 140 yards
Top Receiver:
Towson - Lukkas Londono: 6 catches, 126 yards
N.C. A&T  - Amonte Jones: 5 catches, 98 yards
Standout Defensive Player:
Towson - Xavier Terry (DB): 9 tackles, 1 FF
N.C. A&T  - Ty Williams Jr. (DB): 9 tackles, 1 TFL
 
POIST, MOREKAS 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 were 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.
 
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.