SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Towson University football team held off a final push from Bryant to earn a 26-24 victory in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) opener on the road.
Spearheaded by the defense allowing just nine points in the first three quarters and
Al Wooten II running for 100 yards, Towson (3-2, 1-0 CAA) led by 14 going into the final quarter, holding off two Bryant (2-3, 0-1 CAA) touchdown drives in the last 15 minutes for the win.
Key Stats:
- Bryant has the slight edge on total offensive yards with 347 to Towson's 304. Towson countered with forcing two turnovers, a forced fumble by Branson Peters and an interception by Ja'Mez Drummer. Each side had a turnover on downs.
- Leading the rushing battle, Al Wooten II ran for 100 of Towson's 151 yards on 26 carries, scoring a touchdown. Andrew Indorf was 17-for-31 on passing for 153 yards and a touchdown, adding 27 yards on the ground plus he was not sacked in the game. Indorf's top target was Jaceon Doss with three catches, 41 yards and a score.
- Caden Williams was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals, including a long of 45. Lukkas Londono had over 40 yards on each kickoff return, totaling 86 yards on two returns.
- Starting at middle linebacker, Branson Peters led Towson with nine tackles, also forcing a fumble. Ja'Mez Drummer had six tackles, an interception and a sack.
- For Bryant, Brennan Myer was 22-for-36 in the game with 218 yards, a touchdown and a pick, with Aldrich Doe and Tristen Riley each having five receptions for 57 and 56 yards each. Elijah Ellliott rushed 19 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Lonnie Rice led the defense with 12 tackles, including forcing a safety on a tackle for loss.
How it Happened
- Towson won the toss and deferred, forcing a three-and-out concluded by Xavier Terry breaking up a short pass near the sideline. Towson started on its own 43 and drove down with short passes and Al Wooten II runs up the middle. Towson was stopped on third down, but Caden Williams knocked down the field goal for a 3-0 Towson lead with 10:22 left in the first.
- Towson attempted a short kickoff to try to trick Bryant, but Bryant received it and started at midfield. Elijah Elliott rushed down field for the Bulldogs several times, then a 12-yard pass to Aldrich Doe brought the home team into the red zone. Towson forced a fourth down, but Bryant converted on a two-yard rush. On the four, Myles Brodie broke up a pass then another incompletion set up a field goal attempt, which Bryant converted for a 3-3 tie with 2:21 to go in the first.
- Lukkas Londono had another big kickoff return, bringing back the ball 42 yards into Bryant territory. Towson kept converting third downs, one on a seven-yard pass to Peyton Faulkner and another on a one-yard up the gut rush by Wooten II into the second quarter. Towson was stopped after going into the red zone, but Williams knocked down another field goal to get Towson back in the lead 6-3 less than a minute into the second.
- Towson's defense forced a three-and-out on three incompletions and got the ball back on the punt. A 27-yard pass from Andrew Indorf to Lukkas Londono converted a third and 17 and brought Towson into Bryant territory, but the Tigers were held after that and punted.
- The Bryant air attack brought the home team near midfield, but on third down, Ja'Mez Drummer took down the quarterback to force a punt. Towson had a three-and-out, but got back possession after Branson Peters forced a fumble on a completed pass and Terry recovered. Pushing forward, setting up on the one after a 10-yard quarterback scramble, Wooten II pounded the ball forward into the end zone, giving Towson a 13-3 lead with 1:41 left in the half.
- Bryant put together a quick drive, resulting in a 22-yard touchdown pass to Elliot. The extra point missed as Towson led 13-9 at the half.
- Wooten II continued to pound up the middle and pushed his way into Bryant territory on the first drive of the third. Faced with fourth and two on the Bryant 25, Jaceon Doss was left alone on the right side for the 25-yard touchdown catch, making it 20-9 Towson with 11:01 to go in the third.
- On Bryant's drive, the Bulldogs returned to the run, using an Elliott 17-yard run and more rushes by Dylan Kedzior to get into Towson territory. Faced with forth and two, Towson walled up and held on the one-yard gain to force the turnover on downs. Quick passes from Indorf brought Towson downfield, including a rollout 23-yard dart to Zay Perkins. Towson was stopped on the 10 but hit the 27-yard field goal from Williams and led 23-9 with 3:34 to go in the 3rd.
- A couple of Brennan Myer passes and Elliott rushes brought the home team into the red zone, then at the start of the fourth quarter, a rush left-turned right by Elliott got a 12-yard touchdown. Towson was up 23-16 seconds into the fourth quarter.
- Another big return for Londono of 44 yards started Towson just across midfield. The Tigers got into Bryant territory, went for it on fourth down but was stopped one yard short on the Bryant 26. Towson's defense, after a drive-opening 13-yard rush, forced a punt and took over on its own 1 with 8:28 left. From there, Bryant forced a safety on the next play. Towson led 23-18.
- After the kickoff punt, on the rollout pass, Drummer intercepted the pass downfield and gave Towson the ball in Bryant territory. From there, Towson kept rushing the ball to gain yards and run clock. Stopped short of the goal, Williams knocked down a fourth field goal to push Towson up 26-18 with 2:37 left.
- Looking for a final drive, Bryant went primarily to the air, converting a fourth and 10 on an 11-yard pass to Tristen Riley and adding a pass interference penalty later. Rushing on the final plays, Elliott pushed the final three yards into the end zone for the touchdown. On the two-point conversion attempt, Zakaa Brown and Wyatt Draeger tripped up Grant Robinson on the two. Towson recovered the onside kick attempt and ran out the clock to win 26-24.
Inside the Numbers
- Al Wooten II earns his first 100-yard rushing game with Towson. It is his first in his collegiate career since running for 164 yards vs. VMI on Sept. 30, 2023 with Mercer.
- Caden Williams ties the Towson record for most field goals in a game with four. It has been done five times in Towson history, last accomplished by Aidan O'Neill on Oct. 27, 2018 at Delaware.
- This is the first time that Towson has won its CAA opener since 2019.
- This was the first-ever game between Towson and Bryant. Towson earns its fourth consecutive victory against an opponent it is playing for the first time in program history dating back to 2022.
- Six different Tigers had multiple catches in this game.
Next Game
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