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[Mike in STL]

Towson Unis tonight featured on ESPN’s “Gear Up” segment.

https://mobile.twitt...serp|twgr^tweet

[Mike in STL]

#8 Towson leads 17-13 at the half over #9 Maine. But at a cost. All-America RB Shane Simpson left the game needing to be helped off the field with a leg injury while returning a kick. Sr. RB Yeedee Theanrat has filled in nicely with two first half rushing TDs. 

 

Coby Tippett, son of NFL HOFer Andre Tippett, has his 3rd INT in 3 games now. 

 

Back and forth game with four lead changes already.

[Mike in STL]

Tigers win!! All Towson in the second half for the 45-23 victory. 

 

The defense forced 4 turnovers, all interceptions. Theanrat in Simpson's absence scored 4 rushing TDs, all from inside the 5-yard line. 

 

We'll see how far up the ranks Towson jumps this week.

 

FCS Coaches poll top-10, non FBS records

 

1. North Dakota State: 3-0 (Beat #18 Delaware 47-22)

2. James Madison: 2-0 (Beat Morgan State 63-12)

3. South Dakota State: 2-0 (Beat Drake 38-10)

4. UC-Davis: 1-0 (Lead Lehigh 14-0 in 1Q)

5. Eastern Washington: 1-1 (Lost to Jacksonville State 49-45)

6. Weber State: 1-0, 0-2 in FBS games (Lost to Nevada 19-13)

7. Kennesaw State: 2-0 (Beat Alabama State 42-7)

8. Towson: 3-0 (Beat #9 Maine 45-23)

9. Maine: 1-1 (Lost to #8 Towson 45-23)

10. Northern Iowa: 1-0 (Bye)

 

Next Saturday at 6pm Towson hosts 3-0, #23 Villanova, who has won their games by 20, 28, and 35. Sure to climb the polls even more. 

[Mike in STL]

Towson reaches the top-5, coming in at #5 in the latest polls. Villanova is coming in hot this weekend, going from unranked, to #23, and now #18. 

 

Game of the week will be #1 No Dak State against #4 UC-Davis. 

[Mike in STL]

Heartbreaker tonight, #5 Towson lost in OT 52-45 vs. #18 Villanova.

Both teams have shown quick strike ability, and tonight was no different. It was a back and forth game until Nova went up 42-28 in the 4th. Towson scores a quick TD, then got a pick-6 from defensive captain, linebacker Rob Heyward to tie it at 42.

Towson got a stop with 5 minutes left, then went down and kicked a field goal with 2 minutes to go. The defense couldn’t get stops on two 4th downs and held Nova to a field goal making it 45 all to end regulation.

Nova started with the ball in OT and scored on two plays. Towson got a 1st down but then incomplete passes on 3rd and 4th and 1 ended the night.

More injuries piled up tonight to key players.

They head to Florida next Saturday. Game at 4pm in SEC Network.

[Mike in STL]

Better than Maryland. #10 Towson only trails Florida 17-0 at the half.

[Mike in STL]

Towson couldn’t convert any scores, dropping to 3-2 with a 38-0 loss at Florida.

Better than Maryland, and a road game.

Florida opened the scoring at 7-0. Towson was then in the red zone, and a bad snap fumbled cost a potential score. At 10-0, Towson missed a 32-yard FG. Later had a FG blocked. 3 trips into the red zone with no scores. Score wasn’t indicative of the game. At one point, Towson had run 19 plays, and 11 of them over two drives were in the red zone.

Towson had a bad week of practice. Not sure that would have mattered anyway. Coach Ambrose hammed in their mindset they needed to have for this one. They also tried to install some new things that Florida wouldn’t have seen on tape, but the opportunity to capitalize, catch them off guard, was never really there.

Commentators mentioned that Les Miles told SEC schools not to schedule Towson after the scare they gave LSU in 2013. That Towson’s physicality led to four LSU injuries, and they come to play. 17-10 at the half in this one was possible. The ground game was on par with Florida. But once the score was out of hand, nothing going through the air.

Dan Mullen had good things to say about Towson. But in reality, it’s a “thanks for an easy W”. He talked about the discipline on Towson’s side....meh. O-line is suspect. Some drops by receivers. Depth, or lack there of is starting to show, given the injuries to key players.

The best team in the state goes on their bye week. In two weeks its a matchup at home with Albany.

[Mike in STL]

Towson didn't move in the FCS Coaches poll after the Florida loss, and gained a spot in the bye week. They rank #9 coming into this weekend's home matchup with conference foe, Albany. 

 

Both teams are in the middle of the CAA standings as Towson sits 3-2, Albany 3-3. Albany is unranked, and not receiving any votes. All three of their losses have come on the road. 

 

Towson won last years meeting in Albany, 56-28. 

 

As far as stats go, pretty evenly matched teams across the board, but Albany is starting a freshman QB who leads the CAA with 18 passing TDs in 6 games. 

 

Kickoff is at Saturday at 4pm.

[DJ MC]

Hopefully the Tigers can keep on the SUNY side of the field.

[Mike in STL]

Albany beat #9 Towson 38-21 tonight. 14 of Towson’s points were gifts by Albany fumbling the ball inside their own 20. Defense had no answers as at one point, Albany had double the yardage that Towson had. Albany’s defense slowed Tom Flacco’s running ability, though he still threw for two scores.

A team with national championship hopes is back to being among the middle of the pack as the top teams are separating themselves.

Next Saturday is Homecoming and Towson looks to break a three game skid against 1-5 Bucknell.

[Mike in STL]

Towson Football on SC Top 10

 

https://twitter.com/...8548482048?s=20

[Mike in STL]

Towson is back in the win column in a big way.

After falling from #9 to #20 in this weeks poll, they win 56-7 vs. Bucknell. Bucknell had just picked up their first win last week against a winless Colgate team, so read into the score what you will.

Weak Opponent or not, Tom Flacco threw 6, yes 6, first half TDs. First one to TE Chris Clark, and the next 5 all to WR Shane Leatherbury.

Kicker Aiden O’Neill had a 61-yard FG hit the crossbar heading into the half. After making from 56, but being negated by a false start.

Towson opened the second half with a kickoff return for a TD by D’Ago Hunter. Listed at a very generous 5’8” on the teams site.

5 quarterbacks dressed and all got to play.

Towson is 4-3 and goes on the road to #2 James Madison. Other than Stoney Brook who they beat by 8, JMU has steamrolled everyone in the FCS. Their lowest scoring game was 37, and other than The SB game, the most they’ve allowed is 24. They lost their FBS game 20-13 to West Virginia.

[Mike in STL]

Big time rivalry game today. After a loss at #2 James Madison, #22 Towson (4-4) hosts Delaware (4-4) at 2 pm.

Rob Ambrose’s brother, Jared, is the offensive coordinator at Delaware, and was a grad assistant there when Joe Flacco played.
Towson will have to disguise some things as Jared worked under Rob at Towson in previous years.

Neither team can afford to drop below .500 as teams are making their cases for playoff spots. Delaware just dropped from the top 25 after a loss to Richmond, and Towson will assuredly drop out if they lose today.

[Mike in STL]

Towson wins a fight with Delaware, 31-24. It was chippy out there with the game played closed all day long, and tied at 24 with under five minutes to play. Yeedee Thaenrat rushed for three more TDs bringing his total on the year up to 12 in Shane Simpsons absence who tore an ACL in week 1.

 

Caleb Smith hauled in 9 balls for 200 yards on the day. 

 

Another injury bites the team though, as TE Chris Clark suffered a knee injury and was later on the sideline on crutches. MRI coming this week, but you can guess his season is done with three regular season games to go.

 

Towson improves to 5-4.

 

Remaining schedule:
@ Stony Brook (5-4). SB lost today to Richmond. But took #2 JMU to OT a month ago, and lost by one point to #11 Villanova.

@ William & Mary (3-6). Won in 5OTs vs. Elon today. 

vs. Elon (4-5). Will have a bye week entering this matchup. 

 

Get the feeling they winning out gets them in the playoffs. JMU has a stranglehold on the CAA title and one of 10 auto bids for conference champs. 14 at larges come from the other teams for a total of 24. Considering they were ranked #22 in the coaches poll before the win today, they are on the bubble. But they are currently 8th in the CAA. Losing to Stony Brook will not allow them to climb over them in the standings. Losing to W&M might as well erase an at-large shot. Losing to Elon wouldn't be a good look coming into Selection Sunday. 

 

IMO, win out they are in. 1 loss they are on the bubble. 2 losses they are out.

[Mike in STL]

Towson with a convincing 31-14 win in the cold up in Stony Brook.

@William and Mary next week who just rolled Rhode Island. IMO, can’t lose that game and stay in the playoff conversation.

[Mike in STL]

Towson leads W&M 24-3 at the half. Complete domination. 299 yards to 97. 20 first downs to 3. 22:12 to 7:48 TOP.

[Mike in STL]

Towson rolls, 31-10, improving to 7-4, and 4-3 in the CAA. 

 

Here's where things stand with a week to go.

 

CAA Standings

 

#2 James Madison: 10-1 (7-0). Next up @ Rhode Island: 2-9 (0-7)

Albany: 7-4 (5-2). Next up @ Stony Brook: 5-6 (2-5)

#16 Villanova: 8-3 (4-3). Next up vs. Delaware: 5-6 (3-4)

#21 Towson: 7-4 (4-3). Next up vs. Elon: 4-6 (3-4)

Maine: 6-5 (4-3). Next up @ New Hampshire: 5-5 (4-3)

 

James Madison has the conference locked up, and thus an auto-bid to the playoffs. (10 auto bids and 14 at large picks make up the field).

 

Albany has been receiving votes and won again today meaning they may crack the top-25. A win next week seals up 2nd place, and 2nd place in the CAA, probably being ranked, will get them an at-large. A loss, could drop them to 4th, left unranked, puts them on the bubble.

 

Villanova won this week against something call LIU-Post. (Long Island-Brooklyn and DII C.W. Post merged athletic departments...apparently). So Villanova shouldn't rise up the rankings. They crushed some very weak teams, and played their conference foes very close. Delaware could win this one, and it would sure help Towson, if they can win. 

 

Towson. I mentioned two weeks back that winning out would get them at at-large bid. They lost to both Albany and Villanova this season, so if those two win, as well as Towson, that has to make Towson's SOS even better. Not crazy to think the CAA would send four teams to the playoff. They sent 5 last year, including a 7-5 Towson team. An 8-4 team should they beat Elon on Senior Day at home, should be enough as they have stayed in the rankings all season long. They could finish as high as 2nd if Albany and Nova both lose.

 

Should Towson disappoint, and Maine wins, Towson falls to 5th in conference, likely out of rankings, and then they will have to watch selection Sunday on the edge of their seat. If Maine also loses, Towson stays at 4th in conference, but still it's a bubble watch scenario. 

 

Nationwide look: 

Big Sky: Auto-bid pending. Has four teams in the top-10. (4)

Big South: Auto-bid: Monmouth. Kennesaw State ranked #11 (2)

CAA: Auto-bid: James Madison. See above (3 or 4)

MVC: Auto-bid: No.Dak.St (duh). Has four teams in the top-10 (4)

NEC: Auto-bid: Central Conn. St. Likely only bid here (1)

OVC: Auto-bid pending. Two ranked teams (2)

Patriot: Auto-bid pending. Awful awful conference. Only sending one (1)

Pioneer: Auto-bid: San Diego. SD isn't even ranked. Three teams could win 8 games. SD, Dayton has an outside chance, but Davidson really really played no one. OOC schedule included DII and NCCAA schools. (1 or 2)

Southern: Auto-bid: Wofford. Two ranked teams (2)

Southland: Auto-bid pending. Three ranked teams (3)

 

So I count 22 spots spoken for. #23 would be Towson or Albany. #24 would be the other one of them, or a bubble team like Independent school North Dakota who can get to 7-4 next week, and are the unofficial #26 team in rankings (were #22 last week). Southern Illinois, UT-Martin, and Campbell are three others that are hanging by a thread with a week to go, then Dayton. 

 

Towson needs to just win, then watch the selection show awaiting to hear their name, rather than hoping to hear their name.

[Mike in STL]

Brutal loss today, falling to Elon 25-23. Towson led by 15 at one point but turnovers, a missed FG, let Elon back in the game. They kicked the go ahead FG with 55 seconds left. Tom Flacco threw a pick in hurry up that ended it.

They finish the regular season 7-5, but the latest projection by yahoo has Towson in the playoff. They played a pretty tough schedule, compared to other schools that have better records but are being left out of yahoos projection (Kennesaw State, Furman, South Carolina st).

ESPNU broadcasts the selection show at 12:30 on Sunday. We’ll find out then if the Tigers get a reprieve.

[Mike in STL]

So a 1-0 start next year...

 

2020 schedule

 

@ Maryland

vs. Morgan State

vs. Stony Brook

vs. Dartmouth

@ Villanova

vs. James Madison

@ Richmond

vs. New Hampshire

@ Delaware

@ Elon

vs. Rhode Island

 

All 12 of the teams in the CAA, except for Rhode Island, won at least five games this year.

 

Highly competitive conference games throughout, and if playoffs are on the line in the last week, you want to play a team like Rhode Island.

 

Can't afford to lose to Morgan St.

 

Dartmouth is a tough out of conference game they scheduled. Were ranked #21 last week, and finished the season with a share of the Ivy League crown at 9-1 with Yale. Would have won it outright, but Harvard epically collapsed at Yale, allowing 14 points in the last 90 seconds to force OT, and losing in 2OTs.

 

It's up in the air how Towson could do with Tom Flacco, and other major role players on their way out.

[Mike in STL]

Towson is left out of the playoffs. Heartbreaking feeling in the room. But as other bubble teams got picked it was pretty apparent it wasn’t gonna happen. Feel bad for these guys. Some pretty special people on the team, outside of football, that you wish could go on.