Saturday, October 31, 2009
Gameday Post: Richmond
Sorry readers, I will not be posting today for the game, WMJF-TV is doing a television broadcast of the game on campus. Tune in afterward for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Gameday Blog: Delaware
TOWSON, Md. -- It's raining, it's pouring, all of Towson is snoring. This should be a slop fest ladies and gentlemen.
Pregame: 5 minutes to kick off and the Capatins are on the field. From left to right, Brady Smith, Tamba Tongu, Alex Butt, Casey Ceagles and David Newsom.
UD wins the toss, defers to the 2nd half. Towson to receive.
(14:40) 11 yard pass from Peter Athens to Newsom, Towson does NOT go 3 and out on their first drive. Towson on their own 42 yard line.
(13:28) and Athens just ran for a first down, real good play by the True Frosh, he got into trouble and solved his way out of it instead of throwing it away or turning it over. I'm impressed. Tigers on the UD 43 yard line.
(11:41) And the drive stalls in UD territory. Athens' pass to Ceagles comes up 3 yards short. Bill Shears punts it into the end zone. UD ball at the 20.
(9:59) Two personal fouls (one questionable) and PSU Transfer Pat Devlin have advanced the Blue Hens into Towson Territory. Ollie Thomas breaks up a 3rd down pass. Devlin runs for a first down. UD on the Towson 15
(7:05) Danny Collins with a big pass break up, Delaware's Leon Jackson runs it in on 3rd and 2. 11 plays, 80 yards (including 2 personal fouls).
-----Towson 0, Delaware 7-----
(6:10) Athens breaks a 13 yard run. and is INJURED! Athens does not get up after the run.
(4:26) Peterson comes in, breaks a 12 yard run. Towson's QB's are combining for 36 yards off 3 carries today
(3:50) Peterson's pass to Ceagles. Interference on UD. Auto First Down for Towson, now in UD territory at the 46 yard line
(1:47) Peterson with a terrible QB keeper, stopped on 4th and 1. UD ball on their own 39 yard line
(0:00) End of the first UD has the ball on the Towson 42.
1st Quarter Notes: Two stalled offensive drives by the Tigers, but the defense has kept Pat Devlin honest.
(14:34) David Newsom calls off returners on a punt that lands on the Towson 1. Bad call. But Tigers' ball on the 1
(13:10)Shears punting from the endzone, this could result in a safety...or an AWFUL 20 yard punt.
(12:57) and Devlin connects with Mark Duncan. BEAUTIFUL pass, perfect route. Hits him in stride on a 20 yard post down the middle of the field. It looked like a practice rep. 1 play 26 yards, 0:04 seconds.
-----Towson 0, UD 14-----
(8:54) Jerry Butler with a 22 yard run for UD. to the Tigers' 9
(8:30) UD appears to go offsides but calls a time out. Ambrose starts vaulting insults at the Line judge. TU is penalized, half the distance to the goal.
(7:11) and an UGLY UGLY run by Jackson for a UD TD
-----Towson 0, UD 21-----
(7:00) BIG Kick off return my Hakeem Moore, would have been to the Delaware 30, instead at the Towson 31
(7:00) Enter Brian Potts. The redshirt frosh fumbles his first snap of the game.
(3:50) Newsom muffs a punt, luckily it goes out of bounds
(3:44) Luckily Newsom makes up for it with a great catch.
(2:12) Potts looks for Tom Ryan on a bomb, Def pass interference. Towson ball on their 38. Auto first down
(1:59) and Potts hooks up with Moore on a 37 yard post to the far sideline. Towson on the UD 30.
(1:25) 4th and ten from the thirty and their going for it...and it's picked off at the 5. by Bratton. 37 yard return. UD ball on their 42
(0:58) Devlin keeps, runs for 18 yards. Brady Smith misses the sack by a breath. UD at the 50
(0:42) Devlin scrambles, steps into the pocket and launches a bullet to Duncan in the endzone. 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:23 seconds.
-----Towson 0, UD 28-----
(0:00) Hail mary pass by Potts picked off at the 12 yard line by Charles Graves, and returns it 88 yards for the TD with no time left in the half
-----Towson 0, UD 35-----
(14:46) UD returns the opening kickoff of the half 89 yards for a TD
-----Towson 0, Delaware 42-----
(14:38) Enter Tommy Chroniger at QB. Sacked his first play
(10:07) Chorniger is sacked on fourth down, held it wayyyyyy too long. UD takes over on Downs.
(4:46) Devlin is 8-14 for 115 yards, 2 TD's and no interceptions...and is marching down the field
(2:20) GREAT 3rd down stop for TU. 4th and goal on the 1. And Delaware runs it in and JUST gets it into the endzone. Leon Jackson's 3rd rushing TD today. 13 plays, 66 yards for a whopping 8:24.
-----Towson 0, Delaware 49-----
(0:10) and Towson responds with a great 3 and out to end the third quarter.
(13:35) And Towson FORCED a turnover. That makes it a (-1) turnover margin. Towson ball on the UD 41 yard line
(11:37) Dominique Booker with a 23 yard run. First and Goal Towson. Their first possession inside the 20 yard line
(10:30) Booker with his first career touchdown. 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:05 off the clock.
-----Towson 7, UD 49-----
(7:45) Chroniger keeps for 71 yards. Towson in the Redzone again
(5:15) Chroniger keeps for a 3 yard keeper and a Touchdown. 5 plays, 88 yards, 2:51 off the clock.
-----Towson 14, UD 49-----
(3:54) Towson recovers another fumble. Towson fumbles two plays later but recovers and draws a 15 yard penalty. First down on the UD 21
(2:33) Treymane Dameron with a 5 yard run. 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:15
-----Towson 21, UD 49-----
Pregame: 5 minutes to kick off and the Capatins are on the field. From left to right, Brady Smith, Tamba Tongu, Alex Butt, Casey Ceagles and David Newsom.
UD wins the toss, defers to the 2nd half. Towson to receive.
(14:40) 11 yard pass from Peter Athens to Newsom, Towson does NOT go 3 and out on their first drive. Towson on their own 42 yard line.
(13:28) and Athens just ran for a first down, real good play by the True Frosh, he got into trouble and solved his way out of it instead of throwing it away or turning it over. I'm impressed. Tigers on the UD 43 yard line.
(11:41) And the drive stalls in UD territory. Athens' pass to Ceagles comes up 3 yards short. Bill Shears punts it into the end zone. UD ball at the 20.
(9:59) Two personal fouls (one questionable) and PSU Transfer Pat Devlin have advanced the Blue Hens into Towson Territory. Ollie Thomas breaks up a 3rd down pass. Devlin runs for a first down. UD on the Towson 15
(7:05) Danny Collins with a big pass break up, Delaware's Leon Jackson runs it in on 3rd and 2. 11 plays, 80 yards (including 2 personal fouls).
-----Towson 0, Delaware 7-----
(6:10) Athens breaks a 13 yard run. and is INJURED! Athens does not get up after the run.
(4:26) Peterson comes in, breaks a 12 yard run. Towson's QB's are combining for 36 yards off 3 carries today
(3:50) Peterson's pass to Ceagles. Interference on UD. Auto First Down for Towson, now in UD territory at the 46 yard line
(1:47) Peterson with a terrible QB keeper, stopped on 4th and 1. UD ball on their own 39 yard line
(0:00) End of the first UD has the ball on the Towson 42.
1st Quarter Notes: Two stalled offensive drives by the Tigers, but the defense has kept Pat Devlin honest.
(14:34) David Newsom calls off returners on a punt that lands on the Towson 1. Bad call. But Tigers' ball on the 1
(13:10)Shears punting from the endzone, this could result in a safety...or an AWFUL 20 yard punt.
(12:57) and Devlin connects with Mark Duncan. BEAUTIFUL pass, perfect route. Hits him in stride on a 20 yard post down the middle of the field. It looked like a practice rep. 1 play 26 yards, 0:04 seconds.
-----Towson 0, UD 14-----
(8:54) Jerry Butler with a 22 yard run for UD. to the Tigers' 9
(8:30) UD appears to go offsides but calls a time out. Ambrose starts vaulting insults at the Line judge. TU is penalized, half the distance to the goal.
(7:11) and an UGLY UGLY run by Jackson for a UD TD
-----Towson 0, UD 21-----
(7:00) BIG Kick off return my Hakeem Moore, would have been to the Delaware 30, instead at the Towson 31
(7:00) Enter Brian Potts. The redshirt frosh fumbles his first snap of the game.
(3:50) Newsom muffs a punt, luckily it goes out of bounds
(3:44) Luckily Newsom makes up for it with a great catch.
(2:12) Potts looks for Tom Ryan on a bomb, Def pass interference. Towson ball on their 38. Auto first down
(1:59) and Potts hooks up with Moore on a 37 yard post to the far sideline. Towson on the UD 30.
(1:25) 4th and ten from the thirty and their going for it...and it's picked off at the 5. by Bratton. 37 yard return. UD ball on their 42
(0:58) Devlin keeps, runs for 18 yards. Brady Smith misses the sack by a breath. UD at the 50
(0:42) Devlin scrambles, steps into the pocket and launches a bullet to Duncan in the endzone. 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:23 seconds.
-----Towson 0, UD 28-----
(0:00) Hail mary pass by Potts picked off at the 12 yard line by Charles Graves, and returns it 88 yards for the TD with no time left in the half
-----Towson 0, UD 35-----
(14:46) UD returns the opening kickoff of the half 89 yards for a TD
-----Towson 0, Delaware 42-----
(14:38) Enter Tommy Chroniger at QB. Sacked his first play
(10:07) Chorniger is sacked on fourth down, held it wayyyyyy too long. UD takes over on Downs.
(4:46) Devlin is 8-14 for 115 yards, 2 TD's and no interceptions...and is marching down the field
(2:20) GREAT 3rd down stop for TU. 4th and goal on the 1. And Delaware runs it in and JUST gets it into the endzone. Leon Jackson's 3rd rushing TD today. 13 plays, 66 yards for a whopping 8:24.
-----Towson 0, Delaware 49-----
(0:10) and Towson responds with a great 3 and out to end the third quarter.
(13:35) And Towson FORCED a turnover. That makes it a (-1) turnover margin. Towson ball on the UD 41 yard line
(11:37) Dominique Booker with a 23 yard run. First and Goal Towson. Their first possession inside the 20 yard line
(10:30) Booker with his first career touchdown. 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:05 off the clock.
-----Towson 7, UD 49-----
(7:45) Chroniger keeps for 71 yards. Towson in the Redzone again
(5:15) Chroniger keeps for a 3 yard keeper and a Touchdown. 5 plays, 88 yards, 2:51 off the clock.
-----Towson 14, UD 49-----
(3:54) Towson recovers another fumble. Towson fumbles two plays later but recovers and draws a 15 yard penalty. First down on the UD 21
(2:33) Treymane Dameron with a 5 yard run. 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:15
-----Towson 21, UD 49-----
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: New Hampshire
I'm going to give this short and sweet because there's not much more I could say.
THE GOOD: N/A
"Nobody died," Rob Ambrose on positives from the game.
THE BAD: Turnovers
6 Interceptions and 2 fumbles, giving up 127 yards and a touchdown. With every attempt at some sort of offensive production, Towson shot themselves in the foot. The Tigers have been notorious for very poor turnover ratios in the past. Today they turned in a (-7).
THE UGLY: Scoreboard
'Nough said. The Wildcats handed Towson the most lopsided loss at Johnny Unitas Stadium. New Hampshire didn't only score often, they scored in almost every way possible. 2 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, 2 interception returns, a field goal, a kick return, a safety and a field goal.
OVERALL ANALYSIS: To put it simply, Towson failed on pretty much every facet of the game, and New Hampshire did what all good teams do. They capitalized on the mistakes of a bad team.
Towson's defense kept it honest. To be frank, this game could have set NCAA records as far as scoring and turnovers. But for every positive the Tigers had as a team, they seemed to mess it up somehow. This is the mark of a young team.
There's a huge upside to the amount of young talent they have along with a coach that should have a great recruiting record. However, right now, they're nowhere near ready to compete in this conference. If they are, they haven't showed it yet.
THE GOOD: N/A
"Nobody died," Rob Ambrose on positives from the game.
THE BAD: Turnovers
6 Interceptions and 2 fumbles, giving up 127 yards and a touchdown. With every attempt at some sort of offensive production, Towson shot themselves in the foot. The Tigers have been notorious for very poor turnover ratios in the past. Today they turned in a (-7).
THE UGLY: Scoreboard
'Nough said. The Wildcats handed Towson the most lopsided loss at Johnny Unitas Stadium. New Hampshire didn't only score often, they scored in almost every way possible. 2 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, 2 interception returns, a field goal, a kick return, a safety and a field goal.
OVERALL ANALYSIS: To put it simply, Towson failed on pretty much every facet of the game, and New Hampshire did what all good teams do. They capitalized on the mistakes of a bad team.
Towson's defense kept it honest. To be frank, this game could have set NCAA records as far as scoring and turnovers. But for every positive the Tigers had as a team, they seemed to mess it up somehow. This is the mark of a young team.
There's a huge upside to the amount of young talent they have along with a coach that should have a great recruiting record. However, right now, they're nowhere near ready to compete in this conference. If they are, they haven't showed it yet.
Gameday Tracker - New Hampshire
TOWSON, Md. --
(15:00) Beautiful day in Towson. Balt. County day, so another decent crowd. (Exceptional considering it's at day game at Towson, something that usually doesn't attract students.
-Gameday Captains Alex Butt, Brady Smith, David Newsom, Casey Ceagles.
-Towson to receive
Kick off - First Quarter
(14:55) First play of the day, first penalty of the day. Illegal Formation
(12:47) Newsom drops a beautiful ball in completely open coverage, on third down. And the punt is blocked Justin Mellow for New Hampshire. UNH has the ball on the Towson 11.
(11:24) Alex Butt is reminding me exactly how good he is...as I type that, Touchdown UNH. Chad Kackert with a 7yrd rush.
-----(11:06) Towson 0, UNH 7-----
(11:00) Another bobbled kickoff, but Moore got a hold of it. Maybe TU should just not play special teams today.
(10:18) Athens pass tip drilled by UNH defense. UNH's second drive starts at the Towson 32
(9:47) OLB Donte Blakey with a great rush, sacks Decker for a loss of 9
(8:53) Touchdown UNH. Decker to Scott Sicko.
-----(8:53) Towson 0, UNH 14-----
(7:48) Another stalled drive, big play dropped by Alex Blake.
-Bad snap on the Punt, Shears tried to kick it in the endzone, but got an illegal kick saftey for UNH
-----Towson 0, UNH 16-----
(7:28) And the free kick is returned for a TD
-----Towson 0, UNH 23-----
(7:24) ANOTHER bobbled snap, Justin Harris takes a knee in the endzone. Lucky for them, UNH was offsides on the kickoff. Towson starts on the 25
(7:16) Another pick for Athens. Dino Vasso returns his second INT of a TD
-----Towson 0, UNH 30----
(7:09) Towson DOESN'T bobble the kickoff, receives standing ovation
(5:13) Towson's first play from New Hampshire territory. Dominique converts on 4th and 1. If i was in charge, I wouldn't punt or kick the rest of the game.
(4:41) 15 yard penalty on Towson. Back in their of territory
(3:46( Dameron probably just gave somebody a cuncussion. 3rd and 5 for TU, and Chroniger comes in. Runs the option and keeps it. 4th and 5, Booker with the HB pass, incomplete to Moore.
---END OF THE FIRST--- Towson 0, UNH 30
Notes:Besides the fact they're on pace to give up 120 points, Towson collapsed completely for the first half of the quarter. All facets of the game just would not work.
(12:50) Towson stalls on 3rd down again. Alex Blake drops another beautiful ball. But UNH fumbles the fair catch. Jeremy Gardner recovers. Towson's in the red zone
(12:35) ALEX BLAKE BOBBLED IT BUT FINALLY CAUGHT IT IN THE END ZONE. His first career TD.
-----Towson 7, UNH 30-----
(9:17) 7 play drive for 50 yards for UNH. Capped off by a Decker QB keep.
-----Towson 7, UNH 37-----
(8:29) Athens throws his 3rd pick. Blair Peterson is warming up.
(7:18) Big bad Brady Smith with a BIG tackle for loss. Next play he gets a big sack. Smith has pushed them back 16 yards on two
(6:11) Big pass to David Newsom deep over the middle. Draws the def pass interference. First down Tigers at the 36
(3:45) New Hampshire is simpling running the clock away on the Tigers.
(1:08) Not much to say right now, it's kind of a broken record. Towson comes out with 2 or 3 good plays and then EPICALLY fails. Athens fumbles the ball.
(0:02) FG for UNH. The wildcats have now scored in every way possible. A passing TD, rushing TD, a pick six, a safety and a kick return
HALF TIME SCORE Towson 7, UNH 40
Notes: Simply put, they're bad.
(13:23) The crowd looks depleted. the "Gold Rush" is heading towards the gates. HAKEEM MOORE blocks a punt?!?!?!?!?!?! Towson's ball on the 8yard line.
(12:47) Athens throws to Newsom 3 steps too early, and throws a 94 yard pick six. Welcome to the CAA frosh
----- Towson 7, UNH 47 -----
(12:41) Enter QB Blair Peterson
(7:06) Big completion after big completion, UNH is ALWAYS open
----- Towson 7, UNH 54 -----
(5:36) Even I feel like giving up right now, I'm going to the field for the rest of the game to get the vibe. Check www.twitter.com/towson_gameday for updates.
(15:00) Beautiful day in Towson. Balt. County day, so another decent crowd. (Exceptional considering it's at day game at Towson, something that usually doesn't attract students.
-Gameday Captains Alex Butt, Brady Smith, David Newsom, Casey Ceagles.
-Towson to receive
Kick off - First Quarter
(14:55) First play of the day, first penalty of the day. Illegal Formation
(12:47) Newsom drops a beautiful ball in completely open coverage, on third down. And the punt is blocked Justin Mellow for New Hampshire. UNH has the ball on the Towson 11.
(11:24) Alex Butt is reminding me exactly how good he is...as I type that, Touchdown UNH. Chad Kackert with a 7yrd rush.
-----(11:06) Towson 0, UNH 7-----
(11:00) Another bobbled kickoff, but Moore got a hold of it. Maybe TU should just not play special teams today.
(10:18) Athens pass tip drilled by UNH defense. UNH's second drive starts at the Towson 32
(9:47) OLB Donte Blakey with a great rush, sacks Decker for a loss of 9
(8:53) Touchdown UNH. Decker to Scott Sicko.
-----(8:53) Towson 0, UNH 14-----
(7:48) Another stalled drive, big play dropped by Alex Blake.
-Bad snap on the Punt, Shears tried to kick it in the endzone, but got an illegal kick saftey for UNH
-----Towson 0, UNH 16-----
(7:28) And the free kick is returned for a TD
-----Towson 0, UNH 23-----
(7:24) ANOTHER bobbled snap, Justin Harris takes a knee in the endzone. Lucky for them, UNH was offsides on the kickoff. Towson starts on the 25
(7:16) Another pick for Athens. Dino Vasso returns his second INT of a TD
-----Towson 0, UNH 30----
(7:09) Towson DOESN'T bobble the kickoff, receives standing ovation
(5:13) Towson's first play from New Hampshire territory. Dominique converts on 4th and 1. If i was in charge, I wouldn't punt or kick the rest of the game.
(4:41) 15 yard penalty on Towson. Back in their of territory
(3:46( Dameron probably just gave somebody a cuncussion. 3rd and 5 for TU, and Chroniger comes in. Runs the option and keeps it. 4th and 5, Booker with the HB pass, incomplete to Moore.
---END OF THE FIRST--- Towson 0, UNH 30
Notes:Besides the fact they're on pace to give up 120 points, Towson collapsed completely for the first half of the quarter. All facets of the game just would not work.
(12:50) Towson stalls on 3rd down again. Alex Blake drops another beautiful ball. But UNH fumbles the fair catch. Jeremy Gardner recovers. Towson's in the red zone
(12:35) ALEX BLAKE BOBBLED IT BUT FINALLY CAUGHT IT IN THE END ZONE. His first career TD.
-----Towson 7, UNH 30-----
(9:17) 7 play drive for 50 yards for UNH. Capped off by a Decker QB keep.
-----Towson 7, UNH 37-----
(8:29) Athens throws his 3rd pick. Blair Peterson is warming up.
(7:18) Big bad Brady Smith with a BIG tackle for loss. Next play he gets a big sack. Smith has pushed them back 16 yards on two
(6:11) Big pass to David Newsom deep over the middle. Draws the def pass interference. First down Tigers at the 36
(3:45) New Hampshire is simpling running the clock away on the Tigers.
(1:08) Not much to say right now, it's kind of a broken record. Towson comes out with 2 or 3 good plays and then EPICALLY fails. Athens fumbles the ball.
(0:02) FG for UNH. The wildcats have now scored in every way possible. A passing TD, rushing TD, a pick six, a safety and a kick return
HALF TIME SCORE Towson 7, UNH 40
Notes: Simply put, they're bad.
(13:23) The crowd looks depleted. the "Gold Rush" is heading towards the gates. HAKEEM MOORE blocks a punt?!?!?!?!?!?! Towson's ball on the 8yard line.
(12:47) Athens throws to Newsom 3 steps too early, and throws a 94 yard pick six. Welcome to the CAA frosh
----- Towson 7, UNH 47 -----
(12:41) Enter QB Blair Peterson
(7:06) Big completion after big completion, UNH is ALWAYS open
----- Towson 7, UNH 54 -----
(5:36) Even I feel like giving up right now, I'm going to the field for the rest of the game to get the vibe. Check www.twitter.com/towson_gameday for updates.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Athens Named co-CAA Rookie of the week
(from TU Athletic Media Relations)
RICHMOND, Va. – Quarterback Peter Athens (Huntingtown H.S./Huntingtown, Md.) of Towson University has been named as the co-winner of the Colonial Athletic Association “Rookie of the Week” award, it has been announced by CAA officials.
Athens shared the award with quarterback Justin Thorpe of James Madison University.
He is the first Tiger football player ever to be honored as the CAA Rookie of the Week award winner.
Playing in his first game at Johnny Unitas® Stadium on Saturday evening, Athens led the Tigers to a 21-17 victory over Coastal Carolina University, providing Coach Rob Ambrose with his first victory as the Tigers’ head coach.
Making his second consecutive start, Athens completed 13 of 18 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked once and threw one interception.
While sharing time at quarterback with classmate Tommy Chroniger (DeMatha H.S./Crofton, Md.), the two quarterbacks combined to complete 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
After the Tigers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Athens directed an 83-yard, 12-play drive in the second quarter. His four-yard touchdown pass to senior Dave Newsom (Elizabeth H.S./Elizabeth, N.J.) gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead with 11:02 remaining in the first half.
When Coastal Carolina cut its deficit to 14-10 in the third quarter, Athens led the Tigers on another scoring drive. He capped off a 47-yard, six-play drive by throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Newsom, giving Towson a 21-10 advantage with 11:49 left in the game. On the touchdown pass, he used a pump fake to freeze the Coastal Carolina defensive back and then lofted the pass to Newsom, who was wide-open in the end zone.
In two games, Athens has completed 28 of 43 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his touchdown passes have been thrown to Newsom. With 11 receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns in two games, Newsom is the leading pass receiver in the CAA.
A first-year freshman, Athens is one of several freshmen who have done well in their first two college football games. Tailback Tremayne Dameron (King George H.S./King George, Va.), a “red shirt” freshman, has rushed for 117 yards in two games and had a career high 84 yards against Coastal Carolina. Linebacker Danzel White (C.D. Hylton H.S./Manassas, Va.), another “red shirt” freshman, ranks second on the team with 15 tackles. Defensive tackle Matt Morgan (Horseheads H.S./Horseheads, N.Y.), a “red shirt” freshman who started the first two games, has made seven tackles in two games, including one sack.
Athens and Chroniger are two of seven first-year freshmen who have seen action in the first two games of the season.
The Tigers, now 1-1 on the season, will seek their second consecutive victory when they travel to Hughes Stadium to face Morgan State University on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. It will be the 22nd meeting between the schools. Towson leads the all-time series by a 16-5 margin.
RICHMOND, Va. – Quarterback Peter Athens (Huntingtown H.S./Huntingtown, Md.) of Towson University has been named as the co-winner of the Colonial Athletic Association “Rookie of the Week” award, it has been announced by CAA officials.
Athens shared the award with quarterback Justin Thorpe of James Madison University.
He is the first Tiger football player ever to be honored as the CAA Rookie of the Week award winner.
Playing in his first game at Johnny Unitas® Stadium on Saturday evening, Athens led the Tigers to a 21-17 victory over Coastal Carolina University, providing Coach Rob Ambrose with his first victory as the Tigers’ head coach.
Making his second consecutive start, Athens completed 13 of 18 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked once and threw one interception.
While sharing time at quarterback with classmate Tommy Chroniger (DeMatha H.S./Crofton, Md.), the two quarterbacks combined to complete 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
After the Tigers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Athens directed an 83-yard, 12-play drive in the second quarter. His four-yard touchdown pass to senior Dave Newsom (Elizabeth H.S./Elizabeth, N.J.) gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead with 11:02 remaining in the first half.
When Coastal Carolina cut its deficit to 14-10 in the third quarter, Athens led the Tigers on another scoring drive. He capped off a 47-yard, six-play drive by throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Newsom, giving Towson a 21-10 advantage with 11:49 left in the game. On the touchdown pass, he used a pump fake to freeze the Coastal Carolina defensive back and then lofted the pass to Newsom, who was wide-open in the end zone.
In two games, Athens has completed 28 of 43 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his touchdown passes have been thrown to Newsom. With 11 receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns in two games, Newsom is the leading pass receiver in the CAA.
A first-year freshman, Athens is one of several freshmen who have done well in their first two college football games. Tailback Tremayne Dameron (King George H.S./King George, Va.), a “red shirt” freshman, has rushed for 117 yards in two games and had a career high 84 yards against Coastal Carolina. Linebacker Danzel White (C.D. Hylton H.S./Manassas, Va.), another “red shirt” freshman, ranks second on the team with 15 tackles. Defensive tackle Matt Morgan (Horseheads H.S./Horseheads, N.Y.), a “red shirt” freshman who started the first two games, has made seven tackles in two games, including one sack.
Athens and Chroniger are two of seven first-year freshmen who have seen action in the first two games of the season.
The Tigers, now 1-1 on the season, will seek their second consecutive victory when they travel to Hughes Stadium to face Morgan State University on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. It will be the 22nd meeting between the schools. Towson leads the all-time series by a 16-5 margin.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Coastal Carolina: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
THE GOOD: UConn's...er...I mean Towson's new look offense
For years, it was very familiar to see Towson's offense step on the field with a lot of spread gun formations. This year, they're lining up in an I and smacking people in the mouth. Towson's offense doesn't have the flash that the Phil Albert Turf-Show had, it's a run and gun machine that collects first downs and controls the clock.
Towson ran on first down almost every drive. Freshman Tailback Tremane Dameron had a great game, with 84 yards on 21 carries and led the team in receptions with 7 catches for 61 yards.
The Tigers' new-found run game helped take some of the pressure of the two competing true freshman QB's Peter Athens and Tommy Chroninger. Chroninger is a hell-uva athlete, he even made a great play on special teams. Athens has a cannon. He threads the needle like no other. Through the entire first half, Towson was perfect on passes under 15 yards.
THE BAD: Pass Defense
How do you minimize the efforts of a defensive line that's as athletic is it is deep? How about you let them into the backfield, and dump off screen passes galore.
Towson's strongest defensive corps is easily the line. But the reads off of screen passes were not there Saturday night. Despite a good amount of over-pursuits by the front seven, the secondary has to address their soft coverage of running backs and average open field tackling.
Overall, Towson allowed 20 receptions for 295 yards and both Chanticleer touchdowns.
THE UGLY: The Officiating
Mr. Official, do NOT tell the band to stop playing when they're doing Sportscenter. I understand it's NCAA regulation, but you could have caused a riot last night.
I understand they had a lot of work to do last night, with both teams combining for 20 penalties.
Towson had a lot of procedural calls. This was something that Ambrose was very strict about during camp. Let's just say these guys will be in great shape next week, because they're conditioning schedule just got a lot more intense.
"I'm not a big fan of official evaluation, I will evaluate this game," Rob Ambrose at the press conference
OTHER NOTES AND THOUGHTS:
Great crowd and atmosphere all night. 7000+ in attendance.
Brady Smith recorded his first sack as a Tiger.
I was on the sidelines after Boyer missed a field goal opportunity pretty badly. Let's just say, Ambrose didn't have kind words after the botch.
For years, it was very familiar to see Towson's offense step on the field with a lot of spread gun formations. This year, they're lining up in an I and smacking people in the mouth. Towson's offense doesn't have the flash that the Phil Albert Turf-Show had, it's a run and gun machine that collects first downs and controls the clock.
Towson ran on first down almost every drive. Freshman Tailback Tremane Dameron had a great game, with 84 yards on 21 carries and led the team in receptions with 7 catches for 61 yards.
The Tigers' new-found run game helped take some of the pressure of the two competing true freshman QB's Peter Athens and Tommy Chroninger. Chroninger is a hell-uva athlete, he even made a great play on special teams. Athens has a cannon. He threads the needle like no other. Through the entire first half, Towson was perfect on passes under 15 yards.
THE BAD: Pass Defense
How do you minimize the efforts of a defensive line that's as athletic is it is deep? How about you let them into the backfield, and dump off screen passes galore.
Towson's strongest defensive corps is easily the line. But the reads off of screen passes were not there Saturday night. Despite a good amount of over-pursuits by the front seven, the secondary has to address their soft coverage of running backs and average open field tackling.
Overall, Towson allowed 20 receptions for 295 yards and both Chanticleer touchdowns.
THE UGLY: The Officiating
Mr. Official, do NOT tell the band to stop playing when they're doing Sportscenter. I understand it's NCAA regulation, but you could have caused a riot last night.
I understand they had a lot of work to do last night, with both teams combining for 20 penalties.
Towson had a lot of procedural calls. This was something that Ambrose was very strict about during camp. Let's just say these guys will be in great shape next week, because they're conditioning schedule just got a lot more intense.
"I'm not a big fan of official evaluation, I will evaluate this game," Rob Ambrose at the press conference
OTHER NOTES AND THOUGHTS:
Great crowd and atmosphere all night. 7000+ in attendance.
Brady Smith recorded his first sack as a Tiger.
I was on the sidelines after Boyer missed a field goal opportunity pretty badly. Let's just say, Ambrose didn't have kind words after the botch.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Gameday Blog: Coastal Carolina
TOWSON, Md. -- (6:57) Tigers just entered field to "Welcome to the Jungle," I think Events services stole it from my Brady Smith interview. The New Uniforms look sick. Captains just went out. Butt, Newsome, Smith and TAMBA TONGU!
(7:00) Towson wins toss. Elects to receive.
(7:02) Steafanik takes the first carry in an I? Crazier things have happened.
(7:03) Athens first completion @ the U to Dameron for 1-yard gain.
-Athens rockets in a first down to Newsome.
(7:05) Ambrose goes for it on 4th and 1. False start on the offense. "Same ole Towson."
(7:09) Brady Smith is a monster...even on special teams. Here comes the defense. What you got Hachmann.
(7:10) Big play by Chants. Too bad they had a holding penalty to begin with AND unsportsmanline. Those penalties will compound. Instead of a big TD, Chants will have the ball on their 8. 2nd and 23.
(7:14) Chants punter Ben Erdman bobbles the snap in the endzone. 9 yard punt. Towson has the ball on the 23.
(7:15) Welcome to college football Tom Chroniger. Delay of game. Towson. 5 yard penalty. Ball on the Coastal 7
(7:21) Chroniger to Godlasky. Godlasky's famous post to the corner of the endzone. Great touch by Chroniger to his WIDE open TE.
(7:28) Brady Smith's first sack as a Tiger. Loss of 7 yards to end the drive.
(7:30) Great screen from Athens to Dameron...Flags on the field. Clipping on the offense. "Same ole Towson."
(7:41) Chroniger to Godlasky. Might end up the game's leading receiver.
(7:43) Chroniger fumbles, offense recovers. Lucky
(7:45) Athens has time to throw...Athens threads the needle to Newsome in the back of the endzone. B-E-A-UTIFUL. Very Schaefer-esque.
(7:49) Towson plays the actual fight-song. (Sportscenter)
(7:50) Neither team reads the screen apparently. Towson gets burned by WR Whitley for a big gain.
(7:52) 6 plays, 52 yards by the Chants for their first TD. Towson 14 Coastal 7
(7:53) Towson's PA just announced dollar dogs in the 3rd quarter while playing the Backstreet boys?
(8:05) After back and forth horrible special teams plays, and a controversial incomplete pass call, the quality of the officiating crew is being called into play.
(8:09) Stalled drive by Towson in bad field position. Horrible punt by Shears saved by Chroniger on special teams.
(8:10) The word is out on Towson's defense. Throw the screen
(8:10) GREAT pick by Safty Danny Collins.
(8:11) And Chroniger is back in? RA is cycling his QB's. Dameron good carry for a first. Great block by the back judge.
(8:16) Offense is completely clueless within the last 30 seconds of half. Horrible clock management, and Chroninger throws a REALLY bad pick to end the half.
---Half Time--- Towson 14 Coastal 7
(8:38) Mediocre kickoff by Towson. Fumbled by Sullivan who fell on it, horrible field position.
(8:45) Athens is marching down field with the offense. Bullet passes every drive for first downs. Making Newsome look like Reggie Wayne.
(8:47) Athens for another first down. Towson remains perfect in passes under 15 yards
(8:51) Boyer misses his first FG attempt. Towson 14 Coastal 7
(8:56) Big penalty day on both sides. Coastal just had a great Childers run called back because of a OBVIOUS clip
(8:58) Zach Macdowall for Coastal has entered the game. The Chants starting QB sat out until this drive because of an injury, but now that he's in is carving the Towson Secondary.
(9:03) Heading down to the field. Check Twitter for updates. http://twitter.com/towson_gameday
(10:14) Towson wins. GREAT atmosphere all game
(7:00) Towson wins toss. Elects to receive.
(7:02) Steafanik takes the first carry in an I? Crazier things have happened.
(7:03) Athens first completion @ the U to Dameron for 1-yard gain.
-Athens rockets in a first down to Newsome.
(7:05) Ambrose goes for it on 4th and 1. False start on the offense. "Same ole Towson."
(7:09) Brady Smith is a monster...even on special teams. Here comes the defense. What you got Hachmann.
(7:10) Big play by Chants. Too bad they had a holding penalty to begin with AND unsportsmanline. Those penalties will compound. Instead of a big TD, Chants will have the ball on their 8. 2nd and 23.
(7:14) Chants punter Ben Erdman bobbles the snap in the endzone. 9 yard punt. Towson has the ball on the 23.
(7:15) Welcome to college football Tom Chroniger. Delay of game. Towson. 5 yard penalty. Ball on the Coastal 7
(7:21) Chroniger to Godlasky. Godlasky's famous post to the corner of the endzone. Great touch by Chroniger to his WIDE open TE.
(7:28) Brady Smith's first sack as a Tiger. Loss of 7 yards to end the drive.
(7:30) Great screen from Athens to Dameron...Flags on the field. Clipping on the offense. "Same ole Towson."
(7:41) Chroniger to Godlasky. Might end up the game's leading receiver.
(7:43) Chroniger fumbles, offense recovers. Lucky
(7:45) Athens has time to throw...Athens threads the needle to Newsome in the back of the endzone. B-E-A-UTIFUL. Very Schaefer-esque.
(7:49) Towson plays the actual fight-song. (Sportscenter)
(7:50) Neither team reads the screen apparently. Towson gets burned by WR Whitley for a big gain.
(7:52) 6 plays, 52 yards by the Chants for their first TD. Towson 14 Coastal 7
(7:53) Towson's PA just announced dollar dogs in the 3rd quarter while playing the Backstreet boys?
(8:05) After back and forth horrible special teams plays, and a controversial incomplete pass call, the quality of the officiating crew is being called into play.
(8:09) Stalled drive by Towson in bad field position. Horrible punt by Shears saved by Chroniger on special teams.
(8:10) The word is out on Towson's defense. Throw the screen
(8:10) GREAT pick by Safty Danny Collins.
(8:11) And Chroniger is back in? RA is cycling his QB's. Dameron good carry for a first. Great block by the back judge.
(8:16) Offense is completely clueless within the last 30 seconds of half. Horrible clock management, and Chroninger throws a REALLY bad pick to end the half.
---Half Time--- Towson 14 Coastal 7
(8:38) Mediocre kickoff by Towson. Fumbled by Sullivan who fell on it, horrible field position.
(8:45) Athens is marching down field with the offense. Bullet passes every drive for first downs. Making Newsome look like Reggie Wayne.
(8:47) Athens for another first down. Towson remains perfect in passes under 15 yards
(8:51) Boyer misses his first FG attempt. Towson 14 Coastal 7
(8:56) Big penalty day on both sides. Coastal just had a great Childers run called back because of a OBVIOUS clip
(8:58) Zach Macdowall for Coastal has entered the game. The Chants starting QB sat out until this drive because of an injury, but now that he's in is carving the Towson Secondary.
(9:03) Heading down to the field. Check Twitter for updates. http://twitter.com/towson_gameday
(10:14) Towson wins. GREAT atmosphere all game
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Northwestern Recap: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
THE GOOD: Ambrose's decisions on WHICH true freshmen he would play....
I liked Peter Athens at quarterback all of camp. He embodies a lot of Sean Schaefer qualities. He's a great leader for being a boy among men, he has good vision and great accuracy. He showed some youth once the game started in his decision making and his reluctance to get rid of the ball in certain situations, but the mental errors leave as he matures into the system. Not too sure about burning Tommy Chroninger's redshirt as well, but they don't pay me to make these calls.
Alex Blake and Tom Ryan add good size and hands to a receiver corps that before Saturday looked like a large group of glorified slot receivers.
I've always been high on B.J Greening, he's very tough and has a good amount of natural ability. He reminds me of a young Matt Castor with more speed.
THE BAD: Lack of size in defensive front seven
I realize it wouldn't do much good analyzing this game as closely as other, but it was obvious NU had the game plan on Brady Smith (despite the double teams was still able to record 11 tackles in his first start with the Tigers). But with Smith taken care of, DT Rob Osbourne out and the eventual loss of middle linebacker Alex Butt, it was easy for the far superior Northwestern offensive line to carve gaping holes through the Towson front seven.
That along with a stalling offense kept a very young defense on the field for a long time. Thankfully they'll have an early bye week to rest and reload after the beating they took. Could you imagine being a year out of high school and facing a squad of highly-tuned, well-oiled athletic machines. You'd be pretty sore after as well.
THE UGLY: Alex Butt's shoulder
Senior middle linebacker Alex Butt was sidelined early in the game with a shoulder injury. Before any X-rays have been taken, the rumor mill buzz suggests it could possibly be an AC Joint injury. Nothing confirmed yet, but with your best defensive tackle in Osbourne sidelined, the last thing you wanna lose is your middle linebacker. (Who is also your captain and emotional leader in the locker room)
OTHER NOTES AND THOUGHTS:
A (-1) turnover margin against a Big 10 school...I'll take it.
Yaky Ibia's sack was probably the most entertaining play of the game. I love seeing big guys do well.
Brady Smith (who was a captain of this team before playing his first down for the Tigers) recorded 11 tackles despite being double teamed most of game. 3rd in the conference for the weekend.
NORTHWESTERN SPOILS ROB AMBROSE’S DEBUT, 47-14
(from athletic media relations)
EVANSTON, Ill. – For the Towson University football team, there was plenty of optimism in the air as the Tigers opened their season on Saturday at Northwestern University. The Tigers had a new head coach, new football helmets, new uniforms, a new coaching staff and a host of new players.
However, that optimism was tempered by the fact that the Tigers were facing a powerful Northwestern team that was the best team ever to face the Tigers in the 420-game history of the program. The Wildcats’ talent was very apparent as they spoiled the debut of Coach Rob Ambrose with a 47-14 victory over Towson before a crowd of 17,857 at Ryan Field.
Against a revamped Tiger defense that started two “red shirt” freshmen and had only two seniors, the Wildcats used their “no huddle” offense to near-perfection as they scored on their first four possessions of the game to take a 28-0 lead with 12:44 left in the second quarter. The Wildcats extended their lead to 37-7 at halftime and went on to post a 47-14 victory.
“First of all, Northwestern has a heck of a football team,” said Coach Ambrose. “This was a true test for us today. I know that the numbers on the scoreboard don’t look great but the faces in our locker room tell a different story. We played hard and we played hard for longer than we've ever played before. We showed a lot of heart and I can take some solace in that.
“We were trailing by 37-7 and I challenged our team at halftime to play a 60-minute game,” he said. “It’s difficult to play hard for all 60 minutes but we showed some resilience in the second half. We rose to the occasion and responded. We found some heart today and we’ll work from there.”
With a true freshman, Peter Athens, starting at quarterback, the Tigers won the opening toss and got the ball at their own 40-yard line when the kickoff went out of bounds. On their second play from scrimmage, the Tigers surprised the Wildcats with a well-executed screen pass from Athens to “red shirt” freshman running Tremayne Dameron, who ran to the Northwestern 30-yard line for a first down. However, the play was negated by a holding penalty and, two plays later, the Tigers were forced to punt.
On their first play from scrimmage, quarterback Mike Kafka of Northwestern was thrown for a four-yard loss by linebacker Donte Blakey. However, that was only a temporary setback for the Wildcats who marched 60 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on a two-yard run by junior Jacob Schmidt. Midway through the first quarter, Kafka led the Wildcats on a 56-yard drive in nine plays. When freshman Arby Fields scored on a two-yard run, Northwestern owned a 14-0 lead with 3:37 left in the opening quarter. On the first two possessions of the game, Kafka completed all six pass attempts for 84 yards.
With 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Fields upped the Wildcats’ lead to 21-0 when he ran around left end for a 23-yard touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Kafka sat out a series and junior Dan Persa replaced him. On his third play, Persa stood up against heavy pressure and lofted a 72-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Andrew Brewer putting the Wildcats ahead, 28-0 with 12:44 left in the second period.
On their next possession, the Tigers found themselves backed up near their own end zone due to a muffed kickoff return. Rather than risk having a punt blocked for a touchdown, the Tigers took a semi-intentional safety, giving the Wildcats a 30-0 advantage.
Junior safety Ray White made the Tigers’ biggest defensive play of the first half when he intercepted a pass at the Towson 32-yard line. On their fifth possession of the first half, the Tigers’ offense started to click. Led by Athens and Dameron, the Tigers drove 78 yards in 12 plays to score their first touchdown of the season. On the drive, Athens completed three of four passes for 37 yards. His 21-yard pass to senior Casey Cegles on a third down play moved the ball inside the Northwestern five-yard line. Two plays later, Dameron scored the first touchdown of his career on a one-yard run, cutting Towson’s deficit to 37-7.
The Tigers’ momentum was short-lived, however. A 49-yard kickoff return by Stephen Simmons gave the Wildcats excellent field position at the Towson 38-yard line. On the fifth play of the drive, Scott Concannon scored on a 21-yard run to give Northwestern a 37-7 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first half.
On the Wildcats’ first possession of the second half, the Tiger defense forced a punt for the first time in the game. Junior tackle Yaky Ibia’s nine-yard sack of Kafka pinned the Wildcats back at their own 14-yard line. When Stefan Demos’ punt rolled dead at midfield, the Tigers had great field position. After moving to the Northwestern 33-yard line, the Tigers were faced with a fourth down-and-four. The Tigers decided to go for the first down and Athens made a terrific play. He scrambled to his right and fired a pass to senior David Newsom at the 15-yard line. Newsom caught the pass and ran toward the end zone. Just as he was about to be pushed out of bounds, he dove for the goal line and reached the end zone. However, the officials ruled that he went out at the one-yard line.
As the Tigers were about to run a play, the officials stopped the clock because the play was being reviewed up in the press box. After a three-minute delay, the officials ruled that Newsom had scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass. When junior Jon Boyer made the conversion, Towson had trimmed its deficit to 37-14 with 10:07 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats responded with a time-consuming drive that ate up 5:12. They marched to the Tigers’ nine-yard line where the Tiger defense stiffened. Demos booted a 26-yard field goal to up the Wildcats’ lead to 40-10.
Early in the fourth quarter, Concannon scored his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run, capping off 60-yard drive. His touchdown run gave Northwestern a 47-14 lead.
The Wildcats, who posted a 9-4 record last season and played in the Alamo Bowl, rolled up 485 yards of total offense against the Tigers. Kafka, a candidate for All-American honors, completed 15 of 20 passes for 192 yards. Simmons led the Wildcats with 77 rushing yards as Northwestern ran for 221 yards. Brewer was the Wildcats’ receivers with six catches for 145 and a touchdown.
The first true freshman to open the season at quarterback for Towson since Dan Dullea in 1973, Athens completed 15 of 25 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.
Despite his solid effort, Coach Ambrose wasn’t ready to name Athens as the Tigers’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Ambrose said, “Peter did some good things but he also did a few ‘bonehead’ things. We had anticipated playing our other quarterbacks more than we did but he seemed comfortable out there and we wanted to get him into a rhythm.”
A product of Huntingtown High School in Southern Maryland, Athens was one of seven true freshmen to appear in their first collegiate game at Northwestern. B.J. Greening, a Calvert High School graduate, was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 35 yards on nine carries while quarterback Tommy Chroniger of DeMatha ran for three yards on one carry. Wide receivers Alex Blake of Friendly High School and Tom Ryan of Philadelphia also saw considerable action. Place kicker Marc Magas of Damascus High School handled the kickoff duties while defensive back Dwayne Price of Friendly High School made two tackles.
“I realize that I had been saying that we want to ‘red shirt’ our true freshmen,” said Ambrose. “But we have an extremely talented freshman class. When our coaching staff evaluated them, we realized that they had to play. All of our true freshmen made a contribution against Northwestern.”
In his first game as a Tiger, senior defensive end Brady Smith made a career high 11 tackles. Smith was a two-year starter at Boston College who was making his Towson debut. Held in such high esteem by the coaching staff, Smith was a game captain against Northwestern, meaning that he was a captain before ever playing in a game for Towson.
“It was very exciting to play Northwestern,” said Smith. “They have a great team and they are very tough up front. I am sure they will do well.
“This game was a good starting point for us and I know we will work hard to get better,” he added.
Blakey made ten tackles in the loss, setting a career high. Linebacker Danzel White, a “red shirt” freshman, made his first career start and had nine tackles.
The Tigers, who are idle next week, return to action on September 19 when they host Coastal Carolina at Johnny Unitas® Stadium at 7:00 p.m.
TIGER TIDBITS: The Tigers played before a crowd of 17,857, the eighth-largest crowd ever to watch Towson play … The Tiger defense suffered a serious setback in the first quarter when senior linebacker Alex Butt suffered a shoulder injury … He did not return to the game … Darius Hill, another “red shirt” freshman, took his place in the lineup and made eight tackles.
On the Tigers’ 57-player roster, there were seven true freshmen and 14 “red shirt” freshmen … The Tigers are going to use game captains this season … Ollie Thomas, Cegles, Butt, Smith and Newsom were the game captains at Northwestern.
White’s interception was the third of his career and only Towson’s fourth interception in its last 13 games … Ibia’s sack was the first of his college career … He finished the game with six tackles, a sack and two tackles for lost yardage.
Newsom was the Tigers’ top receiver at Northwestern … He caught six passes for 74 yards and a touchdown … Cegles had four receptions for 40 yards.
In his first collegiate start, Dameron ran for 33 yards on 14 carries.
EVANSTON, Ill. – For the Towson University football team, there was plenty of optimism in the air as the Tigers opened their season on Saturday at Northwestern University. The Tigers had a new head coach, new football helmets, new uniforms, a new coaching staff and a host of new players.
However, that optimism was tempered by the fact that the Tigers were facing a powerful Northwestern team that was the best team ever to face the Tigers in the 420-game history of the program. The Wildcats’ talent was very apparent as they spoiled the debut of Coach Rob Ambrose with a 47-14 victory over Towson before a crowd of 17,857 at Ryan Field.
Against a revamped Tiger defense that started two “red shirt” freshmen and had only two seniors, the Wildcats used their “no huddle” offense to near-perfection as they scored on their first four possessions of the game to take a 28-0 lead with 12:44 left in the second quarter. The Wildcats extended their lead to 37-7 at halftime and went on to post a 47-14 victory.
“First of all, Northwestern has a heck of a football team,” said Coach Ambrose. “This was a true test for us today. I know that the numbers on the scoreboard don’t look great but the faces in our locker room tell a different story. We played hard and we played hard for longer than we've ever played before. We showed a lot of heart and I can take some solace in that.
“We were trailing by 37-7 and I challenged our team at halftime to play a 60-minute game,” he said. “It’s difficult to play hard for all 60 minutes but we showed some resilience in the second half. We rose to the occasion and responded. We found some heart today and we’ll work from there.”
With a true freshman, Peter Athens, starting at quarterback, the Tigers won the opening toss and got the ball at their own 40-yard line when the kickoff went out of bounds. On their second play from scrimmage, the Tigers surprised the Wildcats with a well-executed screen pass from Athens to “red shirt” freshman running Tremayne Dameron, who ran to the Northwestern 30-yard line for a first down. However, the play was negated by a holding penalty and, two plays later, the Tigers were forced to punt.
On their first play from scrimmage, quarterback Mike Kafka of Northwestern was thrown for a four-yard loss by linebacker Donte Blakey. However, that was only a temporary setback for the Wildcats who marched 60 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on a two-yard run by junior Jacob Schmidt. Midway through the first quarter, Kafka led the Wildcats on a 56-yard drive in nine plays. When freshman Arby Fields scored on a two-yard run, Northwestern owned a 14-0 lead with 3:37 left in the opening quarter. On the first two possessions of the game, Kafka completed all six pass attempts for 84 yards.
With 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Fields upped the Wildcats’ lead to 21-0 when he ran around left end for a 23-yard touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Kafka sat out a series and junior Dan Persa replaced him. On his third play, Persa stood up against heavy pressure and lofted a 72-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Andrew Brewer putting the Wildcats ahead, 28-0 with 12:44 left in the second period.
On their next possession, the Tigers found themselves backed up near their own end zone due to a muffed kickoff return. Rather than risk having a punt blocked for a touchdown, the Tigers took a semi-intentional safety, giving the Wildcats a 30-0 advantage.
Junior safety Ray White made the Tigers’ biggest defensive play of the first half when he intercepted a pass at the Towson 32-yard line. On their fifth possession of the first half, the Tigers’ offense started to click. Led by Athens and Dameron, the Tigers drove 78 yards in 12 plays to score their first touchdown of the season. On the drive, Athens completed three of four passes for 37 yards. His 21-yard pass to senior Casey Cegles on a third down play moved the ball inside the Northwestern five-yard line. Two plays later, Dameron scored the first touchdown of his career on a one-yard run, cutting Towson’s deficit to 37-7.
The Tigers’ momentum was short-lived, however. A 49-yard kickoff return by Stephen Simmons gave the Wildcats excellent field position at the Towson 38-yard line. On the fifth play of the drive, Scott Concannon scored on a 21-yard run to give Northwestern a 37-7 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first half.
On the Wildcats’ first possession of the second half, the Tiger defense forced a punt for the first time in the game. Junior tackle Yaky Ibia’s nine-yard sack of Kafka pinned the Wildcats back at their own 14-yard line. When Stefan Demos’ punt rolled dead at midfield, the Tigers had great field position. After moving to the Northwestern 33-yard line, the Tigers were faced with a fourth down-and-four. The Tigers decided to go for the first down and Athens made a terrific play. He scrambled to his right and fired a pass to senior David Newsom at the 15-yard line. Newsom caught the pass and ran toward the end zone. Just as he was about to be pushed out of bounds, he dove for the goal line and reached the end zone. However, the officials ruled that he went out at the one-yard line.
As the Tigers were about to run a play, the officials stopped the clock because the play was being reviewed up in the press box. After a three-minute delay, the officials ruled that Newsom had scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass. When junior Jon Boyer made the conversion, Towson had trimmed its deficit to 37-14 with 10:07 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats responded with a time-consuming drive that ate up 5:12. They marched to the Tigers’ nine-yard line where the Tiger defense stiffened. Demos booted a 26-yard field goal to up the Wildcats’ lead to 40-10.
Early in the fourth quarter, Concannon scored his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run, capping off 60-yard drive. His touchdown run gave Northwestern a 47-14 lead.
The Wildcats, who posted a 9-4 record last season and played in the Alamo Bowl, rolled up 485 yards of total offense against the Tigers. Kafka, a candidate for All-American honors, completed 15 of 20 passes for 192 yards. Simmons led the Wildcats with 77 rushing yards as Northwestern ran for 221 yards. Brewer was the Wildcats’ receivers with six catches for 145 and a touchdown.
The first true freshman to open the season at quarterback for Towson since Dan Dullea in 1973, Athens completed 15 of 25 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.
Despite his solid effort, Coach Ambrose wasn’t ready to name Athens as the Tigers’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Ambrose said, “Peter did some good things but he also did a few ‘bonehead’ things. We had anticipated playing our other quarterbacks more than we did but he seemed comfortable out there and we wanted to get him into a rhythm.”
A product of Huntingtown High School in Southern Maryland, Athens was one of seven true freshmen to appear in their first collegiate game at Northwestern. B.J. Greening, a Calvert High School graduate, was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 35 yards on nine carries while quarterback Tommy Chroniger of DeMatha ran for three yards on one carry. Wide receivers Alex Blake of Friendly High School and Tom Ryan of Philadelphia also saw considerable action. Place kicker Marc Magas of Damascus High School handled the kickoff duties while defensive back Dwayne Price of Friendly High School made two tackles.
“I realize that I had been saying that we want to ‘red shirt’ our true freshmen,” said Ambrose. “But we have an extremely talented freshman class. When our coaching staff evaluated them, we realized that they had to play. All of our true freshmen made a contribution against Northwestern.”
In his first game as a Tiger, senior defensive end Brady Smith made a career high 11 tackles. Smith was a two-year starter at Boston College who was making his Towson debut. Held in such high esteem by the coaching staff, Smith was a game captain against Northwestern, meaning that he was a captain before ever playing in a game for Towson.
“It was very exciting to play Northwestern,” said Smith. “They have a great team and they are very tough up front. I am sure they will do well.
“This game was a good starting point for us and I know we will work hard to get better,” he added.
Blakey made ten tackles in the loss, setting a career high. Linebacker Danzel White, a “red shirt” freshman, made his first career start and had nine tackles.
The Tigers, who are idle next week, return to action on September 19 when they host Coastal Carolina at Johnny Unitas® Stadium at 7:00 p.m.
TIGER TIDBITS: The Tigers played before a crowd of 17,857, the eighth-largest crowd ever to watch Towson play … The Tiger defense suffered a serious setback in the first quarter when senior linebacker Alex Butt suffered a shoulder injury … He did not return to the game … Darius Hill, another “red shirt” freshman, took his place in the lineup and made eight tackles.
On the Tigers’ 57-player roster, there were seven true freshmen and 14 “red shirt” freshmen … The Tigers are going to use game captains this season … Ollie Thomas, Cegles, Butt, Smith and Newsom were the game captains at Northwestern.
White’s interception was the third of his career and only Towson’s fourth interception in its last 13 games … Ibia’s sack was the first of his college career … He finished the game with six tackles, a sack and two tackles for lost yardage.
Newsom was the Tigers’ top receiver at Northwestern … He caught six passes for 74 yards and a touchdown … Cegles had four receptions for 40 yards.
In his first collegiate start, Dameron ran for 33 yards on 14 carries.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Brady Smith Interview: The Trailer
I got together with Brady Smith today for a one-on-one interview. What was supposed to be a 5 minute talk turned into an in-depth feature interview with the new Tigers' defensive end. Since I'm still producing the feature, here's the trailer. Towson Gameday airs on WMJF-TV and always @ http://towsontigersfootball.blogspot.com
Friday, August 7, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Senior leaving team for personal reasons.
from Towson Athletics Media Relations
TOWSON, Md. -- Veteran running back Matt Castor (Linganore H.S./Mt. Airy, Md.) will not be returning to the Towson University football team for personal reasons, it has been announced by Coach Rob Ambrose.
Despite missing four games with injuries, Castor led the Tigers in rushing last season. In eight games, he ran for 543 yards on 144 carries and scored five touchdowns. A member of Linganore’s state championship team in 2003, he ran for 844 yards on 208 carries with seven touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career at Towson.
Towson opens its pre-season camp on Monday, August 10.
TOWSON, Md. -- Veteran running back Matt Castor (Linganore H.S./Mt. Airy, Md.) will not be returning to the Towson University football team for personal reasons, it has been announced by Coach Rob Ambrose.
Despite missing four games with injuries, Castor led the Tigers in rushing last season. In eight games, he ran for 543 yards on 144 carries and scored five touchdowns. A member of Linganore’s state championship team in 2003, he ran for 844 yards on 208 carries with seven touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career at Towson.
Towson opens its pre-season camp on Monday, August 10.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
CAA Media day wrap-up
You know it's an important event when Rob Ambrose actually wears socks.
The Colonial Athletic Association officially kicked off preseason football Wednesday at the ESPNzone in Baltimore, Md.
"I am tremendously excited just to get to practice," Head Coach Rob Ambrose said.
Twelve coaches and a couple dozen select student-athletes gathered to face the local and national media for the first time this season.
The biggest questions for Coach Ambrose were in regards to his roster, or the lack thereof. It became evident coming out of last spring that Ambrose's roster was not set. Throughout spring, open competitions were held for every spot on the depth chart.
"It's a fluid depth chart, you've heard me say that before," Ambrose said.
The biggest news regarding the roster concerned certain key departures, receiver Steve Holmes and defensive back Dan Atwood.
Representing Towson were Ambrose, senior linebacker Alex Butt, and senior tight end John Godlasky.
Butt, a transfer from Alabama, was a big stand out in the Spring. The senior leads all returning players with 62 in tackles from 2008. He sees room for improvement for the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball.
"Let's just go out and say it, last year was terrible for our defense," Butt said.
Statistically, the 2008 Tigers had the worst defense in the conference, allowing both the highest total of points and yards.
Towson's most improved and quite possibly strongest unit on defense looks to be the defensive line. Anchored by two big-bodied tackles in Yaky Ibia and Rob Osbourne, and highlighted by big-time transfer Brady Smith at end, the switch to a 4-3 front has made Butt a free man at middle linebacker to make plays.
"I have those big guys in front of me, and they're taking up two bodies at once," Butt said. "Giving one little seam, one little bit of day light to go get it makes my job easier."
The biggest loss on the defensive line was the abrupt end of former defensive lineman Richard Lee. Lee, who was diagnosed Hodgkin’s Disease in high school, suffered a career ending injury to his neck against Columbia in 2008. This past offseason Lee was added as a student assistant to the football support team. Lee stands on the sidelines and serves as an emotional symbol to the team.
Even with the departure of Atwood, the Tigers' secondary still has a good amount of depth, highlighted by a trio of talented corners in Ollie Thomas, Jeremy Gardner and receiver-turned-corner Nick Oates.
"I think with the experience we have coming back in the secondary, we're going to be a lot better against the pass" Butt said.
The strength on the offensive side of the ball seems to be the offensive line. With virtually all players returning to this unit, a stud transfer in tackle Derek Cardaci, and one of only two holdover coaches from the Combs era in John Donatelli, continuity has helped the offensive line prepare for a difficult task. Holding together an offense that must replace the best quarterback in Towson history.
In case you didn't know, that quarterback was Sean Schaefer. The former Tiger captain shattered almost every passing record Towson had and ranks in the top ten of all-time FCS quarterbacks in passing yards and completions.
"It's gonna be tough losing Sean because he was one of the best quarterbacks to ever play for Towson," Godlasky said. "I think it helps that our entire offensive line is coming back and our receivers are looking good."
Quarterbacks Blair Peterson, Brian Potts, and Jeremy Jayne contended in the spring for the right to succeed Schaefer. However, the offense as a whole turned the ball over a lot during the spring. Something Ambrose wants to end, starting with the man who touches the ball every play. The three holdover quarterbacks will continue to try proving themselves, only this summer there will be two very talented incoming recruits for them to face.
"The guy who is turning the ball over, is not getting the job. Period," Ambrose said. "If we don't have consistent play at that position, we don't stand a chance. Period."
To play devils advocate, on the note of the freshmen QB recruits, who better to replace Schaefer than another stud gunslinger from Southern Maryland?
There's still much to speculate and predict, but the facts remain. On Saturday September 5, the Tigers will officially kick of the season at Big Ten powerhouse Northwestern. After all of the press conferences, two-a-days and luncheons, all that will remain is another year of something to prove for the Tigers, who were picked yet again to finish last in the CAA.
"This team is much more capable than what people expect of us," Alex Butt said. "If they walk in with the attitude that they're going to walk all over us, they will be very surprised when the walk out of our stadium."
The Colonial Athletic Association officially kicked off preseason football Wednesday at the ESPNzone in Baltimore, Md.
"I am tremendously excited just to get to practice," Head Coach Rob Ambrose said.
Twelve coaches and a couple dozen select student-athletes gathered to face the local and national media for the first time this season.
The biggest questions for Coach Ambrose were in regards to his roster, or the lack thereof. It became evident coming out of last spring that Ambrose's roster was not set. Throughout spring, open competitions were held for every spot on the depth chart.
"It's a fluid depth chart, you've heard me say that before," Ambrose said.
The biggest news regarding the roster concerned certain key departures, receiver Steve Holmes and defensive back Dan Atwood.
Representing Towson were Ambrose, senior linebacker Alex Butt, and senior tight end John Godlasky.
Butt, a transfer from Alabama, was a big stand out in the Spring. The senior leads all returning players with 62 in tackles from 2008. He sees room for improvement for the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball.
"Let's just go out and say it, last year was terrible for our defense," Butt said.
Statistically, the 2008 Tigers had the worst defense in the conference, allowing both the highest total of points and yards.
Towson's most improved and quite possibly strongest unit on defense looks to be the defensive line. Anchored by two big-bodied tackles in Yaky Ibia and Rob Osbourne, and highlighted by big-time transfer Brady Smith at end, the switch to a 4-3 front has made Butt a free man at middle linebacker to make plays.
"I have those big guys in front of me, and they're taking up two bodies at once," Butt said. "Giving one little seam, one little bit of day light to go get it makes my job easier."
The biggest loss on the defensive line was the abrupt end of former defensive lineman Richard Lee. Lee, who was diagnosed Hodgkin’s Disease in high school, suffered a career ending injury to his neck against Columbia in 2008. This past offseason Lee was added as a student assistant to the football support team. Lee stands on the sidelines and serves as an emotional symbol to the team.
Even with the departure of Atwood, the Tigers' secondary still has a good amount of depth, highlighted by a trio of talented corners in Ollie Thomas, Jeremy Gardner and receiver-turned-corner Nick Oates.
"I think with the experience we have coming back in the secondary, we're going to be a lot better against the pass" Butt said.
The strength on the offensive side of the ball seems to be the offensive line. With virtually all players returning to this unit, a stud transfer in tackle Derek Cardaci, and one of only two holdover coaches from the Combs era in John Donatelli, continuity has helped the offensive line prepare for a difficult task. Holding together an offense that must replace the best quarterback in Towson history.
In case you didn't know, that quarterback was Sean Schaefer. The former Tiger captain shattered almost every passing record Towson had and ranks in the top ten of all-time FCS quarterbacks in passing yards and completions.
"It's gonna be tough losing Sean because he was one of the best quarterbacks to ever play for Towson," Godlasky said. "I think it helps that our entire offensive line is coming back and our receivers are looking good."
Quarterbacks Blair Peterson, Brian Potts, and Jeremy Jayne contended in the spring for the right to succeed Schaefer. However, the offense as a whole turned the ball over a lot during the spring. Something Ambrose wants to end, starting with the man who touches the ball every play. The three holdover quarterbacks will continue to try proving themselves, only this summer there will be two very talented incoming recruits for them to face.
"The guy who is turning the ball over, is not getting the job. Period," Ambrose said. "If we don't have consistent play at that position, we don't stand a chance. Period."
To play devils advocate, on the note of the freshmen QB recruits, who better to replace Schaefer than another stud gunslinger from Southern Maryland?
There's still much to speculate and predict, but the facts remain. On Saturday September 5, the Tigers will officially kick of the season at Big Ten powerhouse Northwestern. After all of the press conferences, two-a-days and luncheons, all that will remain is another year of something to prove for the Tigers, who were picked yet again to finish last in the CAA.
"This team is much more capable than what people expect of us," Alex Butt said. "If they walk in with the attitude that they're going to walk all over us, they will be very surprised when the walk out of our stadium."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
WMJF-TV: Simon A-H and Daniel Abraham discuss the beginning of spring football
"DA" Daniel Abraham and Simon A-H discuss the beginning of Towson University Spring football practices on WMJF's Towson Sports Weekly.
Offday thoughts: Coaching staff- Head Coach
Taking some time out from discussing the players, it's time to evaluate the coaching staff. I can't name any starters per se, but going down the roster unit by unit will give an idea of how this team will mold.
To start, let's try the head honcho. Rob Ambrose was introduced as the fourth head coach of Towson's program in January of 2009. Since he has been on campus, he has made it clear that this program will and must change for the better.
His point was heard loudly and has been since March 27, when the team took to the practice field for the first time this spring. Most of the campus heard it, as the intensity and volume were turned up higher than ever before. Coaches and players were screaming throughout their drills, and the tempo was the fastest it's ever been for a Towson practice.
Ambrose has started a great deal of new drills and plays in the relatively short time being here, and one of his greatest accomplishments was putting together a staff of assistants and position coaches that buy into his vision of the program's future.
"You better hire a bunch of people that are smarter than you, and listen," was the advice Ambrose received from his father, a long time football coach as well.
Can Ambrose's philosophy translate into wins on the gridiron? It's too early to tell - that's why they play the games. One thing is for certain, things will be different.
To start, let's try the head honcho. Rob Ambrose was introduced as the fourth head coach of Towson's program in January of 2009. Since he has been on campus, he has made it clear that this program will and must change for the better.
His point was heard loudly and has been since March 27, when the team took to the practice field for the first time this spring. Most of the campus heard it, as the intensity and volume were turned up higher than ever before. Coaches and players were screaming throughout their drills, and the tempo was the fastest it's ever been for a Towson practice.
Ambrose has started a great deal of new drills and plays in the relatively short time being here, and one of his greatest accomplishments was putting together a staff of assistants and position coaches that buy into his vision of the program's future.
"You better hire a bunch of people that are smarter than you, and listen," was the advice Ambrose received from his father, a long time football coach as well.
Can Ambrose's philosophy translate into wins on the gridiron? It's too early to tell - that's why they play the games. One thing is for certain, things will be different.
Coach Ambrose meets the campus
There's a little over a week until the annual Black and Gold game that wraps up the spring football season. Head Coach Rob Ambrose took the time this past week to meet and eat with the students of Towson University at various campus locations.
Thursday afternoon, Ambrose, his son Ryan, members of the Athletic Department and Dr. Terri Hall of Student Life were present at Newell dining hall as Towson students shared a meal and football talk with the new head coach. Even Doc, the tiger mascot, made an appearance.
About a dozen students sat with the coach and his 5 year-old son. Various students who passed by would stop to say hi and share a few words. The entire volleyball team came up to introduce themselves. Ambrose was particularly taken by 6 foot 5 middle blocker Susan Gansor. After she introduced herself, Ambrose had to stand up next to her to compare his height and immediately sat down.
The topics of questions ranged from football tailgates to a hopeful rise of in interest regarding the current lack of attendance at games. When a student asked Ambrose how he plans to put fans in the seats of Johnny Unitas Stadium, his response was simple.
"Win," Ambrose said. "Or at least play a hell of a lot harder."
Thursday afternoon, Ambrose, his son Ryan, members of the Athletic Department and Dr. Terri Hall of Student Life were present at Newell dining hall as Towson students shared a meal and football talk with the new head coach. Even Doc, the tiger mascot, made an appearance.
About a dozen students sat with the coach and his 5 year-old son. Various students who passed by would stop to say hi and share a few words. The entire volleyball team came up to introduce themselves. Ambrose was particularly taken by 6 foot 5 middle blocker Susan Gansor. After she introduced herself, Ambrose had to stand up next to her to compare his height and immediately sat down.
The topics of questions ranged from football tailgates to a hopeful rise of in interest regarding the current lack of attendance at games. When a student asked Ambrose how he plans to put fans in the seats of Johnny Unitas Stadium, his response was simple.
"Win," Ambrose said. "Or at least play a hell of a lot harder."
Offday Thoughts: Linebackers
With a beefier defensive line in front of them, the linebacker corp will be freed up to maneuver on the field. This very athletic unit could produce in 2009.
Centered around senior middle linebacker Alex Butt, the linebackers carry less of the load than they did in 2008. Instead of molding the system to fit the personnel, new Defensive Coordinator Matt Hachmann is installing his system into his players.
"I'm not concerned with the past," Hachmann said. "I'm more concerned with what these kids can do from here on out."
Along those lines, Hachmann is planning on moving Donte Blakey to strong side linebacker. This leaves the weak side to up-and-coming linebacker Frank Beltre, who has had a sensational spring, truly earning his spot on the roster.
The weak point in this unit is the lack of depth. Paul Stefanik has been sidelined most of the spring with lingering injuries, but will likely produce later in the spring. Besides Stefanik, there's not much outside of the starters to look forward to.
Simon's starters - Frank Beltre, Alex Butt, Donte Blakely
Centered around senior middle linebacker Alex Butt, the linebackers carry less of the load than they did in 2008. Instead of molding the system to fit the personnel, new Defensive Coordinator Matt Hachmann is installing his system into his players.
"I'm not concerned with the past," Hachmann said. "I'm more concerned with what these kids can do from here on out."
Along those lines, Hachmann is planning on moving Donte Blakey to strong side linebacker. This leaves the weak side to up-and-coming linebacker Frank Beltre, who has had a sensational spring, truly earning his spot on the roster.
The weak point in this unit is the lack of depth. Paul Stefanik has been sidelined most of the spring with lingering injuries, but will likely produce later in the spring. Besides Stefanik, there's not much outside of the starters to look forward to.
Simon's starters - Frank Beltre, Alex Butt, Donte Blakely
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Day 6: Family
April 7
Coach Rob Ambrose is a well-known family man. One of the first reasons he gave for taking the head coaching job was to be with his 8 year-old daughter on birthdays. He hired his younger brother onto his coaching staff. And he reminds his players everyday that they are a family. Every huddle is broken on the word family.
"We're trying to get them to play hard, fast," Defensive Coordinator Matt Hachmann said. "Coach Ambrose does a good job managing the culture around here."
Day 6 of practice once again raised the intensity of the atmosphere. The coaching staff, seeking to eliminate all mental errors, has enforced a stricter discipline procedure for players.
When players were caught walking in between drills, everyman on the field would do up-downs until the coaching staff told them to stop. If any player would commit a procedural.
On the brighter side, the constant yelling seems to finally be heard by the players. Especially seen on the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers look to be in mid-season form compared to last spring.
The offense has had the hustle, but as a unit there's still some rough edges that need smoothing. There are a few concerns right now as far as chemistry is concerned.
The first is to solid five quality starters on the offense, establishing one strong unit. This squad has been plagued with injuries the past few years, and has seen several guys get quality start time. For returning offensive line Coach John Donatelli, this presents a good problem. He has an abundance of experience, and has the task of forming a strong front for this offense.
The second is quarterback to receiver chemistry. Sean Schaefer will be hard to replace. There's a great deal of talent to step up to the unit, in Blair Peterson and Brian Potts. Both have great arm strength and good vision. However, with only a few weeks of time to gel with the receivers, there's been some difficulty connecting on certain routs.
During the pride drill Tuesday, every interception thrown was a ball tipped by a receiver. Often because the receivers was not in position to make the catches where the quarterbacks placed them.
The talent is there, and there's more hustle than ever before. All they need is chemistry. To win, they MUST be a family.
"The most important thing is these kids need to learn how to play football and making a winning commitment to one another," Hachmann said.
Coach Rob Ambrose is a well-known family man. One of the first reasons he gave for taking the head coaching job was to be with his 8 year-old daughter on birthdays. He hired his younger brother onto his coaching staff. And he reminds his players everyday that they are a family. Every huddle is broken on the word family.
"We're trying to get them to play hard, fast," Defensive Coordinator Matt Hachmann said. "Coach Ambrose does a good job managing the culture around here."
Day 6 of practice once again raised the intensity of the atmosphere. The coaching staff, seeking to eliminate all mental errors, has enforced a stricter discipline procedure for players.
When players were caught walking in between drills, everyman on the field would do up-downs until the coaching staff told them to stop. If any player would commit a procedural.
On the brighter side, the constant yelling seems to finally be heard by the players. Especially seen on the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers look to be in mid-season form compared to last spring.
The offense has had the hustle, but as a unit there's still some rough edges that need smoothing. There are a few concerns right now as far as chemistry is concerned.
The first is to solid five quality starters on the offense, establishing one strong unit. This squad has been plagued with injuries the past few years, and has seen several guys get quality start time. For returning offensive line Coach John Donatelli, this presents a good problem. He has an abundance of experience, and has the task of forming a strong front for this offense.
The second is quarterback to receiver chemistry. Sean Schaefer will be hard to replace. There's a great deal of talent to step up to the unit, in Blair Peterson and Brian Potts. Both have great arm strength and good vision. However, with only a few weeks of time to gel with the receivers, there's been some difficulty connecting on certain routs.
During the pride drill Tuesday, every interception thrown was a ball tipped by a receiver. Often because the receivers was not in position to make the catches where the quarterbacks placed them.
The talent is there, and there's more hustle than ever before. All they need is chemistry. To win, they MUST be a family.
"The most important thing is these kids need to learn how to play football and making a winning commitment to one another," Hachmann said.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Offday thoughts: Wide Receivers
In what has been a rich passing team for quite some time now, Towson's offense can usually be judged on the wide receiver corp. In the time of Sean Schaefer, with Phil Albert at offensive coordinator, 4 and 5 wide receiver sets were quite common.
With the regime change this past offseason,the one unit that doesn't seem to have changed much has been the wide receiver corp. This unit returns 4 of their 5 most productive receivers. Only two of them, Casey Cegles and Tamba Tongu, enters this season as seniors. With so much youth around them, this season could be a breakout season for Tongu and a leadership opportunity for Ceagles
"I've always considered myself a leader," Cegles said. "Now that I realized I'm the oldest one, I knew it was my turn to take over."
The depth and speed in Towson's receiver corp will be their strength. The development of the run game this offseason will help take the pressure off the corp to put up the numbers they have in the past. To be quite frank, they probably won't match those numbers with the loss of Schaefer, and having only one year of chemistry with both Blair Peterson and Brian Potts who are likely to take over at QB.
"Sean is tough to replace, he's one of the best QB's to ever come through the state of Maryland," Ceagles said. "[Peterson and Potts], they're all good. We're not on the same page yet."
The formula is there for a productive air attack, two strong arm QB's competing for the starting job with a corps of WR's who are very hard to out throw. The only question is who will stretch the field on this unit. David Newsom, Hakeem Moore and Cegles are all reliable slots, and all brought down at least 30 receptions last season. The Tigers will likely look to Steve Holmes and Tongu to be deep threats.
Once again, for a unit with a good amount of depth, naming starters now doesn't mean much, but here it is...
Simon's Starters - Casey Cegles, Hakeem Moore, David Newsom, Tamba Tongu.
With the regime change this past offseason,the one unit that doesn't seem to have changed much has been the wide receiver corp. This unit returns 4 of their 5 most productive receivers. Only two of them, Casey Cegles and Tamba Tongu, enters this season as seniors. With so much youth around them, this season could be a breakout season for Tongu and a leadership opportunity for Ceagles
"I've always considered myself a leader," Cegles said. "Now that I realized I'm the oldest one, I knew it was my turn to take over."
The depth and speed in Towson's receiver corp will be their strength. The development of the run game this offseason will help take the pressure off the corp to put up the numbers they have in the past. To be quite frank, they probably won't match those numbers with the loss of Schaefer, and having only one year of chemistry with both Blair Peterson and Brian Potts who are likely to take over at QB.
"Sean is tough to replace, he's one of the best QB's to ever come through the state of Maryland," Ceagles said. "[Peterson and Potts], they're all good. We're not on the same page yet."
The formula is there for a productive air attack, two strong arm QB's competing for the starting job with a corps of WR's who are very hard to out throw. The only question is who will stretch the field on this unit. David Newsom, Hakeem Moore and Cegles are all reliable slots, and all brought down at least 30 receptions last season. The Tigers will likely look to Steve Holmes and Tongu to be deep threats.
Once again, for a unit with a good amount of depth, naming starters now doesn't mean much, but here it is...
Simon's Starters - Casey Cegles, Hakeem Moore, David Newsom, Tamba Tongu.
Day 4: Pride
Sorry to keep you waiting, it was a busy weekend, stay tuned for a lot posts coming up...
Thursday April 2
Day 4 of practice was all about pride. For each player, pride in themselves meant earning their spot on the depth chart. For each coach, pride meant pushing their players to perform at and/or beyond the level expected of them. For the team as a whole, pride means entering the upcoming season prepared to shake off a 3-9 season.
Thursday was the first practice of the year in full pads. This day is often cliched as the day that "separates the men from the boys." For Head Coach Rob Ambrose's perspective, this separates the men from the better men, as the majority of practice was some sort of competition. Besides position drills, a good amount of practice consisted of 7 v 7 drills, offensive line v defensive line drills, etc. Ambrose rotated through drills throughout practice, observing position battles, carrying his clipboard and jotting notes.
"The depth chart is fluid," Ambrose reminded his players continuously.
Day 4 also revealed a new drill in the Rob Ambrose practice arsenal, the Pride Drill. Offense vs defense in a situational scrimmage. The defense was the clear winner for the day. In the offense's first possession they failed to convert on several 3rd and short scenarios.
In the second round of the drill, the offense struck quick and scored a touchdown on their second play from scrimmage. After they got hot, the defense put out the flame and forced fumbles on back-to-back third down scenarios.
Now that full pads are on, things will only get more intense to what has already been an intense spring.
Thursday April 2
Day 4 of practice was all about pride. For each player, pride in themselves meant earning their spot on the depth chart. For each coach, pride meant pushing their players to perform at and/or beyond the level expected of them. For the team as a whole, pride means entering the upcoming season prepared to shake off a 3-9 season.
Thursday was the first practice of the year in full pads. This day is often cliched as the day that "separates the men from the boys." For Head Coach Rob Ambrose's perspective, this separates the men from the better men, as the majority of practice was some sort of competition. Besides position drills, a good amount of practice consisted of 7 v 7 drills, offensive line v defensive line drills, etc. Ambrose rotated through drills throughout practice, observing position battles, carrying his clipboard and jotting notes.
"The depth chart is fluid," Ambrose reminded his players continuously.
Day 4 also revealed a new drill in the Rob Ambrose practice arsenal, the Pride Drill. Offense vs defense in a situational scrimmage. The defense was the clear winner for the day. In the offense's first possession they failed to convert on several 3rd and short scenarios.
In the second round of the drill, the offense struck quick and scored a touchdown on their second play from scrimmage. After they got hot, the defense put out the flame and forced fumbles on back-to-back third down scenarios.
Now that full pads are on, things will only get more intense to what has already been an intense spring.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Offday thoughts: Defensive Line
Now on to the defense. One of the more impressive units in the early days of practice has been the defensive line.
This unit suffered a big loss this offseason when defensive end and redshirt junior Richard Lee was told by doctors his playing days were over after a nagging neck injury was retriggered last season and sidelined him for good. Lee was a physical force in the trenches and unquestioned emotional leader and still paces the sidelines during practice pumping his teammates up.
Two things make this squad improved from last year are experience and depth. On the interior returns Yaky Ibia and Rob Osbourne. The two tackles both played as true freshman, Ibia in 2007, and Osbourne in 2008. Both big men made immediate impacts in their respective freshman years, Osbourne even took a few snaps on the offensive side of the ball as a rumbling fullback.
However, the first few days of camp have seen both players in limited duty, Osbourne has regularly been taking ice on the sidelines.
Defensive line coach Canute Curtis intends on cycling in his defensive tackles as Armen Melikian, Alex Avolio and Marcus Valentine have seen a good amount of time, Valentine has even played a few snaps at end.
"Enter text here. You gotta always have depth on the defensive line," Curtis said. "We do have a lot of guys, a lot of young guys and a lot of guys who have played, but we have to develop some toughness and some depth."
The highlight on the defensive line has been Boston College transfer Brady Smith. The 6-2, 260lbs defensive end has experience at the FBS level and posesses a lot of talent. Even being such a high profile transfer, the coaches don't show him an special favor.
"You coach [Smith] like you coach anybody else," Curtis said. "You coach him even harder, the point is to get him better."
If Smith does get any better than he already is, that spells bad news for opposing QB's in the CAA.
With so much depth and rotation, the starting 4 defensive linemen really don't mean much more than the back ups, but for continuity sake...
Simon's starters: DE- Brady Smith, Marcus Valentine; DT- Rob Osbourne, Armen Melikian
This unit suffered a big loss this offseason when defensive end and redshirt junior Richard Lee was told by doctors his playing days were over after a nagging neck injury was retriggered last season and sidelined him for good. Lee was a physical force in the trenches and unquestioned emotional leader and still paces the sidelines during practice pumping his teammates up.
Two things make this squad improved from last year are experience and depth. On the interior returns Yaky Ibia and Rob Osbourne. The two tackles both played as true freshman, Ibia in 2007, and Osbourne in 2008. Both big men made immediate impacts in their respective freshman years, Osbourne even took a few snaps on the offensive side of the ball as a rumbling fullback.
However, the first few days of camp have seen both players in limited duty, Osbourne has regularly been taking ice on the sidelines.
Defensive line coach Canute Curtis intends on cycling in his defensive tackles as Armen Melikian, Alex Avolio and Marcus Valentine have seen a good amount of time, Valentine has even played a few snaps at end.
"
The highlight on the defensive line has been Boston College transfer Brady Smith. The 6-2, 260lbs defensive end has experience at the FBS level and posesses a lot of talent. Even being such a high profile transfer, the coaches don't show him an special favor.
"You coach [Smith] like you coach anybody else," Curtis said. "You coach him even harder, the point is to get him better."
If Smith does get any better than he already is, that spells bad news for opposing QB's in the CAA.
With so much depth and rotation, the starting 4 defensive linemen really don't mean much more than the back ups, but for continuity sake...
Simon's starters: DE- Brady Smith, Marcus Valentine; DT- Rob Osbourne, Armen Melikian
Day 3: Junction boys
"I don't want my players to be like other students. I want special people," Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant-circa 1960's
"Normal people can not do what you are being asked to do out here," Coach Rob Ambrose-2009
If day 1 of practice brought a new level of intensity to the Towson Football program, day 3 brought reality. Ambrose taught his players the level of intensity where he expects them to perform, and he did not feel it had been met. The way he ran a camp was very reminiscent of a legendary Bear Bryant camp.
Ambrose has raised the bar on his players in every way. Every drill is timed and the team runs on a very strict schedule during practice.
Day 3 was the first practice in shells, shoulder pads and shorts, which meant A LOT more contact. This meant receivers and db's ran at each other faster, and harder. Linebackers and running backs were popping each other every snap. Things got down and dirty in the trenches, as offensive and defensive lines ran one-on-one's most of practice.
These drills were the definition of intensity, especially after a fight broke out Armen Melikian and Tim Farley that turned into a melee between the players of both units. After they got the brawl out of their systems, the coaches yelled to break things up, and everybody got back into their squads as if nothing happened!
After a 2 hour and 40 minute practice from hell, Coach Ambrose ended things the only way you could end the most difficult practice possible: 100-yard sprints. 14 of them at that...running just over 3/4 of a mile at top speed to END the day. While the players breathed heavily and were in obvious pain, they knew what that practice meant.
"We really needed it," wide receiver Casey Ceagles said.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Offday Thoughts: QB's
Coach Ambrose has made it clear that every starting spot is up for grabs this spring. Considering his roster currently doesn't have any of his recruits yet, there's definite room for competition even after the team's spring workouts break.
On the offdays of camp, I'll be posting my thoughts on how each position core looks to be shaping out. Today we'll look at the quarterbacks.
How do you replace the all-time greatest passer in TU football history? That is the question.
Sean Schaefer left a legacy behind without a doubt, and his long time understudy Andrew Daley transferred this offseason. Coming into camp, the two names floating around were Blair Peterson, a 23 year-old redshirt freshman, and Brian Potts, Combs' highest profile recruit last year.
Peterson is a born leader and in my opinion the favorite for the starter spot by a long shot. The southpaw from San Antonio, Texas was paired with Texas Tech Star Graham Harrel in their high school combine as juniors. He has a great touch on the ball and can make plays on his feet.
Potts has a great arm, and with a core of speedy receivers can make big plays. Judging from the first day of practice alone, Potts' mechanics didn't look very finely tuned on the first day. His footwork really needed work but is improving very quickly. His arm was still there and hit David Newsome and Hakeem Moore for a couple of deep balls.
Both QB's timing looked off, but that's almost excusable considering they haven't had much time to develop chemistry with their receivers and it's the first week of camp, we'll see how this battle heats up towards the end of camp.
Simon's starter: Blair Peterson
On the offdays of camp, I'll be posting my thoughts on how each position core looks to be shaping out. Today we'll look at the quarterbacks.
How do you replace the all-time greatest passer in TU football history? That is the question.
Sean Schaefer left a legacy behind without a doubt, and his long time understudy Andrew Daley transferred this offseason. Coming into camp, the two names floating around were Blair Peterson, a 23 year-old redshirt freshman, and Brian Potts, Combs' highest profile recruit last year.
Peterson is a born leader and in my opinion the favorite for the starter spot by a long shot. The southpaw from San Antonio, Texas was paired with Texas Tech Star Graham Harrel in their high school combine as juniors. He has a great touch on the ball and can make plays on his feet.
Potts has a great arm, and with a core of speedy receivers can make big plays. Judging from the first day of practice alone, Potts' mechanics didn't look very finely tuned on the first day. His footwork really needed work but is improving very quickly. His arm was still there and hit David Newsome and Hakeem Moore for a couple of deep balls.
Both QB's timing looked off, but that's almost excusable considering they haven't had much time to develop chemistry with their receivers and it's the first week of camp, we'll see how this battle heats up towards the end of camp.
Simon's starter: Blair Peterson
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Days 1 & 2: Birth of the Ambrose-ism
"This isn't f-ing tennis, this isn't last year! If you don't like it, take off your helmet and walk!"
"You already know how to lose!"
After being asked any question about personnel or strategy: "You'll have to by season tickets to find out"
The upside to hiring a head coach who was an English major: he's very eloquent. There isn't a question in the world you could ask him without getting a grade-A quote. He's a journalist's dream.
The downside is, by the end of the day, his voice is too hoarse to give you a good sound bite.
The night-and-day difference between a Rob Ambrose football camp and a Gordy Combs football camp is the intensity. Everything is louder. The coaches are shouting, the players are shouting, the primary medium of communication on the field has become screaming at the top of your lungs.
The first practice of Rob Ambrose's camp was more intense than the last practice of Gordy Combs'.
Along with the volume is the hustle. Even with the all-day rain over Saturday's practice, every snap was played at full speed. When the starters finished a drill, a whistle blew and the next string was already on the sideline getting the next play from their coaches. One squad's on, and in seconds, the next play is already starting with the next line in.
The overall conditioning of players seems to be average for the first weekend of practice. With the regime change this offseason, and the loss of strength and conditioning coach Terrence Brooks, it COULD be a lot better. But, the intensity of practice seems to compensate for the loss.
"We would rather be out here in helmets than running at 5am," Coach Ambrose said. "These guys are learning to play faster, longer."
The faces are somewhat similar. With the absence of Ambrose's recruits, the roster is still primarily of the Combs era, but every day of the offseason remains an open competition for every spot.
The standout from the opening weekend is defensive end Brady Smith. If defensive coordinator Matt Hachman is smart, he will base his pass rush packages around the 6-2, 285 lb transfer from Boston College. Smith was in the backfield almost every snap and will make an immediate impact on the defense. In 2007, Smith's last season at BC, he registered 29 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.
"Brady Smith will eat my children one day," a team staff member commented after practice.
Overall, the new coaching staff wasted no time in putting their stamp on this program. It's still too early to tell if this team can contend in the stacked CAA, but it's easier now to be optimistic with the changes already seen.
"You already know how to lose!"
After being asked any question about personnel or strategy: "You'll have to by season tickets to find out"
The upside to hiring a head coach who was an English major: he's very eloquent. There isn't a question in the world you could ask him without getting a grade-A quote. He's a journalist's dream.
The downside is, by the end of the day, his voice is too hoarse to give you a good sound bite.
The night-and-day difference between a Rob Ambrose football camp and a Gordy Combs football camp is the intensity. Everything is louder. The coaches are shouting, the players are shouting, the primary medium of communication on the field has become screaming at the top of your lungs.
The first practice of Rob Ambrose's camp was more intense than the last practice of Gordy Combs'.
Along with the volume is the hustle. Even with the all-day rain over Saturday's practice, every snap was played at full speed. When the starters finished a drill, a whistle blew and the next string was already on the sideline getting the next play from their coaches. One squad's on, and in seconds, the next play is already starting with the next line in.
The overall conditioning of players seems to be average for the first weekend of practice. With the regime change this offseason, and the loss of strength and conditioning coach Terrence Brooks, it COULD be a lot better. But, the intensity of practice seems to compensate for the loss.
"We would rather be out here in helmets than running at 5am," Coach Ambrose said. "These guys are learning to play faster, longer."
The faces are somewhat similar. With the absence of Ambrose's recruits, the roster is still primarily of the Combs era, but every day of the offseason remains an open competition for every spot.
The standout from the opening weekend is defensive end Brady Smith. If defensive coordinator Matt Hachman is smart, he will base his pass rush packages around the 6-2, 285 lb transfer from Boston College. Smith was in the backfield almost every snap and will make an immediate impact on the defense. In 2007, Smith's last season at BC, he registered 29 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.
"Brady Smith will eat my children one day," a team staff member commented after practice.
Overall, the new coaching staff wasted no time in putting their stamp on this program. It's still too early to tell if this team can contend in the stacked CAA, but it's easier now to be optimistic with the changes already seen.
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