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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - It's not often that a .500 team has to worry about a letdown game.
But that's the trap Towson must avoid as it prepares to host No. 12 Hofstra on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers’ morale is at a season-high after stunning then-No. 14 Richmond, 23-21, on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sean Schaefer to receiver Demetrius Harrison as time expired on Saturday.
“It was great to have that type of celebration because it's something that this team has been missing, especially this year,” Harrison, who had 10 catches for 112 yards, said. “We have been a very exciting team in the past and we haven't so far this year and we felt it was an area we had to step up in.”
Towson (3-3, 1-3 Colonial Athletic Association) entered its game against Richmond averaging just 14 points in its past three games — all conference losses — but put together three touchdown drives of more than 65 yards against Richmond (3-2, 2-1). Quarterback Sean Schaefer gave one of the finest performances of his career, as he completed 29-of-33 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
But he’ll have to give an encore for Towson to upset Hofstra (5-0, 2-0), which features the CAA’s second ranked defense, allowing only 300 yards per game.
“The problem with this league is that once you leave one game there's [someone good waiting for you],” Combs said of the CAA, which entered the weekend with six teams ranked in the top-15 in the Football Championship Subdivision. “Hofstra is probably going to crack the top-10, and it's like that every week.”
Last season, the Pride finished 2-9, including a 33-30 loss to the Tigers. Hofstra has been able to turn things around this season with an explosive offense that averages more than 33 points per game. The Pride is led by senior running back Kareem Huggins, who had his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, in a 38-13 dismantling of Maine on Saturday.
The Tigers’ defense, however, has improved as the season has progressed. Against Richmond, Towson allowed only 21 points and 354 yards of offense to a team that came in ranked third in the Football Championship Subdivision in total offense (495 yards per game) and had scored at least 45 points in its past three games.
“[The win over Richmond] was a stepping stone, and a good point to put us in the hunt again,” Combs said. “Every time you win a league game it helps you out and a team can go to the [Football Championship Subdivision] playoffs with three losses, there's no doubt.”
dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
8:36 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 13, 2007 re: "Bradford’s record career almost didn’t happen"
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2:29 PM MST on Mon., Nov. 5, 2007
re: "Same miscues continue to plague Tigers"
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TUTiger said:
Congrats go out to Bradford, he deserves it. This guy can play with anybody. Go Tigers!
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Towson '06 said:
Coach Combs is the one to blame for this season; if he can't get the players motivated or correct the issues that we are having game after game then maybe he has served our school the best that he can and it is time that he and the program split ways.
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