Suddenly, Towson University football is in the spotlight.

In 2011, it was for an upstart season that literally saw the school go from bottom of the barrel to top of the league in one of the most shocking single-season turnarounds ever.

Now, head coach Rob Ambrose is on the hot seat for some alleged non-compliance issues surrounding practice time and a couple of malcontents who suddenly decided they no longer wanted to hear the coach’s foul language while running laps at 6am.

I’ll handle this the way I deal with everything else here at WNST.net.  I’ll give you the truth and the story-behind-the-story.  You won’t find this at The Sun and you most certainly won’t hear this on the FM station in town because most of the people on the air over there wouldn’t know how to get Johnny Unitas Stadium or the Towson Center if you gave them a GPS and a free meal for showing up.

If you’re interested in knowing the truth, here it comes.

First, let me offer a friendly reminder of how sports works.  This isn’t meant to endorse the practices that take place in the locker room or on the field, but it’s just the way things go.  There’s an old saying when guys or gals hop on a plane and head to “Sin City” for a bachelor or bachelorette party — “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  It’s seedy and dirty and almost comical that the Las Vegas visitor’s bureau markets themselves as a destination to forget about your core values, but that’s what they do and, frankly, it probably works wonders for their revenue stream.

Substitute the word “locker room” in place of “Vegas” and there you have the sports theme.

“What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room.”  Or, it should.

Think back to the scene in A Few Good Men when Private Santiago reported one of his peers for an illegal fence line shooting.  He was dealt with by the two young Marines on trial because he violated the credo — “what happens in the field, stays in the field.”

It’s the same thing going on at Towson, except no one ordered a code red.

And no one got hurt.

Ever.

The two young men who stepped forward – only one was willing to publish his name, if that matters to you – suggested that Ambrose filed incorrect practice time logs in an effort to hide from the compliance folks that he was “over-practicing” his football team.  They also claimed that Ambrose used inappropriate and foul language, most notably prior to the team’s September 18 home game vs. Saint Frances.

Always remember this:  Just because someone says “this is what happened” doesn’t actually mean that’s what happened.  It might mean that’s what you PERCEIVED happened…but that doesn’t mean it went that way in real-life.  We at WNST – and me, specifically – found that out nearly two years ago when a former media member in town filed a completely baseless and fraudulent lawsuit against the station.  Immediately there were folks in town who said, “Did you hear what those guys at WNST did to xxx-xxxxx?”  Well, as it turned out some 6 months later, we didn’t really “do” anything.  Once of the odor of $800,000 disappeared because there wasn’t any REAL evidence in place to support such a lawsuit, the whole case was suddenly dropped like a Lee Evans touchdown catch in the AFC championship game.  So, I know firsthand about the whole issue of “just because someone says this is what happened doesn’t necessarily mean that’s really what happened.”

Now, these two young men who stepped forward (and there are rumors that others are in the process of perhaps doing the same thing in the next day or two) obviously felt strongly enough about their “case” that it led them to go public with all of it.

Are they wrong for bringing those issues to light?

They’re not wrong, per-se.  Sure, they might have violated the unwritten rule that most college and professional sports abide by which, as I noted above, is to consider things that happen “in the family” need to stay in the family.

But if they felt as if they were in danger, somehow, they had every right to “report” their coach.

The fact of the matter is that at no time were those two players or anyone else ever in danger or was their health ever at risk.

Here’s what I know about Rob Ambrose.  He’s a tough coach.  He wants to win.  And he’s one of the biggest reasons why Towson has been winning over the last 13 months.

I also know he’s loud and over-bearing and very capable of salty language…sort of like the Wyoming coach who lost his mind last weekend when they lost a close game to Air Force.

Is Rob Ambrose capable of lashing out at kids who are late, not paying attention or insubordinate, as one of his star players was just an hour or so prior to last Saturday’s game against Old Dominion?  Absolutely.  Guess what?  Coach K at Duke is not only capable of doing the exact same thing, he wrote Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the book on “How to scream at your players and still love them and get the best out of them.”

(Please see next page)

TOWSON, Md. – Coming off a 24-19 victory over the University of Maine, Coach Rob Ambrose and the Tiger football team will host explosive Old Dominion University (5-1, 2-1) at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium in a Colonial Athletic Association game on Saturday night, October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Another large crowd is expected at Unitas Stadium as Towson University celebrates T-Club Night. Saturday night’s game will also be the Tigers’ “Black Out” game with fans encouraged to wear black to support the Tigers.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

Towson and ODU will be meeting for the second time on Saturday night. A relatively-new program, ODU is starting its fifth season as a varsity program. Under the direction of Coach Bobby Wilder, ODU has compiled an impressive 32-9 record.

Saturday night’s game is a matchup of the top passing team in NCAA FCS against one of the top defensive teams in FCS. Led by sophomore quarterback Taylor Heinicke, ODU averages an amazing 49.2 points per game. Heinicke leads the nation by averaging 420 passing yards per game. He has completed 185 of 277 passes for 2,520 yards with 23 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. Senior Nick Mayers is ODU’s top receiver with 30 receptions for 585 yards and eight touchdowns while sophomore Antonio Vaughan has 29 catches for 436 yards and four TD’s.

ODU opened its season with five consecutive wins. After wins over Duquesne (57-23), Hampton (45-7) and Campbell (70-14), the Monarchs came from behind to edge New Hampshire, 64-61. In the win over UNH, Heinicke passed for an NCAA record 730 yards.  After a 45-37 win over Richmond, ODU was upset by Villanova last week, 38-14.

While facing one of the toughest schedules in FCS football, the Tigers have a 3-3 record. Among their losses are setbacks to a pair of FBS teams, Kent State and Louisiana State. Those two teams have a combined record of 11-2.

“I like the way we are playing right now,” says Coach Ambrose, the Tigers’ fourth-year coach. “Against Maine, we had a much better team effort in all three aspects of the game. We re-focused last week and came out with a good result. We did throw the ball more than usual but that was due to Maine. They came in here wanting to stop the run so we took advantage of the chances to throw.”

Towson counters with one of the top defensive units in NCAA FCS.. After six games, the Tigers are ranked second in the nation in pass defense, allowing 139 yards per game. Allowing 285.3 total yards per game, the Tigers are ranked fifth in the nation in total defense. Towson also leads the CAA in total defense.

“The best thing about our defense is that we have a team approach,” says Ambrose. “Everyone is playing together and working hard. They are doing a very good job.”

Five different Tigers have made at least 30 tackles this season. Sophomore cornerback Tye Smith leads the Tigers with 39 tackles and four pass breakups while junior linebacker Monte Gaddis is second on the team with 38 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for lost yardage. Freshman linebacker Bryton Barr has made 37 tackles and leads the Tigers with two fumble recoveries.

Senior safety Jordan Dangerfield, a Pre-Season All-American, has made 35 tackles with three pass breakups. Junior linebacker Telvion Clark, a transfer from Virginia Tech, has made quite an impact on the defense. He has 34 tackles, fifth on the team.

Senior quarterback Grant Enders leads the Tigers’ offense. In the Tigers’ win over Maine, he accounted for 358 yards of total offense. Enders is fifth in the CAA as he averages 239.3 yards per game.  He has completed 106 passes in 166 attempts for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns. He is also the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 321 yards on 55 carries, a 5.8 average. He has scored two touchdowns.

Sophomore Terrance West leads the Tigers with 533 rushing yards. He has also scored a team high eight touchdowns.

Last season, the Tigers and the Monarchs met in a classic college football game. In a game with four lead changes, Towson came from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 39-35. Enders threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to senior Tom Ryan with 1:07 remaining on a fourth down-and-29 play, putting Towson ahead. Against ODU, Enders threw for a career high 314 yards and two touchdowns.

Towson won the 2011 CAA championship with 7-1 CAA record. ODU tied for second in the CAA with a 6-2 mark. Both teams advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs.

After hosting Old Dominion on Saturday night, the Tigers are back on the road for two more CAA games. On Saturday, October 27, Towson visits Villanova for a 3:30 contest. On November 3, the Tigers visit Delaware.

TIGER TALES:  Ryan became the 20th player in the history of the Tiger football program with 100 career catches when he had four receptions for 85 yards against Maine … He enters Saturday’s game with 100 receptions for 1,193 yards and six touchdowns.

Towson is ranked fourth in NCAA FCS in average time of possession … Towson averages 34:10 in time of possession this year … Defending national champion North Dakota State is ranked first (34:44) … To date, the Tigers have run 411 offensive plays while their opponents have 354 plays … Towson is also outgaining its opponents in total yards, 2,309 yards to 1,712 yards … The Tigers have also rushed for 1,194 yards while allowing 878 yards.

TOWSON, Md. – After dropping a heart-breaking 13-10 decision at No. 5 James Madison University last week, the No. 17 Tiger football team returns to Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium, hosting the University of Maine in a Colonial Athletic Association game on Saturday night, October 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Another large crowd is expected at Unitas Stadium as Towson University celebrates Family Weekend. Saturday night’s game will also be the Tigers’ “Pink Game” as the team shows its support for breast cancer awareness.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

Both Towson and Maine come into this week’s game with 2-3 overall records. Both teams are also 1-1 in CAA play. The Tigers beat William & Mary and lost to JMU while Maine lost to Villanova before routing Delaware, 26-3.

The Tigers, who have played the third-toughest schedule in FCS football this year, will be seeking their third consecutive home victory. Towson beat William & Mary and St. Francis in its first two home games. Ironically, Maine has played better on the road this season. The Black Bears are 2-1 on the road, winning games at Bryant and Delaware.

Last season, Towson pulled out a 40-30 victory over Maine in Orono. It was a matchup of two of the top teams in the CAA. The No. 7 Black Bears came into the game with a 7-2 overall record and were the league leaders with a 5-0 CAA mark. Towson came into the game with a 6-2 overall mark and a 4-0 CAA record. Led by Terrance Westand Tremayne Dameron, ’12, Towson ran for a seasonal high 334 yards on 53 carries. West ran for 183 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns while Dameron had 109 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns.

The Tigers’ victory created a three-way tie at the top of the CAA and gave Towson the inside track for the CAA championship. Two weeks later, the Tigers clinched their first CAA championship with a 28-17 win at Rhode Island.

Both Towson and Maine advanced to NCAA FCS post-season play.

“Maine was really good last year and I think they’re better this season,” says Towson Coach Rob Ambrose.“Their defense is really improved and their defensive speed is impressive. They played well at Delaware last week and that got our attention.”

When Towson and Maine hook up for the 11th time on Saturday night, the Tigers will be led by the top-ranked defensive unit in the CAA. In their first five games, the Tiger defense has allowed an average of 282.00 total yards per game. In addition to leading the CAA, the Tiger defense is ranked sixth in FCS football. Towson has only given up 135.00 passing yards per game and has the second-best pass defense in NCAA FCS.

Junior linebacker Telvion Clark, a transfer from Virginia Tech, leads the Tigers with 34 tackles, a mark that places him 10th in the CAA among linebackers. Sophomore cornerback Tye Smith is second on the team with 32 tackles. He also leads the team with three pass breakups. Freshman linebacker Bryton Barr has also made 32 tackles.

Senior safety Jordan Dangerfield has made 31 tackles. He now ranks 23rd on Towson’s career list of tackles leaders. He has 220 tackles in his career.

West, the ninth-leading rusher in school history, leads the Tiger offense. In five games, he has rushed for 442 yards and scored a team high seven touchdowns. In 16 career games, he has scored 36 rushing touchdowns, setting a school record. He has rushed for 1,736 yards in his young career.

Turnovers continue to haunt the Tigers. After turning the ball over three times at James Madison, the Tigers are minus-nine in turnover ratio this season. The turnover ratio has negated the Tigers’ offensive domination. The Tiger offense averages 34:03 time of possession per game, a mark that places the Tigers second in the nation.

In five games, Towson has run 347 offensive plays while Towson’s opponents have run 291 offensive plays. Towson is also outgaining its opponents, 1802 yards to 1410 yards. The Tigers have 102 first downs while their opponents have 80 first downs. Towson has 947 rushing yards while their opponents have rushed for 735 yards. Defending national champion North Dakota State leads FCS football in time of possession at 35:00 per game.

Towson’s game against Maine is the second of seven consecutive CAA games for the Tigers. Dating back to last season, the Tigers have won eight of their last ten CAA games.

After hosting Maine, the Tigers return to Unitas Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20 to host Old Dominion. On Oct. 27, the Tigers visit Villanova. After a Nov. 3 trip to Delaware, the Tigers host Rhode Island in their final home game on Nov. 10. Towson concludes the regular season at New Hampshire on Nov. 17.

TIGER TALES:  Senior wide receiver Tom Ryan needs only four more receptions to become the 20th player in the history of the Tiger football program with 100 career catches … He enters Saturday’s game with 96 receptions for 1,108 yards and six touchdowns.

Towson and Maine will be meeting for the 11th time in a series that the Black Bears lead by a 6-4 margin … From 1988 to 2010, the Black Bears won five straight games against Towson … This will be the fifth time the teams have played at Towson … Maine is 3-1 in games played at Towson while the teams have split six games in Orono … Towson won the first-ever meeting in 1979, stunning the Black Bears, 13-7 … In 1982, the Tigers came from behind to edge Maine on a Sean Landeta field goal with one second remaining, 35-32 … Towson also pulled out a 17-14 victory in Orono in 1987, the Tigers’ first win as an NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) program … After the win in 1987, the Tigers did not beat Maine again until their 40-30 victory last season.

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Returning to Colonial Athletic Association action, No. 12 Towson (2-2, 1-0) will face one of the top challengers for the CAA championship when the Tigers visit No. 5 James Madison University (3-1, 1-0) at Bridgeforth Stadium on Saturday, October 6 at 1:00 p.m.

The Towson-JMU game will be televised on NBC Sports Network with veteran sportscaster Randy Moss handling the play-by-play while former pro football standout Anthony Herron is the color analyst. Carolyn Manno will be the sideline reporter. This will be the second Towson game that will be televised by NBC Sports Network. The network also aired the Tigers’ win over William & Mary last month.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

The Tigers, who are coming off a 38-22 loss at No. 3 Louisiana State, will be facing the JMU for the 24th time. The Dukes lead the series by a 17-5-1 margin and have won seven consecutive games against Towson. Since the two schools became conference rivals in 2004, JMU has won all seven meetings.

When Towson won the 2011 CAA championship, the Tigers and the Dukes did not face each other. However, both teams advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs.

In games played in Harrisonburg, the Dukes have a 10-1 record against the Tigers. Towson’s only win at JMU was a 10-3 victory in 1983 when the Tigers closed out a 10-1 regular season and earned their first berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. JMU has won seven games in a row against Towson in Harrisonburg.

“After playing LSU, I feel like we are jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” says Towson Coach Rob Ambrose. “JMU is one of the best teams in FCS football and it is going to be quite a challenge to play them down there. Every week in the CAA is like this. It is ridiculous how good this league is. Everyone has talent. Everyone is well-coached. That is just how it is every week.”

Towson and James Madison come into this week’s game as two of the top defensive teams in the FCS football. Allowing 288.50 yards per game, the Tigers rank fifth while the Dukes are sixth at 291.75 total yards per contest.

Junior linebacker Telvion Clark, a transfer from Virginia Tech, leads the Tigers with 28 tackles, a mark that places him 11th in the CAA. Senior safety Jordan Dangerfield is second on the team with 27 tackles. In Towson’s upset bid at LSU, Dangerfield made seven tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

Sophomore running back Terrance West, (below), the tenth-leading rusher in school history, leads the Tiger offense. In four games, he has rushed for 330 yards and scored a team high seven touchdowns. In 15 career

games, he has scored 36 rushing touchdowns, setting a school record.

Playing before an announced crowd of more than 92,000, the Tigers were very competitive against LSU. Their 22 points were the most any team had scored against LSU’s highly-touted defense since Oregon scored 27 points in the 2011 season opener against the Bayou Bengals. Towson ran 73 offensive plays while LSU had 61 plays. Led by senior quarterback Grant Enders, Towson rushed for 188 yards while LSU ran for 158 yards. Enders ran for a career high a game high 86 yards on 12 carries at LSU.

At LSU, Towson controlled the clock with 34:42 of possession. Towson owned a 9-7 lead in the second quarter at LSU.

Towson’s game at James Madison is the first of seven consecutive CAA games for the Tigers. Dating back to last season, the Tigers have won eight of their last nine CAA games. The 2011 CAA champions were undefeated in CAA road games last year, posting wins at Old Dominion, William & Mary, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

After their visit to James Madison, the Tigers return to Unitas Stadium for back-to-back home games against Maine and Old Dominion. On Oct. 27, the Tigers visit Villanova. After a Nov. 3 trip to Delaware, the Tigers host Rhode Island in their final home game on Nov. 10. Towson concludes the regular season at New Hampshire on Nov. 17.

TIGER TALES:  Senior wide receiver Tom Ryan needs only eight more receptions to become the 20th player in the history of the Tiger football program with 100 career catches … He enters Saturday’s game with 92 receptions for 1,083 yards and six touchdowns.

For the fourth time in five games, Towson’s game will be televised … The season opener at Kent State was carried on Comcast-Plus while the Tigers’ home opener against William & Mary on Sept. 15 was also televised by the NBC Sports Network … Three of the Tigers’ games have been scheduled to be aired on the NBC Sports Network … In addition to the James Madison, Towson’s contest at Delaware will be on the NBC Sports Network … Last week, ESPNU televised Towson’s game at Louisiana State.

TOWSON, Md. – More than two weeks after opening their season at Kent State University, Coach Rob Ambrose and the No. 12-ranked Tiger football team returns to Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium when the Tigers host Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary (0-2, 0-0) on Saturday, September 15 at 12 noon.

The Towson-William & Mary game will be nationally-televised on the NBC Sports Network. Todd Harris is the play-by-play announcer while Ross Tucker will handle the color commentary. Carolyn Manno is the sideline reporter.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

When the Tigers host William & Mary on Saturday, they will be seeking their eighth consecutive win in a home opener. Towson has not lost its home opener since 2004 when Northeastern beat Towson. The Tigers have an all-time record of 33-10 in home openers.

Saturday’s game will be “Hometown Heroes Day” with members from the Maryland National Guard, Wounded Warrior Project, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, Towson University Veterans Services, Fort Meade, and Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments participating in a special pre-game ceremony honoring America.

Prior to the National Anthem, members from the participating organizations will walk out onto the field holding a piece of American History – the National 9/11 Flag. Found in the aftermath of World Trade Center attacks on September 11, the National 9/11 Flag has been experienced by over 300 million Americans. The flag has been on a journey across America, stopping in each of the fifty states to be stitched back together by local heroes.

The National 9/11 Flag is steeped in history stemming out of the tragic 9/11 attacks. It has been stitched by survivors of the 2009 shooting at Ft. Hood in Texas, by World War II veterans on the deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, and by the family of Martin Luther King, Jr. It has also been stitched by Members of Congress and by thousands of everyday service heroes nationwide. Recently, a piece of the flag that Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest on was stitched into the fabric of this truly meaningful flag.

At the conclusion of the pre-game ceremony, the National 9/11 Flag will be on display on the South Concourse located inside Unitas Stadium.

Saturday’s game will also be Banner Day as the Tigers’ 2011 Colonial Athletic Association championship panel on the scoreboard will be unveiled.

The Tigers, who posted a 9-3 record last season and won the CAA with a 7-1 mark, had their bye week after their season-opening loss at Kent State. Coach Ambrose said the bye week was very beneficial to the team.

“The bye week was actually good for us,” says the Tigers’ fourth-year coach. “We spent the time working on focus, fundamentals and ball security. We also got a few players healthy. These are guys who weren’t able to play at Kent State.”

Last season, the Tigers beat William & Mary in Williamsburg, handing the Tribe its first-ever loss to Towson. Prior to the Towson victory, William & Mary had beaten Towson seven times in a row.

When the No. 15 Tigers handed No. 14 William & Mary a 38-27 last year, they improved to 6-1 overall and reached the halfway mark of their CAA schedule with a 4-0 record.

The Tribe comes into Unitas Stadium with an 0-2 record. William & Mary has dropped a pair of close games, dropping a 7-6 decision at Maryland and falling to Lafayette, 17-14.

“William & Mary’s defense is very good,” says Coach Ambrose. “At Maryland, their defense played out of its mind. They were truly impressive. Their loss to Lafayette doesn’t reveal too much because of the weather issues. We expect William & Mary to come into Unitas Stadium fully revved up to make everyone forget we actually beat them once.”

Turnovers and special teams mistakes were very costly at Kent State. The Tigers turned the ball over six times as Kent State converted those turnovers into 27 points. On special teams, the Tigers gave up 155 yards on kickoff returns and fumbled twice.

Senior quarterback Grant Enders (right) led the Tiger offense at Kent State. He completed a career high 26 passes in 36 attempts. Enders threw for 251 yards and a touchdown.

After falling behind by 17-0 in the opening ten minutes at Kent State, the Tigers didn’t run the ball as much as they planned. Although sophomore Terrance West was held to 36 yards on 14 carries, he did score two touchdowns. In 2011, West led NCAA FCS with 29 touchdowns scored. West has scored at least two touchdowns in his last nine games and now has 31 career touchdowns.

On defense, senior defensive end Romale Tucker and sophomore linebacker Kenton Powell led the Tigers in tackles at Kent State. Tucker and Powell are tied for the team lead with six tackles each.

The Tigers’ game against William & Mary is the first of two consecutive home games. Next week, Towson hosts its Homecoming Game against St. Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m.

TIGER TALES:  Saturday’s game is the second of six Tiger games that are scheduled to be televised … It is also the Tigers’ first appearance on the NBC Sports Network … Towson’s games at Villanova and Delaware later this season will also be televised by NBC Sports Network.

Although the Tigers dropped a 41-21 contest to Kent State, they actually outgained the Golden Flashes … Towson had 331 yards of total offense while Kent State had 267 yards … Towson also had 20 first downs while Kent State had 15.

With 273 yards of total offense at Kent State, Enders ranks second in the CAA in that category … He is also second in the CAA with 251 passing yards.

TOWSON, Md. – For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Towson University football team will open its season on the road against an NCAA FBS program when the Tigers travel to Kent State University on Thursday night to face the Golden Flashes at Dix Stadium at 7 p.m.

The Tigers’ season opener will be televised back to the Baltimore area on Comcast-Plus. Joe Beninati will call all the action from Kent State while Brad Jackson provides the color commentary.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action.

The Tigers, who return eight starters on offense and six starters on defense, stunned the college football world last season with a historic turnaround. One year after finishing the season with a 1-10 record, the 2011 Tigers were one of the most improved teams in college football history as they won their first Colonial Athletic Association championship and finished the season with a 9-3 record.

However, the Tigers won’t surprise anyone this season. Towson is ranked among the top ten teams in nearly every FCS pre-season poll. The Tigers are ranked as high as fourth in the nation by Lindy’s. But, the consensus rates Towson anywhere from sixth to eighth in the nation. For the first time ever, Towson has been tabbed as the CAA pre-season favorite.

All the pre-season attention has created a different dilemma for Coach Rob Ambrose.

He says, “We have had to work hard to stay focused. Up until last season, all our players heard was how bad they were. That is easy to block out. Now, everybody wants to tell us how good we are. That is harder to ignore. But, we’ve been working since January to put last year in the past. We had a very good pre-season and I think we’re ready to go.”

For the first time since 2008, the Tigers enter the season with an established starter at quarterback. Senior Grant Enders started 11 games last season and won nine of them. He completed 165 of 245 passes for 2,081 yards and led the CAA with a 153.72 pass efficiency rating. Enders threw 16 touchdown passes with only eight interceptions.

Sophomore Terrance West,  a pre-season All-American, returns to lead the Tigers’ running game. Honored as the winner of the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS football, West led the nation with 29 touchdowns scored while running for 1,294 yards. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

Junior tackle Eric Pike and junior center Doug Shaw are back to lead the offensive line. Pike was a third team All-CAA selection last season.

On defense, the Tigers will be relying on a pair of All-Americans, defensive end Frank Beltre and safety Jordan Dangerfield.

A third-year starter, Beltre made 68 tackles as a junior, fourth on the team. He also ranked third among CAA defensive linemen in tackles while making 12 tackles for lost yardage. He also had four sacks. In his career, he has made 196 tackles.

A two-year starter at safety, Dangerfield led the Tigers with 93 tackles last season despite missing two games with an injury. In two seasons with the Tigers, he has made 189 tackles. Last year, he also intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles and forced a pair of fumbles.

Junior Jordan Love and sophomore Tye Smith will join Dangerfield in the secondary, along with sophomore safety Thomas Bradley.  Love is a transfer from the University of Georgia who has been impressive in the pre-season while Smith made 49 tackles and intercepted two passes last year.

Senior defensive end Romale Tucker and senior linebacker Danzel White also return as top defensive players. Tucker led all CAA defensive linemen with 73 tackles last season while White had 77 tackles in nine games.

Coach Ambrose is pleased with the progress the Tigers made during the pre-season. He says, “This is actually the first camp where the players actually knew what it took for us to win. Our players know how hard you have to work and they know how much discipline you need. For us, the biggest word has been focus. That has been the theme for us all during camp.”

Kent State, a member of the Mid-America Conference, posted a 5-7 record last season. However, the Golden Flashes won four of their final five games.

“This is an extremely good defensive team,” says Coach Ambrose. “They might have two NFL draft choices on that defensive unit. In fact, this might be the best defensive team that Towson has ever played.”

The Tigers, who are starting their 44th season of college football, have a 27-16 all-time record in season openers. However, the Tigers dropped season openers on the road, losing at Navy (41-13) in 2008, Northwestern (47-14) in 2009 and Indiana (51-17) in 2010.

By contrast, Kent State is opening its 90th season of college football.

Towson, which opened the 2011 season with a home win over Morgan State, is seeking its first season-opening win on the road since the 2004 season. In 2004, the Tigers beat Elon, 34-14.

After opening the season at Kent State, the Tigers will be off until Saturday, Sept. 15 when they host William & Mary in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams at Johnny Unitas® Stadium at 12 noon. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports.

TOWSON, Md. – With just eight days remaining before their season opener at Kent State University, Coach Rob Ambrose and the Tiger football team ran through a light scrimmage at Johnny Unitas® Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The Tigers, who held their annual Media Day in the morning, returned to Unitas Stadium in the afternoon for a 70-minute scrimmage. The Tigers ran about 55 plays from scrimmage and ran through some special teams plays.

“We wanted to come out here and give them a chance to run through some things,” said Coach Ambrose, who will be starting his fourth season as the Tigers’ coach next week. “We have some guys who are nicked up and we held them out of the scrimmage because we to get them ‘un-nicked.’ The next 24-to-48 hours are going to be crucial as we get ready for Kent State.”

Senior Grant Enders, the Tigers’ returning starter at quarterback, looked very sharp in Thursday’s scrimmage. He drove the offense to a pair of touchdowns and completed 9 of 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

On the opening drive, Enders led the Tigers on a 75-yard march in 10 plays. Sophomore All-AmericanTerrance West had four carries on the drive and picked up 30 yards. He also scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run.

Connor Frazier, a red-shirt freshman quarterback, led the Tigers on their second drive. After he completed a 27-yard pass to Mac Sanders, the drive stalled and Drew Evangelista punted.

Enders returned for the third series of the scrimmage. Starting from his own 10-yard line, he marched the offense down the field. On the second series, Enders completed five of six passes for 79 yards and tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Wilkins.

Wilkins was impressive in the scrimmage. He had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown and he also had a 48-yard kickoff return.

On the fourth and final drive of the scrimmage, junior Peter Athens completed two passes to Arione Scott for 49 yards, setting up a 21-yard field goal by Evangelista.

After the fourth drive, the Tigers ran plays from specialty situations. Highlighting the specialty work was a 23-yard TD pass from Frazier to Scott.

Scott had three receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown during the scrimmage. Senior Erron Banks continued his solid pre-season by catching two passes for 32 yards while senior Tom Ryan had two catches for 22 yards.

The Tigers begin final preparations for Kent State on Thursday.

TOWSON, Md. - With the introduction of the Towson Sports Network on TowsonTigers.com and the planned digital broadcasts of Towson sporting events, Towson University Athletics will be continuing its partnership with WNST to extend its coverage with weekly live interviews and the station’s social media reach, the Department announced today.

WNST and Towson have signed a one-year agreement that will bring Towson head coaches and student-athletes to the station’s morning airwaves several times a week with previews, recaps, and student-athlete interviews. During the football season head coach Rob Ambrose will appear twice weekly during the 7-8 a.m. hour on Tuesdays and Fridays as he recaps the previous week’s game on Tuesday and the previews the next game on Friday. Men’s basketball coach Pat Skerry, women’s basketball coach Joe Mathews, men’s lacrosse coach Shawn Nadelen, women’s lacrosse coach Sonia LaMonica and women’s gymnastics coach Vicki Chliszczyk will also make regular weekly appearances during their seasons.

In addition to the regular radio appearances on WNST, Towson will be featured throughout the station’s social media outreach with the “Morning Roar” from Towsontigers.com appearing in the WNST Morning e-Newspaper (sign up here) and additional coverage on WNST’s Twitter and Facebook.

“In the last two years at Towson we have made a strong commitment to developing our new website and social media portals,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations Michael Harris. “With continued strategic partnerships like the one we have with WNST, we are able to provide our fan base with enhanced information leading up to our expanded game programming.”

BALTIMORE, Md. – What a difference a year makes for the Tigers’ football team.

For the first time ever, the Tigers have been selected as the Colonial Athletic Association pre-season favorites, it was announced by CAA officials at the annual CAA Football Media Day at M & T Bank Stadium on Wednesday morning.

In a poll of the 11 CAA coaches and sports information directors, the Tigers received 12 of a possible 22 first place votes. Towson edged Old Dominion University for the top spot in the pre-season. ODU received seven first place votes. Ironically, last season Towson was picked to finish 11th in the pre-season while ODU was picked to finished 10th. The Tigers and the Monarchs finished one-two in the final CAA standings.

James Madison was picked to finish third with one first place vote while New Hampshire (two first place votes) was picked fourth. Delaware was picked to finish fifth and was followed by Maine, William and Mary, Villanova, Richmond, Rhode Island and Georgia State.

“It is a humbling honor to have earned the respect of the football community in being picked as the top team in our incredible league,” says Towson Coach Rob Ambrose who led the Tigers to their first-ever CAA championship last season.  “It’s great that we have been recognized for what we did last year but in truth, last year is gone.  Every game is a war in this league and when we strap it up, rankings, predictions and accolades mean very little.”

Last year, the Tigers were predicted to finish last in the CAA. Towson had posted a 1-10 record in 2010 and was winless in the CAA. However, the “Turnaround Tigers” were the most improved team in Division I football, improving by 7.5 games. The Tigers, who entered last season with 26 losses in their 28 previous CAA games, won the CAA titles with a 7-1 record, beating six nationally-ranked CAA teams on their road to the championship. The Tigers clinched the CAA title with a 28-17 victory at Rhode Island on November 19.

When the Tigers earned the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs, Towson became the first program ever to earn NCAA post-season bids at the Division II, Division III and FCS levels.

One of five CAA teams to earn an NCAA FCS playoff berth in 2011, the Tigers finished the year as the ninth-ranked team in NCAA FCS football.

While the Tigers were tabbed as the CAA’s pre-season favorite, sophomore running back Terrance West, senior defensive end Frank Beltre and senior defensive back Jordan Dangerfield represented Towson on the Pre-Season All-CAA team.

The only Tiger named to the Pre-Season All-CAA offense, West was named as the CAA Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year. As a freshman, West was honored as the winner of the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the top freshman in FCS football. West, who was also the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2011, rushed for 1,294 yards as a first-year freshman and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The second-leading rusher in the CAA, he scored 29 touchdowns to set an NCAA FCS record for freshmen. The top scorer in the NCAA FCS last season, he also set a Towson single season record with 29 TD’s. He was also named as a Walter Camp first team All-American.

A repeat selection as an All-CAA Pre-Season selection, Beltre is a third-year starter at defensive. Last season, he ranked among the team leaders with 68 tackles. He also led Towson with 12 tackles for lost yardage and had four sacks. Beltre, who has made nearly 200 tackles in his college career, was also named to the All-CAA first team after last season. He was also named to the 2012 Pre-Season All-America team by The Sports Network.

A two-year starter at free safety, Dangerfield (below) has led the Tigers in each of the last two seasons. Despite missing two games last season, he led the team with 93 tackles, a mark that placed him second among all CAA defensive backs. He also intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles. Honored as a pre-season All-American third team selection by The Sports Network, Dangerfield was one of the Tiger co-captains last season. A first team All-CAA selection last year, he made a team-leading 96 tackles as a sophomore.

Delaware, Old Dominion and Maine led all schools with five selections on the Pre-Season All-CAA team. James Madison had four honorees while Towson had three. New Hampshire, William and Mary and Villanova each placed two players on the Pre-Season All-CAA team.

TIGER TALES: This marked the sixth consecutive season that the CAA held its Football Media Day in Baltimore … Prior to being selected first this season, Towson had been predicted to finish last four years in a row … Last season, William and Mary was the pre-season favorite … Villanova was the pre-season favorite to win the 2010 CAA championship.

While West was chosen as the CAA’s Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year, linebacker Matt Evans of New Hampshire was the CAA’s Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year … In January, both Evans and West were in Frisco, Texas where they earned two of the top awards in FCS football … Evans was the winner of the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS football while West was honored as the winner of the Jerry Rice Award … Coach Rob Ambrose of Towson was also honored as the winner of the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year in Frisco.

With the selection of Beltre, Dangerfield and West as Pre-Season All-CAA selections, it marked the first time that Towson had more than one representative on the Pre-Season All-CAA team.

Towson opens its season on August 30 at Kent State at 7 p.m.