TOWSON, Md. - The Tigers will be seeking their third consecutive victory when they host Rhode Island at Unitas Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers are facing the Rams for the 13th time in a series that is even at six wins each. Towson has won four of the last five meetings, including a 28-17 win at Meade Stadium last year. That victory enabled the Tigers to clinch their first Colonial Athletic Association championship.
Towson enters this week’s game tied for fourth place in the CAA with Richmond (6-3, 4-2) and Villanova (6-3, 4-2). The Tigers and the Spiders do not play this season and Towson beat Villanova.
Next week’s opponent, New Hampshire (8-2, 6-1) leads the CAA, one-half game ahead of James Madison (7-2, 5-1) and Old Dominion (8-1, 5-1). ODU is not eligible for the CAA championship because of its plans to move to NCAA FBS status.
The Tigers, who are the defending CAA champions, have won 11 of their last 14 CAA games. Towson was 7-1 in 2011 and has a 4-2 record this year. From 2007 to 2010, the Tigers were 3-29 in CAA games.
Towson is also seeking its second straight appearance in the NCAA FCS playoffs. Last year, the Tigers earned the CAA’s automatic bid as conference champion. Towson earned a first-round bye and dropped a 40-38 heartbreaker to Lehigh in the second round of the playoffs before a sellout crowd at Unitas Stadium.

Honorable Mention: Mixed Martial Arts: UFC Macao-Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (Saturday 9am from Macao, China live on FUEL TV); Women’s College Basketball: Mount St. Mary’s @ Maryland (Friday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ Loyola (Sunday 7pm Reitz Arena); Boxing: Gary Russell Jr. vs. Vyacheslav Gusev (Friday 10pm from Indio, CA live on Showtime), Abner Mares vs. Anselmo Moreno (Saturday 10pm from Los Angeles live on Showtime); Vanes Martirosyan vs. Erislandy Lara (Saturday 9:45pm from Las Vegas live on HBO); High School Football: MIAA A Conference Semifinals-Mount St. Joseph vs. Calvert Hall (Saturday 12pm Mustang Stadium), McDonogh vs. Gilman (Saturday 5pm Mustang Stadium)

10. Carrie Underwood/Hunter Hayes (Wednesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); Chicago/Kansas (Saturday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Brandy (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live); Rock Harvest 2012 feat. Don Dokken (Saturday 1pm Recher Theatre); Mint Condition (Saturday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Ed Kowalczyk (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head on Stage), Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group (Monday 6pm & 9pm Rams Head on Stage); Theory of a Deadman (Wednesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Yelawolf (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Social Distortion (Tuesday & Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Motion City Soundtrack (Thursday 5pm 9:30 Club), Gary Clark Jr. (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club), Taking Back Sunday (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club); Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Tuesday 8pm State Theater), Victor Wooten Band (Friday 9pm State Theater); The Script (Wednesday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Great White (Friday 8pm House of Rock); Chick Corea (Saturday 8pm Sixth & I Historic Synagogue); ZZ Ward (Saturday 8pm Georgetown University)

I’ll go see Eddie K ANY DAY OF THE WEEK…

MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS…

I have to wait until Saturday to see GCJ (in Philly) because I’ll be in Brooklyn Friday night. It’s troubling because I’m not fully certain I can wait ANOTHER DAY.

I’ve put in a good bit of time with ZZ Ward recently. I could put in about six million hours more, too.

9. Doug Stanhope (Saturday 8:30pm Ottobar); Tommy Davidson (Saturday & Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Flip Orley (Wednesday-Sunday DC Improv); Adam Carolla (Thursday 8pm Warner Theater); Bill Engvall (Friday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric); David Alan Grier (Sunday 7:30pm Kennedy Center); “The Muppet Christmas Carol” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday), “The Amazing Spider-Man” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Skyfall” out in theaters (Friday)

Adam Carolla is funny EVERY FREAKING TIME.

The absolute best thing about The Amazing Spider-Man? Emma flipping Stone.

(Continued on Page 2…)

TOWSON TO HOST 2014 NCAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Tigers to Host Event for Fourth Time

TOWSON, Md. – Towson University will be the host institution for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse National Championship, it was announced by the NCAA on Thursday.

This will mark the fourth time that Towson has hosted the women’s lacrosse national championship at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium. Towson previously hosted the championship in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in Unitas Stadium.

“The NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Committee is thrilled that the championship will be making a return to Towson University in 2014,” said Ann-Marie Guglieri, chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee and senior associate athletic director for internal operations/senior woman administrator at Colgate University.  “When Towson University hosted the championship from 2008 to 2010, our student-athletes and fans experienced a first-class event in a vibrant lacrosse community.  We are excited that the 2014 Women’s Lacrosse Championship will be making a return to that exciting environment.”

The 2010 event proved to be a record setting one as 9,782 watched the national championship game in which Maryland defeated Northwestern, 13-11. It was the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s lacrosse game in the United States. Towson set the attendance record each year it hosted the event, capped by a total of 18,564 for the three games in 2010.

“Hosting the 2014 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship is a privilege and honor that not only enhances the Towson University student-athlete experience but also brings a national audience to our campus for a premier sport in the Baltimore community,” says Towson University President Maravene Loeschke.

“Towson University is excited to bring an outstanding event like the women’s lacrosse national championship back home to Baltimore,” said Towson Director of Athletics, Mike Waddell. “Our campus has hosted this event three out of the last five years. Once again, we will roll out the red carpet for the NCAA and many fans that will help us sell out Johnny Unitas® Stadium as we create an outstanding environment for the championship weekend.”

Before the 2014 championship comes to Towson, the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championships will take place at Villanova Stadium at Villanova University on May 24 and 26.

TOWSON MEN’S LACROSSE ANNOUNCES 2013 SCHEDULE

Tigers Will Face Four Programs that Made the 2012 NCAA Tournament 

TOWSON, Md. – Head coach Shawn Nadelen announced a challenging 15-game schedule for the 2013 Towson men’s lacrosse team that features a home tilt against defending NCAA champions Loyola (Md.) on February 20 at 7 p.m.

The schedule includes eight home games, including the match against the Greyhounds.

“We are very excited about our 2013 schedule and the challenges that it will bring us,” said Nadelen. “The CAA will again be a very intense conference.  Our non-conference schedule allows us to play against strong competition to get ready for our league opponents. We look forward to the opportunities that our 2013 schedule provides.”

Towson opens 2013 at High Point on February 8. The Tigers return home for three straight home matches, hosting Johns Hopkins on Saturday, Feb. 16 and Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The homestand ends with Mercer on February 23.

The Tigers play seven games in March, opening the month at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, March 2. The Tigers hold a 7-1 advantage in that series and have won the last six straight matches. Towson returns home to host Marist on March 8 before taking a short trip south to the Naval Academy to take on the Midshipmen on Tuesday, March 12.

The month continues with Stony Brook at home on Saturday, March 16 before hitting the road for matches against UMBC (March 19) and Delaware (March 22). The game against the Blue Hens kicks off the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) portion of the season. The Tigers wrap up March with a home game against Hofstra on March 30.

The Tigers welcome defending CAA champion UMass to Johnny Unitas® Stadium on April 6 before traveling to Penn State on April 13 and Drexel on April 20. Towson finishes the 2013 regular season at home with St. Joseph’s University on Saturday, April 27.

The top four teams will advance to the CAA Tournament, which will be held on May 1 and 4.

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.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour The McGladrey Classic (Thursday-Sunday 11am from Sea Island, GA live on Golf Channel); WNBA Finals: Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx (Game 2 Wednesday 8pm from Minneapolis live on ESPN, Game 3 Friday 8pm from Indianapolis live on ESPN2 Game 4 if necessary Sunday 8pm from Indianapolis live on ESPN2); Boxing: Danny Garcia vs. Erik Morales II (Saturday 8pm from Brooklyn live on Showtime)

10. Rebelution (Thursday 8:30pm Rams Head Live), Indigo Girls (Saturday 9pm Rams Head Live); Flobots (Tuesday 7pm Recher Theatre); All Mighty Senators (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club); Blues Traveler (Sunday 8:30pm Rams Head Center Stage), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Passion Pit (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Ben Kweller (Friday 7pm 9:30 Club), Pietasters/Spring Heeled Jack (Saturday 7pm 9:30 Club); Jonny Lang (Tuesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage Wednesday & Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Three Days Grace (Tuesday 7pm U Street Music Hall); John Oates Blues Band (Saturday 8:30pm The Hamilton); Anberlin “Vital” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’ll start by saying there is absolutely ZERO about Blues Traveler that doesn’t kick ass…

SNL might have been your first chance to get a taste of Passion Pit. That doesn’t make you a bad person. No, no it does…

You say you haven’t heard of Ben Kweller? Yeah you have…

Holy hell Spring Heeled Jack is still a thing? My 10th grade year was so much better because of them…

9. Baltimore Beer Week (Friday-Monday throughout Charm City); Russian Festival (Friday-Sunday Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church); Maryland Renaissance Festival (Saturday & Sunday Revel Grove); Aries Spears (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory);  Kathy Griffin (Friday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Kevin Hart (Saturday 8pm Verizon Center); Jay & Silent Bob Get Old (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Bill Clinton (Tuesday 8pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Mike Birbiglia (Thursday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); “Moonrise Kingdom” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday)

If there’s anything worth devoting an entire week to around these parts, I’d say beer would be about #1 to #20 on the list. My fall go to?

And say whatever you want, Jay & Bob were a defining part of my adolescence. I still make conversational references to “The Amy Story” or “Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season” at least once a week…

Yes.

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.

TOWSON, Md. – Sophomore running back Terrance West ran for three scores to set a new Towson touchdown rushing record as the 13th-ranked Tigers handled St. Francis, 46-17, Saturday night in front of a homecoming crowd of 9,828 fans at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.

West, who rushed for 62 yards on just eight carries, now owns the school touchdown rushing record with 34 scores in just 14 career games.

West wasn’t the only star of the game though as senior quarterback Grant Enders completed 14-of-18 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Derrick Joseph piled up 148 yards on a pair of kickoff returns, including a 99-yard touchdown return in the first quarter. It marked the second longest kickoff return in Towson history, just one yard behind David Meggett’s 100-yard touchdown return in 1988.

Towson (2-1) fell behind early as St. Francis (2-2) took advantage of an Enders interception which gave the Red Flash the ball in Tiger territory. Senior running back Keion Wade capped off the short St. Francis drive with a two-yard touchdown scamper to give the Red Flash a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

The Tigers would respond though with 29 consecutive points, sparked by the Joseph return that tied the game. West scored his first touchdown of the game on a two-yard run at the 8:11 mark of the first quarter and he then broke free on a 25-yard scoring run to put the Tigers up 21-7 with 2:15 remaining in the opening period.

The first West score was set up by a St. Francis fumble which was caused by junior Arnold Farmer and recovered by sophomore Tye Smith. The fumble recovery was the first turnover forced by the Towson defense this season.

Towson capped off its impressive scoring run on a Tom Ryan eight-yard touchdown reception from Enders. The Tigers pulled off a trick play after the Ryan score as junior kicker D.J. Soven took the direct snap on the point-after try and ran it in for a two-point conversion that put the home team up 29-7 at the 8:12 mark of the second quarter.

St. Francis’ Dan Conley scored on a six-yard touchdown run to halt the Towson scoring spurt on the ensuing drive for the Red Flash. However, a  49-yard kickoff return from Joseph set up the record-setting touchdown from West. The sophomore scored his fifth touchdown of the season and 34th of his career on a three-yard dash with 5:47 remaining in the opening half to put the Tigers ahead 36-14.

Towson scored the final touchdown of the half, and game, with just 23 second remaining in the second quarter as Enders found senior wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard for a 23-yard strike to send the Tigers into the intermission with a 43-14 lead.

In a low-scoring second half, each team connected on a field goal. The Tigers attempted just two passing plays in the second half.

Towson outgained St. Francis 441-233 in total yards and scored all four times it reached the red zone.

Senior Jordan Dangerfield and freshman Bryton Barr led the Tigers with eight tackles each, while senior Romale Tucker paced the defense with a pair of sack.

The Tigers will travel to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Louisiana State on Saturday, Sept. 29. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU.