With the cancellation of their 2020 season due to Covid-19, September 4, 2021, will be Towson University football’s first time stepping on the field for live action in almost two years.
With so much time passing, the Tigers have plenty of new faces across the roster and plenty of questions heading into the upcoming season. But of course, their goals nonetheless are the same: Win the Colonial Athletic Conference for the first time since 2012 and win the NCAA Division I FCS Championship for the first time in program history.
The start of the Towson Tigers’ season is just over a week away. With that being said, let’s preview the Tigers’ 2021-22 football season by breaking down some of the team’s biggest storylines and looking ahead to some of their most interesting matchups.
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Missing QB Tom Flacco and WR Shane Leatherbury
If there is one thing that is tough about a football program having a fresh start, it is watching talented players move on. In Towson’s case, 2019 was the end of the era as they watched their lead quarterback Tom Flacco and lead wide receiver Shane Leatherbury move on to the professional level.
Flacco has since went undrafted by the NFL and is currently a part of the Canadian Football league after signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in late January of this year. Leatherbury too has joined the CFL after signing with the British Columbia Lions in June. But before that, he did have a cup of coffee in the NFL after signing with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent back in 2019.
Individually these two both left Towson University with their names in the record books, but in 2019 both Flacco and Leatherbury’s ended their collegiate careers on a high note.
Flacco ended the season with 2831 passing yards for 22 touchdowns while completing 60.4% of his passes. He also was second on the team in rushing attempts (110) and third on the team in rushing yards (324). Flacco ended his career at Towson ranking top-6 in program history in multiple categories. He is third in passing touchdowns (50), sixth in passing yards (6086) and sixth in passing completions (484).
On the receiving end, Leatherbury caught 12 touchdown passes in 2019 which is tied for Towson’s single season record along with 667 receiving yards. He would finish his collegiate career finishing tied for third in program history with 21 receiving touchdowns as well as 8th in receptions (149) and 10th in receiving yards (1848).
Surely the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to illustrating how effective the one-two punch of Flacco and Leatherbury were in their tenure at Towson University. With this being the team’s first official season without either one of these guys since 2018, the Tigers are in dire need of a new signal caller- playmaking receiver connection to continue blowing the doors off of FCS defenses.
Finding these guys’ replacements may be the single most important thing on the agenda for head coach Rob Ambrose and the coaching staff this season if they have any hopes of coming out of the CAA.
Quarterback Quandary
Speaking of finding a new signal caller, the Tigers have themselves a real quarterback competition where all five guys have a legitimate chance of being named the starter.
It was reported back in early August that coach Ambrose was not set on naming a starter yet. Instead, he went on the record saying, “Basically, they’re all at the same starting line, so we’re going to see in very short order who’s going to be the guy.” Since then, no updates regarding the quarterbacks have been announced meaning that we may have to wait till opening day to see who trots onto the field to all or the majority of the snaps.
The five quarterbacks in question are: Redshirt Sophomore Vincent Amendola, Graduate Transfer Chris Ferguson, Redshirt Junior Jeff Miller and sophomores Nathan Kent and Scott Smith III.
For long-time Towson fans, the one notable and potentially recognizable name on this list is Chris Ferguson. Despite spending last season at Liberty University, Towson fans will remember Ferguson more for his three-year stint at the University of Maine. In his time there, Ferguson threw for over 6000 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading them to a CAA title in 2018.
Now it should be factored in that he has only been a part of the Towson program since June, so he is not as far along in the playbook as these other guys. But Ferguson obviously has experience within the conference as well as the most experience overall as a college quarterback of the group.
Going down the rest of the list, Jeff Miller has barely seen playing time for the Tigers and Vincent Amendola is coming from an esteemed program in North Carolina where he only played in three games. Lastly are the two sophomores in Nathan Kent and Scott Smith III who both had great high school careers representing well in the DMV area.
Kent is coming from Liberty high school as a two-time Carroll County Times Player of the Year and helped Liberty win both the Class 2A West region title and the Carroll County Athletic League title. He finished his senior season in 2019 with 2330 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 870 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.
On the other end, Smith III played at St. Paul’s School where he was named one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the DMV area by NBC Sports Washington. In 2019 he earned MIAA All-Conference and threw for 1703 yards with 18 passing touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes.
So, between the two decorated sophomores, you have Kent who is more of a playmaker with his legs and may be the most “Tom Flacco-esk” of this group and Smith III who is more of a prototypical pocket passer.
Looking at coach Ambrose’s options, Chris Ferguson should lead the pack just based on his experience alone. But one could argue that Nathan Kent has a real chance at usurping Ferguson for the starting spot considering how well his dual-threat skill set should translate to the current playbook. It will be interesting to see whose name is called, but Ferguson and Kent are my frontrunners for the lead signal calling position.
Key Players to Watch
D’Ago Hunter (Redshirt Junior Wide Receiver):
Despite being listed as a wide receiver, D’Ago Hunter has been used in a multitude of ways including the run game and as a kick/punt returner on special teams. In the 2019 season, Hunter had 797 all-purpose yards which was second on the team ahead of Shane Leatherbury and only 29 less than running back Yeedee Thaenrat.
Expect Hunter to be even more involved in the offense whose number gets called a lot when the team needs a big play, acting as Towson version of former NFL wide receiver Percy Harvin.
Darian Street (Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver):
With the departure of Shane Leatherbury, Darian Street will be asked to step his game up going from the third receiving option to the first. In 2019, Street was third on the team in receiving yards (455) and second on the team in receiving touchdowns (4). He will be a reliable target for the quarterback and may be due for a breakout year with the spotlight on him in the wide receiver room.
Mark Collins Jr. (Graduate Student Cornerback):
Possibly the difference maker in the secondary that the Tigers have been looking for. Before coming to Towson, Mark Collins Jr. played four years at the University of South Dakota and led the entire FCS in pass breakups with two a game back in 2018.
In 27 games at South Dakota, Collins Jr. earned 82 tackles, 25 pass break-ups and four interceptions in route to being named to the 2018 Phil Steele All-Conference Third Team. If given the opportunity to possibly channel a season similar to what he did back in 2018, he could become Towson’s no. 1 corner and be a much-needed anchor to a secondary that allowed 13.5 yards per catch back in 2019.
Elorm Lumor (Graduate Student Linebacker):
After declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft and going undrafted, Elorm Lumor is coming back to college as a transfer from Rutgers University. Playing as a 7th year senior, Lumor has a chip on his shoulder and is looking to have a strong impact on this Towson defense in hopes of taking another crack at the NFL in 2022.
As a member of the Scarlet Knights, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker played 44 games over his four seasons with Rutgers. In that time, Lumor earned 107 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss with the Scarlet Knights. He will need to play a pivotal role as a run stuffer and an edge rusher seeking sacks. Lumor has the ability to step in immediately become the team leader in sacks by season’s end
Three “Must See TV” Games”
Home Opener against the Morgan State Bears:
Otherwise known as “The Battle for Greater Baltimore,” this season opener is a great way to kick off the season for these two rivals. As they compete for who gets to start the season 1-0, they also will be fighting for bragging rights in the local Baltimore area.
This rivalry stems back 50+ years dating back to these two programs’ first matchup back in 1979 (Morgan State won 34-7). Since then, the all-time series favors the Tigers as they are 19-6 against the Bears.
Towson has won the last three matchups against Morgan State including with their last game coming back in 2018 where the Tigers won handedly, 36-10. This rivalry is so big in the local Baltimore area that the two teams have already scheduled ahead a seven-year series spanning from this season to 2027.
This is easily one of the biggest games of the season for both teams despite it only being Week 1 for both squads. Who will take bragging rights and kick off the seven-year series with a victory? Got to go to Hughes Stadium at Morgan State University on September 4th to find out.
Welcoming the defending champion North Dakota State Bison:
In Division I FCS football, the North Dakota State Bison have been the staple of excellence. The Alabama Crimson Tide of the FCS if you will.
So, in Week 3 on September 18th, the Towson Tigers will have their hands full as they welcome the defending FCS champions to Johnny Unitas Stadium for their home opener. Not to mention that this is a long-awaited rematch in the making as these two teams once faced off in the FCS championship game back in 2014 in which North Dakota State beat Towson 35-7.
This could be a tone setter in the FCS for the Tigers if they can knock off the defending champs and will nonetheless be a good early season test to see how they stack up against easily the biggest threat standing between them and the FCS title.
Pursuit of Vengeance against the Elon Phoenix:
Last time we saw the Towson Tigers in live action, their season was on the line in a nail biter where Elon would eventually pull out the 25-23 victory to end the Tigers’ season.
Considering the Phoenix were the last team Towson faced before the Covid-19 shutdown, this revenge tour is a long time coming. Plus, of the three matchups listed, this game against Elon is the only conference game and could be a much needed late-season victory on the Tigers schedule to help them win the CAA.
The start of the 2021-22 Towson Tigers football season is less than two weeks away and they have more than their fair share of big games on the schedule. The Tigers have a big season ahead as they look to improve on their 7-5 record and make their first FCS playoff berth since 2018. As a Towson alum I look forward to seeing the Tigers back on the field and wish them a happy and healthy season.
BSL Analyst
Hi there! My name is Jalon Dixon, but most people just call me Jay. As an aspiring, young sports writer and podcaster, I enjoy discussing sports (mainly basketball and football) and sharing my knowledge with others. Growing up right in the middle of Towson University, Morgan State, Goucher College and others, I have gotten the chance to learn so much about a handful of the different athletic teams that thrive here in Baltimore. I want to be the voice of local fans and teams that may not get the same spotlight as others, but still play a big part in our everyday lives. My motto is “Always Embrace Conversation,” so if you ever want to give me feedback on a piece or even just have a friendly sports debate, feel free to email me! Hope you enjoy my work and maybe even learn something along the way.