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No. 18/22 Football Drops Heartbreaker to No. 17/23 Towson, 39-35
Oct. 15, 2011
Post-Game Recap:
Post-Game Press Conference:
NORFOLK, Va. - Grant Enders hit Tom Ryan on fourth and 29 for a 63-yard touchdown pass to lift Towson over Old Dominion 39-35 in CAA action Saturday evening in Norfolk. ODU sacked Enders and backup quarterback Peter Athens on conzecutive plays to push the Tigers into third and long, but Enders came back in for fourth down and hit Ryan over the middle, who broke a tackle and just broke the goalline for the touchdown. The Monarchs hoping to make last second comeback saw Taylor Heinicke's pass intercepted by Frank Beltre to clinch the game for the Tigers. The loss drops the Monarchs to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association Football race. The Tigers improved to 5-1 and 3-0 in the CAA. The game featured the two teams featured in the bottom of the preseason polls which have played their way into national rankings and atop the CAA standings. ODU took a 35-24 lead at the end of the third quarter. Starting first and 10 at their own four, Heinicke hit Nick Mayers down the left sideline, Mayers ran all the way to the Towson three, where he fumbled and Prentice Gill recovered in the end zone. The 93-yard play is the longest play in school history. With time running down in the fourth quarter, the Tigers closed the gap when Enders capped a nine play, 75-yard drive with an eight yard run. Leon Kinnard converted a halfback option pass to Mike Evans for the two-point conversion to make the score 35-32 setting up the winning score for Towson. Terrance West started the scoring in the first quarter for Towson with a 47-yard run. ODU came right back as Tyree Lee capped a 10-play, 60-yard drive with a three-yard run to knot the score. West came right back for Towson with a 54-yard score but ODU fought back again with a 64-yarder from Angus Harper to open the second quarter. ODU gained its first lead of the night when Mayers hauled in a 36-yard TD pass from Heinicke. D.J. Soven kicked a career-best 47-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in the first half to make the halftime score 21-17 in favor of the Monarchs. In a game of back and forth, Towson got the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 64 yards in eight plays as Enders hit Tyler Wharton for a 26-yard score to regain the lead for the Tigers, but ODU punched right back as the Monarchs drove down the field and a 75-yard scoring drive was finished with a 14-yard pass from Heinicke to Gill for a 28-24 Monarch lead. With Towson driving near the end of the third quarter, Carvin Powell intercepted Enders at the goalline and advanced the ball to the four to set up Gill's fumble recovery touchdown. Heinicke finished the day with 360-yards passing on 22-of-37 with three scores and an interception, while Enders was 24-of-37 for 314 yards, throwing two TD's and a pick. Harper rushed for 68 yards on just six carries for ODU and a touchdown while Terrance West carried 16 times for 151 and two touchdowns for Towson. Mayers finished the day with seven catches for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown. Kenton Powell had a team best eight tackles for Towson while Craig Wilkins had a game-high 13 tackles and a sack and Ronnie Cameron had 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks for ODU. The Football Monarchs return to action next Saturday when they travel to Villanova.
MONARCH MOMENTS:
AT HOME:
PLAYING THE RANKED TEAMS:
SOME LUCK TO START:
LONGEST PLAY FROM SCRIMMAGE: The longest run from scrimmage prior to tonight was a 53-yard run by Colby Goodwyn at Georgia State this season, while the longest pass completion was 62-yards by Thomas DeMarco to Prentice Gill against Cal Poly on Oct 9, 2011. The play was also the longest by a Towson opponent this season.
DOUBLE DIGIT STOPS: SACK IT TO ME: PASSING MARK: RECEIVING MARK:
SCORING AGAINST THE MONARCHS:
UPDATING THE NUMBERS - POST TOWSON:
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 67th Annual Portsmouth Sports Club Jamboree
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