Tigers win senior game despite 11 suspended players

By: Desmond Boyle, Staff Writer

Towson closed out the regular season with a 38-21 win over the University Rhode Island on Saturday.

There were several Tigers missing from the senior day game on Saturday as 11 players were suspended following an off campus “after hours incident” that took place Thursday night.

The suspended Tigers included two quarterbacks Connor Frazier and Ellis Knudson, along with wide receivers Brian Dowling, Jacquille Veii and Christian Summers.

After receiving the kickoff, the Tigers started off well, driving to midfield following junior Heath Dahgren’s first career completion and strong running from junior running back Darius Victor. However, the first big play of the game would not go the Tiger’s way as Dahlgren threw an interception over the middle of the field on a third down on the next Tiger possession.

The Rams took advantage of the turnover as freshman quarterback Wesley McKoy found Khayri Denny over the middle of the field and Denny did the rest running past several defenders for the first score of the game.

Victor brought a response for the Tigers immediately by breaking free for a career long 60-yard carry to put Towson inside the ten-yard line. Two plays later, freshman fullback Grayson Boyce powered his way into the end zone to tie the game at seven.

Towson was quick to then take the lead after Marquel Dickerson took a career long 42-yard carry down into the Ram’s red zone before Victor scored from the one yard line to give the Tigers the 14-7 lead.

URI then rattled off to unanswered touchdowns to start the second quarter. First McKoy found Phadrae Wright in the middle of the end zone for a nine yard touchdown pass. McKoy then took the ball himself on a quarterback sneak from one yard out to allow the Rams to retake the lead.

Boyce and Victor then ran over the URI defense on the next drive with 33 and 32 yards on the drive respectively. Victor scored from nine yards out with a run up the middle stiff arming his way into the end zone to tie the game up at 21 at halftime.

“The defense was frustrated in the first half.” Head Coach Rob Ambrose said, “They came in at halftime and said, ‘we’re not gonna let them score any more points,’ and they didn’t.”

The second half started with a bang for the Tigers, as Michael Kelly intercepted a McKoy pass that senior cornerback Donnell Lewis tipped into the air. The Tigers then drove down the field with Dahlgren hitting Andre Dessenberg with a lofted pass over the middle of the field for a 38 yard gain. Dahlgren then threw his first career touchdown to a wide-open Emmanuel Holder to give Towson a lead they would not relinquish.

The Tigers then put together an impressive and methodical 17 play, 75 yard drive that took over 9 minutes off of the game clock. Towson ground and pounded their way down the field before Dahlgren connected with Dessenberg for a four yard touchdown as the junior receiver made a great leaping catch in the corner of the end zone.

“Coach Ambrose always says it’s not how you start it’s how you finish,” Dahlgren said. “I think we finished really well.”

McKoy then threw two more interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a second pick for Kelly, before Sam Hurwitz sealed the win with a career long 46 yard field goal with 3:05 left to play.

We have more than two or three top players so I’m not surprised,” Victor said, when asked about scoring 38 points without the first two quarterbacks.

Towson’s depth was key to capping off the season with a win unfortunately on Sunday the Tigers found out they will not be in the FCS playoffs this season.

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