By Kevin Hess

Last season Towson receiver Casey Cegles hauled in 36 receptions for 450 yards and four touchdowns. (Mitch Stringer/PressBox)

Optimism is the buzzword floating around the Towson Tigers as they enter the 2009 season under first-year coach Rob Ambrose.

Graduated are quarterback Sean Schaefer, the state of Maryland’s all-time leading passer; wide receiver Marcus Lee, who holds the school record for career receptions and defensive standouts; Drew Mack and Jordan Manning. Add that the Tigers are coming off a dismal 3-9 season that saw longtime coach Gordy Combs get relieved of his duties and Ambrose faces a big clean-up job.

After bringing in the best recruiting class in the history of the school, led by quarterback Tom Chroniger, a three-star prospect as rated by Rivals.com, Ambrose and his staff have upped the ante for expectations.

Early results are promising, due in large part to Ambrose’s new philosophy, a change both schematically and mentally. The team will move to a full spread offense, and while a quarterback battle will ensue in camp prior to the Sept. 5 season opener at Northwestern, a deep receiving corps led by Casey Cegles, David Newsom, Hakeem Moore and Derek Waddy figures to help ease the transition.

Ambrose has also been adamant about ball security and will not stand for turnovers, something that will lead to a greater emphasis on a running game that Towson has lacked in recent years.

Redshirt freshmen Trevor Walker and Tremayne Dameron will lead a crew by committee while the coaches will also make use of a fullback to help clear holes for the carriers. The offensive line, while taking its lumps last season, returns several starters and should continue to improve, thanks to continuity. The hope is that by protecting the ball, pressure on the quarterback to make big plays will be reduced while keeping the defense off the field.

While Ambrose has a reputation as a highly innovative offensive mind, thanks in large part to his time as offensive coordinator at UConn, perhaps the biggest key will be improving a defense that gave up more than 230 rushing yards per game to opponents last season. A defensive line of sophomore Rob Osborne, third-year starting tackle Yaky Ibia and Boston College transfer Brady Smith, should change that number dramatically. Smith, who started 20 games at BC, bears particular mention due to his credentials and strong work ethic since arriving at the school. He had four sacks in the annual spring game.

The secondary is perhaps the defense’s deepest unit, according to Ambrose, and forcing turnovers will be the goal of a new 4-3 look installed by new coordinator Matt Hachmann. Last season, the defense was so poor the team as a whole had just four total punt returns. But with senior leader Alex Butt anchoring a linebacking unit that also returns fellow starter Donte Blakey, that number figures to increase.

Though fans should not expect to see many true freshmen take the field (Ambrose is a firm believer in red-shirting), Nygee Carmichael, a diminutive wide receiver, may be too good to keep on the bench. Carmichael can be deployed at many offensive positions and adds a home run threat while his speed makes him an instant candidate to make an impact on special teams.

Issue 140: August 2009