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Towson Falls To Lehigh In FCS Second Round
By Simon Habtemariam
During a game with six ties, three lead changes and five touchdowns for each team, a defensive play was the deciding factor. Junior defensive lineman Tom Bianchi came off the edge on an attempted bootleg by Towson quarterback Grant Enders, and took him down in the end zone for a safety and the go-ahead score.
"I think they just had our number on that play," Enders, a sophomore, said.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks pulled out a road playoff win against the Towson Tigers 40-38, knocking the Colonial Athletic Association champions out of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.
Towson's offense opened cold; head coach Rob Ambrose called two straight rushes to open the game without his biggest offensive weapon, Terrance West, on the field for the entire possession. The nation's top scorer was limited to 11 touches for 52 yards, but still came away with two touchdowns. The freshman from northwest Baltimore scored multiple touchdowns during each of the season's final eight games.
"This kid is going to be amazing," Ambrose said of his 19-year-old weapon. "I do believe that. But, he's a freshman, and as such, he's going to do and say and act and practice as a freshman."
Ambrose cited 10 bad days of practice as part of the reason West was limited.
"Every guy on this team from top to bottom has talent," Ambrose said. "Every guy on this team works hard, and every guy on this team gets what they deserve, good and bad. Before we had a bunch of injuries, Terrance was just a guy, getting some reps, just like everybody else. Sterlin [Phifer] got healthy, so did Tremayne [Dameron], and you know, everybody has to make the most out of the reps that they get."
Facing a three and out to open the game, Ambrose did not want his young roster to give up its opening possession so soon, especially giving the ball to one of the best aerial attacks in the country. On fourth-and-2, the Tigers tried and failed to convert a fake punt play.
"If you want a chance to win, you have to go a little unorthodox," Ambrose said. "We didn't get this far by being vanilla. We weren't going to change now."
With the nation's third-best passer, senior Chris Lum, at the helm, Lehigh took the field primed to score. The senior signal caller saw Ryan Spadola open on a crossing pattern over the middle, but after the reception, Spadola ran into the back judge, slowing him down enough for Towson linebacker Brian Boateng to halt him short of the end zone.
Ambrose's offensive unit still came out somewhat green on the second possession, making some poor judgments. Facing fourth-and-6 on the Lehigh 28, Ambrose elected to kick the ball this time and D.J. Soven hit a 45-yard field goal into the wind -- the second longest of his career.
On the following drive, a poorly timed helmet-to-helmet call on defensive back Nick Oates, put the Mountain Hawks on the Towson 33-yard line. From there, Lum picked apart the Tiger secondary on three straight passes, capped off by a 6-yard fade to Spadola in the corner of the end zone.
Lehigh could not convert on third-and-1 or fourth-and-1 to open the second quarter. Ambrose's offense, trying to gain momentum and avoid another three and out, converted on fourth down with a 4-yard pass from Enders to Leon Kinnard. Finally with some wind in the sails, Ambrose unleashed his rookie back five plays later, and West hit pay dirt on an 11-yard touchdown run.
On the following kickoff, it seemed Lehigh ran the kick out of the end zone, and then retreated back and took a knee for a safety. After further discussion, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference officiating crew called the ball down on the Lehigh .5-yard line. Still, Lum was able to orchestrate an 11-play scoring drive, capped off by a 23-yard halfback pass by Matt Fitz on fourth down for the score.
Ambrose orchestrated one of his patented long, drawn-out drives, going 67 yards on 13 plays, capped off by an Enders touchdown pass to Kinnard with 49 seconds left during the half. The Tigers registered five first downs on the drive, including an 8-yard rush by West on fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive with short time left.
Lehigh opened the second half with a fumble on its first play from scrimmage. The Tiger offense capitalized off the turnover with a 42-yard drive, capped off by West's second touchdown of the night.
Lum would not be silenced, completing six of eight passes on a 64-yard drive, with Fitz getting the call from 6 yards out for the touchdown. Towson followed with a three and out and gave up a 15-yard penalty on the following punt to give the ball back in Towson territory. Lehigh answered with a three and out and its first punt of the game.
Facing third-and-15 on the following drive, Enders threw a 68-yard fade to Kinnard, and then ran in the touchdown on his next play for the fourth lead change of the night. The Mountain Hawks trumped that stat six plays later, tying the game at 31.
Enders exposed the secondary on deep passes during the fourth quarter, and delivered another deep fade. This time, Gerrard Shepherd reeled in a 52-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead for the Tigers, who relinquished it nine plays later on a Lum 1-yard touchdown run -- the last offensive points during a volatile offensive game.
The Tigers ended their season in front of their first-ever sellout crowd at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Towson looks like a legitimate threat for the CAA title again next year, returning all but four starters.
"Not only am I proud to be the coach here, I'm proud to be a member of this community," Ambrose said. "I'm proud of my staff for fighting an uphill battle. I'm proud of my team for fighting even harder."
Posted Dec. 3, 2011 |
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