Win your home opener, homecoming and your home finale.
That?s the recipe for success that Towson football coach Gordy Combs alluded to Thursday, crediting ESPN commentator Lee Corso for the theory.
Combs and the Tigers (4-1) are 1 for 1 in that formula heading into today?s 3 p.m. homecoming contest with No. 8 Massachusetts (4-1).
“It?s always a great atmosphere on homecoming,” Combs said. “I think you always turn it up a little notch.”
The Tigers will have to turn up some things on both sides of the ball.
“They?re a very well-balanced team,” Combs said of UMass, which is ranked No. 8 in scoring offense and No. 7 in scoring defense nationwide. “Their only loss is to Navy, and Navy should be ranked.”
The rankings should prove no problem for Towson, which played the spoiler role in each of the team?s first two seasons in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“We?re usually better as an underdog than we are as a favorite,” Combs said. “We?re used to that perspective.”
The Minutemen can run the football and are averaging nearly 200 yards on the ground. Their passing game isn?t weak, either.
“Their passing game is based off the run. They?ll try to hit you up top,” Combs said, noting the height of the team?s receivers. “They?ll try to lull you to sleep and hit you up top.”
Defensively, the key for the Tigers is to stop the run early and force passing situations on second and third down. Offensively, the team wants to limit mistakes.
“Don?t turn the ball over,” Combs said.”That?s the difference in the win at Hofstra and the loss vs. Maine.”
Combs compared the UMass defense to that of Maine, which sacked Towson quarterback Sean Schaefer nine times last week. UMass is big and physical on the defensive line and athletic in the secondary, leading them to play in nickel and dime formations regularly.
“Veterans, who have been in wars before,” Combs said of the UMass roster. “It?s a very good football team. We?ll have our hands full, but our guys like these kinds of games.”
Apparently so. Towson is 24-9 all-time in homecoming games, including a 35-31 win over A-10 rival Delaware last fall.
Tigers? homecoming
» Combs and Towson won the home opener and homecoming last season. This fall, the Tigers defeated Morgan State, 30-2, in the home opener.
» Combs said the Minutemen blitz safety James Ihedigbo on occasion. The senior has been added to the Buchanan watch list as a defensive player of the year candidate.
» UMass senior tailback Steve Baylark needs just 73 yards rushing to become the third player in program history to surpass 4,000 for his career.
