Two years ago, coach Gordy Combs sat in his office overlooking Unitas Stadium and read off the names of the Towson University football team?sAtlantic 10 Conference opponents that were in the Division I-AA top 25.
Now, he can read the list and see his own team. The Tigers are ranked 21st in the country, according to the latest Sports Network Top 25 poll, which was released yesterday.
“I think it?s a great honor for our coaching staff and our players for all of our hard work we?ve put in over the past couple of years to get to this point in time,” Combs said.
Towson, whose top-25 ranking is its first since 1993, joined the A-10 in 2004 from the Patriot League and went 3-8, including an 0-8 mark in conference play. They?re currently off to a 3-0 start ? the program?s first such start since 2000 ? and are looking ahead at a conference schedule that includes four of the other five A-10 teams ranked in the top 25.
“The tough thing now is you have to keep it up,” Combs said. “We?ll just try to reiterate to our players, ?Let?s remember what got us here.?”
While Combs won?t allow his players to rest on their laurels, he does admit that the honor feels good.
Towson has yet to reach full-scholarship capacity. This senior class will be the last Patriot League class to pass through Unitas Stadium. The incoming class will bring the program up to 63 full-scholarship athletes.
“It was tough because we were put in such an awkward position,” Combs said, looking back on the 2004 season. “We had so many guys recruited under Patriot League rules.”
Towson?s A-10 schedule includes four fellow top-25 teams: No. 7 Richmond, No. 9 Massachusetts, No. 17 James Madison and No. 18 Delaware. New Hampshire is ranked No. 1, but Towson isn?t on their schedule this year.
Towson is set to visit Hofstra Saturday at 7 p.m. The two programs haven?t met since 1994, when Towson won, 24-21.
The Tigers should get a boost this weekend with the return of starting junior tailback Nick Williams, who missed the first three games with a hamstring injury.
TOWSON RANKED 21
» The Tigers are currently the only team in the state that is ranked in a Sports Network top 25 poll.
» Towson?s last national ranking in 1994 was at No. 26 in the final Division II poll of the season.
