The Towson Tigers? offensive line needs to snap to attention. Running a spread offense, the six-yard shotgun snaps from center are one of the most important, yet unnoticed aspects of No. 23-ranked Towson?s offense that is averaging 24 points and 363.3 yards through two games.
But bad snaps have a way of drawing lots of unwanted attention.
And if the Tigers (2-0) have any hopes of knocking off the defending Colonial Athletic Association champion and third-ranked UMass (2-0) today at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Towson cannot afford to make unforced errors.
“Before we played them last year during this time, I made the remark to the staff it was the closest to a 1-A team we had played,” Towson coach Gordy Combs said. “And I felt the same way after we played them.”
Towson?s lineup has changed drastically since the start of the week. After 6-foot, 285-pound center Nate Bradway fractured his hand in the Tigers? 28-21 victory at Morgan State last week,
Combs shifted 6-foot-6 starting right guard Jeff Tyler to center. Austin Weibley, a backup center, will take Tyler?s spot at guard.
Last season, Bradway started all 11 games for one of the top passing attacks in the nation, with quarterback Sean Schaefer averaging more than 300 yards per game. But Bradway suffered a broken ankle in the spring, which forced the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Weibley ? who started every game beside Bradway at left guard last year ? to move to center to provide much-needed depth on the offensive line.
Weibley?s effort during the offseason did not go unnoticed. He earned the team?s “Lean and Mean” award for outstanding work in the conditioning program and during spring practice. But once Weibley earned the starting job at center, he struggled during a 20-10, season-opening victory over Central Connecticut State. The next week against Morgan State, he was replaced by Bradway in the starting lineup.
“I?ve had a couple of problems snapping and it?s something I go out in pre-practice and work hard at,” Weibley said. “We are working on it.”
But Bradway got his right, non-snapping hand stuck in an opponent?s jersey against the Bears last week and fractured his fourth metacarpal. Bradway could return as early as next week, Combs said.
Combs used a 10-lineman rotation last week against Morgan State to prepare his players to face on the best teams in the Championship Football Subdivision.
“It?s how hard we work day-in and day-out, it makes us tough,” Bradway said. “We are ready to go and other teams are tired.”
