Friday the 13th claimed Towson quarterback Sean Schaefer.
Saturday the 14th claimed the rest of the Tigers.
Towson (4-2, 0-2) amassed just 167 yards of offense in a 35-0 homecoming loss to visiting Massachusetts before 6,820 at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
The loss to the No. 8 Minutemen (5-1, 3-0) was the second in a row for No. 22 Towson after a 4-0 start to the 2006 season.
With Schaefer sidelined with “an unspecified illness,” junior Andrew Goldbeck (Calvert Hall) got the start.
“I found out about an hour before the game,” UMass head coach Don Brown said of Schaefer?s absence. “That?s too bad for him. He?s a very, very good player. We were excited for the challenge.”
Brown noted that the Tigers adjusted by throwing shorter pass plays.
Schaefer?s teammates and coaching staff were going as planned until 5 o?clock Friday night when the training staff notified TU head coach Gordy Combs that the sophomore signal-caller may miss Saturday?s action.
“We?ll find out in the next 48 hours what his status will be next week against Villanova,” Combs said after the loss.
Towson committed four turnovers, compared to two for UMass.
“I keep saying the teams in this league with the great quarterbacks win,” Combs said. “And their quarterback had a great day today.”
UMass quarterback Liam Coen was 21-for-27 for 303 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
Brandon London, Coen?s 6-foot-4 target, had seven catches for 100 yards and four touchdowns, while running back Steve Baylark had 109 yards on the ground.
The Towson offense never really got started without Schaefer. Goldbeck ? Towson?s starter as a freshman in 2004 ? finished 13-of-21 for 101 yards and an interception. But the Tigers rallied around the emergency starter, who hadn?t taken a snap with the first team all week.
“I played with Goldy the past four years,” said junior tailback Nick Williams, Goldbeck?s prep teammate at Calvert Hall. “I have confidence in him.”
Towson had a chance to score early after John Webb recovered a fumble inside the UMass 10-yard line.
But Towson couldn?t move the ball on offense, and kicker Chris Desautels missed a 24-yard chip shot to the right.
“It kills you,” Combs said of the missed opportunity. “We?re winning 3-0 [if we make it].”
Instead, the Minutemen replied with 35 straight points.
“You coach differently,” Combs said of playing with a lead. “You play differently as a player.”
The third-string quarterback in Saturday?s game was senior receiver Andrae Brown, who battled for the quarterback job as a freshman.
“He hadn?t taken a snap in a long time,” said Combs. He indicated that the team may develop a package to take advantage of Brown?s athleticism in case he?s needed.
