Towson Tigers try to dog Huskies

“Coming off two weeks of inactivity in terms of an ankle injury, you can’t do a lot of football things,” Combs said. “We knew Matt was a very tough guy and we knew he would fight through things just like he did on Saturday. That’s the kind of person he is — he’s a pounder.”

Castor was the team’s primary offensive weapon against the Lions, running for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries — his last scoring run giving Towson the lead for good with just more than a minute remaining.

But he will have to be just as good at noon on Saturday if the Tigers (2-3, 0-1 Colonial Athletic Association) are to pick up their first league win against visiting Northeastern (1-3, 0-0) at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Castor’s emergence has been vital for the offense’s success.

His 16-yard scoring dash in the first quarter against Columbia was the team’s first rushing touchdown of the season and his game-winning 1-yard scoring run for the Tigers marked the first time the team had scored in the fourth quarter this season. But even Castor’s career day has done little to improve the Tigers’ national rankings in the run game.

Towson is ranked 114th out of 118 schools in rushing offense, averaging 50.8 yards per game.

“When it’s raining like [it was on Saturday], you’ve got to run the ball and you’ve got to run the ball well,” Castor said. “I just focused on hitting the holes and running hard all game.”

But Northeastern also has a strong rushing attack.

Running back Alex Broomfield has 371 yards and four touchdowns on 86 carries and has also thrown two passes, including a 21-yard touchdown pass.

“They have been able to run the football no matter who they’ve played,” Combs said. “We have to stop them. This is an even game for us.”

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TIGERS (2-3, 0-1 CAA) vs. NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (1-3, 0-0)

When: Saturday, noon

Where: Johnny Unitas Stadium

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet; 1570 AM

Tickets: Available