While last Saturday?s last-minute 29-28 loss to William & Mary was crushing, the Towson University football team still has its sights set on a seventh win ? and a program-best fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference ? when it visits No. 25 Richmond Saturday at 1 p.m.
Towson?s last seven-win season came in 2000, when the Tigers went 7-4 with a 3-3 mark in the Patriot League. A move to the Atlantic 10 in 2004 brought stiffer competition, and the Tigers are on the verge of topping last season?s three wins in conference play.
“This is the most important game of the season. That?s been [offensive coordinator Phil Albert?s] motto all year,” junior tailback Nick Williams said. “It?s the next one we?ve got to play.”
On top of that, the Tigers are looking for a fifth straight road win after going 2-3 away from campus last fall. Towson is winless in two prior meetings with the Spiders, including a 24-0 loss at UR Stadium in 2004, the Tigers? only other trip to Richmond.
Like Towson, Richmond (5-4, 2-4) is looking to resurface.
“They have four losses,” Tigers coach Gordy Combs said. “They?re quality losses.”
Richmond has made a change at quarterback, promoting sophomore Levi Brown, who threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-21 loss to Villanova last week.
Defensively, the Spiders are a veteran-heavy unit. Leading the way is senior linebacker Adam Goloboski (Hereford High), who has a team-best 83 tackles and two forced fumbles.
While the Spiders aren?t traditionally a blitz-based defense, Williams expects that they?ll bring more pressure against Towson sophomore quarterback Sean Schaefer.
“I wouldn?t be surprised if they blitz a lot because the teams that do have success against us,” Williams said, noting that the Tigers base their offensive game plan on the success of the timing passing game.
This game also will determine whether or not the Tigers have any playoff hopes left.
“We kind of let one slip away from us last week,” Williams said. “We dug this hole; we?ve got to get out of it.”
