Tigers Built On Defense

HARRISONBURG — Rob Ambrose wasn’t shy to point it out.

The 10th-year Towson coach didn’t hesitate to highlight the best and worst about his program heading into the 2018 season.

Towson’s defense is built to lean on its linebackers, and the Tigers bring back senior Diondre Wallace, junior Robert Heyward, senior Chris Tedder and junior Keon Paye at the position. The group makes up four of the team’s top five tacklers from a year ago.

Wallace led the squad with 90 tackles last season.

“I know this is a heavy statement for me to say this in this league with all the great players and all the great coaches,” Ambrose said. “But if those guys want to, they can be the best linebacker corps this year.

“That’s possible and that’s a hefty statement, but each one of those kids have come into their own and this is their time.”

With Ambrose anxious to push Towson to its first winning season since 2015 and its first playoff appearance since reaching the national title game in 2013, he said his defense is capable of helping the Tigers get there.

James Madison hasn’t squared off with Towson in three years due to the Colonial Athletic Association’s rotating schedule, but the Dukes will travel to Johnny Unitas Stadium on Nov. 17 for a conference clash to close the regular season.

“It’s a heavy junior- and senior-laden defense,” Ambrose said. “And usually when your kids grow up, you tend to play pretty good ball. Defensively, we have guys pushing guys, and guys aren’t complacent in their starting roles, which makes everybody better.”

On the flip side, the Towson offense isn’t progressing as quickly thanks to a player at the most important position, according to Ambrose.

“There’s a lot of question marks,” Ambrose said. “[Redshirt sophomore quarterback] Ryan Stover did not have a good spring and I have no problem saying that out loud.

“He didn’t have a good spring, but the running back position did, the wideout position did, the offensive line did and the tight ends did, so we’re not done yet and we’ve got a lot of work to do before we play a football game or beat anybody.”

Stover played in all 11 of Towson’s games last year and threw for 2,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was the CAA’s Rookie of Week three different times and even tossed four touchdown passes to four different receivers when Towson knocked off Rhode Island in November.

“Right now, Ryan is enjoying being a college student,” Ambrose said. “But he is not doing what needs to be done to be a good college football player, and he can.

“We’re excited for him to do it, but he’s had a tough couple of months and we’re looking forward to his maturity so our offense can grow up.”

Because Stover didn’t evolve in the spring, Towson has an open competition at quarterback set for August training camp.

Stover will battle fellow redshirt sophomore Triston Harris for the job.

“The best part about the offense is the offensive line,” Ambrose said. “We only lost one starter and these guys have now been playing together for more than a season, and that makes a huge difference.

“They’re working together as one.”

Ambrose said he’s also eager to get junior running back Shane Simpson healthy again after he missed six of the last eight games in 2017 due to injury.

Simpson, sophomore Kobe Young and sophomore Adrian Feliz-Platt provide the Tigers with the necessary depth at running back. Towson averaged only 101.7 rushing yards per game (101st nationally) last year.

“We’re in a better position to be successful this year than last,” Ambrose said, “just based on who we are, how old we are, how smart we are and how much more experienced we are, and to be honest, how hungry we are.

“You give people around here a taste of winning and when you don’t taste it for a while, people start to get hungry. We’ll be a much-improved Towson team.”