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When most of us think of NDSU, we think of losing 35-7 in Frisco. I’m old enough to remember playing them in Fargo in the 1983 D-II playoffs. We had a phenomenal team that year, went 10-1, including our first ever win over Delaware. But our offense was pass-oriented and the weather in Fargo was bitterly cold (no Fargodome back then). The Bison were run heavy and controlled the time of possession, winning 24-17, then went on to win the first of their many championships. What still irks me is that we were higher ranked at season’s end and should have hosted that game. Temps here that day were in the 50s, which would have greatly benefited our passing offense. I’m convinced we would have won had the game been played at Minnegan Stadium and TSU would have been national champs.

not super rare at Towson University. basketball or football 😅

On the bright side: Last year, most of us gave Pete the benefit of the doubt when he lost to the Norfolk States at home. It was his first season and he didn't have his players yet. He didn't have a real recruiting class. I think this is a better team overall and recruiting is strong. We might have a real DC finally. We barely lost to the supposed No. 5 team in the nation by one after losing by 23 last season. We lost to a Power 4 team by just 18 points on the road. So there are some strides made. He also didn't make the schedule with ND State and Cincinnati, basically two FBS-quality programs. Need to clean things up in terms of play-calling, discipline (a bit better today), gameplan, and really take a stronger look at special teams personnel.

Sun story on Sam Reynolds https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/09/12/towson-football-sam-reynolds-heart-attack/ Sam Reynolds III’s 5-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter of Towson’s 14-9 win against Morgan State was the first of his college career. So it’s not shocking that the score is also his favorite. “It’s not even close,” the redshirt junior wide receiver said. “I went through hills and mountains to get that.” Reynolds isn’t exaggerating. He is 13 months removed from surviving a heart attack in his sleep that forced doctors to place him in a medically induced coma to protect his brain from further damage. Reynolds’ appearance in the Tigers’ season opener at Cincinnati on Aug. 31 came 651 days since his last appearance, a 27-7 victory over Hampton on Nov. 19, 2022, and 384 days since his heart attack. His determination to return to football is an inspiration for his teammates and coaches. “His teammates are just fired up that he’s back with us,” coach Pete Shinnick said. “The fact that he caught a touchdown, it was fun in the locker room. We gave him the ball that he caught. To be back from all of the things that had taken place for him and to have a full recovery, it’s amazing, it’s a miracle, and it’s a blessing.” Since the age of 10 when he began playing organized football, Reynolds said he has avoided serious injuries except for his freshman year at South Carolina in 2021, when he battled shin splints. And nothing felt out of the ordinary on Nov. 14, 2023, when the 5-foot-8, 185-pound slot receiver returned to his apartment after a day of practice, meetings and some time with girlfriend Victoria Barrett, a senior outside hitter on Towson’s volleyball team. “I was hooping at practice and doing my thing,” he quipped. The 21-year-old Reynolds said he went to bed around 10 p.m. When he woke up to use the bathroom, he found an IV line attached to his arm and his parents Grateful and Sam Reynolds Jr. and several doctors around his bed at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. His parents informed Reynolds that he had suffered a heart attack in his sleep and was rushed to the hospital where doctors placed him in a medically induced coma for the next three days. Despite the information, Reynolds thought he was being pranked. “I woke up and felt like I just had the best night of sleep,” he said. “I felt refreshed. I didn’t think too much of it until I looked, and there was a wall of doctors. At that point, it was like, ‘All right, what are the steps to getting back to walking and just being able to live my life?’” Redshirt junior wide receiver Lukkas Londono found out about Reynolds’ heart attack after receiving a group text before midnight. He said teammates congregated the next day in the locker room waiting for an update on Reynolds’ status. “There were a lot of heads down,” he said. “Everybody was just kind of worried about him. There were a lot of feelings that people were going through.” After driving to the hospital with his wife Traci, Shinnick said he was startled when he saw Reynolds’ body connected to a bank of monitors and machines. Shinnick said he feared the worst. “When a guy’s not responding and nothing’s happening, you’ve got all of the emotions in the world, and you’re trying to go through, ‘OK, what’s going to happen? What’s going to take place? How is he going to make it?’” he said. “And when they got him out of that [coma], there was still a little bit of some time where he didn’t respond. So now you’re going, ‘How is this going to play out? What’s going to take place with him?’” Reynolds recovered quickly enough to return in time for the start of the fall semester on campus, and he wore a portable defibrillator for two to three months. But when he voiced his desire to return to football for the final two games of the season, his mother and the doctors had concerns and delayed that pursuit until after the 2023 season. “It was more about getting back to normal for me,” he said. “Getting back to class, being on time to graduate, rehabbing, that was about finding my routine and maintaining that routine to get back to where I wanted to be.” In January, Reynolds underwent a procedure but said doctors still don’t know why a healthy 20-year-old athlete suffered a heart attack. Reynolds said the scare gave him a fresh perspective on life. “It kind of makes you think that you never know when it’s your time,” he said. “So I always have a smile on my face, and I always try to make somebody else smile. I’ve started to notice the little things in life. So I appreciate that, and you just want to realize that in the moment, it’s the little wins and little things that I enjoy a lot more.” Doctors, the training staff at Towson and coaches limited Reynolds’ participation in spring ball, but he was given full clearance for preseason camp. Londono said the heart attack hasn’t changed Reynolds. “It’s like he never had it,” he said. “He’s 100%. Actually, he’s more like 110%. He probably has more of a drive right now than he did before.” Reynolds didn’t disagree with his teammate, adding that he feels “hungrier” than before. He said he doesn’t ponder the possibility of a recurrence. “I think that’s the furthest thing from my mind,” he said. “I trust in the Mayo Clinic, and I trust the situation around me. I don’t feel like the coaches would put me in any bad situation. I’m just kind of taking it day by day and enjoying everything. I’m being where my feet are, which is a big thing for me and which is why I don’t overthink what could or could not happen.” Shinnick said Reynolds’ ordeal and recovery are an inspiration for others. Reynolds blushed at the accolade. “I think I’m just a normal human,” he said. “I’m always an open book, and if anyone wants to reach out and talk to me, I’m always there. I’m always a resource. I’d say I’m not a role model yet because I’m still learning about myself, but I’d love to be a resource for somebody else if they need it.”

Also, nice to see a strong crowd of 8,300+ at the U. Morgan's fans are great when it comes to support and how loud they can get. Considering all their issues they love their Bears. Wish we had that kind passion for a program that has been a lot more successful in the 1-AA/FCS era.

When’s basketball start?

Calling it here, we upset NDSU. Just as Nova was overrated, I think NDSU is as well. Beatable team. Their offense is good, but their defense is vulnerable. Our offense with Sean Brown is capable. Looks like we wont see Carlos until after the bye week.

The last 13 games for Towson 6-7. With…. .. L W L W L W L W L W L W L. Which means, a win on Saturday?! Probably one of very few teams that can boast they haven’t had back to back losses or wins in 380+ days

Make the f'ing play. Know the snap count. Catch the damn ball. Play your position. Stop committing penalties. Coaches can only do so much with the scheme. They were in position to win the game and the players burped it up again. And just once I'd like to see a Towson football team that isn't cut down by their special teams play. Every single year it seems that some aspect of special teams hamstrings our season's progress. You have one damn job as a kicker and if you're on scholarship, you'd better do that job. If the snap is bad or the hold is bad, you get a pass. It didn't look like that on the final play. EXECUTE PROPERLY

Towson wins today 30-28. Towson loses against NDSU 49-13.

We beat Villanova this week. Kent plays the best game of his career.

My daughter graduated in '16. My account has been inactive for quite awhile, so I'm not new to the board but thanks for the welcome back.

An “encouraging” loss to Cincinnati, a “disappointing” win against Morgan. Up is down, down is up. A weird start to the season.

Who is confident the tigers cover 11 points tonight? ME

Also I dont understand waiting until 24 hours before the game to release the coaches preview with Spiro. They record it on Tuesdays. Should be a rather simple edit.

“Ain’t gonna be no rematch..” as Apollo said We have a better chance of playing the Gaels in Australia 🇦🇺

how of the 26 D1 schools in California, we couldn't find a second game is wild to me. Throw in the 4 in Oregon, 5 in Washington and 2 in Nevada schools as close trips and it's just crazy for that many miles. esp when 3 weeks later they are going across the continent again to Calgary. Assuming we are getting a return game from St Mary's out of this? We are likely a second or third game on an East Coast trip for them in the future.

The Tigers end a thoroughly unexciting nonconference 9-1, having settled on some lineup choices and solidified some things. Freshman Ava Nakai has been a welcome addition at Opposite, putting up good numbers on relatively high volume. Vic Barrett looks outstanding on the left after a mildly disappointing 2023, and W&M transfer Sarah Callendar has emerged as the second outside hitter. So who is their first conference opponent? What do you know, it’s W&M! The Tribe have been the conference cellar-dwellers for 20 years, but have recently built themselves into a more robust and respectable program. We’ll never know why Callendar chose to leave the program, but I can’t imagine the Tribe are thrilled about it.

Ok. Looks like we had a chance to win and only lost by a point. Different results than year despite the loss but the team is competitive. Don’t get all the gloom and doom so early on in the season and in this man’s hire. Rather have these losses we can learn from than blowouts honestly. ARETE!

These guys owe me $50

a bit nervous about our o line health. hoping for a huge upset because next week is an automatic L in NDSU. Can we get a split between these 2 games?

Crazy that tigers have only played nova 18 times. Small crowd, not into the game, our guys should feel at home! Nvm that’s not a good thing. Anyone who’s been a game on the main line knows it’s more like a high school crowd than college. Lounge if you think four tailgating is strict…

I don't think I've ever felt worse about a win after feeling pretty good after a loss. In other words, we won the battle, but may have lost the war. Not sure the extent of the injury to Carlos Davis. Heard mixed things so I'll just wait for Monday after whatever x-rays or MRI he has to get. I thought CD played a nice game, but may have missed a few downfield as he seemed to be focused on working the matchup with Jaceon Doss. The first pass of the game was a pick but after that, he played pretty well, going 21 of 28 for 209 yards. Very cool that the only TD pass went to Sam Reynolds, the SC transfer WR who nearly died last season of a cardiac arrest. But there weren't too many positives on the offensive end. I thought Matthews ran it well but then had that penalty at the end, which again, you can't have. I know he's our best RB, but why he kept them in the game after that is beyond me. Chris Watkins needs more than two carries for 12 yards with a TD and 2 receptions for 13 yards. He's the most dynamic back we have and if you give him 7 or 8 touches, he'll give you a long run or reception. The O-line was a mess with Dan Volpe (ankle) coming out for Jaelin Montgomery, who was the third-string tackle. They could have gone Flo Staehler at LT, but he's at left guard. Transfer Abraham Giwa got hurt last week and is the chief backup to Volpe. He also could have played right guard with Jean Germain out. Instead, Joden Nelson, a third string who has played very little, started at right guard. I thought the O-line was decent until the fourth quarter and then they got tired. And because of the O-line issues, we may (hopefully not) have lost Carlos Davis. Penalties are one thing and then putting the ball on the carpet if you are a WR is a no-no. DK James and Zay Perkins are veterans. We had two turnovers, but it felt like four. At least Shinnick addressed the lack of discipline in the press conference and I know we tend to get in fights with Morgan, but kudos to them for hanging in this game and taking advantage of our many mistakes. Defensively, they saved the day. Good pressure as we ended up with five sacks. I think we need to disguise blitzes better and not just send the house on third and long against a very athletic QB. Stalwarts were LB CJ McClendon with 3 TFLs and a sack. Rutkowski had a big sack to force a fumble, which we of course, didn't fall on and tried to run it in. Again, trying to be the hero instead of win the game. I have little clue about the starters in the secondary other than S Xavier Terry and CB Shafeek Smith. It looked like they started Myles Brodie and ended with Justin Toler at CB, but I also saw true freshman Zakaa Brown in there. One player I mentioned who could be a factor was DE Nchabanu Fortaboh who missed the Cincy game. He had 3 tackles and a sack mainly just playing in passing situations.

I’d be confident laying 20.5