Towson 2019 Football Recap

[mat1992 2,229]

Towson football's 2019 season started out on the right foot and why not? This was a team picked in second place in the CAA, had several players with preseason All-American accolades (Tom Flacco, Shane Simpson) returning and with several transfers on the defensive line, offensive line and at safety, the hope was to return to the postseason and do damage in the playoffs. That didn't happen as the squad finished 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the CAA. This season was full of disappointments (Villanova, Albany and key injuries), jubilation (Maine and The Citadel on the road, Delaware at home) and heartbreak (Elon at home). Let's examine 2019 Towson football.

Why was their so much positivity to start the season? After a 31-10 first-round playoff loss at home to Duquesne in a monsoon, the Tigers needed to be tougher up front on both sides of the ball. They addressed that by adding offensive tackle Darian Bryant (Temple). guard/tackle Demarcus Gilmore (juco), guard/center Brown Tuasisosopo (juco), and two European players who were older than the normal freshman in Vaino Paakkonen (6-5, 325 from Finland) and Roman Warheit (6-6, 335 from Germany). On defense, the Tigers added DE Marcus Bowman (6-2, 265 juco) and DT Jesus Gibbs (6-4, 290 from South Carolina), In the fall, they brought in Ronal Johnson (6-2, 280) from Michigan, Quashon Alexander from Nebraska, not to mention D2 transfer Vinny Schaffer (6-0, 315), who sat out last season. So the emphasis was to add size to both , who lines. 

The idea made sense and for the most part, Towson wasn't pushed around as much as last year. I'll talk about how much if any, did they improve from 2018 to 2019 up front. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Johnson was one of the six players who had season-ending knee injuries. The talented redshirt junior played in just three games and had one sack against NC Central. He injured his knee in the third game against Villanova and his season was over.

It also didn't help that Gibbs, a redshirt freshman, was hampered by a toe injury in camp and then had various ailments throughout the season that limited him to a rotation player and ultimately one who just played in passing situations. Bowman and Alexander were also limited by injuries as was senior OLB Malik Tyne, who wasn't able to make much of an impact. On the offensive line, Byant was supposed to get the start at right tackle but blew out his knee in camp. So Gilmore was moved over to right tackle and right guard became a rotation of Jon Desire and Brendan Cassells most of the season. 

Towson opened with The Citadel and found a way to beat a tough triple option team, 28-21. It was an uneven performance with Flacco throwing for 328 yards and a score, while Shane Simpson scored twice on the ground and once in the air. Defensively, the Tigers gave up just 21 points, but 329 yards rushing (4.7ypc). They were also awful on third-down conversions, allowing 11 of 17 and 3-of-3 on fourth downs.

But the Tigers needed the win, especially opening up on the road in non-conference play with Florida coming up. Unfortunately, Towson suffered their second season-ending knee injury, as Ricky DeBerry, now playing inside linebacker, suffered an ACL tear in the first half (had 8 tackles, 1 TFL). 

Towson had their season opener against NC Central and No. 8 Towson took care of business, winning 42-3. There were really just two stories in this game. One was the crowd of 8,322, which was the largest since Sept. 20, 20140. The other was another injury. Starting sophomore safety Jamal Gay became the third player to suffer a season-ending knee injury.

In game three, Towson had much to prove and produced one of their best wins in years, beating a defending champion Maine team, 45-23,  that was the seventh-ranked team in the nation. Of course, nobody knew at the time that both of these squads would end up underachieving for the season. That was the way it was in the CAA, with everybody beating up on everybody, save for JMU and to a lesser extent Villanova. 

Something occurred in the Maine game that hadn't happened in years. Towson actually forced turnovers-four interceptions. That set up some short fields and the Tigers took advantage with four Yeedee Thaenrat short touchdown runs and a 10-yard run from Kobe Young. Flacco had 232 yards passing and 68 rushing. The running game was spread out between seven runners including Adrian Platt-Feliz, Thaenrate, Young, Ryan Stover and Simpson, who had one carry. And that was Simpson's last carry of the season because he would blow his knee on a kick return. 

Even though Towson moved into the Top 5, this was not a Top 5 or even a Top 10 team without Simpson and a hobbling Young. Simpson was not only the team's top running back, he was one of their best receivers and an impact player in the return game.  But there was another issue on offense. True junior Jabari Allen had a knee sprain and couldn't go. The 6-4, 205-pounder had 53 catches for 751 yards and eight TDs in 2018, but ultimately, he would get hurt in the NC Central game and missed every game but the JMU contest moving forward. Fortunately, he played in just three games, so he's eligible for a redshirt season.

But that's not the reason Towson lost to Villanova, 52-45 in overtime. Flacco picked up the slack in the ground game with 110 yards and a score and while he had issues in the passing game (21-of-42, 304 yds, 1 TD), he put the team in a position to win. Thaenrat had just 32 yards on 10 carries, but wound up with three TDs.

Defensively, Towson picked off quarterback Daniel Smith twice, which included a 49-yard pick-six by Robert Heyward. But the run defense was a no-show as Wildcats runner Justin Covington led the way with 194 yards rushing out of Villanova's 295 yards on the ground. Smith also had four TD passes, including two to Jaaron Hayek. He also had the game-winning TD run as it took two plays for the Wildcats to score in OT. Towson had first-an-10 on the Nova 16. After a Flacco incompletion, he rushed for nine yards. Instead of giving the ball to Thaenrat, they threw two more passes and both were incomplete. Game over.

Bad play calls? Sure. Even if Towson scores, they couldn't stop Covington. Towson had a 45-42 lead at home against Villanova with 1:38 left in regulation and couldn't keep the Wildcats off the board. In fact, they had Smith on the ropes, back at his own seven on the last drive, which turned out to be the game-tying field goal possession. If you want to talk about key plays, this turned out to the season-turner. If Towson stops Smith and sends more than three rushers, they win the game and go to the playoffs (most likely). Instead, on 4th and 10 at the 7, Smith hits Zac Kerxton for 15 yards to the Nova 22 and the drive stays alive. He gets his team to the Towson 28 and Drew Kresge manages a clutch 45-yard kick to tie the game with 10 seconds left. 

You talk about devastating losses, this was up there. As it turned out, it really turned the season upside down.

[mat1992 2,229]

Part II

As mentioned earlier, Towson lost DT Ron Johnson in the Villanova game. They didn't need the Michigan transfer against No. 9 Florida (38-0 loss). The Tigers got their guaranteed game and got out with no major injuries. At least it was thought there were no major injuries and then a bye, but cornerback Brandon Shuman was injured (upper body) and would not play the rest of the season. Flacco had a rough game with 157 yards passing and two picks against the best defense he had faced in his career. The Tigers were able to move the ball surprisingly well, but senior kicker Aidan O'Neill missed a 32-yarder and had a 47-yarder blocked (in the fourth quarter).

The Tigers actually played better defensively against the Gators than they did the game before against Vilanova, allowing 160 yards rushing and 262 passing yards.

After the bye, the Tigers were still ranked 9th before meeting Albany. Some teams come out of byes a little flat, but pick it up in the second half. Towson played flat throughout the game, especially in the secondary, where they were torched for 380 yards and two TDs. Albany star receivers Juwan Green (8 for 156 yards) and Jerah Reeves (10 for 143 yards) had monster games. With Shuman out, quarterback Jeff Underfuffler went after redshirt freshman Robert Javier and just about everybody else in the secondary. Flacco had another subpar game, going 17 for 33 for 187 yards with 2 TDs and was sacked four times. Thaenrat had just 36 rushing yards on 10 carries. Flacco had 32 yards on 13 carries as the Tigers wound up with just 93 rushing yards. Albany averaged just 3.1 yards per run but they averaged 12.3 yards per catch on only 23 completions. There were so many big plays made against the Tigers' defense. It became a 7-on-7 drill.

Next, the Tigers were able to heal some wounds and play their entire bench in a 56-7 win over Bucknell on Homecoming. Even though they romped over a bad opponent, they appeared to get some things squared away on defense. One was moving Jirhe Love to replace Javier in the secondary.

Love had seven tackles in the next game against James Madison, a 27-10 loss. Defensively, it wasn't pretty, but against the No. 2 team in the nation, they at least fought, allowing 249 yards on the ground and 201 in the air. But they bent and didn't break often. The offense struggled again, rushing for just 60 yards and Flacco had another subpar game (18-for-32, 210 yards, 1 TDs, 1 INT, six sacks, 48 yards on 14 attempts). Flacco was also banged up (lower body) and was never physically the same for the rest of the season.

The season appeared over. Towson needed to win four straight games to have any chance of making the playoffs. They would have to win two on the road, but as that turned out, it wasn't a bad thing to play on the road. 

They needed to win another tough battle against rival Delaware on Nov. 2, in front of 5,522. Their playoff hopes did remain alive as the Tigers held on to a 31-24 win. if Delaware quarterback knew were the first-down sticks were after a long run where he went backwards about 25 yards, this game was probably heading to overtime. But the Tigers escaped led by Thaenrat's three TD runs and Flacco had a solid passing game (17-of-23 for 294 yards, 1 TD). He ran for just 20 yards on four carries, showing some signs of the unreported injury he suffered against JMU. 

Junior receiver Caleb Smith also had a breakout game with 9 catches for 200 yards and a TD, taking some pressure off of No. 1 receiver Shane Leatherbury, who was receiving a lot of attention.

The close win over Delaware at home might have propelled the Tigers to the next two road games. Stony Brook wasn't a bad team, but they weren't JMU. Towson took care of the Seawolves, 31-14 on Nov. 9. Flacco threw for 283 yards with two TDs and ran for -2 yards on 13 carries (mainly due to six sacks). While he wasn't as fleet as foot, he was helped by Platt's 88 yards rushing and sophomore Darrian Street's four catches for 85 yards ad a score. The 31-14 win featured the defense holding Stony Brook to 141 yards rushing and 241 passing but three interceptions. Towson also had the ball for 39:08, showing their domination.

Against William & Mary, we saw Towson's offense score 31 points for the third straight week. That was the magic number all year. When Towson scored 30 or more points, they went 6-1. The Tigers just ran all over the Tribe, led by a career day for Thaenrat with 158 yards and a score. Flacco had an efficient 20 of 29 for 191 yards and two TDs with no picks. 

There was a pattern with Flacco. While the passing and rushing numbers had decreased, he was limiting the turnovers. He had just one interception in his last six games. They were facing an Elon team that was playing for pride. The only way you can lose to a team like that is if you give them the game. Oh boy, did the Tigers hand the Phoenix the game on Nov. 23.

It was not the way to finish an excellent two-year career. But Flacco threw two picks, one basically on a desperation heave with 30 seconds left in the game, took a terrible safety and fumbled the ball. He didn't get much help as Thaenrat fumbled the ball twice (lost one) and he had several drops from his receivers. Smith also didn't play (unknown reasons) and although oft-injured Chris Clark did return, it wasn't enough as Elon ended the Tigers' season, 25-23 from Unitas Stadium. Skyler Davis' nailed a 35-yard field late in the game to give the Phoenix the win. He ended with three field goals, while O'Neill added three for the Tigers, but missed a 45-yarder right before Davis' miss. Flacco finished with 214 yards passing with two TDs and two picks and was sacked four times. Thaenrat had 103 yards rushing. Towson led the game 17-3 at the half and 20-5 in the third quarter, but defensively, after playing so well in the first half, the defense struggled to contain Davis Cheek, not exactly known for running. He had a huge 21-yard run in the second half to keep a drive alive and while he went just 12 of 24, hit running back De'Sean McNair out of the backfield for several completions, including a 39-yarder for a score.

It's been just a week since that defeat but that one will sting for many years. Instead of watching ESPNU on a Sunday afternoon, Towson had to go back to work for another long offseason.

 

 

[mat1992 2,229]

In 2018, Towson led the CAA in scoring at 34.5 points per game and ranked third in rushing with 190 yards per game.

In 2019, Towson ranked fourth in scoring at 30.2 points per game and finished sixth with 154.6 yards per game. Simpson and Young were missed here, but Towson did not recruit a running back last season nor did they add a transfer and it came back to haunt them.

In 2018, they finished 12th (last) in the CAA in rushing defense (187.2ypg) and finished 7th in 2019 (155.8ypg).

In 2018, they led the CAA with 275 passing yards per game, they ranked 5th with 241.5 yards per game.

In 2019, they finished 5th in total offense with 396.1 yards per game and last season, finished first with 465 yards per game.

In 2018, they finished 8th against the pass (202.2ypg) and in 2019, they finished 8th against the pass (229.7ypg).

In 2019, they finished 8th in total defense (385.4ypg) and in 2018, they finished last in the CAA, allowing 389.5 yards per game. 

So they basically finished with the same yardage allowed per game and finished four spots better. 

Was that defense really that much better than last season? Not really, but they were better against the run and forced a lot more turnovers. Towson finished tied for 6th last season in turnover margin at +1 with 23 forced turnovers and 22 turnovers committed. In 2019, they finished fourth in turnover margin at +6 with just 18 turnovers committed (6 picks) and 24 forced turnovers (16 picks).

Imagine how many more turnovers Towson could have forced had the recorded more than 22 sacks (10th in the CAA). They also allowed 36, ranked 11th in the league. Some of that was on the line, some of that on Flacco's inability to get rid of the ball quickly and his lack of mobility after the JMU game. 

Towson improved on third down conversions on defense, but still finished last in the league (40.5%), compared to 45.5% from last season. To compare, James Madison finished first in 2019 with a 30.4% on defense (means they stopped teams nearly 70% on third downs).

 

[mat1992 2,229]

In terms of accolades, Towson was shut out on the first-team All-CAA offense and Yeedee Thaenrat made it as a specialist for the second straight season. He also made the second-team All-CAA as a running back. That's pretty amazing for a former HS safety, who was known mainly last season for a brutal hit in the Villanova game that changed the team's dynamics. He had 746 yards rushign to lead the team, while rushing for 14 TDs.

Flacco also had 324 rushing yards (2.9ypc), but had 742 yards rushing in 2018 with four TDs. The lack of mobility took away his speed and explosion. He did threw for 22 TDs with 2,831 yards and jsut six INTs. He had more passing yards (3,251 yards), more total yards (3,993yds) and more TDs (28), but also had 11 picks last season.

Senior Shane Leatherbury is quite a success story. Getting nabbed as an All-CAA player (2nd team) for the second straight season. Not bad for a former D2 player, who had 52 catches for 667 yards for 12 TDs.  

Junior OG Aaron Gryzmnkowski also made the second-team All-CAA (last year he made third). Senior K Aidan O'Neill finished a record-breaking career as the all-time CAA leader with 64 field goals. He did not have a great senior season, going 11 of 18, but did make all 46 of his extra point attempts. He never kicked off as that was handled by punter Shane McDonough, the Marshal transfer was one of the best new additions. He averaged 43.9 yards per punt and knocked 14 inside the 20. He also knocked 17 out of the end zone on kickoffs. The sophomore wound up on the All-CAA third team.

Senior linebackers Robert Heyward (second team All-CAA) and Keon Paye (third team) will be the biggest losses on defense. Paye finished with five interceptions, which tied him with junior Coby Tippett for fourth in the CAA. Heyward and junior safety Steven Brown led the Tigers in tackles with 87 apiece. Brown and Heyward also has two picks apiece and one TD. He also led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss. Heyward added two sacks, while Brown had a forced fumble and three pass breakups.

Tippett was named All-CAA third team in his first full season as a starter. There were some ups and downs, but he did make plays, adding 70 tackles and nine pass breakups with those five picks. Sophomore linebacker Christian Dixon did a solid job at inside linebacker replacing DeBerry. He had 77 tackles with 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, which sadly tied for the team lead. He also had four QB hurries, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. 

DE/T Bryce Carter was a 4-3 defensive end last season and you have to wonder if the 6-1, 265-pound junior was playing out of position. He had 4.5 sacks with 12 QB hurries, 12 TFLs and three forced fumbles this season. But last season, he had 6.5 sacks. Nobody else had more than three sacks. OLB John Lambert had just one sack, three QB hurries and one fumble recovery. He started over Tyne, who had just two sacks and 19 tackles as a backup. That position must be upgraded next season.

Towson will also lose Shuman (3 pass breakups in 5 games) and Gillette-Rodgers (15 pass breakups, one fumble recovery, 38 tackles). While Gillette-Rodgers certainly had his issues tackling, he did become the team's best cover corner at the end. Love and Javier were replaced at the end by true freshman Jeremiah Wynn (12 tackles, 1 INT, 2 break ups). Wynn showed much better ball awareness than did Javier and he looked more athletic than Love. 

On offense, Towson does lose Flacco, Thaenrat, Clark (18 catches for 216 yds, 2 TDs), and Leatherbury. Replacing Flacco is of course, the key to the whole offseason. Even if redshirt freshman Jeff Miller (6-6, 230) becomes the replacement in the spring, Towson still needs a veteran quarterback transfer. Stover could also be the guy because he has the experience and can run. Towson wouldn't have to change the offense much with him at the helm. If Miller is the guy, he won't be running a lot. We'll find out in the spring, which hopefully will start at a normal time this season. Odds are that they will bring in somebody after the spring.

As for running back, it will be nice having Simpson and Young back. But they can't rely on those two. They desperately need a big back transfer (didn't I say the same thing last year) and at least one freshman with speed. Lack of a dynamic playmaker in the backfield was evident all season.

At receiver, when Caleb Smith was out in the last game, it was felt. Smith could be the x-factor next season as a vertical threat (35 catches for 570 yards, 1 TD) with Leatherbury gone. Allen will be back for his redshirt junior season and so will Street (33 catches for 455 yards, 4 TDs), who should have a better junior season. True freshman Daniel Thompson burned his redshirt but showed some glimpses of a 6-3, bruising-type of receiver, who can block and make tough catches. He had 17 grabs for 212 yards in nine games, though he was playing hurt most of the season. Junior Ryan Rutkowski (14 catches for 211 yards) returns for his senior season. Expect at least one transfer here as they can use a burner and/or another big receiver. True freshman Charles Murphy (6-2, 175) is going to be a good one and needs to hit the weight room. At least he got on the field to get a taste of FCS play.

The offensive line has to get better. They weren't bad this past season, but if Miller is going to be the guy (who knows), they will need to protect him. Same with Stover, who is more mobile, but 6-4, 220). Now the question is whether there will be a change with all five starters returning. Maybe not on the left side. One freshman who redshirted last season, but saw some time in blowout situations was Ricky Santiago-Espinal. He's a house at 6-6, 345 and could play left guard or tackle. I doubt they replace Gryzmkowksi, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in, unless they just wait for one more season with two seniors on the left side (Andrew Garnett, Grizz) and two on the right side potentially (Bryant, Gilmore). Could they move Gilmore (360ish) to right guard and start Bryant (330). That would be a monster right side and sophomore Cole Cheripko back at center. He'd be the small guy on the line at 6-4, 300. Of course, huge doesn't always mean mobile. But moving Gilmore to guard would make the most sense since he wouldn't have to face 240-pound defensive ends with quick first steps that can get around him.

The defensive line to me was the biggest disappointment. I don't know if they fit the scheme or if we still run a 3-4 next season. Who knows if they make changes again? Ron Johnson should be back along with Alexander, Gibbs and Bowman. Can the stay healthy? Will they move Carter to outside linebacker to replace Lambert and Tyne? Do they add a transfer OLB/DE who can rush the passer and set the edge? I assume DeBerry will go back to inside linebacker. In the spring, I do need to keep an eye on some of the young guys including freshman Derrick McCoy (6-2, 235), who redshirted this season. R-freshman Prince Ukpai (6-3, 260). They obviously need some transfer help at outside linebacker.

In the middle of the line, they'll have Sam Gyeni (5-11, 280) and Shaffer at nose guard. They'll be juniors while Tommy Danagogo (6-2, 300) will be a senior. Gibbs, Tibo Debaille (6-2, 285), Johnson, r-freshman Bryce Lauer (6-3, 275) are solid at DE/T. They need to figure out what to do with Quayshon Alexander (6-3, 250), who appears to be too light for the 3-4 scheme. Bowman (6-1, 260) could be a factor, but wasn't much of a one this season. 

So you have DeBerry, Dixon and r-freshman Chiz Umunakwe, who had 37 tackles and 3.5 TFLs last season. He showed flashes. I wonder if he bulks up a little more He's (6-0, 220) and replaces Paye at SLB or he and Dixon fight it out. Expect another transfer at LB and one at OLB.

I don't think they'll add another safety transfer. They already added Steven Brown and Stanley Davis last spring. Later, the brought in Kansas transfer Robert Topps III (6-3, 200). He's a big athlete, but they want him to bulk up. If Tippett, Gay and Brown are back, does he move to corner? Or does he bulk up even more and move to linebacker as Mantriel Reaves did this past season?

Replacing Shuman and Gillette-Rodgers at corner are much more important because safety should be ok this season. Cornerback has been a struggle since Tye Smith graduated and moved to the NFL. Some of the pass defense issues go back to a lack of a consistent pass rush (need to finish up front). Javier, Love and Wynn will all be sophomores and they only have one other scholarship player on the roster in Michael Wilson Jr. (5-11, 170). They need at least one if not two cornerback transfers in the spring, if not the summer.

Special teams should be solid with McDonough back and D'Ago Hunter now returning kicks. Let's assume that Simpson won't be returning kicks now that Hunter will be an experienced sophomore and will also play some receiver (not a running back).

There will be competition at kicker assuming they don't bring in a transfer. Freshmen Eric Bernstein and Sam Grace from Boy's Latin could compete. Both can also punt.

 

 

 

[TSU88 1,070]

Not much to add to this thorough look back/look forward. Wholeheartedly agree that the 1 play that changed the trajectory of the season was the 4th & long vs Nova, when we couldn’t get off the field (I don’t have the stats to back this up, but, anecdotally, it seems to me we’ve been chronically awful for years on getting off the field on 3rd & 4th and long situations). 

Perhaps I’m one of those gloomy Gus folks who recently was excoriated on this board, but it seems we have an awful lot of holes to fill going forward (QB, RB, speed receiver, TE to replace Clark, CB, and an overall lack of a pass rush) to be overly optimistic about next season. Add in that after we likely lose the season opener vs MD (yes, I know, they stunk this year, but, realistically,  I don’t see us beating them) we’re likely going to have to go 8-2 the remainder of the season to make the playoffs, since we only play 11 games next season.

Stay tuned. 
 

[mat1992 2,229]

44 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

Not much to add to this thorough look back/look forward. Wholeheartedly agree that the 1 play that changed the trajectory of the season was the 4th & long vs Nova, when we couldn’t get off the field (I don’t have the stats to back this up, but, anecdotally, it seems to me we’ve been chronically awful for years on getting off the field on 3rd & 4th and long situations). 

Perhaps I’m one of those gloomy Gus folks who recently was excoriated on this board, but it seems we have an awful lot of holes to fill going forward (QB, RB, speed receiver, TE to replace Clark, CB, and an overall lack of a pass rush) to be overly optimistic about next season. Add in that after we likely lose the season opener vs MD (yes, I know, they stunk this year, but, realistically,  I don’t see us beating them) we’re likely going to have to go 8-2 the remainder of the season to make the playoffs, since we only play 11 games next season.

Stay tuned. 
 

Quarterback. That's the most important part of the team to replace and the most difficult. Do we have one on the roster? I'm not going to say no, because just haven't seen enough of Miller. Cornerback is next though it's not like we're replacing two Deion Sanders or Tye Smith's. We have a lot of guys returning who would have been starters and were hurt last year in Jabari Allen, Darian Bryant, DeBerry, Simpson, Jamal Gay, Ron Johnson, etc. And how about Kobe Young. I could see him come back at a little bigger or stronger, but how about moving him to receiver to get him the ball more? Get a big back to play net to Shane. That's a must.

I'm not saying we're in great shape, but I'm not Debbie Downer either. This is not a bad team next season. At worst, they are 6-5 if we don't fill in the pieces or if almost every key player gets hurt again. I needed a week to decompress from Elon and while I'm not quite as positive as I was about next season, say a month ago, I still think there is some hope. The offensive line returns everybody. That is a rarity and a huge key. The defensive line returns everybody and hopefully, Gibbs, Johnson and Bowman are healthy.

Oh yeah, a pass rusher. We haven't had one since Ryan Delaire. That's nearly as important as finding a quarterback and a corner. Maybe more than finding a transfer corner. 

Also, 7-4 and 5-3 is usually good enough to make the playoffs. Depends on who you beat but I think the CAA will be back after a down season. 

[omniland 31]

QB is just tough to replace whether you are replacing Flacco or any starter.  Getting someone to extend plays like Flacco is sort of impossible.  I actually believe this team looks pretty good on paper for next year but for QB and running back.  Of course if Shane Simpson stays healthy all year there is no issue with RB but that is just unrealistic going into next season hoping for that.

 

I lean towards Stover starting his senior year and being able to run the ball.  We haven't really seen much of him since his freshman year and it showed a lot to be a starter as a freshman at that position.  I sort of feel this is a little like the Athens senior year.  Stover can run and you cannot just find just anyone who is a legit dual threat. Being able to run puts a lot of stress on a defense. 

 

The one guy that wasn't mentioned is Epps.  Somehow regardless of some of the plays he made, we never really designed very much or emphasized throws to him throughout the year.  It looks like he has nice hands and produces yards after the catch rather than just a slow 5 yard curl and drop type of tight end.

 

looking at the playoff scores of yesterday, I'm not sure a few of the teams were not stretches to be put in the playoffs (Furman, North Dakota ...).  Yes we didn't show up last year but that rain storm was just a once in a lifetime storm.  It was so much rain I'm not sure the game shouldn't have been moved to the arena downtown or played the next day.  I mean no one went to that game it was so bad.  Do we win if there was better weather?  Certainly we would have played better.  Duquesne had the perfect player to win that game.   Regardless of our loss to Elon, we maybe should have squeaked in because the only thing that should matter is who else are they putting in.   I think the CAA is at least the 2nd best conference and the selection committee just seems to always give us the short end of the stick.  It would be nice for us to get that last invitation and someone else mentioned on the selection show as the one being shafted.   

[mat1992 2,229]

Epps is a nice player and a bit of an oversight on my part. But on this team, tight ends are like fullbacks. Their first objective is to block. That’s why Clark, when healthy, was not on the field much. Hopefully Myles Wright can take the next step but I assume we will bring in another TE. 
 

As for dual-threat quarterbacks, there are a lot available from high school and as transfers. You have to find the right one. That’s easier said than done. Stover would be an adequate replacement but you wonder about turnovers with him. He had 13 picks and just 11 TDs as a starter in 2017. He can run though he’s not as fast as Enders was. They are built about the same. Both rugged. But you would need a great running attack to help and that starts up front.

[Blk&goldfan 10]

I think there was a much more balanced attack towards the end of the season that sometimes included a full house backfield and utilized the FB, Hamilton,  a lot more.  It seems to me, maybe Ambrose was putting all his eggs in one basket, so to speak, regarding Flacco. I was glad to see RA install more running plays towards the end and wish we had been more balanced from the get go. It seemed to work out pretty well (at least until Elon). Would like to see Stover get a shot as starter but at this point, I’m not fully confident he can get it done. Looking forward to seeing what recruits/transfers they bring in.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Blk&goldfan

[TigerFan54 102]

Great recap/analysis, Matt.

As for next year's QB: I'm not much of a Stover fan; think of all the times TF eluded pressure that RS would have been no match for. I'd rather see Miller get a shot and bring Stover in on occasion (as we did sometimes the past two years) when you need a few yards for a first down. 

On one of the chats, there was talk of U-Md's Bernhardt perhaps transferring in. What would you say the odds of that are?