Tigers fall to Wake Forest, 51-20

[mat1992 2,238]

https://towsontigers.com/news/2018/9/8/football-earns-tds-two-of-first-three-drives-falls-at-wake-forest.aspx

https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/article218065095.html

 

Wake Forest freshman quarterback Sam Hartman threw for 2 TDs and ran for one to lead the Deacs over Towson, 51-20 from Winston-Salem, N.C. The game was tied at 14-14 in the first half, but the Demon Deacons overpowered the Tigers after that, led by two special teams plays. They rushed for 340 yards and passed for 242. But two punt return for touchdowns by Greg Dortch, who also caught seven passes for 94 yards, were the difference in this being a close game to a blowout. There was also a lightning delay for about an hour late in the third quarter with Wake Forest driving deep in Towson territory.

On the bright side, Tom Flacco played well, completing 35 of 51 for 345 yards with 3 TDs and one pick. He was sacked five times and the Tigers' running game was held to just 65 yards. Shane Leatherbury had another big day with 8 catches for 88 yards and a score. Towson also committed 7 penalties for 68 yards while the Demon Deacs had zero.

Defensively, it was not a good day but Diondre Wallace did have 16 tackles with a forced fumble. Keon Paye added 10 tackles. Ricky DeBerry did not have a tackle but did have a fumble recovery. Towson did not even come close to registering a sack.

Towson is back in action next Saturday in conference play against Villanova at 3:30pm on the road.

[TSU88 1,074]

Season starts in earnest next week. Wish we weren’t opening conference play on the road, vs Nova.

No pass rush, for 2nd straight week. Got away with it vs Morgan; not so much today.

We’ve got a real QB, but the running game is a serious concern, by my way of thinking. 

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by TSU88

[mat1992 2,238]

If you have pretty good corner play and it's not bad, Shuman struggled with cramps and coverage but if we don't blitz, I just don't get it. If you can't get pressure with four, you can't sit back and just let this kid throw all day without getting hit. That's a true freshman who was not super-accurate and received some help on some circus catches.

[TSU88 1,074]

I’m concerned we could get sliced & diced by Villanova’s QB next week. Even though it’s an early season game, I see it as an important game nonetheless. If we can somehow pull out a W, on the road, vs a nationally ranked FCS squad, that would be huge. If we lose (especially if it’s a blowout) then we could be staring down another bad season 

[mat1992 2,238]

Maybe so but they don't have Dortch .They don't the same wide receiver talent but they have a very good quarterback. But I think we have one too. We can't let Bednarczyk slide and dice us. We have to get pressure on him with four, five, 10. Whatever. Don't just sit back. Not saying blitz every down. But our corners are good enough to play press coverage. It's the middle of the D we have trouble with either our LBs can't cover or our safeties struggle. 

[TSU88 1,074]

I didn’t see the entire game. Did we appear to suffer any injuries?

[mat1992 2,238]

I think Mantrell Reaves suffered an injury. Tippett and McCants played a lot of safety along with Fenner. Jabari Allen apparently got hurt again late but then Jabari Greenwood came in and caught a couple of balls. We're deep there. So even though Flacco played late in the game when it was way out of reach, we were hopefully able to avoid major injuries. A lot of guys went out with cramps due to the heat.

[mat1992 2,238]

Interesting quote here about calling the game after the delay and the fact they had a plane to catch.

Towson Head Coach Rob Ambrose
Opening Statement:
"I am disappointed. I thought there were a lot of good takeaways against a tough opponent for us, but we can't give up two punt returns because those are momentum killers. I am proud of my guys because we had a chance to call the game, and none of them wanted to. They wanted to finish. I'm not thrilled with how we finished, but I am glad that they did. Overall it's a good test against real great competition."

On Tom Flacco:
"We knew if we wanted to see any success that Tom would have to play well and that our line would have to protect well. On the whole we did that pretty well, and I am definitely proud of how Tom performed today."

[omniland 31]

We definitely have a quarterback.  Really can't play any better than Flacco.  Just couldn't keep Wake honest against the run.  We are missing a bigger back like Weathington.  Maybe this won't be so obvious against conference play but despite the punt returns by Wake, if we had some type of running game Wake would have been on their heels.  We may never see another West but it matters.  You just can't expect to keep making play after play through the air.  It is amazing that we could have that much production in the air without absolutely no threat on the ground.  This team looks like a really good team.  They just need to stay healthy.  Flacco is a gamer.

[mat1992 2,238]

24 minutes ago, omniland said:

We definitely have a quarterback.  Really can't play any better than Flacco.  Just couldn't keep Wake honest against the run.  We are missing a bigger back like Weathington.  Maybe this won't be so obvious against conference play but despite the punt returns by Wake, if we had some type of running game Wake would have been on their heels.  We may never see another West but it matters.  You just can't expect to keep making play after play through the air.  It is amazing that we could have that much production in the air without absolutely no threat on the ground.  This team looks like a really good team.  They just need to stay healthy.  Flacco is a gamer.

Darius Victor was pretty damn good. Yes, Wethington would have been a great combo with Shane or Kobe. We're not likely to get another West but you can win with Vito. We went 7-4 in 2015 with him as the main back. That's why I'd like to see more of Yeedee Thaenrat in short-yardage situations. He's a bruiser like Vito. Some of it is the backs but the O-line just is not opening holes. Not in the last two games and not really last season. We now have a passing game so there's no excuse not have a decent ground game.

I'm not giving up on the running game. We've seen Shane Simpson at his best two years ago in his redshirt freshman season. Kobe Young shows flashes of being a very good back and Yeedee can at least be a thumper. We also don't use fullbacks so we're running mostly out of shotgun Pistol formations with receivers spread out. I have to go back and watch the game again to see what we're doing wrong up front because we are getting nothing between the tackles. We had that one Shane run of 11 yards and that was it. I still suggest we run some jet sweep that Maryland uses. Put Shane in the slot or Kobe in the slot.