With just a few minutes remaining and the Towson football team trailing Old Dominion by three points, Tigers quarterback Grant Enders converted on a fourth-and-29 with a touchdown pass to receiver Tom Ryan for 63 yards.
The remarkable play jolted Towson to a comeback victory, 39-35, which goes down as one of the most extraordinary wins in Towson’s history. The win also placed the Tigers in a tie for first place in the Colonial Athletic Association with Maine at 5-1.
The crowd went silent at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium on Saturday afternoon when Enders scrambled for an 8-yard score which was a result of a 75-yard drive in just nine plays.
Enders, the star of the game, had a career-high with 314 yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. The Tigers’ halfback Terrance West had an astounding performance as well with 151 rushing yards on just 16 attempts and two rushing touchdowns, both of which were for over 40 yards.
The Monarchs also had a powerful offensive attack with 482 total yards. Their leader, quarterback Taylor Heinicke, threw for 360 yards of his own and three touchdowns. Old Dominion falls to 5-2 after collapsing in the final minutes of a game it had control of the whole way.
The Tigers look to continue their success this season when they head to play William & Mary on the road this Saturday.
Bears remain undefeated
Maine came up victorious at home against Rhode Island, 27-21, as it remains in first place in the CAA with a 3-0 conference record.
Linebacker and senior Vinson Givans set the tone on defense for the Black Bears with a team-high 10 tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
On the offensive side for Maine quarterback Warren Smith threw for three touchdowns and a total of 233 yards. The Black Bears controlled the first half of the contest, outscoring the Rams 14-0 and establishing their superiority over Rhode Island, which is winless in the CAA.
The Maine defense held Rhode Island quarterback Robert Bentsen to just 158 passing yards. With a combination of strong defensive play and early scores from Smith in the first half, the Black Bears built their lead early.
Smith’s number one target, Maurice McDonald, had 139 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Rams secondary did not have an answer for McDonald who reeled in a game-high nine receptions.
Maine will take on Richmond on the road this Saturday as the Spiders are also winless in the CAA.
JMU rolls over Nova
For a crowd filled with parents visiting for Family Weekend at James Madison on Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium, the Dukes topped a struggling Villanova team, 34-10.
The Dukes outscored the Wildcats 28-3 in the second half of the contest as they clicked on all cylinders.
The duo rushing attack of Dae’Quan Scott and Jordan Anderson tallied up 199 total rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Dukes have been giving defenses trouble with their powerful and productive ground game all season.
At the beginning of the game, Villanova scored first when Wildcats quarterback Dustin Thomas threw a 25-yards pass to Kenny Miles. After that, James Madison straightened out its defense and held Thomas to only 127 passing yards with just 11 completions and a pair of interceptions for the game.
The Wildcats could not stop the balanced JMU offense, which totaled up 456 yards. Villanova finished the game with 234 total yards and only one touchdown.
JMU gets a bye this week, but the Dukes will travel to Old Dominion on Oct. 29 for the 2011 Oyster Bowl.
Christopher Corso can be reached at [email protected].
