Leave No Doubt

[andy7171]

Towson Aims To Leave No Doubt About Caliber Of Football Team

Entering the fifth season under head coach Rob Ambrose, the Towson University football program has undergone a lot of change during the last half-decade.

On Aug. 19, Tim Leonard will take over as Tigers athletic director, the third for whom Ambrose has worked. Ambrose's tenure has also spanned two university presidents. That's not counting any interims.

But after taking over a program destined for the cellar of the Colonial Athletic Association in 2009, Ambrose welcomed change and all of the consequences that came as a result -- both positive and negative.

"The only constant has been change," Ambrose said. "It's my job to make sure these guys stay focused. And it's never about the problems, it's about the solutions. As long as we stay focused on the solutions, the problems don't matter."

During Ambrose's first two seasons as head coach, the Tigers won three total football games. The past two seasons, Towson has won at least a share of the conference championship.

One of the most difficult changes the Tigers must navigate will be at quarterback. With dual-threat quarterback Grant Enders, the Tigers were one of the CAA's best offensive units on the ground and in the air the last two seasons. Enders ranked second in the league in total offensive yards during his 2012 senior season with 2,337 passing yards and 615 rushing yards.

During the spring, a three-way quarterback battle among Wisconsin transfer Joe Brennan, redshirt senior Peter Athens and Damascus alum Connor Frazier was inconclusive. Going into preseason camp, there still did not appear to be a clear winner.

Athens, the Tigers' former starter, has taken a high percentage of the snaps with the team's top receivers. Although many thought Brennan, as a Big Ten transfer, would be the clear favorite, he has yet to separate himself from the pack.

The Tigers will face not only internal change, but also change in the conference landscape. With the departure of Old Dominion University and Georgia State University, the CAA will lose its best- and worst-performing teams from the 2012 standings. A perennial Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse, the CAA has added Albany and Stony Brook for 2013.

"The history of this league -- the core of this league -- is still the same foundation as always," Ambrose said. "ODU was in the league for what, 20 seconds? Georgia State was in for less. We're bringing in playoff teams. We're going from being a very good conference to an oh-my-God good conference. The only difference is we've never coached against those two teams before."

Speed and athleticism will be a strength for the Tigers in 2013. A lack of depth at wide receiver and a talented incoming freshman class could mean Towson will play at least a handful of true freshmen on offense.

"There's a standard of what we expect, and on the whole, we've met it," Ambrose said. "On our conditioning test, the number of kids who made it was impressive. Even more, the number of freshmen who made it means they're coming in more prepared, which means they'll be able to contribute sooner."

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[Ibanez]

They are leaving No Doubt? If I had known Gwen Stefani was in cahoots with Towson, I would've been a supporter. Damnit.

[CAA Flagship]

They are leaving No Doubt? If I had known Gwen Stefani was in cahoots with Towson, I would've been a supporter. Damnit.

Leave a message and I'll call you back.

[dbackjon]

Don't Speak about this

[Grizalltheway]

andy's just a girl.

[Ibanez]

andy's just a girl.

That's all ill let him be. He's living in captivity, in a spider web.