1997 Towson Tigers football team

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1997 Towson Tigers football
ConferencePatriot League
Record2–8 (0–6 Patriot)
Head coach
Home stadiumMinnegan Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Patriot League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Colgate $^   6 0     7 5  
No. 24 Bucknell   5 1     10 1  
Fordham   4 2     5 6  
Holy Cross   2 4     4 7  
Lehigh   2 4     4 7  
Lafayette   2 4     3 8  
Towson   0 6     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Towson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Towson University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In its first year of Patriot League play, Towson finished last.

For their sixth year under head coach Gordy Combs, the Tigers claim a 3–7 overall record, 1–5 in their inaugural Patriot League campaign.[1]

The team's record book counts the season-opening Holy Cross matchup as a Towson win, though the university agreed in October 1997 to forfeit the match, as it had used an academically ineligible player in that game.[2]

The Patriot League lists Towson's record as 2–8 overall, 0–6 in league play, the worst record in the league. Towson was outscored 233 to 126.[3] Without the forfeit, Towson's league record would have improved to 1–5 and Holy Cross' would have dropped to 1–5, placing the Tigers and Crusaders in a tie for last place.

Towson played its home games at Minnegan Stadium on the university campus in Towson, Maryland.

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6 Monmouth* W 22–21 1,769 [4]
September 13 Holy Cross
  • Minnegan Stadium
  • Towson, MD
L 27–7‡ 2,000 [5][2]
September 20 Lehigh
  • Minnegan Stadium
  • Towson, MD
L 14–16 2,765 [6]
September 27 at Columbia* L 6–16 2,710 [7]
October 4 at Penn* L 14–26 6,806 [8]
October 18 Robert Morris*
  • Minnegan Stadium
  • Towson, MD
W 33–30 3,525 [9]
October 25 at Lafayette L 0–38 5,159 [10]
November 1 at Fordham L 7–12 721 [11]
November 8 at Colgate L 3–34 2,000 [12]
November 15 Bucknell
  • Minnegan Stadium
  • Towson, MD
L 0–33 2,235 [13]
  • *Non-conference game
  • ‡ Towson forfeit

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Year-by-Year Results". Towson Football 2019 Media Guide (PDF). Towson, Md.: Towson University. p. 105. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Free, Bill (October 3, 1997). "Forfeit Forces Towson to Look Again for First Patriot League Victory". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  4. ^ Free, Bill (September 7, 1997). "Smith Rallies Towson Past Monmouth, 22-21". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 11E – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Free, Bill (September 14, 1997). "Towson Routs Holy Cross in Patriot Debut". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (September 21, 1997). "Lehigh Gets Its Phil in Win Over Towson". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Hughes, Sarah (September 28, 1997). "Columbia's Defense Too Tough for Towson". Daily News (racing final ed.). New York, N.Y. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Jensen, Mike (October 5, 1997). "Quakers Halt Rally and Win". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. C10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Hensley, Jamison (October 19, 1997). "Towson Fills Gaps, Rushing to 33-30 Victory". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Meixell, Ted (October 26, 1997). "Lafayette Shuts Out Towson". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Dibari, Joe (November 2, 1997). "Towson Fakes Itself Out, Loses to Fordham, 12-7". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Hickling, Dan (November 26, 1997). "Colgate Rolls Past Towson in the Rain, 34-3". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Hoeflich, Mark (November 16, 1997). "Towson Ends with Whimper, 33-0". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.