Towson State
Tiger Tracks
Published exclusively for Tiger Club members
by the News and Publications Services
Tuesday, October 21, 1975
GRIDDERS TAKE THIRD STRAIGHT
Last Saturday the Tigers combined an explosive, powerful offense with a punishing,
tough defense and the result was a 35-14 football victory over winless Western Connecticut
State. It marked the third consecutive week that our gridders scored at least 35 points in
victory, thus raising their season record to 4-2 in the process.
Offensively, the Tigers racked up 484 total yards, 281 on the ground and 203 through
the air, while the defense limited the Colonials to a mere 166 yard total offense output.
Junior James Boyd led all rushers Saturday with 142 yards in 14 carries (10.1 yard average
per carry) and a pair of TD's. Boyd now has picked up 437 yards in 95 attempts on the '75
season, and his touchdowns last Saturday were his fourth and fifth of the year. Mike Maloney
also carried 14 times for Towson, gaining 58 yards and pushing his overall figure to 314
yards in 1975.
The Tigers scored early and often in the opening half of play, putting the game
virtually out of reach by late in the second quarter. Quarterback Dan Dullea hit tight end
Skip Chase on the first play of Towson' s second possession of the afternoon for a 17-yard
touchdown, and Phil Rizas' first of five extra points was perfect, giving Towson a 7-0 lead
with 9:36 remaining in the opening period. Less than seven minutes later, with exactly 2:44
to go in the first quarter, James Boyd capped a five-play, 31-yard drive with a TD scamper
from the Colonials' 22-yard line to give the hosts a comfortable 14-0 first period advantage.
It took the Tigers only 1:46 into the second stanza to put their third TD on the board,
as Mike Bennett ran the ball in from four yards out for a 21-0 Towson lead. Earlier in that
same drive, Bennett hit tight end Chase for a 41-yard option pass to move the ball from the
Tiger 47 yard line to the Western Connecticut 12, and in four plays Towson capped off another
successful drive. It took the winners more than 11 minutes, with exactly 2:06 left before
halftime, to get the ball into the end zone a fourth time. Dullea engineered a five-play,
73-yard drive that began at Towson's own 27 yard line and resulted in a 23-yard TD strike to
wide receiver Bill McDonald for a 28-0 Tiger lead. McDonald had a 12-yard reception earlier
in that same drive, which also included a 33-yard aerial to Chase on a second down and six
yard situation from the Towson 43.
Western Connecticut's Vinny Messina picked up a questionable on-sides kick-off and
scampered 17 yards to the Tiger 40 yard line to set up the Colonials' first score of the day.
Five plays later quarterback John Carroll found split end Tony Calabrese in the corner of the
end zone for a 21-yard Western Connecticut touchdown, slicing Towson's advantage to 28-7 at
halftime. The Colonials' TD came with only 50 seconds remaining before the first half gun.
Following a scoreless third stanza highlighted by Tony Dominquez' second interception
of the day for Western Connecticut, the Tigers got on the board again early in the fourth
period. Boyd capped off an eight-play, 66-yard march with his second TD of the afternoon from
the Colonials' 35-yard line. Big plays on that TD drive included passes from Dullea to Mike
Hoey (11 yards) and Chase (9 yards), and a nine-yard quarterback keeper. Boyd's score gave
Towson a 35-7 lead with 9:25 remaining in the game.
On Rizas' ensuing kickoff, however, Calabrese took the ball on his team's seven-yard
line and rambled 93 yards on the kickoff return for a Western Connecticut touchdown with
8:52 remaining. Bob Miller hit his second extra point of the day for the Colonials to cut
Towson's lead to 35-14, the Tigers' final margin of victory.
Late in the quarter Towson coach Phil Albert employed reserve signal callers Carter
Willson (0 for 1) and senior Chris Van Syckle (1 for 2) to wrap up the victory. In all,
Albert used 60 players in the lopsided win. Van Syckle 's pass completion of 16 yards to
Maloney was his first of the '75 campaign.
Towson's starting field general, Dullea, had an adequate afternoon in the passing
department. He completed 10 of 24 on the day for 129 yards and two touchdowns. That
performance brings his season totals to 72 completions in 125 attempts (57.6%) and seven
touchdowns. His favorite targets on the afternoon were Chase and McDonald. Chase had three
receptions on the afternoon for 59 yards and 1 TD to hike his '75 figure to 18. McDonald
also brought down three aerials in the W. Connecticut win, giving him IS receptions on the
season.
Mike Bennett had an unusual day for the Tigers, as the flanker from Havre de Grace
completed two of three passes for 74 yards. Both were off an option play, and both were to
Chase, one for 41 yards in the first period and another in the second stanza for 33.
-over-
