1997 Towson Tigers football team

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.

1997 Towson Tigers football
ConferencePatriot League
Record2–8 (0–6 Patriot)
Head coach
Home stadiumMinnegan Stadium
1997 Patriot League football standings
ConfOverall
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

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
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
  1. "Year-by-Year Results". Towson Football 2019 Media Guide (PDF). Towson, Md.: Towson University. p. 105. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. 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.
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