Box Score
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DURHAM, N.C. – Towson University, the fourth-ranked team in NCAA Division I-FCS, scored on its first two possessions of the second half to pull away from a scrappy North Carolina Central University team for a 35-17 road win inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, Towson (4-0) converted on third-and-seven and third-and-10 during a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Peter Athens to James Oboh for a 7-0 Tigers' lead at 6:39 of the second quarter.
Determined to pull of an upset at home, NCCU (2-2) took advantage of a fumbled punt return when senior quarterback Jordan Reid found senior receiver Marvin Poole wide open in the end zone from 21 yards out to tie the score at 7-7 with 3:45 left before the break.
On the ensuing drive, Towson again converted on a pair of third-and-long plays, both passes by Athens to Leon Kinnard, who finished with seven catches for 102 yards. On the first conversion, two Eagles appeared to have Kinnard stopped a few yards short of the first down marker, but the Towson receiver busted free from the defenders and battled for first-down yardage.
Kinnard's extra effort yielded seven points for the Tigers later in the drive when junior running back Terrance West rumbled into the end zone from a yard away for a 14-7 lead with 47 second left in the second stanza.
The Eagles took just 41 seconds, using a pass interference penalty and a 22-yard reception by senior receiver Tyron Harris, to set up junior kicker Oleg Parent for a 33-yard field goal to narrow the halftime deficit to 14-10.
That's when the rain made its way to Durham and the tide started to change.
Towson needed just four plays to light the scoreboard in the third quarter when West raced 22 yards for a touchdown and a 21-10 Tigers' advantage.
On Towson's next possession, the Tigers moved 86 yards on 10 plays for a 28-10 lead when Darius Victor ran for a 4-yard touchdown at the 5:09 mark of the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Reid completed a 40-yard bomb to senior receiver Thomas Dixon to pull to within 28-17.
The Eagles maintained the momentum when, two plays later, junior linebacker Ty Brown stripped the ball from Kinnard and sophomore safety Ryan Smith recovered for NCCU.
Just when things were getting interesting, Reid threw and interception on third-and -10 to give the ball back to the Tigers.
Two drives later, NCCU freshman cornerback Michael Jones, who entered the contest tied for the national FCS lead in interceptions, picked off his fourth pass of the season to give the Eagles another life.
However, facing third down and one yard to go at NCCU's own 37-yard line, Reid threw back-to-back incomplete passes to return the pigskin to the Tigers.
With the game in hand, Towson added a Victor touchdown scamper with 1:35 remaining to make the final score 35-17.
Towson amassed 444 yards of total offense, including 252 yards through the air by Athens on 20-of-33 passing. West, the ninth-leading rusher in the FCS ranks before the game, posted 139 ground yards and two touchdowns.
NCCU received a career-high passing performance by Reid with 292 yards and two touchdowns, but the quarterback was sacked six times resulting in only two total rushing yards by the Eagles.
Poole caught four balls for 68 yards and a score, while sophomore receiver Adrian Wilkins and sophomore tight end Nathan Scruggs each had four catches for 29 yards.
The NCCU defense was once again topped by senior linebacker Tazmon Foster, who collected 17 tackles - the most by an Eagle in the last 10 years, matching the 17 stops made by Luis George (brother of NCCU assistant coach Andre George) versus Fayetteville State on Oct. 18, 2003.
Brown added nine takedowns with a sack for the Eagles, while Smith contributed eight stops and two pass break-ups.
NCCU has next Saturday off, then returns to action with the MEAC-opener on Oct. 5 at Howard in Washington, D.C.
