1997 Towson Tigers football team

1997 Towson Tigers football
Conference	Patriot League
Record	2–8 (0–6 Patriot)
Head coach	Gordy Combs (6th season)
Home stadium	Minnegan Stadium
Seasons ←  1996 1998  →

1997 Patriot League football standings

v t e	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

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Monmouth *	Minnegan Stadium Towson, MD	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 *	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 6–16	2,710	[7]
October 4	at Penn *	Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA	L 14–26	6,806	[8]
October 18	Robert Morris	Minnegan Stadium Towson, MD	W 33–30	3,525	[9]
October 25	at Lafayette	Fisher Field Easton, PA	L 0–38	5,159	[10]
November 1	at Fordham	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	L 7–12	721	[11]
November 8	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	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.