2003 Towson Tigers football team

2003 Towson Tigers football
Conference	Patriot League
Record	6–6 (3–4 Patriot)
Head coach	Gordy Combs (12th season)
Home stadium	Johnny Unitas Stadium
Seasons ←  2002 2004 →

2003 Patriot League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 2 Colgate $^		7	–	0					15	–	1
No. 23 Lehigh		6	–	1					8	–	3
Fordham		4	–	3					9	–	3
Bucknell		4	–	3					6	–	6
Towson		3	–	4					6	–	6
Lafayette		2	–	5					5	–	6
Georgetown		1	–	6					4	–	8
Holy Cross		1	–	6					1	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2003 Towson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Towson University during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In its final year of Patriot League competition, Towson finished fifth.

In their 12th year under head coach Gordy Combs, the Tigers compiled a 6–6 record. ^[1]

The Tigers were outscored 274 to 271. Their 3–4 conference record placed fifth out of eight in the Patriot League standings. ^[2]

This year marked Towson's seventh and final Patriot League campaign, as the Tigers had agreed in 2002 to join the Atlantic 10 Conference for football, starting with the 2004 season. Though they remained in Division I-AA, this move gave Towson a higher level of competition, more similarly sized schools, and the opportunity to award athletic scholarships. By joining the A-10, Towson would also gain football matchups with Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison and William & Mary, all A-10 football members that competed with Towson in other sports in their primary conference, the Colonial Athletic Association. ^[3]

Towson played its home games at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the university campus in Towson, Maryland. The stadium had been built the previous year and started 2003 with the name Towson University Stadium; it was rededicated to honor the late Johnny Unitas on October 11, 2003. In addition to being a local celebrity from his tenure as quarterback of the Baltimore Colts, Unitas had also been the father of three Towson students and had led efforts to find a naming partner for the new Towson football stadium. ^[4]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	at Morgan State *	Hughes Stadium Baltimore, MD (rivalry)	L 16–19	4,574	[5]
September 6	Lock Haven *	Towson University Stadium Towson, MD	W 50–19	3,306	[6]
September 13	Lafayette	Towson University Stadium Towson, MD	W 19–13	1,600	[7]
September 20	at Yale *	Yale Bowl New Haven, CT	L 28–62	9,715	[8]
September 27	at No. 22 Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 7–26	7,467	[9]
October 11	Holy Cross ^	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	W 30–13	8,125	[10]
October 18	at Bucknell	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	L 10–14	6,212	[11]
October 25	Elon	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	W 24–7	3,586	[12]
November 1	at Lehigh	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA	L 3–35	13,853	[13]
November 8	at Georgetown	Multi-Sport Field Washington, DC	W 27–6	996	[14]
November 15	Albany *	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	W 35–16	2,118	[15]
November 22	No. 25 Fordham	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	L 22–35	2,258	[16]
*Non-conference game Homecoming ^ Dedication of Johnny Unitas Stadium Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Year-by-Year Results". Towson Football 2019 Media Guide (PDF). Towson, Md.: Towson University. p. 105. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 9. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
3. Fairbank, Dave (August 22, 2002). "Towson Football Program to Join Atlantic 10". Daily Press . Newport News, Va. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Barnhardt, Laura (October 12, 2003). "A Golden Legacy Begins on a New Playing Field". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
5. Baker, Kent (August 31, 2003). "Morgan Gets Cooking at Home in 19-16 Season-Opening Victory". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
6. Baker, Kent (September 7, 2003). "Towson Dominates Lock Haven, Rolls to 50-19 Victory". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 15E – via Newspapers.com.
7. Smolka, Bo (September 14, 2003). "Towson's Defense Leads Way in 19-13 Win Over Lafayette". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
8. Hine, Tommy (September 21, 2003). "Cowan Back in Business". Hartford Courant . Hartford, Conn. pp. E2, E7 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Bump, Larry (September 28, 2003). "Colgate Blows by Towson". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 16E – via Newspapers.com.
10. Baker, Kent (October 12, 2003). "Towson Overpowers Holy Cross, 30-13". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
11. Housenick, Tom (October 19, 2003). "Close, and a Cigar: Bison Win Close One, Stay Unbeaten in Patriot League". The Daily Item . Sunbury, Pa. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Seidel, Jeff (October 26, 2003). "Galloway Goes All-Out for Towson, 24-7". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 10E – via Newspapers.com.
13. Groller, Keith (November 2, 2003). "Led by Fired-Up Defense, Lehigh Sticks It to Towson". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
14. Papuchis, Matt (November 9, 2003). "Romeo, Telp Boost Towson to 27-6 Win". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 6E – via Newspapers.com.
15. Baker, Kent (November 16, 2003). "At Home, Towson Cleans Up". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
16. Papuchis, Matt (November 23, 2003). "Towson Falls in Patriot League Finale, 35-22". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Md. p. 6E – via Newspapers.com.