 "Photo: Football vs. University of Delaware by Casey Prather / The Towerlight")
Transfer quarterback Pat Devlin needed just three quarters to lead the Delaware Blue Hens to a 49-21 romp over the Tigers on Homecoming Saturday at a rain-soaked Johnny Unitas Stadium. Devlin was 9-15 for 127 yards and two touchdowns, both to receiver Mark Duncan, and also added 49 yards rushing in the victory before sitting out the fourth quarter with Delaware leading 49-0.
“I thought we played really well,” Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler said. “To be up 49 points in this league is very unusual. Rob [Ambrose], obviously, has some growing pains he’s going through and those things will happen with a new head coach. He’ll do a fine job and I think Towson is a hidden gem.”
Last week in practice, Towson head coach Rob Ambrose was forced to innovate. With his depth on defense waning, Ambrose turned to true freshman quarterback Tommy Chroniger. A two-way star at DeMatha Catholic High School, Chroniger spent the week practicing at linebacker.
But Saturday, Chroniger returned to quarterback under unfortunate circumstances.
Down 49-0 and without starting quarterback Peter Athens, who suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, Chroniger responded positively and led three fourth quarter touchdown drives. It was too little too late. Still, Ambrose was impressed with his team’s resolve.
“21 points in the fourth quarter, as beat up as we are? I promised that we would have something worthwhile here,” Ambrose said. “That’s something we can be proud of. Depth will always play an issue. We do our best as players and staff that when one guy goes down, the next guy is expected to step up. That’s how families stick together.”
Athens’ status for next week at Northeastern was not immediately known. But after he was injured he did walk off the field under his own power.
Ambrose turned to Blair Peterson and Brian Potts at quarterback before bringing Chroniger in, but Ambrose made it clear that there is no quarterback controversy.
“As of right now, he’s hurt,” Ambrose said of Athens. “I don’t know the degree of which it’s hurt. What you guys don’t know is we had pretty much declared Peter was going to be the guy. To Tommy’s credit, he just wants to play football. He knows he can help the team.”
And help the team he did. Chroniger rushed for a game-high 97 yards on 11 carries, including a 71-yard scamper that set up his five-yard touchdown score with 5:15 remaining in the game. Tremayne Dameron and Dominique Booker also rushed for touchdowns for Towson. Booker’s one-yard run with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter was the first of his career.
Delaware ended the first half with a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by All-American safety Charles Graves, who also added a sack in the win. Delaware finished the game with four sacks and was generally in the face of the Towson backfield all game.
On offense, Delaware was led by the combination of running backs Jerry Butler and Leon Jackson. Butler rushed for a team-high 82 yards on 13 carries and also added an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the second half. It was the second straight year Butler had a kickoff return for a touchdown against the Tigers.
Jackson was more of the short-yardage back for Delaware. He rushed for only 52 yards on 17 carries, but had three short touchdown runs, two of which were in the first half.
Towson is now 2-4 this season and 1-2 in conference play.
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