Fordham at Towson 2013 FCS Playoffs 2nd Round Game Breakdown
Fordham at Towson, Saturday, 1:00
When these two meet in the second round of the FCS playoffs, don’t expect the score to be 7-3. These teams figure to score points and a real shootout is possible when you have players on the field such as Fordham quarterback Mike Nebrich and Towson running back Terrance West. The Rams continued their magical season on Saturday with a 37-27 victory over Sacred Heart in the first round of the playoffs. The victory gave Fordham, an at-large entry in the playoffs, a 12-1 mark – best in school history. Meanwhile, Towson (10-2) had a bye as the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.
Fordham (Patriot League) and Towson (CAA) played two common opponents this year. The Rams stunned Villanova, 27-24, and beat Holy Cross, 32-30, while Towson lost to Villanova, 45-35, and beat Holy Cross, 49-7. As mentioned, both can move the ball. In fact, Nebrich, who is No. 4 nationally in passing yards per game, might have given the Tigers some bulletin board material when he was quoted after Saturday’s victory in The New York Times saying: “We’re not going to fear any defense we face, especially Towson.” And he might be right. The UConn transfer was 32-of-51 for 413 yards and three TDs against Sacred Heart as the Rams are No. 6 nationally in total offense. The only blemish on their record came against Lafayette when Nebrich missed the contest with a knee injury.
But Towson, despite missing its two top receivers for this game due to injury, has weapons of its own. Running back Terrance West has had only one game under 100 yards rushing all season and he leads the nation in rushing per game with an average of 156.3 yards. Add in the fact that Fordham is 95th against the run and West and company are probably licking their chops. For example, Sacred Heart’s Keshaudas Spence, a 230-pound running back, carried 25 times for 197 yards on Saturday.
Yes, we realize Fordham beat Villanova while Towson fell to the Wildcats, and we don’t expect a blowout in this one – Nebrich and company are too good. But don’t expect the Rams to slow Towson either. It should be too much Terrance West in this one. Look for the Tigers to advance and play the winner of the Eastern Illinois-Tennessee State game.
Projected score: Towson 37, Fordham 24
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