Villanova Football vs. Towson: 3 Things To Know About The Tigers

The Villanova Wildcats bounced back last week against Leigh coming away with a 26-21 win. This week the ‘Cats face off against the Towson Tigers in their conference opener. Towson, like Villanova, stands at 1-1 on the season. The Tigers opened up their season with a trip to FBS South Florida where they fell 56-20, but responded by squeaking out a win against St. Francis.

Here are three things to know about Towson:

The Tigers Defense Is Underwhelming

In Towson’s season opener, they allowed 56 points to USF. Yes, the University of South Florida is an FBS school and the Tigers were expected to lose, but 56 points is very disappointing. Even against a below average St. Francis team, they allowed 28 points. This is good for the ‘Cats, since their offense still remains a bit of a work in progress. However, after a terrific performance on the ground against the Mountain Hawks, where they rushed for 396 yards, a repeat performance is in reach. The Tigers allow 4.7 yards per rush which for Javon White and Jarrett McClenton, averaging 5.3 and 5.0 yards per carry respectively, bodes well.

The Tigers pass defense is not much better, as they allow 14.4 yards per catch. Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk has only passed for 175 yards thus far, but he has only thrown one interception and has a 50.0 completion percentage. For Bednarczyk, who is looking much more mature this season after a shaky freshman campaign, another solid game is likely.

Expect To See 2 Quarterbacks

Through Towson's first two games quarterback Morgan Mahalak and Ellis Knudson have both made appearances. Mahalak is a redshirt sophomore who transferred after two years in Eugene, Oregon. Knudson is also a redshirt sophomore who played very little last season. The saying goes, "if you have two quarterbacks, you have none," and it applies in this situation.

Mahalak has 14 more pass attempts than Knudson, but both are relatively average. Mahalak has completed 48.4% of his passes while Knudson has a 37.0 competition percentage. Both have thrown one interception on the year, but Knudson has two passing touchdowns, Mahalak has none. Neither have shown to be effective on the ground, they each average less than ten rushing yards a game. Against a Villanova defense who has been very good through two games both QB's have a tough challenge ahead of them.

Wideout Christian Summers Is a Threat

Wide receiver Christian Summers has had a breakout senior year. After spending two years at Valley Forge Military College, where he had 1,824 yards receiving and 20 touchdown grabs, Summers has showed he can play at a higher level. After two games, he already has 297 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Wildcats pass defense has been outstanding to date, but Summers will be the best receiver they've faced this season.

Summers' is far and away the Tigers best wide receiver, so double teaming from time to time wouldn't be a bad idea. Andre Dessenberg is the only other Towson receiver who has more than 100 yards through the air, but he is not as explosive as Summers.