Towson Suffers Heartbreaking 41-40 Loss to Monmouth as Defensive Breakdowns, Costly Penalty Prove Fatal

The Towson Tigers scored 40 points, converted nine third downs, went a perfect 6-for-6 in the red zone and scored what should have been the game-tying touchdown with 1:41 remaining.

Somehow, they still lost.

Monmouth escaped with a 41-40 victory over Towson on Saturday afternoon at Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, New Jersey, after a brutal combination of defensive breakdowns, a fourth-quarter pick-six and an absolutely unnecessary unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty helped turn what could have been Towson’s first victory of the season into perhaps its most painful loss yet.

Towson fell to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in Coastal Athletic Association play, while Monmouth improved to 4-2 and remained unbeaten in the CAA at 3-0. The Hawks took sole possession of first place in the conference.

The Tigers had plenty of opportunities.

They led 20-17 at halftime.

They extended that advantage to 27-17 early in the third quarter.

They tied the game at 34 in the fourth.

And after Monmouth went ahead 41-34, Towson quarterback Andrew Indorf drove the Tigers 67 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Cleveland Charlton on fourth down to make it a one-point game.

Then came a penalty that Towson simply could not afford.

Towson Offense Comes Ready to Play

Monmouth struck first when Kenny Smith Jr. scored on a four-yard touchdown run just 1:08 into the game. Towson immediately demonstrated that its offense was prepared to trade punches.

Indorf found Aaron Enterline for a nine-yard touchdown with 6:34 remaining in the opening quarter. Towson failed on the extra point, however, and Monmouth later added a 40-yard Sky Sholder field goal to take a 10-6 advantage into the second quarter.

The Tigers then began finding a rhythm.

Towson put together an 11-play, 65-yard possession that consumed five minutes before Indorf found Xavier Pugh for a six-yard touchdown. Faridi converted the extra point and Towson moved ahead 13-10.

Monmouth responded with Frankie Weaver’s six-yard touchdown pass to Greg Genross, but the Tigers answered again before halftime.

This time Towson put together one of its best possessions of the afternoon.

The Tigers marched 75 yards in 13 plays and converted a fourth-and-15 along the way. Kemarrion Battles finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, giving Towson a 20-17 halftime lead.

For a winless team desperately trying to get over the hump, Towson was exactly where it wanted to be.

Tigers Build a 10-Point Lead

Towson received the second-half kickoff and immediately delivered another statement.

The Tigers drove 75 yards in eight plays before Indorf connected with Charlton for a seven-yard touchdown. The score gave Towson a 27-17 lead with 11:30 remaining in the third quarter.

At that point, Towson needed its defense to take control.

It never happened.

Monmouth answered with a methodical 13-play, 79-yard possession. Weaver found Gavin Nelson for a 13-yard touchdown, cutting Towson’s lead to 27-24.

The Hawks then forced a Towson punt and drove into scoring position again. Sholder converted from 36 yards with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Just like that, Towson’s 10-point advantage was gone.

The game was tied at 27.

Pick-Six Changes Everything

The most damaging offensive mistake of the afternoon came almost immediately after the fourth quarter began.

Indorf attempted a pass that was intercepted by Monmouth freshman Amori McNeil. McNeil returned it 71 yards for a touchdown, giving the Hawks a 34-27 lead only 23 seconds into the fourth quarter.

It was a devastating swing.

Towson had led 27-17 earlier in the second half. Now, without Monmouth’s offense even needing to take the field, the Tigers suddenly trailed by seven.

Give Towson credit for responding.

Indorf led another long drive, moving the Tigers 52 yards over 10 plays. Pugh finished it with a one-yard touchdown run with 9:55 remaining, and Faridi’s extra point tied the game at 34.

The offense had bailed Towson out again.

The defense needed one stop.

It did not get it.

Defense Cannot Get the Stop

Monmouth took possession with 9:55 remaining and proceeded to drive 75 yards in nine plays.

Towson had an opportunity to force the Hawks to give the ball back.

Instead, Weaver found Nelson for a 41-yard touchdown with 5:09 remaining, putting Monmouth ahead 41-34.

That play summarized Towson’s defensive problems Saturday.

The Tigers offense repeatedly put points on the board, but the defense could not consistently get off the field. Monmouth accumulated 416 total yards, including 198 rushing yards, and averaged 6.3 yards per offensive play.

Smith rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown, while Elijah Jennings added 92 yards on 16 carries.

Weaver was efficient through the air as well, throwing for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Nelson caught eight passes for 100 yards and two scores, including the decisive 41-yard touchdown.

Towson did intercept Weaver once, but the Tigers never sacked him. Monmouth’s offensive line kept its quarterback clean while the Hawks continued attacking a Towson defense that desperately needed a momentum-changing play.

Towson Refuses to Quit

Down seven with just over five minutes remaining, Towson’s offense had one final opportunity.

Indorf responded.

The Tigers drove 67 yards in eight plays, eventually facing fourth down from the Monmouth 8. With the game essentially hanging in the balance, Indorf found Charlton for an eight-yard touchdown.

There were 1:41 remaining.

Towson had pulled within 41-40.

The Tigers should have needed a routine extra point to tie the game.

Then came the penalty.

Towson was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after the touchdown, moving Faridi’s extra-point attempt back to 35 yards.

Faridi pushed the kick wide right.

Monmouth still led 41-40.

Instead of potentially heading toward overtime, Towson needed another possession. The Hawks recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the remaining clock.

Game over.

Another Towson heartbreak.

The Penalty Was Inexcusable

There is no getting around this one.

A personal-foul or unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after scoring a touchdown in that situation is exactly the type of mistake a struggling football team cannot make.

Towson had just completed an impressive pressure drive. Indorf delivered on fourth down. Charlton made the touchdown catch. The Tigers had fought back and were one extra point away from potentially forcing overtime.

There was no reason to give Monmouth 15 free yards.

Faridi ultimately has to make the kick, but a 20-yard extra point and a 35-yard extra point are not the same situation. Towson unnecessarily made its own job harder at the most important moment of the game.

That cannot happen.

The Tigers were penalized six times for 76 yards. Monmouth actually committed more penalties — 10 for 110 yards — but Towson’s final penalty came at the worst possible moment.

When a team is 0-5 entering a game, details matter.

When the score is 41-40 with less than two minutes remaining, they matter even more.

Indorf Gives Towson More Than Enough Offense

The frustrating part for Towson is that Indorf played well enough for the Tigers to win.

He completed 21 of 35 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. His only interception was costly because it became a 71-yard Monmouth touchdown, but he repeatedly responded after adversity.

Enterline produced an outstanding afternoon with six receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown, averaging more than 25 yards per catch.

Charlton caught four passes for 46 yards and scored twice, including the late touchdown that nearly forced overtime.

Pugh contributed both as a receiver and runner, scoring once through the air and once on the ground.

Towson also went 9-for-16 on third down, 2-for-2 on fourth down and 6-for-6 in the red zone. The Tigers possessed the ball for 31:37 and ran 72 offensive plays.

Those are numbers that should produce a victory.

Scoring 40 points should produce a victory.

It did not.

Defense Remains the Bigger Concern

The missed extra point will receive most of the attention because it was the final dramatic moment.

It should not completely distract from what happened defensively.

Towson surrendered 41 points and 416 yards. Monmouth rushed for 198 yards, produced 25 first downs and went 2-for-2 on fourth down.

Most damaging was the timing.

Towson went ahead 27-17 early in the third quarter.

Monmouth then scored on four consecutive scoring events — a touchdown, field goal, defensive touchdown and another offensive touchdown — as the Hawks transformed a 10-point deficit into a 41-34 advantage.

When Towson tied the game at 34 with 9:55 remaining, the defense had another opportunity to change the outcome.

Monmouth went 75 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

That is where this game was lost just as much as on the final extra point.

Towson Falls to 0-6

The Tigers are now 0-6, and this one may hurt more than any of the previous five losses.

Towson was not overmatched.

The Tigers led by 10 points in the second half. They scored 40 points. Their quarterback threw four touchdowns. They converted fourth downs and consistently finished drives in the red zone.

They were good enough offensively to win.

But an interception returned for a touchdown, defensive breakdowns and a completely unnecessary late penalty combined to erase all of it.

At some point, close losses stop being about bad luck.

Towson has to learn how to finish football games.

MSB Take

This one is brutal.

Towson should have won this game.

The offense put up 40 points. Indorf threw four touchdown passes. Towson went 6-for-6 in the red zone and converted nine third downs. Even after surrendering the lead, the Tigers drove down the field and scored on fourth down with 1:41 remaining.

The offense did enough.

The defense did not.

You cannot build a 27-17 lead and then allow an opponent to turn that into a 41-34 advantage. You cannot tie the game at 34 in the fourth quarter and immediately surrender a 75-yard touchdown drive. And when you are 0-5 and desperately trying to win your first game, you absolutely cannot take a stupid 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after scoring what should be the game-tying touchdown.

Yes, Faridi missed the extra point.

But Towson never should have turned a routine PAT into a 35-yard kick in the first place.

That is not simply bad luck. That is a lack of discipline in the biggest moment of the game.

Indorf and this Towson offense deserved better Saturday. They gave the Tigers enough production to leave New Jersey with their first victory.

Instead, Towson is 0-6, and until the Tigers fix the defensive breakdowns and self-inflicted mistakes, performances like this are going to continue ending the same way.

For a team still searching for its first victory, this was a heartbreaking one to give away.