Here’s a roundup of local state college football games on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Division I
Villanova 14, Towson 13: Keegan Vaughan missed a 37-yard field goal attempt as time expired and the visiting Tigers (1-2, 0-1 Colonial Athletic Association) fell to the No. 5 Wildcats (3-0, 1-0).
Carter Runyon caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Sean Brown to give Towson a 7-0 lead with 8:39 left in the first quarter. Villanova tied the score with 12:10 left in the first half on a 20-yard touchdown catch by Jaylan Sanchez.
Vaughan made a 41-yard field goal to give Towson a 10-7 lead with 11:09 left in the third quarter and had a chance to add to the Tigers’ advantage after a 70-yard run by Devin Matthews, but his 31-yard kick was blocked. Isaiah Ragland then burst through the middle and down the sideline for 65 yards, and Sanchez caught a 6-yard touchdown pass to put Villanova ahead 14-10 with 1:16 left in the third.
Towson had a chance to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, driving to the Wildcats’ 2-yard line thanks to a 35-yard flea flicker from Brown to Runyon. But the Tigers were stopped on three straight plays, and a false start penalty led to Towson settling for a 31-yard field goal by Vaughan to make it 14-13 with 11:23 to play.
After forcing a punt, Towson got the ball back on its own 41 with 2:36 to play. Brown pushed the Tigers down the field, including two conversions to Runyon, but the drive stalled at the Villanova 34, and Vaughan missed a 48-yard kick.
Towson stunningly got a second chance as Will Middleton forced a fumble that was recovered by Myles Brodie on the Villanova 44 with 1:03 remaining. Brown connected with Da’Kendall James for 25 yards to put the Tigers on the Wildcats’ 20, but Vaughan’s 37-yard attempt in the final seconds missed and Villanova escaped with the victory.
In his first start with Towson after transferring from Liberty, Brown finished 20-for-36 for 233 yards and a touchdown to Runyon, who had six receptions for 88 yards. Matthews rushed for 135 yards on 14 carries, while Middleton and Xavier Terry each forced a fumble and finished with seven tackles.
For Villanova, Connor Watkins went 14-for-25 passing for 116 yards and two touchdowns while adding 65 yards on 13 carries. Ragland rushed 17 times for 141 yards.
Ohio 21, Morgan State 6: Parker Navarro threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score to lead the host Bobcats (2-1) of the Football Bowl Subdivision over the Bears (1-2) of the FCS.
Navarro, who also threw three interceptions, delivered a 19-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Tyus III on the Bobcats’ first drive. Morgan State responded with a 30-yard field goal by Beckett Leary (Reservoir).
On Ohio’s following possession, Navarro led a four-play, 81-yard drive that ended with him running it in from the 10-yard line as the first quarter ended. Navarro’s 53-yard completion to Coleman Owen put the ball at Morgan State’s 25.
Ohio sealed the win when Tyus rushed for a 13-yard score almost five minutes into the second half, ending a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
Tahj Smith finished 15-for-30 for 136 yards and Jason Collins Jr. ran for 35 yards for Morgan State (1-2) in the first meeting between the teams. The Bears host Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Division II
Frostburg State 57, West Liberty 23: Myles Fulton (Old Mill) threw for 350 yards and five touchdowns to lead the visiting Bobcats (2-0, 1-0 Mountain East Conference) over the Hilltoppers (0-3, 0-1). Frostburg State’s Amari N’namdi-Hall (Owings Mills) and Trashaun Timmons (South River) each caught two touchdown passes.
Davenport 17, Bowie State 14: The visiting Panthers (2-0) built a 17-7 lead in the first half and held the Bulldogs (0-2) to one touchdown in the second half to win. Chris Thompson and Austin Alward of Davenport and Sadiq Salawu and Jordan Williams of Bowie State all had five tackles each. The Bulldogs host Livingstone on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Division III
Rowan 30, McDaniel 20: The host Profs (2-0) broke a 7-7 tie by scoring three straight touchdowns. The Green Terror fell to 1-1. McDaniel’s Eric Grinwis (Hammond) completed 21 of 32 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Wesley Nchinda had five catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns for the Green Terror.
Lebanon Valley 37, Stevenson 7: The host Flying Dutchmen (1-1, 1-0 Middle Atlantic Conference) scored in every quarter and held the Mustangs (0-2, 0-1) to one touchdown in the second quarter. Stevenson’s Deion Richardson (Harford CC) completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Landon Winterbottom with 3:29 left in the first half. Lebanon Valley got two touchdown passes from Braden Bohannon and Logan Klitsch and three field goals from Tim Kisssinger.