The Bison played the Towson University Tigers, in both teams’ season opener, this past Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. 

The first two quarters in the game showed a strong defensive contest between the Tigers and the Bison, where no points were scored. The score remained 0-0 for both teams until the final two minutes of the third quarter where the Tigers scored a touchdown. The Bison did not let up and came out in the first 37 seconds with an epic 69-yard run from Rushawn Baker ’25, followed by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Grady ’25 to Christian Spugnardi ’25, leveling the score and leading both teams into overtime. 

In overtime play, Towson capitalized on a 4-and-8 conversion on the first possession, taking the lead of 14-7. The Bison returned with another touchdown from a third-and-goal pass from Grady to Spugnardi, yet again, with the assistance of Coleman Bennett ’24 and Baker to get the Bison to the 4-yard line. The Bison eventually fell short 13-14 to the Tigers, but did not let up and played with heart throughout the match. 

The Bison ran 149 yards, with Bennett completing 60 yards and Baker completing 95. Grady completed 12 of 31 passes for 158 yards with two touchdowns. Captain Brent Jackson ’23 and Blake Leake ’24 totaled 12 tackles.

“We fought hard for 60 minutes and the game could’ve gone either way. Loved the fight my brothers showed and I know we’re going to continue to get better and have a successful year. We play for each other and love one another and that will lead to a special season,” linebacker Cooper Kim ’23, said.

“Saturday was a tough game, but I’m proud of the way we battled as a team. We showed lots of improvement from last year as we are more experienced and have grown a great deal this off season. I’m really excited about the potential we have this season,” Jackson said.

Looking forward, the Bison will take on Virginia Military Institute at Alumni Memorial Field in Lexington, Va. Tune in on ESPN+ to support the team in their next game.