Minutemen ice it in 4th

Football
Jeremy Rice

UMass 36, Towson 13

Cornerback Sean Smalls and wide receiver Michael Omar each scored a touchdown to lift UMass over Towson. Smalls stepped in front of Tiger wide receiver Demetrius Harrison, picked a Sean Schaefer pass and sprinted 90 yards for the score. The first interception return for a touchdown since 1997, when one was returned 100 yards at Buffalo.

Linebacker Jason Hatchell tipped another Schaefer pass later in the quarter at the Towson 35-yard line. The senior held onto the ball, and returned it to the 30, setting up the final scoring drive of the game. After marching his team to the 10-yard line, quarterback Liam Coen threw a lateral to Michael Omar on an intended screen pass. With Rasheed Rancher and J.J. Moore blocking up front, Omar broke one tackle and dove into the end zone to put the game away for good.

Schaefer proved to be a non-factor in the game after missing last year's contest between Towson and UMass, throwing three interceptions en route to the 23-point loss.