Nov. 5, 2005

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TOWSON, Md. (AP) - Josh Corle returned a blocked punt 28 yards, Trent Covington scored on a 70-yard fumble recovery and Towson rolled up 38 first-half points in a 40-19 victory over Villanova on Saturday.

The Tigers (6-3, 3-3 Atlantic 10) recorded five sacks, recovered two fumbles, intercepted two passes and blocked two conversion kicks, returning one for two points.

Martin Gibson, Christopher Polite and Matt Dicken scored touchdowns for Villanova (4-5, 2-4 Atlantic 10). Frank Jankowski was 24-for-43 for 245 yards for the Wildcats.

Towson's Sean Schaefer completed 18 of 29 passes for 192 yards.

The Wildcats stalled on the game's opening drive and Andrae Brown blocked Adam James' punt. Corle picked up the ball and sprinted 28 yards for a 7-0 lead after just 1:40. Towson went up 14-0 when Kerry Miles' 1-yard dive capped a seven-play, 43-yard drive midway through the first quarter.

Later, Jankowski coughed up the ball on a sack and Towson recovered at the 21. The Tigers needed only four plays before Schaefer scored on a 1-yard sneak with 2:32 left in the period.

Ron Halbruner's 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter made it 24-0, but Gibson scored on a 3-yard run with 6:24 left in the first half.

Fifty-five seconds later, Schaefer found Marcus Lee alone behind the defense for an 84-yard touchdown, a career long for both players. On the Wildcats' next series, Jankowski fumbled when he was sacked by Marcus Edwards and Covington scooped up the loose ball for a 70-yard touchdown return with 2:03 remaining.