By MAT SCHLISSEL
TowsonTigers.com

As the Tiger football team gears up for its final week of practice until Tiger Bowl II on Saturday, April 21 at 1pm, the Tigers appear to be on the right track.

Of course, things aren't perfect. Head coach Rob Ambrose wants his team to, "clean up some stuff, tighten some stuff down."

He adds, "I have a lot of guys that are not on scholarship that are trying to earn a spot on the roster. I want to make sure they are right as they can be to have the best opportunity to make the team."

Towson will have a very similar look to last season's squad but a different look from last spring. Quarterback Peter Athens, who threw for 202 yards in the inaugural Tiger Bowl, is playing midfield for the lacrosse team. Defensive end Romale Tucker, who led the team in tackles with eight and also recorded a sack, is probably out with a hamstring injury.

Another player who had a big spring in 2011 was senior linebacker Trevor Walker, who had eight tackles and a forced fumble in Tiger Bowl I. Walker missed all of last season with an injury and was playing at middle linebacker during Saturday's scrimmage. Sophomore Trey Jackson and red-shirt freshman Joe McCargo have seen a lot of time in the spring due to senior Danzel White coming off a shoulder injury and Kenton Powell taking a leave from the team.

That puts a little more pressure on senior Alexander DiSanzo. The outside linebacker, who transferred from Boston College last year, finished with 68 tackles and three interceptions in 11 games in 2011. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound athletic specimen was a playmaker last season for a defense that desperately needed one. Ambrose feels he hasn't reached his potential yet.

"He's one of those guys that's getting to the end of his career," said Ambrose. "He's a very good football player. His age and experience could be useful to the younger kids. It's making him grow up even more. His skill limit? I haven't seen his ceiling yet. He hasn't either and knows it. When you get to the end, the last season of their career, there's a lot of guys that feel that they are as good as they can be. Alex doesn't feel like he's topped out."

Offensively, with two young quarterbacks getting a lot of reps and Athens sitting out, things haven't always been smooth. Redshirt freshmen Connor Frazier and Price Litton offer different skills and have shown improvement as spring practice has moved on. Frazier, at 6-0, 190, is the more athletic quarterback who likes to get out of the pocket, while Litton, at 6-3, 213, is a prototypical pocket passer with a nice touch on his deep passes.

"It gives the young guys a chance to grow up fast," said Ambrose. "They figure out what they didn't know in a hurry and still working to make up for it. (Junior quarterback) Grant (Enders) brings a level of maturity and intelligence that's just not there yet for the other guys."

Ambrose was able to take a longer look at Frazier and Litton running the offense with Athens out but at this time of the year, the defense is usually ahead of the offense, no matter who is under center.

"The offense is a machine that is not ready to run at full-functioning speed until the fall," said Ambrose. "It's just the way it is. It takes so long to get all 11 pieces and different personnel groups working. Are we making strides offensively? Yes. The offense isn't even close to being up to snuff.."

Last year, Spencer Wilkins was one of the top performers in the Tiger Bowl with three catches for 96 yards and touchdown. In the scrimmage on Saturday, Wilkins caught two touchdown passes, including an 80-yard reception from Enders. The junior continues to make plays while putting pressure to get more playing time a rotation that already features seniors Tom Ryan, Gerrard Sheppard, Alex Blake and Erron Banks along with junior Leon Kinnard.

One other difference from last year's team is their size, especially on both lines. Many players have put on size during a rigorous off-season program.

"It's pretty obvious that the team itself is a stronger football team," said Ambrose. "Credit coach (Jeremy) Pick for that. The kids feel more confident in how they play physically. Their weight is up and their strength is up. They are able to do things in a more aggressive manner. That makes them better football players."