#16 Frostburg (5-1, 4-1 NJAC)  vs  Montclair State (3-3, 3-2 NJAC)
The Bobcats have won eight of their last nine home games

Bobcat Stadium
Saturday, October 21  I  1:00 pm
Live Video  I  Live Stats
Directions to Frostburg

Frostburg Game Notes
 

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Setting the Scene
The 16th-ranked Frostburg State football team returns to Bobcat Stadium for Homecoming this afternoon when it hosts Montclair State. The Bobcats enter the contest with a 5-1 overall record, a 4-1 NJAC slate and they have won eight of their last nine home games.

Fourth-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald has also led his Bobcats to a win on Homecoming in each of his three seasons at the helm.

Last week, Frostburg rolled to a 59-7 win over William Paterson on WPU's Homecoming. The 59 points are the fourth most in a single game in program history and the 52-point win is the largest since FSU downed Greensboro 60-3 in 1997.

Montclair enters this afternoon's matchup at 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks collected a 21-17 victory over TCNJ two weeks ago and they lost to Salisbury last Saturday 28-10.

Last year, Frostburg defeated the Red Hawks 24-16 in New Jersey and the win handed FSU its seventh-consecutive win.

The game will be broadcast live on the Bobcat Sports Network. You can follow all the action by logging onto FrostburgSports.com/live.

The Series
Today's matchup between Frostburg and Montclair is the eighth meeting between the two schools and the Red Hawks lead the all-time series 5-2.

Frostburg and Montclair have met the last two years as opponents in the NJAC and the schools have split the two games. Montclair captured a 33-27 win over Frostburg in 2015, while the Bobcats defeated the Red Hawks, 24-6, in New Jersey last fall.

Prior to Frostburg joining the NJAC, FSU and MSU met five times with Frostburg's only win coming in 2005, 17-14.

Montclair opened the series in 1962 with a 20-0 win.

Scouting Montclair
Montclair State enters this afternoon's matchup at 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the NJAC after being selected to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll.

All three of MSU's wins this fall have come in conference against Southern Virginia (24-0), Kean (18-15) and TCNJ (21-17). A week ago, Montclair dropped its Homecoming game to Salisbury, 28-10.

Head coach Rick Giancola is in his 35th season at the helm and he has amassed 237 wins with 162 wins in the league. He currently leads Division III in wins among active coaches and he has led the Red Hawks to the NCAA Playoffs nine times. Under Giancola, Montclair has won or shared the NJAC Title 11 times.

Through six games, the Red Hawks are scoring as many points per game (16.8) as they allow (17.0). They are eighth in the NJAC in total offense (255.5) and seventh in total defense (288.2). Montclair, however, is second in the league in pass defense (134.5) and have allowed just seven passing touchdowns all season.

Anthony Travisano leads the team in rushing with 378 yards and two touchdowns as Montclair State has scored just three rushing touchdowns all season. John Apicella took over the quarterback duties three weeks ago and he has thrown for 654 yards with four touchdowns in five appearances. Julanee Prince has caught 25 passes for 360 yards and three scores.

On defense, Mauro Altamura is tied for second in the conference with 54 total tackles to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Shaon Stephenson is second with 41 tackles and leads the team with three interceptions.

Scouting Frostburg
After rolling past William Paterson (59-7) last week, the Bobcats return to Bobcat Stadium as they host Montclair State on Homecoming. Fourth-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald enters the conference matchup with a 25-12 (.675) career record as the coach of the Bobcats, including a 15-2 (.882) mark since 2016.
 
Last week, Frostburg (5-1, 4-1 NJAC) scored the most points in a single game since 1997, gashing the Pioneers to the tune of 559 yards of total offense in a 59-7 blowout win. The Bobcats' stingy defense held William Paterson in check, allowing just 26 yards on 22 plays in the first half. Frostburg scored 45 unanswered points and jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead. Junior QB Connor Cox was extremely efficient, completing 17-of-19 passes (89.4%) for 294 yards and four touchdowns. First-year LB Jake Broschart had a breakout performance to lead the Bobcats defensively with eight tackles.
 
Broschart and first-year RB Malcom Facey were named the NJAC Rookies of the Week following the victory. Facey ran for a team-high 72 yards and scored the first touchdown of his Bobcat career.
 
Frostburg enters today's game atop the NJAC in total offense (444.7), passing offense (268.3) and rushing defense (55.2). The Bobcats have 14 scoring drives that are two minutes or less this season and have scored nine touchdowns of 20+ yards, while also leading the conference in time of possession (34:15).
 
Senior DL Niles Scott anchors the defensive unit with 31 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Scott is second in the NJAC in tackles for loss while senior DB Josh Scales is second on the team with 27 tackles.
 
Frostburg defeated Christopher Newport 17-6 at last year's Homecoming game, jumping out to a 17-0 lead and holding a high-powered Captains offense scoreless until the fourth quarter. Cox scored two total touchdowns (one rush, one pass) and senior DL Jordan Procter tallied five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks for the Bobcats in the Homecoming victory.

Pulling Rank
The Bobcat football team jumped to 16th in the week seven edition of the D3football.com Top 25 Poll and 18th in the AFCA Week Five Top 25 Poll following its 59-7 win over William Paterson last week.

Frostburg has been ranked in both of the major polls all year long, spending the entirety of the season inside the top 20. The Bobcats were ranked 11th four-straight weeks in the D3football.com Poll until its overtime loss to Wesley dropped the team to 18th. Frostburg ascended to ninth in the AFCA Coaches Poll, its highest ranking in program history, before slipping to 19th last week.

The Bobcats garnered plenty of national attention leading up to the 2017 season, ranking 15th in the Street & Smith's Preseason Poll, 16th according to the Lindy's Poll and 19th in the College Football Yearbook Preseason Poll.

FSU was picked to finish second in the NJAC and received two first-place votes.

Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald
DeLane Fitzgerald is in his fourth season at the helm of the Frostburg State football program in 2017 and his impact has been immediate. The Bobcats finished 4-6 overall in '14, posted a 6-4 mark in 2015 and rolled to an impressive 10-1 overall mark a year ago. FSU capped the '16 season with nine-straight wins, a share of the NJAC Title, the 18th Annual Regents Cup trophy and the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game trophy.

Frostburg hasn't just improved in the win/loss column, but the team GPA has improved every semester since Fitzgerald became head coach. Fitzgerald and his staff also see vast improvements in the weight room and around campus and in the town of Frostburg in terms of volunteer hours.

On the field, the Bobcats posted some of the most impressive numbers last fall. The FSU defense finished ninth nationally in total defense after holding opponents to just 240.6 yards per game. The Bobcats also led the nation in tackles for loss per game (10.7), and allowed just 13 points per game, good for the sixth-best scoring defense in Division III.

Fitzgerald also placed an emphasis in special teams since the day of his arrival at Frostburg. Following the '14 season, the Bobcats finished 17th in the nation in blocked kicks (6) and they finished 18th following the '15 campaign (6). FSU finished the 2015 season ranked 11th in the country in punt returns (15.63) and 15th in kickoff return defense (14.95). Last season, the Bobcats finished first in the NJAC and 12th nationally in blocked kicks.

Through six games this fall, the Bobcats are sixth in DIII in rushing defense (55.2), 10th in blocked punts (2) and third in kickoff returns (30.06). The Bobcats are also tied for third in the country in punt return defense (0.00).

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On Homecoming ...
"Homecoming! Its an exciting week for the players, students and alumni! There should be 5,000 cheering fans packed into Bobcat Stadium at 1:00 pm on Saturday."

"Our players can't let the distractions of Homecoming week affect their preparation. We must be good every day in meetings and practice this week, as we play a good football team on Saturday."

On Montclair State ...
"Montclair State is coached by Rick Giancola, the winningest active coach in NCAA D3 football. There is a 100% chance that Coach G and his staff will have their players ready to play well on Saturday."

"Montclair runs a balanced offense led by #16 QB John Apicella, #77 tackle Kevin Merkle, #21 RB Anthony Travisano, and #1 WR Julanee Prince. Prince is the spark plug of their offense; when he is getting the football they are scoring points.

"Montclair State's defense is one of the toughest in the NJAC. They are led by #4 LB Josh Betts, #94 DT Chris Palma, #49 LB Mauro Altamura and #6 DB Shaon Stephenson. Montclair St. has been one of the best defenses in the NJAC for last 10 years, this year is no different. They are tough, strong, and run to the football. They are a top 25 defense nationally."

A Win Would ...
- Lift the Bobcats to 261-280-8 overall in 56 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 26th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Hand the Bobcats their third win over Montclair in the last four meetings
- Be the fourth-straight Homecoming win for Frostburg
- Improve Fitzgerald's record on Homecoming at FSU to 4-0
- Be Frostburg's eighth win in the last nine home games
- Improve the Bobcats' home record this season to 3-1

Speaking of the NJAC
All 10 NJAC schools are in action this weekend and all five games are on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday, October 21
Southern Virginia at Salisbury – 1:00 pm
Montclair at Frostburg – 1:00 pm
William Paterson at Christopher Newport – 1:00 pm
Rowan at Wesley – 1:00 pm
Kean at TCNJ – 2:00 pm

Oh Captain, My Captain
A foursome of Frostburg players will serve as team captains for Saturday's matchup with Montclair: senior offensive linemen Jake Townsend and Christian Walsh, senior defensive back Dante Chinnery and senior defensive tackle Niles Scott.

NJAC Preseason Poll
The NJAC released the 2017 Preseason Coaches Poll in early August and Frostburg State was picked to finish second in the 10-team league. The Bobcats received two first-place votes after being selected as the league's dark horse prior to both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Wesley was selected to finish a top the league standings after receiving eight first-place votes. Salisbury sits one spot behind Frostburg in third, followed by Rowan.

Kean, the 2017 dark horse selection, is projected fifth. Christopher Newport, Montclair State, Southern Virginia, William Paterson and TCNJ round out the poll, slotted at the six through ten spots.

Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 57th year of collegiate football in 2017 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 260-280-8. The Bobcats appeared in the 1993 NCAA Playoffs and have played in eight ECAC Bowl Games. The Bobcats capped their 2016 campaign with a 10-1 overall record that included a lopsided 38-14 win over then 22nd-ranked St. John Fisher in the ECAC's Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game.

The '17 season marks the third year for the Bobcats as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). It was announced in March 2014 that Frostburg, along with Christopher Newport, Salisbury and Wesley, would become associate members of the NJAC beginning with the 2015 season. Southern Virginia joined the conference a year earlier in 2014.

The NJAC also contains Rowan, Montclair State, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), William Paterson and Kean.

Prior to the NJAC, the Bobcats competed in the Empire 8 from 2011-14 and the Atlantic Central Football Conference for 12 seasons from 1999-2010, capturing league titles in 1999, 2003 and 2004.

Versatility in the Backfield
Frostburg has proven that its backfield isn't short on talent or depth, as a different player seemingly steps up to pace the team every week.

In wins over Stevenson and TCNJ, junior Grayson Boyce ran the ball 24 times for 159 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry in the two contests and was the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week after running for 122 yards and two TDs against TCNJ.

In wins over Christopher Newport and Rowan, junior Jamal Morant stepped up to rush for 197 yards and two touchdowns while adding four receptions for 85 yards. He was named the NJAC Offenisve Player of the Week following CNU as he totaled 191 yards in total offense and two scores.

Two weeks ago against nationally-ranked Wesley, sophomore Gavin Lavat averaged over 17 yards per carry after running for 155 yards on nine attempts. In the third quarter, he took a handoff at the Frostburg one and darted for 79 yards, kick starting Frostburg's rally from a 21-10 deficit.

Last weekend, first-year tailback Malcolm Facey carried the ball nine times for 72 yards and his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter of Frostburg's 59-7 dominating win over William Paterson. For his efforts, Facey was named the NJAC Offenisve Rookie of the Week.

Preseason All-American
Bobcat senior defensive tackle Niles Scott has racked up the preseason awards heading into his final season in a Bobcat uniform. Scott received preseason All-American honors from D3football.com, HERO Sports, Street & Smith's and Lindy's Sports. He capped his junior campaign ranked 47th in the country in TFLs (1.6) and 49th in sacks (0.82).

Through six games this season, Scott is 21st in the nation in tackles for loss (1.8) and 17th in the country in sacks (1.08).

Scott currently leads the Bobcats with 31 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and a blocked kick.

On the Defensive
Over the last eight games, dating back to last season, Frostburg has held its opponents to 393 rushing yards on 236 carries, a 1.66 yard per carry average. The Bobcats have held four of their last eight opponents to negative rushing yardage.

This fall, Frostburg has allowed 331 rushing yards and just one touchdown through six games. The Bobcats pace the NJAC and are ranked sixth in the nation by allowing just 55.2 yards per game.