#9 Frostburg (4-0, 3-0 NJAC)  vs  #19 Wesley (3-1, 3-0 NJAC)
Frostburg enters Saturday having won 13-straight games

Bobcat Stadium  I  Admission is Free!
Saturday, October 7  I  1:00 pm
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Frostburg Game Notes
 

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Setting the Scene
The ninth-ranked Frostburg State football team returns to Bobcat Stadium for a highly-anticipated New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup against 19th-ranked Wesley at 1:00 pm. The Bobcats (4-0, 3-0) have won their last 13 games and enter Saturday's matchup as one of the hottest teams in DIII.
 
Frostburg had its bye last week, but is coming off a 24-10 road win over Rowan on September 23. The Bobcats extended their winning streak in league play to 11-straight games after scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half and limiting a potent Profs rushing attack to 46 yards.
 
Wesley (3-1, 3-0) has recorded shutouts in each of its last three games, including a 49-0 blowout win over Southern Virginia last week. The Wolverines racked up 441 yards of total offense (228 rush, 213 pass) and surrendered just 53 passing yards in their first home win of the season.
 
Wesley was the last team to defeat Frostburg, a win that came at Drass Field last September. Since then, Frostburg has reeled off 13-straight wins and is outscoring its opponents 369-150 during that span. The current win streak ties a school record that was set back in the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
 
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
Saturday's matchup between Frostburg and Wesley is the 22nd meeting between the two schools and the Wolverines lead the all-time series 12-9.

Over the first 11 games of the series, Frostburg owned a 9-2 record, while defeating the Wolverines seven-straight times to open the series dating back to the first game in 1987.

Wesley has won the last 10 meetings dating back to 2004 and it has scored 40 or more points in six of the last seven meetings.

Frostburg's last win over Wesley came in Dover in 2003 as the Bobcats escaped with a 42-39 win in overtime. FSU defeated Wesley in Frostburg in 2002, 37-18.

Scouting Wesley
Wesley enters Saturday's matchup as the only other ranked NJAC team as the Wolverines are 19th in the D3football.com week five poll. WC is also ranked 20th in the AFCA Coaches' Poll.

Wesley dropped its opener to Delaware Valley (24-19) but has since rattled off three wins all via shutout. The Wolverines have defeated TCNJ (33-0), William Patterson (66-0) and Southern Virginia (49-0) over the last three weeks after their bye week came on Sept. 9.

Head coach Mike Drass is in his 25th year with Wesley and his squad received eight of 10 first-place votes and was picked to win the NJAC this fall.

The Wolverines lead the conference in total offense (425.8) and are second behind a rushing attack that averages 227.0 yards per contest. They also lead the NJAC and are ranked 17th nationally at 41.8 points per game.

Quarterback Khaaliq Burroughs, the reigning NJAC Player of the Week, has thrown for 530 yards with six touchdowns, while completing over 70 percent of his passes. Tailback E.J. Lee leads the league in several categories including rushing yards (582), rushing touchdowns (11), yards per carry (7.28) and yards per game (145.5).

Defensively, Wesley paces Division III in total defense by allowing just 146.3 yards per game. WC is also second in scoring defense (6.0), third in passing defense (95.0), eighth in rushing defense (51.3), eighth in sacks (4.0) and 10th in tackles for loss (9.3).

Defensive end Stefon Woodruff, the reigning NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Week, is second in the country in sacks (1.75) and he is fifth in the nation in tackles for loss (2.4). Preseason All-American linebacker Samer Manna leads the team in tackles (27) to go along with one forced fumble, one recovered fumble and two pass breakups.

Over the years, Wesley has proven to be one of the top schools in nation as they have appeared in the NCAA Playoffs in each of the last 12 years with six appearances in the semifinals. During that 12-year run, the Wolverines have won 134 games and are winning 85.3 percent of their games. WC has also captured a share of the NJAC title in its first two years in the league.

Scouting Frostburg
Frostburg is back at home following two-straight conference road games and enters Saturday as the conference's only team to have an undefeated overall record. Head coach DeLane Fitzgerald is in his fourth season at the helm, and he has increased the Bobcats' win total each of his first three seasons.
 
Frostburg is coming off its bye week and has opened the year with four-straight victories, defeating then 18th-ranked Stevenson (33-7), The College of New Jersey (49-14), Christopher Newport (33-30) and Rowan (24-10)
 
The ninth-ranked Bobcats used a strong second half performance on both sides of the ball to secure the road win over Rowan on September 23. Junior QB Connor Cox led the charge offensively, tossing three touchdown passes to three different receivers, and the Frostburg defense allowed just 10 points in the second quarter.
 
Frostburg scored 17 of its 24 points in the second half against Rowan. Cox found junior TE Christian DiPaola from 19 yards out for the go-ahead score to begin the second half and later connected with sophomore WR Malik Morris for a 43-yard strike in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
 
Defensively, the Bobcats limited the Profs just one first down and 23 total yards in the second half. Sophomore LB Graylin Walker and senior DL Niles Scott paced the Bobcats with a team-high seven tackles. Walker also added a fumble recovery while Scott recorded his sixth sack of the season.
 
Frostburg leads the NJAC in rushing defense (19.8) and has allowed just one rushing touchdown this season. The Bobcats are second in the league in total offense (402.0), second in total defense (233.5), second in passing offense (247.0) and third in rushing offense (155.0).
 
Frostburg finished 10-1 overall in 2016, capturing a share of the NJAC Championship with Wesley.

In the Rankings
The Bobcat football team remained at 11th in the D3football.com week five poll and they moved up two spots to ninth in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) week three poll.

Frostburg has been 11th in the D3 poll for the last four weeks after ascending from 17th in the preseason poll.

The AFCA released its first poll of the season three weeks ago and FSU opened at 12th. The Bobcats were slotted 11th two weeks ago before moving into the top 10 this week.

Frostburg garnered plenty of preseason attention in the rankings from multiple outlets, checking in at 17 in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll.

The Bobcats were also ranked 15th in the Street & Smith's Preseason Poll, 16th according to the Lindy's Poll and were tabbed 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 four games this fall, the Bobcats lead DIII in rushing defense (19.8) and punt return defense (-13.00). They also rank third in blocked punts (2), 13th in fumbles recovered (5), eighth in team sacks (4.00) and 11th in blocked kicks (3).

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On the Wesley matchup ...
"Our football program has had two weeks to prepare for this game, our coaches and players are excited. A game between two top-20 teams and two of the top teams in the NJAC! What more could you want?"

On Wesley's offense and defense ...
"Wesley's offense is led by #15 Khaaliq Burroughs, #5 Alex Kemp, and #71 Matt Gono. Wesley is good on offense every year and this fall is no different. #71 Matt Gono is an NFL prospect at left tackle and anchors what Wesley does on offense.

Wesley's defense is led by #3 Samer Manna, #58 Matt Sabino, and #16 Stefon Woodruff. Wesley is better on defense this fall then they have been the last couple of years. #16 Stefon Woodruff transferred in from the University of Delaware this offseason and has given the entire Wesley defense a spark."

On Wesley ...
"Mike Drass and Chip Knapp have done a great job at Wesley for over twenty years. They will have Wesley's defense and offense ready to play on Saturday. We must match and exceed Wesley's excitement and intensity for three-straight hours."

"The team that wins two out of the three phases (offense, defense, special teams) of the game on Saturday is going to win! It's as simple as that; you must win two out of three to be victorious."

A Win Would ...
- Lift the Bobcats to 260-279-8 overall in 56 seasons
- Hand Frostburg its 14th-straight win dating back to week three of the 2016 season
- Set the school record for 14-straight wins that was set between the 1989 and 1990 seasons
- Give the Bobcats their 12th-straight win in conference play
- Break a 10-game losing skid to the Wolverines
- Land Fitzgerald his 25th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Be FSU's ninth-straight win at Bobcat Stadium

We're Going Streaking
Heading into its matchup with Wesley, Frostburg has won 13-straight games dating back to week three of the 2016 campaign and the 13 wins tie a school record that was set back in the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Since week three of last season, the Bobcats have also captured 11-straight wins in NJAC play.

During the current 13-game win streak, Frostburg is a perfect 7-0 at Bobcat Stadium and is 6-0 on the road.

Around the Top 25
This Saturday features a handful of top 25 teams squaring off against one another. Aside from Frostburg/Wesley, No. 2 Mount Union travels to No. 21 Heidelberg at 1:30 pm, No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor visits No. 5 Hardin-Simmons at 2:00 pm and No. 20 Concordia-Moorhead travels to No. 6 St. Thomas at 2:10 pm.

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

Saturday, October 7
Montclair State at TCNJ – 12:00 pm
Christopher Newport at Salisbury – 1:00 pm
William Paterson at Kean - 1:00 pm
Wesley at Frostburg State – 1:00 pm
Apprentice at Southern Virginia – 1:00 pm

Oh Captain, My Captain
A foursome of Frostburg players will serve as team captains for Saturday's matchup with Wesley: 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 259-279-8. 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.

Double Feature
Over the first four weeks of the season, Frostburg has proven that it has two of the NJAC's best running backs in the same backfield. 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.

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).

Following the bye week, Scott is fifth in the nation in sacks per game (1.5) and 12th in the country in tackles for loss per game (2.3).

Through four games this fall, Scott has 23 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (56 yds.), 6.0 sacks (49 yds.) and a blocked kick.

On the Defensive
Over the last seven games dating back to last season, Frostburg has held its opponents to 198 rushing yards on 199 carries, a 0.99 yard per carry average. The Bobcats have also held four of their last seven opponents to negative rushing yardage.