#11 Frostburg (1-0, 0-0 NJAC)  vs  TCNJ (0-1, 0-0 NJAC)
Frostburg enters Saturday having won 10-straight games

#11 Frostburg

TCNJ

Bobcat Stadium  I  Admission is Free!
Saturday, September 9  I  1:00 pm
Live Video  I  Live Stats
Directions to Frostburg

Frostburg Game Notes
 

---

Setting the Scene
The 11th-ranked Frostburg State Bobcats open New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play Saturday afternoon as they host The College of New Jersey at Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats (1-0) opened the 2017 season in impressive fashion, defeating then 18th-ranked Stevenson 33-7 at Bobcat Stadium.

Frostburg carries with it a 10-game winning streak that dates back to week three of last season and the Bobcats are a perfect 7-0 at home during that stretch. The Bobcats also carry an eight-game winning streak in conference play into this afternoon's contest, part of their nine-game winning streak that capped 2016.   

Last fall, Frostburg capped one of the best seasons in program history with a 10-1 overall record that included a share of the NJAC title, the 18th Annual Regents Cup Trophy and the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game Championship following a 38-14 victory over 22nd-ranked St. John Fisher.

TCNJ (0-1) is looking for its first win of 2017, after losing the season opener to Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham 38-24. The Lions wrapped up a 2-8 season in 2016, which included a thrilling 4OT victory over Southern Virginia last November.

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 TCNJ is the eighth among the two programs. Frostburg holds a 5-1-1 overall record in the series and has won the last four meetings.

During the current four-game winning streak, the Bobcats are averaging 26 points per contest, while the Lions are averaging just 12.5.

Prior to the Bobcats joining the NJAC, FSU and TCNJ met twice in the 1990s and three times in the late 60s and early 70s.

Scouting TCNJ
The College of New Jersey has seen a change at the helm with the hiring of head coach Casey Goff, who looks to lead the Lion football program into the future. Goff arrived at TCNJ after spending a season as the head coach of the Defiance Yellow Jackets.

TCNJ fell 38-24 in its season-opener to FDU-Florham on September 1 and surrendered 21 unanswered points in the second half. TCNJ concluded the 2016 season with a 2-8 record, recording a 42-28 Homecoming victory over William Paterson (Oct. 29, 2016) and a 28-25 4OT win against Southern Virginia (Nov. 5, 2016).  

Offensively, the Lions enter today ranked third in the conference in scoring offense (24.0) and second in total offense (422.0) through the first week of the season. Senior running back Khani Gover had 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week, while junior wide receiver Ibn Bailey led the Lions with six receptions and 64 yards.

On defense, the Lions are sixth in the conference in scoring defense (38.0) and last in total defense (606.6). Freshman defensive back Liam Abujawdeh, the reigning NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Week, made four solo stops in the first game of his collegiate career and was the only freshman in the conference to record an interception last week. Another member of the secondary, sophomore Xavier Santos' nine tackles were the fifth-highest total in the conference last week.

Scouting Frostburg
Frostburg is in its fourth season under DeLane Fitzgerald and he has increased Frostburg's win total in each of his first three years. The Bobcats entered the 2017 campaign ranked 17th in the D3football.com Preseason Poll and they rolled to a 33-7 win in their season opener against then 18th-ranked Stevenson at home.

FSU held the Mustangs to 144 yards in total offense and limited their running game to -30 yards on 19 carries. Senior Jordan Procter also scored a touchdown for the defense as he recovered a fumble in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

The win propelled Frostburg to 11th in the D3football.com week one poll and it is the highest ranked NJAC school. It is also the highest ranking in the poll in program history.

Following the first week of action, the Bobcat defense is ranked ninth nationally in total defense (144.0), second in the country in sacks (5.0) and they pace DIII in rushing defense (-30.0).

In 2016, the Bobcats finished at 10-1 overall and captured a share of the NJAC Championship. Frostburg finished the season ranked ninth in the country by allowing 240.6 yards of offense per contest.

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.

Offensively, the Bobcats totaled 322 yards in offense behind 177 yards on the ground in the week one win over Stevenson. Junior Grayson Boyce ran for all three of Frostburg's offensive touchdowns and senior kicker Hassan Mostafa connected on two field goals.

Junior quarterback Connor Cox threw for 145 yards on 11-of-18 completions and he ran for another 30 yards. He connected with Joe Beckford five times for 96 yards.

On defense, junior Josh Scales registered six tackles, while senior All-American Niles Scott posted four tackles with two sacks and two TFLs.

In the Rankings
The Bobcat football team moved up to 11th in the D3football.com week one poll, their highest ranking in program history.

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

Last fall, FSU finished 10-1 overall and was ranked 23rd in the final D3football.com Top 25 Poll and they reached 24th in the final AFCA Division III 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.

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On Frostburg's preparation ...
"Coming off a win last week, I'm impressed with how focused our players are on this week's game."

"The team that is going to win our conference this fall is the team that gets better each day, the team that plays better each week, and peaks at the end of the season. Our players understand this and work towards improving every day!"

On TCNJ ...
"TCNJ has a new coaching staff and a new offensive and defensive scheme. They are going to play very hard this weekend, we have to match and exceed their excitement to play on Saturday."

"TCNJ is led by the 11 senior starters. That group gives their team leadership and experience, thus giving them the opportunity to be successful on any given week."

A Win Would ...
- Lift the Bobcats to 257-279-8 overall in 56 seasons
- Hand the Bobcats their fifth-straight victory over TCNJ
- Give the Bobcats their ninth-straight win in conference play
- Land Fitzgerald his 22nd victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Hand Frostburg its 11th-straight win dating back to week three of the 2016 season
- Give the Bobcats a 9-1 record in their last 10 home games dating back to 2015
- Hand FSU its eighth-straight home win

Speaking of the NJAC
Nine of 10 NJAC schools are in action and Saturday serves as the opening weekend of conference play for six schools.

Saturday, September 9
William Paterson at Salisbury – 12:00 pm *
Montclair State at Salve Reginia – 12:00 pm
Kean at Springfield - 12:00 pm
TCNJ at Frostburg State – 1:00 pm *
Hampden-Sydney at Christopher Newport – 6:00 pm
Southern Virginia at Rowan – 7:00 pm *

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).

Scott recorded four tackles and notched two sacks in the Bobcats opener against Stevenson.

Oh Captain, My Captain
A foursome of Frostburg players will serve as team captains for Saturday's matchup with TCNJ: 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 256-279-8. 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.

The Trifecta
Junior running back Grayson Boyce ran for three TDs against Stevenson, the first Bobcat to accomplish that since 2013. The last Bobcat to run for three in a game is current FSU assistant coach Ken Emmons against Waynesburg in 2013.

Under Center
Junior quarterback Connor Cox is back for his third season as the Bobcats' signal caller in 2017. Last week, Cox accounted for 216 yards in total offense in the 33-7 win over then 18th-ranked Stevenson.

Providing Versatility
Senior wideout Russell Neverdon caught five passes for 32 yards and returned two kickoffs for 37 yards in the win over Stevenson. A year ago, Neverdon was a Second Team All-NJAC selection as a wide receiver and he earned first team all-conference honors as a return specialist.

On The Defensive
The Frostburg defense has held three of its last four opponents to negative rushing yardage. Last season, the Bobcats held Montclair State to -5 and St. John Fisher to -26. Meanwhile, FSU limited Stevenson to -30 yards on 19 carries a week ago in the season opener.

Talent and Experience On D Line
The defensive line will once again be a strength for the Bobcats in 2017, returning a wealth of experience and talent from last year's group. Seniors Niles Scott and Jordan Procter headline the unit that held opponents to 89.8 rushing yards/game in 2016, the lowest total in the conference by nearly 30 yards. The Bobcats also recorded 118 tackles and for loss and 41 sacks in 2016.

Joining them are senior Pacom Tsague, junior Boakum Vital, freshman Zach Strand and sophomores Paul Kumpar and Walter Riley.

Offensive Line Depth
The offensive line has multiple starters returning   that will take the lead in 2017. Seniors and three-year starters Jake Townsend and Christian Walsh will anchor the left side of the line, junior O'Shane McCall returns at center, junior Joey Powell will get the nod at right guard and junior Riley Hartman will work as the Bobcats right tackle.

Last season, the Frostburg offense averaged 312.5 yards per game in total offense and 24.4 points per game. Townsend was selected to the All-NJAC First Team and was named an ECAC Division III South All-Star.