Frostburg (1-1, 0-1)
vs.
Utica (2-0, 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011
1:00 pm
Bobcat Stadium - Frostburg, Md.
First-ever meeting between the two schools
Directions to Frostburg
Listen Live - ESPN radio WTLB 1310 (Utica)
Live Stats
Frostburg Game Notes
Utica Game Notes
Setting the Scene
After two road games to open the 2011 season, the Frostburg State Bobcats host the first of back-to-back games at Bobcat Stadium this Saturday with a 1:00 pm showdown against Utica in Empire 8 action.
The Bobcats suffered their first loss of the season last week at Springfield, 48-24. Despite the loss in their Empire 8 debut, the Bobcats still racked up 411 yards of offense and held the ball for 37:48. Senior quarterback Josh Volpe (Germantown, Md./Northwest) went 22-for-44 for 250 yards with one touchdown while completing passes to eight different receivers.
Utica comes to Frostburg, Md. with an unblemished 2-0 slate after opening the season with wins over St. Lawrence, 48-35, and Union, 28-27. The contest with FSU will be the Empire 8 opener for the Pioneers.
White Out
Frostburg State University has announced that Saturday's game against Utica will be a White Out in honor of Derek Sheely, the senior fullback who passed away in August. Along with members of the team, the school is asking all fans to wear white in Sheely's memory.
The Series
The Bobcats and the Pioneers will square off for the first time ever on Saturday.
This Week in the Empire 8
Sept. 17
Utica at Frostburg State 1:00 pm
St. Lawrence at Alfred 1:00 pm
Norwich at Hartwick 1:00 pm
Ithaca at Union 1:00 pm
Husson at Springfield 1:30 pm
Salisbury at Christopher Newport 7:00 pm
Rochester at St. John Fisher 7:00 pm
Coaching the Cats
Tom Rogish is in his fourth season as head coach of the Bobcats. Last season, Rogish guided FSU to a 2-8 overall record.
Rogish brought over 30 years of coaching experience to Frostburg State including 29 years in the collegiate ranks. He spent the last 22 years at the Division II level at perennial powers Indiana (Pa.) and Shepherd (W.Va.).
Prior to his arrival in Frostburg, Rogish spent two years on the defensive staff at Shepherd College. The Rams made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007 including a run to the NCAA Division II Northeast Region championship.
Frostburg State Football History
The Bobcats enter their contest with Utica with an overall record of 228-247-8. The Bobcats have reached the postseason eight times, including a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 1993. The school's most recent postseason appearance occurred in 2005 when FSU lost the ECAC Southwest Championship to Moravian, 14-7.
Back-to-Back for Pinchinat
Senior running back Patrick Pinchinat became the first Bobcat to rush for at least 100 yards in back-to-back games since Shanorm Young did it three straight games in October 2005 against Thomas More (154 yards, 10/15), Seton Hill (127 yards, 10/22) and Westminster (125 yards, 10/29).
Air Force One... And Two
Quarterback Josh Volpe and Utica quarterback Andrew Benkwitt rank first and second in several Empire 8 passing categories through the first two weeks of the season. Volpe leads the league in pass attempts with 71, with Benkwitt just behind at 67. Benkwitt leads the conference in completions (52), yards (570) and touchdowns (6). In those three categories, Volpe is currently second with 39 completions, 514 yards, and three touchdowns. Benkwitt also leads in completion percentage with an impressive 77.6 rate.
Bobcats in NCAA Rankings
Through two weeks, Frostburg is appearing at or near the top in a few NCAA Div. III categories. Out of the 239 Div. III schools, the Bobcats are ranked 33rd in total offense with 448.5 yards per game. Pinchinat is ranked 21st in the nation in rushing with a 142 yards per game average, and he's also 12th in the nation and first in the Empire 8 with 212 all-purpose yards per game. Freshman punter Zach Tuckmantel is ranked 14th nationwide in punting at 42.6 yards per attempt.
Pigskins for a Bobcat Litter
Through two games, the Frostburg passing attack has been highly diversified. Junior wide receivers Anthony Young and Pablo Said lead the team with 10 catches apiece. Young leads the team with 148 yards, while Said has 116 yards. Running back Patrick Pinchinat is the third Bobcat with 100-plus yards receiving with 111 on just five receptions. Add in seven other Bobcats who have made at least one catch and account for about 36 percent of completions shows Volpe has done an excellent job of spreading the football to a variety of weapons.
A Win for Frostburg State Would ...
- Lift FSU to 229-247-8 overall since starting football in 1961
- Give the school its first conference win as a member of the Empire 8
- Hand FSU its first 2-1 start since 2001
Returning Starters
Frostburg welcomes back five starters on offense and six on defense. Quarterback Josh Volpe, wide receiver Anthony Young and three offensive lineman highlight the offensive returners. On the defensive side of the football, senior defensive back Marcus Wilson is the team's leading returning tackler with 71 total stops a year ago. Junior defensive back Brendon Blanchette was fourth on the team in tackles with 58. Senior linebacker Drew Rudisill came in just behind with 56 tackles.
Last Week
The Frostburg State football team was held scoreless in the second half and Springfield College scored three touchdowns in the second to pull away for a 48-24 victory, Saturday.
The game featured plenty of offense as the two schools combined for 1,015 yards and 72 points. In the end, the Pride used the big play to earn the victory. All three second-half touchdown runs covered 65 yards or longer as the Pride open their season 1-0. Springfield finished with 604 yards in total offense.
The Bobcats (1-1) didn't back down as they racked up 411 yards of offense and held the ball for 37:48. Senior quarterback Josh Volpe threw for 250 yards on 22-of-44 attempts with one touchdown. He completed a pass to eight different receivers while sophomore Pablo Said led the charge with 104 yards on eight receptions.
On the ground, senior tailback Patrick Pinchinat ran for 101 yards on 24 carries and one score. He also caught three passes for 27 yards.
Springfield opened the scoring with a big play as Brodie Quinn sprinted 93 yards for a score and a 6-0 lead. Bobcat junior linebacker Brendon Blanchette put FSU on the board as he scooped up a fumble and ran in from 16 yards out as FSU led 7-6.
The two teams traded scoring runs on each of their next possessions. Josh Carter scored from a yard out and the Pride added a two-point conversion to surge ahead 14-7. On the ensuing drive, Pinchinat scored a four-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play 63-yard drive for the Bobcats, their longest scoring drive of the afternoon.
Carter scored his second touchdown late in the first quarter, a 33-yard jolt, but the Bobcats answered midway through the second quarter. Volpe tossed an eight-yard touchdown to freshman JD Hook as the visitors tied the contest at 21-21.
Carter scored his third touchdown of the first half when he found Mike Davis with a 17-yard pass with just 2:44 to play in the second quarter.
On the final drive of the first half, Frostburg maneuvered to the Pride five-yard line, but settled for a 28-yard field goal from Jonathan Adams to trail 28-24 at halftime.
Springfield opened the second half with a big play on its first drive. On the third play, Andy Bean took a handoff and raced 76 yards for a 35-24 lead.
Carter and the Pride tacked on two more scores in the fourth quarter. Carter ran 71 yards for a score early in the fourth and he later connected with Phil Baier for a 65 yard scoring pass with 8:30 to play.
Carter accounted for five touchdowns for Springfield. He ran for 189 yards and three touchdowns and completed two passes for 82 yards and two more scores. Quinn aided in the Pride ground game with 151 yards rushing and one score.
Up Next
The Bobcats hosts Randolph-Macon next Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 pm at Bobcat Stadium.
