Frostburg (1-0)
vs.
Springfield (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011
1:00 pm
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field - Springfield, Mass.
First-ever meeting between the two schools
- Empire 8 opener for Frostburg
- Season opener for Springfield
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Frostburg State Game Notes
Setting the Scene
The Frostburg State Bobcats opened the 2011 season against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes for the third-consecutive season and came away with a 34-21 victory. Senior running back Patrick Pinchinat (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) scored three total touchdowns - including one on each of the Bobcats' first two possessions - while rushing for 183 yards and catching one pass for 73 yards.
The Series
The Bobcats and the Pride will square off for the first time ever on Saturday.
This Week in the Empire 8
Sept. 10
Ithaca at Salisbury 12:00 pm
Rensselaer at Alfred 1:00 pm
Frostburg State at Springfield 1:00 pm
Buffalo State at St. John Fisher 7:00 pm
Union College at Utica 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 Springfield with an overall record of 228-246-8. 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.
Returning Starters
Frostburg welcomes back five starters on offense and six on defense. Quarterback Josh Volpe (Germantown, Md./Northwest), wide receiver Anthony Young (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) and three offensive lineman highlight the offensive returners. On the defensive side of the football, senior defensive backs Marcus Wilson (Woodstock, Md./Randallstown) and Jim Lohr (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) are the team's leading returning tacklers with 71 and 62 total tackles, respectively. They each also had an interception apiece.Junior defensive back Brendon Blanchette (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) was fourth on the team in tackles with 58. Senior linebacker Drew Rudisill (York, Pa./Red Lion) came in just behind with 56 tackles.
Party Like It's 1999?
A Frostburg State victory over Springfield on Saturday would give the Bobcats their first 2-0 start since 1999. In coach Ed Sweeney's final season, the Bobcats defeated Central Connecticut State and West Virginia Tech to open the year. They finished the season 8-3 and champions of the Atlantic Central Football Conference.
Coming Up Big in the Pinch-inat
Senior running back Patrick Pinchinat wasn't even listed on the two-deep for the game against Geneva last week. No matter, because he took two to the house on his first two touches of the game. After amassing 256 total yards and three scores, Pinchinat should continue to see plenty of action against Springfield.
For his efforts, Pinchinat was named both the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week and the FSU Male Athlete of the Week.
Young Money in Week One
Junior Anthony Young (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) started off the season right with an eight-catch, 108-yard outing against Geneva. That included a 19-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Young now has 69 career catches which puts him 24 away from reaching the top ten in school history.
A Win for Frostburg State Would ...
- Lift FSU to 229-246-8
- Give the school a win in its first conference game as a member of the Empire 8
- Be the Bobcats' first 2-0 start since 1999
- Give Frostburg back-to-back wins for the first time since 2006 (10/21, 10/28)
Looking for An Edge
Brushing aside the last few years worth of records and statistics and since the two schools have never played one another and one might look for some insight into which team might have an edge in Saturday's contest.
The Bobcats might possess just such an advantage as they are 11-3-1 all-time against teams from the State of Massachusetts. FSU's last win over a team from the Bay State came in 1995 with a 30-12 victory over Bridgewater State.
Last Week
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - Senior running back Patrick Pinchinat scored three touchdowns and the Frostburg State University football team racked up nearly 500 yards in total offense in a 34-21 victory over Geneva in the season opener for both schools, Saturday evening.
Frostburg improves to 1-0 with its first season opening victory since 2004 when it defeated Apprentice 14-0. The win also snapped a three-game losing skid to the Golden Tornadoes (0-1).
The Bobcats never trailed and totaled 486 yards in offense, including 222 on the ground. FSU collected 19 first downs and held a 32:06-27:54 advantage in time of possession.
Pinchinat made his presence felt early on as he scored touchdowns the first two times he touched the football. He galloped 48 yards for a score on the game's opening drive and hauled in a 73-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Josh Volpe on the first play of FSU's second drive as the visitors quickly led 14-0.
Pinchinat finished the game with 183 rushing yards on 23 carries and two scores. He also caught one pass for 73 yards and a score.
His final carry of the ballgame sealed the win for the Bobcats as he scored a nine-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1 when FSU was trying to run out the clock with 1:26 remaining.
Geneva threatened on two occasions. After FSU assumed a 14-0 lead, Geneva found the endzone late in the first quarter and early in the second to knot the contest at 14-14. In the fourth, with the Bobcats leading 27-14, the Golden Tornadoes cut the deficit to six points, 27-21, with just 7:17 left in the fourth.
Volpe completed 17-of-27 pass attempts for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He completed a pass to six different receivers, but his favorite target was junior wideout Anthony Young, who hauled eight balls for 108 yards and a 19-yard score late in the third quarter. Sophomore running back Chuky Iweh handed the Bobcats a 21-14 halftime lead when he scored a four-yard touchdown with 4:29 left in the second quarter.
Junior defensive back Brendon Blanchette led the FSU defense with seven tackles while freshman linebacker Anthony Chase made five stops, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack.
Geneva's Zack Hayward threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game totaled just 49 yards against the FSU defense. The Golden Tornadoes also missed two field goals and punted eight times.
The FSU football team returns to action next Saturday when it opens Empire 8 action at Springfield College at 1:00 pm.
