Frostburg State (0-0)
vs.
Geneva (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 1
2:00 pm
at Mountain Ridge High School (Frostburg, Md.)
Frostburg Game Notes
Directions to Mountain Ridge HS
Geneva Radio Broadcast
Setting the Scene
The Frostburg State Bobcats open the 2012 season against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes for the fourth-consecutive season. Last season, the Bobcats snapped a three-game skid against the Golden Tornadoes, defeating GC 34-21 in Beaver Falls, Pa.
The Series
Frostburg State will play Geneva for the 22nd time on Saturday with the Golden Tornadoes holding a 11-9-1 advantage in the series history. The two teams renewed the rivalry in 2009 after a 16-year hiatus from the series. Geneva won the first three meetings after the series resumed before the Bobcats defeated the Golden Tornadoes 34-21 to open the 2011 season.
This Week in the Empire 8
Sept. 1
Cortland at Buffalo State - 1:00 pm
Hartwick at Husson -1:00 pm
Ithaca at Moravian - 1:00 pm
Thomas More at St. John Fisher - 1:00 pm
St. Lawrence at Utica - 1:00 pm
Geneva at Frostburg - 2:00 pm
Salisbury at Christopher Newport - 2:00 pm
Coaching the Cats
Tom Rogish is in his fifth season as head coach of the Bobcats. Last season, Rogish guided FSU to a 4-6 overall record and a fifth-place finish in the Empire 8 standings.
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 kick off their 52nd season of action with an overall record of 231-252-8. 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.
For Openers
The Bobcats have a 22-29-1 overall record in their opening day games. FSU's win over Geneva in the 2011 season opener snapped a six-game skid on opening day games that dated back to the 2005 season.
(Still) New Guys on the Block
Frostburg State will begin its second year as a member of the Empire 8 conference this season. In their first year in the league, the Bobcats posted a 3-4 record and finished fifth after being selected eighth in the preseason poll. This fall, the Bobcats were picked to finish seventh.
Where They Finished
Several Bobcats finished in the top three in the Empire 8 in different statistical categories. Sophomore running back JD Hook finished second in the conference, averaging 96.7 yards on the ground a game and is the league's leading returning rusher. Senior wideout Anthony Young returns to the field for the Bobcats as the Empire 8 leader in receptions per game last year (7.2) and third in reception yards per game (81.9).
On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive back Brendon Blanchette finished seventh in tackles per game in the league with 9.0.
Young and the Catches
Senior wide receiver Anthony Young is set to rewrite the record books as he enters his final season in a Bobcat uniform. Young begins the 2012 campaign fourth in school history with 133 receptions, fifth in receiving yards (1,616) and tied for 10th in receiving touchdowns (10). He has started the last 20 games at wide receiver and enters his senior season with a reception in 22-straight games.
On the Hook
JD Hook, who led the team and finished sixth in the conference with 870 yards on the ground returns for the Bobcats for his sophomore season. The Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and second team selection, was the team’s work horse last fall averaging 96.7 rushing yards per game and totaling 1,107 all-purpose yards. Hook, who totaled 100 or more all-purpose yards in five games, figures to be the feature back again this year. Last season, Hook became just the eighth player in school history to rush for more than 200 yards in a single game when he ran for 208 yards on 28 carries in the win over Hartwick.
Double Trouble
Senior Lucas Adolph and Antonio Wood provide a double threat for the Bobcats as the duo help the offense at wide receiver and have a strong presence on special teams as kick returners. Adolph led the Bobcats and finished fourth in the league in kick returns yards (333) and was fourth in the league in kick returns (22). He added eight receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown and should continue the double duties this fall.
Wood finished second on the team in kick returns (16) and kick return yards (284). In week seven, Wood emerged as a threat at wide receiver as well catching two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown in the win over Alfred. Over the final four games of the season, Wood hauled in 13 passes for 108 yards and two scores.
A Win for Frostburg State Would ...
- Lift FSU to 233-252-8
- Give the Bobcats back-to-back wins over the Golden Tornadoes for the third time in series history and the first since the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
- Hand Frostburg State its second-straight season opening win.
- Give the Bobcats their 23rd season opening win
Last Time Against the Golden Tornadoes (2011)
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.
