WAYNE, N.J. – Junior kicker Isaac Robinson booted three field goals, freshman quarterback Connor Cox accounted for three touchdowns and Frostburg State won for the third-consecutive game with a 37-19 victory over William Paterson, Saturday.
While the Bobcat offense racked up 353 yards in total offense, behind 211 on the ground, the special teams and defensive units also played a role. Sophomore Aaron Gibson recovered a fumble on the kickoff in the third and freshman Wayne Palmer picked off a pass in the fourth that led to 10 points.
"It was a total team win, we made plays at different times in all three phases of the game," said Bobcat head coach DeLane Fitzgerald.
Junior William Sewell blocked an extra point in the second quarter, while Robinson was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals.
The win handed Frostburg (4-1, 3-1 NJAC) its first three-game winning streak since the 2005 season and equals last year's win total with five games left on the schedule. The loss drops William Paterson to 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the league and is the fourth-straight defeat for the Pioneers.
The duo of Cox and Robinson totaled 34 points on the afternoon. Cox finished 13-for-16 with 142 yards and two scored, while running for another 61 yards and a touchdown.
"Connor did a nice job of managing the offense in the first half, then in the second half he played his best football so far this year," said Fitzgerald.
Cox twice found senior wideout Myles Burgess for touchdowns in the second half. They connected on a 43-yard pitch-and-catch early in the third quarter and again for a four-yard score early in the fourth.
Following Cox's first touchdown toss to Burgess, Gibson recovered the fumble on the ensuing kickoff, setting up a Cox 19-yard touchdown three plays later.
Robinson booted his first field goal late in the first quarter, a 32-yarder, and sophomore tailback Jordan Brown scampered 41 yards for a score early in the second for a 10-0 Frostburg cushion.
WPU's Nick Burke hauled in a three-yard pass for a touchdown at 11:32 in the second to narrow the deficit to 10-6 as Sewell got a hand on the extra-point attempt. Robinson connected on his second field goal (25 yards) with no time remaining on first half clock as FSU led 13-6.
William Paterson briefly tied the contest early in the third at 13-13, but it was all Frostburg after that as Cox had a hand in three-straight touchdowns as the Bobcats grabbed a 34-13 edge. Robinson booted a 25-yard field goal midway through the fourth and the Pioneers added a final touchdown inside the final minute of action for the 37-19 final.
Burgess finished with four catches for 56 yards and two scores, while Brown ran eight times for 59 yards and his first quarter TD.
Defensively, senior linebacker Rowan Pinkett led the Bobcats in tackles for the second-straight week. He finished with eight total stops and 0.5 TFLs. Sewell added seven stops, 1.0 TFL and a block.
"I don't believe we have played our best football yet, and that makes things very exciting for us going forward," added Fitzgerald.
FSU returns to action next Saturday when it hosts The College of New Jersey for Homecoming at 1:00 pm.
