Frostburg (5-1, 4-1 NJAC)

2015 Football Media Guide

vs.
Christopher Newport (1-5, 1-4 NJAC)

Saturday, Oct. 24
7:00 PM - POMOCO Stadium

Frostburg Game Notes
Live Stats
Live Video
 

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Setting the Scene
Frostburg State travels to Newport News, Va. this Saturday for a 7:00 pm showdown with Christopher Newport for a key NJAC matchup. The contest marks the seventh-straight NJAC game for the Bobcats.

FSU enters the weekend with a 5-1 overall record following four-consecutive wins. Last Saturday, the Bobcats downed TCNJ 19-6 at Bobcat Stadium on Homecoming and currently sit at 4-1 in the NJAC.

The current four-game winning streak is the first since the 2005 season and is the best start for the Bobcats since the 1999 squad opened the season 6-0.

The season-opening win over Geneva marked the second-most points in a season opener in program history as Frostburg raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead.

Second-year head coach Delane Fitzgerald won his season opener for the second year in a row after guiding the Bobcats to a 4-6 overall record in 2014. He is the only coach in program history to win his first game as the head coach of the Bobcats.

After winning its season opener against TCNJ, 31-21, the Captains have dropped five-straight contests, including four-consecutive NJAC games.

Christopher Newport is also just 1-2 at POMOCO Stadium this fall and have dropped its last two home games.

The Captains were picked to finish fifth in the NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Series
Saturday's matchup between the Bobcats and Captains will be just the second meeting between the two.

Frostburg won the previous meeting between the schools in 2010 at Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats captured a 33-31 win on a late, fourth-quarter drive.

Scouting CNU
Christopher Newport has had a rough start to its 2015 season. The Captains won their season opener, a 31-21 decision against TCNJ, but have dropped their last five contests.

Two of those losses came against No. 5 Wesley (44-24) and No. 15 Rowan (14-9) and the Captains have dropped two of three home games this season.

CNU is surrendering 28.3 points per game this season and allowing 357.7 yards per game in total offense. However, the Captains are third in the NJAC in passing  offense (222.7 ypg) behind Tyler Quigley, who has thrown for 1,075 yards and four touchdowns in six games.

Defensively, Mikey Campbell paces the Captains defense with 43 total tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Mic Edwards is second with 41 stops, three behind the line of scrimmage, one interception and three breakups.

Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald
DeLane Fitzgerald is in his second season at the helm of the Frostburg State football program in 2015 and his impact has been immediate. The Bobcats finished 4-6 overall in '14 that included a 2-6 mark in the Empire 8 and a 38-37 double overtime upset of 25th-ranked Ithaca at Bobcat Stadium on Homecoming.

Frostburg didn't just improve in the win/loss column in Fitzgerald's first season, but statically all over the field. The Bobcats finished fifth in the Empire 8 in scoring defense (27.3) and fifth in total defense (359.6). When compared to the final statistics of the 2013 season, the Bobcats allowed 66 fewer first downs, improved their overall total defense by 104.3 yards per contest, allowed 57.3 fewer yards rushing per game and cut opponents' scoring by 17.4 points per game. Frostburg also led the Empire 8 and finished 12th in the nation for fewest turnovers with 12.
 
Fitzgerald also placed an emphasis on blocked kicks where the Bobcats finished 17th in the country and led the Empire 8 with six.
 
The Bobcats capped the season with four All-Empire 8 selections, three on defense, and a USA College Football All-American.

Fitzgerald was a speaker for the American Football Coaches Association (ACFC) in 2014 and was an AFCA Coaching Mentor in both 2014 and 2015.

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On his players ...
"Our players are very focused on this week's opponent. They know that the goals we set for ourselves are attainable and in front of us. They are very excited! We've had a great week of preparation and I expect a great effort from our young men on Saturday night at 7pm."

On CNU ...
"CNU is a football team with great tradition. CNU has never had a losing season in football, and it's their homecoming game. Our coaches and players are expecting to get CNU's best effort on Saturday. They'll be ready to play and we'll have to play focused/high intensity football for three hours to be successful."

On the special teams ...
"CNU has one of the best special teams units in our conference. Frostburg and CNU rank in the top three in the NJAC in most special teams categories. The special teams part of the game should be exciting to watch. The team that wins on special teams this Saturday has an advantage over the other."

Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 55th year of collegiate football in 2015 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 244-275-8. The Bobcats appeared in the 1993 NCAA Playoffs and have played in seven ECAC Bowl Games, the last coming at Bobcat Stadium against Moravian in 2005.

The '15 season marks the first 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.

A Win Would ....
- Lift the Bobcats to 245-275-8 overall
- Mark the first 6-1 start for Frostburg since 1999, however that team started 6-0 before losing its seventh game
- Push the series with CNU to 2-0 in favor of the Bobcats
- Give Frostburg its fourth road victory of the season
- Be the second in the state of Virginia this season
- Be the first 4-0 start to the month of October since the 1994 season

Preseason All-Americans
Frostburg has had several players named Preseason Division III All-Americans by USA College Football over the last few years and this summer Frostburg placed three players on the 26th annual All-American list.

Senior defensive back Salaman Riddell led the way after being named a Second Team All-American. Senior linebacker Rowan Pinkett and junior defensive end William Sewell were both placed on the third team.

Riddell finished third last season with 63 tackles and led the team with four pass breakups. A two-time preseason All-American, Pinkett led the Bobcats in tackles for the second-straight season after posting 88 total stops and finishing third in the country with three recovered fumbles. Sewell compiled 67 total tackles and tied for the Empire 8 lead behind 13.5 tackles for loss. He also finished 26th in the country with nine sacks.

All three players earned All-Empire 8 honors following the '14 season.

Speaking of the NJAC
All 10 NJAC schools are in action on the eighth weekend of the fall season and all 10 are in league play. Southern Virginia at William Paterson opens the weekend at 12:00 pm, while the remaining four games all kick off at 1:00 pm.

Saturday, October 24
Southern Virginia at William Paterson - 12:00 pm
Rowan at Wesley - 1:00 pm
Salisbury at Kean - 1:00 pm
Montclair State at TCNJ  - 1:00 pm
Frostburg State at Christopher Newport - 1:00 pm

NJAC Preseason Poll
The NJAC released the 2015 Preseason Coaches Poll in early August and Frostburg State was picked to finish sixth in the 10-team league. The Bobcats were chosen as the league's dark horse team and were picked ahead of seventh-place Kean, William Paterson (8th), TCNJ (9th) and Southern Virginia (10th). Wesley, ranked fifth in the D3football.com preseason poll, was picked to win the conference after receiving nine of 10 first-place votes. Rowan received one first-place vote and was selected to finish second. Salisbury (3rd), Montclair State (4th) and Christopher Newport (5th) round out the five schools selected ahead of Frostburg.

Special Teams
When head coach DeLane Fitzgerald was hired at Frostburg, he made special teams a point of emphasis and it has showed through his first two seasons. Last season, Frostburg finished 17th in the nation and led the Empire 8 in blocked kicks (6).

Fast forward a year to the 2015 campaign and Frostburg is at it again. The Bobcats are one of just two schools in all four NCAA Divisions (FBS, FCS, II and III) with four punt returns for touchdowns. FSU is one of three schools to have three different players return a punt for a TD this fall.

The Bobcats are also fifth in Division III in blocked kicks (6), eighth in Division III in punt returns (18.22 ypr), sixth in kickoff return defense (13.00) and 26th in time of possession (33:07).

Individually, senior Roland Kamara is second in the nation in blocked kicks (4), while junior Austin Bonsall is tied for the national lead with two punt return TDs.

More Rankings ...
Following seven weeks of the season, Frostburg ranks nationally in several statistical categories. The Bobcats are currently ...

Blocked Kicks (6) - 1st in NJAC ... 5th in DIII
Defensive TDs (2) - 1st in NJAC ... 22nd in DIII
Kickoff Return Defense (13.00 ypr) - 2nd in NJAC ... 6th in DIII
Kickoff Returns (23.00 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 29th in DIII
Punt Returns (18.22 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 8th in DIII
Team Tackles for Loss (7.8) - 1st in NJAC ... 40th in DIII
Time of Possession (33:07) - 1st in NJAC ... 26th in DIII

Senior Roland Kamara
Blocked Kicks (4) - 1st in NJAC ... 2nd in DIII (Kamara finished 21st nationally following the '14 season)

Junior Isaac Robinson
Field Goals Per Game (1.33) - 1st in NJAC ... 8th in DIII
Field Goal Percentage (0.80) - 2nd in NJAC ... 29th in DIII

Senior Percy Haskins
Kickoff Returns (25.0) - 1st in NJAC ... 47th in DIII

Junior Austin Bonsall
Punt Return TDs (2) - 1st in NJAC ... Leads DIII
Punt Returns (14.3) - 2nd in NJAC ... 16th DIII

Senior Myles Burgess & freshman Sergio Andino
Punt Return TDs (1) - 2nd in NJAC ... 4th in DIII

Last Week
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015     -     Frostburg 19, TCNJ 6

FROSTBURG, Md. – Junior Isaac Robinson kicked two field goals and sophomore Joe Beckford and freshman Connor Cox each tossed a touchdown as Frostburg State downed The College of New Jersey, 19-6, Saturday on Homecoming.
 
Frostburg never trailed in the contest and pushed its record to a 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
 
The Bobcats nearly pitched a shutout before a fourth-quarter score put TCNJ on the board. The Frostburg defense limited the Lions (0-5, 0-4) to just 277 yards in offense.
 
Special teams again played an important role for Frostburg. Robinson connected on a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 3-0 lead and added a 30-yarder early in the fourth as the Bobcats surged ahead 19-0. Frostburg dropped three punts inside the TCNJ 20 and senior Roland Kamara blocked a kick (extra point) for the fourth time this season.
 
In between Robinson's field goals, Cox tossed a six-yard scoring strike to senior wideout Antonio Wood who managed to get a foot down in the back of the end zone with 26 seconds left in the second quarter.
 
Late in the third, Frostburg collected an eight play, 83-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown toss from Beckford to junior Austin Bonsall as FSU led 16-0.
 
A large chuck on TCNJ's offensive output came with just over 6:00 minute left in the fourth quarter when it drove 75 yards on eight plays for a score. Michael Marchesano scored from six yards out on a quarterback keeper. Kamara blocked the extra point to keep the score at 19-6.
 
Cox finished 7-of-14 for 96 yards and one touchdown, while Beckford was 4-of-6 for 92 yards and a score. Bonsall, one of the nation's top punt returners, had an explosive day on offense as he hauled in three passes for 103 yards and a score. Bonsall caught a 56 yard pass in front of the TCNJ sideline just a handful of plays prior to his touchdown. It's Frostburg's longest play from scrimmage this season.
 
Junior J.R. Lowery paved the way on defense with eight tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. Junior  Matt Capozza made seven stops, one for loss with an interception.
 
Marchesano led the Lions with 161 yards passing on 16-of-28 attempts, Victory Scalici ran for 66 yards on 14 carries.