Frostburg (6-1, 5-1 NJAC)      @      Rowan (5-2, 4-2 NJAC)
Live Stats  I  Live Video
Frostburg Game Notes
Coach Richard Wackar Stadium  I  1:00 pm
 

---

Setting the Scene
Frostburg State travels to Glassboro, N.J. this Saturday for an NJAC matchup with Rowan at 1:00 pm. The contest marks the eighth-straight NJAC game for the Bobcats.

FSU enters the weekend with a 6-1 overall record following five-consecutive wins. Last Saturday, the Bobcats defeated Christopher Newport, 19-14, at POMOCO Stadium and currently sit at 5-1 in the NJAC.

The current five-game winning streak is the first since the 1999 season and both the '15 and '99 teams started the season 6-1. The Bobcats' six wins this fall marks the first time since 2005 that a Frostburg football team has earned six wins in a season.

Frostburg is also a perfect 4-0 on the road this season.

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.

Rowan kicked off its 2015 campaign with a 4-0 record, including three wins in NJAC play. The Profs defeated Widener (24-10) in its opener, followed by wins over William Paterson (26-3), Montclair State (13-7) and Christopher Newport (14-9).

Since its 4-0 start, Rowan has dropped two of its last three games. Salisbury downed RU 31-28 and the Profs fell to fourth-ranked Wesley, 38-25. In between, Rowan collected a 59-0 shutout win over Southern Virginia.

The Profs were picked to finish third in the NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Series
Saturday's matchup between the Bobcats and Profs will be the ninth meeting between the two.

Rowan leads the series 6-2 and the two haven't met since 1987, a contest RU won 10-0. Frostburg's last win came in 1971 with a 19-17 defeat of the Profs.

Scouting Rowan
Rowan is off to a 5-2 overall record behind a 4-0 start and a 3-0 start to its NJAC slate. Heading into the weekend, the Profs sit in fourth place in the NJAC standings, just one spot behind Frostburg.

However, the Profs have dropped two of their last three games, including a 38-25 game against fourth-ranked Wesley last Saturday. RU is currently 2-0 at home this season.

Statistically, Rowan boasts the top defense in the NJAC surrendering just 269.6 yard per game in total offense, while allowing a league-low 11 touchdowns. The Profs sit atop the league as they hold opponents to just 156.0 yards passing per contest and 113.6 yards on the ground. Rowan has also intercepted 13 passes and allowed just four passing touchdowns in seven games.

On offense, RU is eighth in the NJAC in total offense at 300.7 yards behind a running game that averages 176.3 yards per game.

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 statistically 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 Rowan ...
"Rowan is well coached. They have arguably the best defense, special teams, and running back in our conference. Rowan provides interesting problems for every team that plays them."   

On coaches, players and Rowan ...
"Our coaches and players are excited to play this Saturday. Everyone in our football program has embraced the fact that our games get more and more important as we win each week. Plus, Rowan has been one of the best football programs in the country over the last twenty years. If you are a competitor you want to play the best in the country and our locker-room has a lot of competitors in it."

"Our coaches and players are working very hard, we are still very hungry! We haven't accomplished all our goals yet. There is still a lot of season left to play. Until our last game of the season is over there are things to work on and goals to work towards."

On the younger players on the roster ...
"Our freshmen players are not freshmen anymore, they have played enough football that they should be playing on a sophomore level. The same can be said for our sophomores, they should be playing like juniors right now. Everyone in our football program has played a lot of football at this point in the season."

A Win Would ....
- Lift the Bobcats to 246-275-8 overall
- Mark the first 7-1 start for Frostburg since 1998
- Be the fourth 7-1 start in program history
- Give Frostburg its fifth road victory of the season
- Be the fourth undefeated month of October in program history

Speaking of the NJAC
All 10 NJAC schools are in action on the ninth weekend of the fall season and all 10 are in league play. TCNJ at William Paterson kicks off the weekend at noon, while the four remaining games get under way at 1:00 pm.

Saturday, October 31
TCNJ at William Paterson - 12:00 pm
Frostburg at Rowan - 1:00 pm
Wesley at Montclair State - 1:00 pm
Christopher Newport at Salisbury  - 1:00 pm
Kean at Southern Virginia - 1:00 pm

Bring it home ...
Several Bobcat football players have collected weekly honors from both the New Jersey Athletic Conference and the Eastern College Athletic Conference this fall and this week Frostburg added two more to the list. Senior defensive back Salaman Riddell was named the NJAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting 10 tackles with one interception and five pass breakups in Frostburg's 19-14 win over Christopher Newport. He broke up a fourth-down pass late in the fourth quarter deep in FSU territory that handed the ball back to the Bobcat offense to run out the clock. Freshman tailback Gavin Lavat was selected as the league's Offensive Rookie of the Week after pacing the Bobcat ground attack with 21 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior kicker Isaac Robinson
    - Two-time NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (9/6, 10/11) ... ECAC South Special Teams Player of the Week (9/9)

Senior linebacker Rowan Pinkett
    - NJAC Defensive Player of the Week (10/6)

Senior defensive back Salaman Riddell
    - NJAC Defensive Player of the Week (10/25)

Freshman running back Gavin Lavat
    - Two-time NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week (9/20, 10/25) ... ECAC South Rookie of the  Week (9/22)

Freshman quarterback Connor Cox
    - NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week (10/18) ... ECAC South Rookie of the Week (10/21)

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 three 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 sixth in Division III in blocked kicks (6), 14th in Division III in punt returns (16.72 ypr), third in kickoff return defense (12.36) and 34th in time of possession (32:45).

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 eight weeks of the season, Frostburg ranks nationally in several statistical categories. The Bobcats are currently ...

Blocked Kicks (6) - 1st in NJAC ... 6th in DIII
Defensive TDs (2) - 1st in NJAC ... 26th in DIII
Kickoff Return Defense (12.36 ypr) - 2nd in NJAC ... 3rd in DIII
Punt Returns (16.72 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 14th in DIII
Team Tackles for Loss (7.6) - 1st in NJAC ... 44th in DIII
Time of Possession (32:45) - 1st in NJAC ... 44th 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 (1.14) - 1st in NJAC ... 10th in DIII
Field Goal Percentage (0.80) - 2 in NJAC ... 19th in DIII

Sophomore Josh Piper
Kickoff Returns (24.7) - 1st in NJAC ... 48th 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 ... 7th in DIII

Last Week
Frostburg 19   CNU 14  Newport News, Va. - POMOCO Stadium
Freshman Gavin Lavat ran for two scores and the Frostburg State football team used a late stop on defense to secure a 19-14 win over Christopher Newport last Saturday night.
 
It was Frostburg's fifth-straight win and the first such streak since the 1999 season. Frostburg scored all 19 of its points in the first half and then relied on its defense to help seal the victory. Lavat ran for 83 yards on 21 carries and two scores, while freshman quarterback Connor Cox threw for a season-high 192 yards (13-of-18) and one touchdown.

In total, Frostburg amassed 302 yards in offense behind Cox's season-best, but it was the Bobcat defense that posted the best numbers. Frostburg limited the Captains to just 231 yards of offense and just 69 on the ground. FSU also held CNU to 2-of-5 fourth down conversions.
 
Senior Rowan Pinkett led Frostburg with 11 tackles, one tackle for loss and a breakup, but it was Riddell's night that stole the show. He finished with 10 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups.

Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 55th year of collegiate football in 2015 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 245-275-8. 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.

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.

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.