Frostburg (3-1, 2-1 NJAC)
vs.
William Paterson (1-3, 0-3 NJAC)Saturday, Oct. 10
1:00 pm - Wightman Stadium
Frostburg Game NotesLive StatsLive AudioÂ
Setting the SceneFrostburg State makes its first trip to the state of New Jersey when it travels to William Paterson this Saturday at 1:00 pm. The contest will serve as Paterson's Homecoming game and marks the third NJAC game for the Bobcats.
Frostburg enters Saturday's matchup with a 3-1 record and is coming off its second win in NJAC action, a 29-15 victory over Kean at Bobcat Stadium. FSU's two previous wins came on the road at Geneva (55-21) and Southern Virginia (44-3).
The 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.
William Paterson opened the '15 campaign with a 41-20 win victory over Alfred State, but has since dropped three-consecutive contests to Rowan (26-3), Kean (27-24) and Montclair State (64-7).
The Pioneers were picked to finish eighth in the NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
The SeriesSaturday's matchup between the Bobcats and Pioneers will be just the fourth meeting between the two.
Frostburg leads the series 2-1 with the most recent meeting resulting in a 46-16 Frostburg victory in an ECAC Bowl Game in 1991.
Scouting William PatersonAfter a big opening day win over Alfred State (41-20), William Paterson has dropped three-straight games and looks to get back on track when it welcomes Frostburg for Homecoming.
The Pioneers average 286.0 yards per game in total offense, but are surrendering nearly 360 to opposing offenses.
Malcolm Robinson has emerged as one of the NJAC's top receiving threats through the first half of the season as he is 14th nationally at 24.2 yards per reception. Defenisvely, Pat Moran is third in the league averaging 9.5 tackles per contest.
Head Coach DeLane FitzgeraldDeLane 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 QuotesOn this week's preparation ..."We've had a great week of preparation. Our players have been focused all week and we've run around and executed during practice. When that happens your expectation is that we'll be focused, play hard, and execute on Saturday."
On William Paterson ..."William Paterson is a well-coached football team. Jerry Flora and his staff have won a lot of football games over the years. Jerry has been winning football games since his time as an assistant at Iona in the early 90's. His staff will have their players ready to play at 1pm on Saturday. "
"Saturday is William Paterson's Homecoming! So the atmosphere should be great for both teams. It's the next game on our schedule, so it's the most important game on our schedule!"
Frostburg Football HistoryFrostburg is in its 55th year of collegiate football in 2015 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 242-275-8. 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 243-275-8 overall
- Mark the first 4-1 start for Frostburg since 1998; the 1999 Bobcats started 6-0
- Push the series to 3-1 in favor of the Bobcats
- Be the first win in the state of New Jersey since the 1994 season, a 24-14 win over TCNJ (then Trenton State)
- Be the first 2-0 start to the month of October since the 2002 season
Preseason All-AmericansFrostburg 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 NJACAll 10 NJAC schools are in action on the sixth weekend of the fall season and all 10 are in league play. Both Christopher Newport at Kean and Wesley at TCNJ kickoff at noon and open the weekend's action.
Saturday, October 10Christopher Newport at Kean - 12:00 pm
Wesley at TCNJ - 12:00 pm
Rowan at Salisbury - 1:00 pm
Montclair State at Southern Virginia - 1:00 pm
Frostburg State at William Paterson - 1:00 pm
NJAC Preseason PollThe 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 TeamsWhen 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 the only school in all four NCAA Divisions (FBS, FCS, II and III) with four punt returns for touchdowns.
The Bobcats are also fourth in Division III in punt returns (24.73 ypr), seventh in blocked kicks (4) and ninth in kickoff return defense (11.53). FSU leads the NJAC in all three categories.
Individually, senior Roland Kamara is second in the nation in blocked kicks (3), while junior Austin Bonsall leads all of Division III with two punt return TDs and is seventh in punt return average (19.1).
More Rankings ...Following five weeks of the season, Frostburg ranks nationally in several statistical categories. The Bobcats are currently ...
Blocked Kicks (4) - 1st in NJAC ... 7th in DIII
Defensive TDs (2) - 1st in NJAC ... 9th in DIII
Kickoff Return Defense (11.53 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 9th in DIII
Kickoff Returns (23.71 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 27th in DIII
Punt Returns (24.73 ypr) - 1st in NJAC ... 4th in DIII
Team Tackles for Loss (9.0) - 1st in NJAC ... 21st in DIII
Time of Possession (33:31) - 1st in NJAC ... 22nd in DIII
Senior Roland Kamara
Blocked Kicks (3) - 1st in NJAC ... 2nd in DIII (Kamara finished 21st nationally following the '14 season)
Sophomore Josh Piper
Kickoff Returns (28.0) - 1st in NJAC ... 32nd in DIII
Junior Austin Bonsall
Punt Return TDs (2) - 1st in NJAC ... Leads DIII
Punt Returns (19.1) - 1st in NJAC ... 7th DIII
Senior Myles Burgess & freshman Sergio Andino
Punt Return TDs (1) - 2nd in NJAC ... 2nd in DIII
Last WeekSaturday, Oct. 3, 2015 - Frostburg 29, Kean 15FROSTBURG, Md. – Frostburg head football coach DeLane Fitzgerald has been preaching special teams since his arrival on campus less than two years ago. And he relied on both specials teams and defense, Saturday.
Junior return specialist Austin Bonsall returned his second punt for a touchdown this season and senior linebacker Rowan Pinkett picked the perfect moment for his first interception since his freshman season as the pair helped Frostburg to a 29-15 win over Kean, Saturday at a rainy Bobcat Stadium.
The Bobcats (3-1, 2-1 NJAC) were outgained in total offense and first downs and Kean (3-1, 2-1 NJAC) ran a staggering 90 plays for the second-consecutive week.
Frostburg, however, was unfazed and made key plays in key situations against the Cougars, who were receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Poll this past week.
Bobcat sophomore running back Jordan Brown found the end zone from five yards out midway through the first quarter as Frostburg assumed an 8-3 lead. Late in the third, freshman quarterback Connor Cox scored from a yard out as Frostburg built its lead to 21-9.
But the impressive special teams and defensive efforts were behind everything Frostburg did on Saturday.
Following Kean's 21-yard field goal on its first possession of the game, senior return specialist Percy Haskins took the kickoff 74 yards up the home sideline to the Kean 13, setting up Brown's score. Junior kicker Isaac Robinson ran the ball into the end zone for two points rather than kick it and FSU led 8-3.
Kean recaptured the lead with just over a minute remaining in the first on a 46-yard touchdown toss to Charles App for a slim 9-8 cushion.
Bonsall then handed the Bobcats the lead for good when he returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in front of the Frostburg sideline for a 15-9 edge.
Frostburg entered the weekend as one of just two schools with three punt return TDs this season at the Division III level and the Bobcats end the day on Saturday as the only school in NCAA football among all four levels (FBS, FCS, II and III) with four punt returns for touchdowns.
And the Bobcats weren't done.
Cox's third-quarter score was set up when sophomore Josh Washington blocked a punt at the Kean 27 and sophomore Josh Piper pounced on the loose ball at the four.
The Cougars' Brian Matthews scored moments later to narrow their deficit to 21-15 as the game headed for the fourth quarter.
Late in the fourth, it was Pinkett's turn to impact the scoreboard as he cradled a tipped pass from App and returned the interception 34 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.
Pinkett's stat line from the victory is quite impressive as he logged 13 total tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup and the interception return for a touchdown. Junior defensive end William Sewell finished with 12 tackles and 3.0 TFLs, while sophomore Lyle Fugate posted 12 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a sack.
On offense, Cox rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown and added 34 yards through the air on seven completions. Freshman Gavin Lavat carried the ball 10 times for 51 yards.
Kean finished with 366 yards in offense behind 163 passing yards (12-of-37) from App. He also added 44 rushing yards on 20 carries.
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