Frostburg State (1-0)   vs.   #17 Wesley (0-1)
Live Stats  I  Live Video
Frostburg Game Notes
Scott D. Miller Stadium  I  1:00 pm
 

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Setting the Scene
Frostburg State hits the road for the first time this season as it visits #17 Wesley on Saturday, September 10 for a 1:00 pm kick off. Frostburg and Wesley have met 20 times prior to Saturday's matchup and the Wolverines hold the edge in the series 11-9.

The matchup between FSU and WC will open New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action for both schools and this fall marks the second-consecutive season that both schools have opened league play against one another.

A week ago, the Bobcats opened the 2016 campaign with a 31-10 win over Geneva at Bobcat Stadium. Sophomore Connor Cox threw for a career-high 243 yards and tied a career-best with three touchdown passes. Junior receiver Russell Neverdon finished with 107 yards on seven receptions and two scores.

The win over Geneva marks the third-straight year Bobcat head coach DeLane Fitzgerald guided his program to a season-opening win. He is the only coach in the 56-year history of the Bobcat program to win his first game as head coach.

Last fall, the Bobcats finished their season at 6-4, including a 5-4 finish in their first season as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference. FSU collected a five-game winning streak during the middle part of the season, the longest streak in the program since the 1999 team opened the season 6-0.

Wesley opened it's season last Saturday with a 21-14 setback to then #25 ranked Delaware Valley. The Wolverines jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but a 21-point second quarter from the Aggies proved too much for the Wolverines.

Last fall, Wesley finished 11-2 overall and 8-1 in the NJAC. The Wolverines earned their 11th-consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Playoffs and they advanced to the quaterfinals for the seventh-straight year.

The Series
Saturday's matchup between the Bobcats and Wolverines is the 21st for the two programs.

Wesley holds the series lead 11-9 and it has won nine-straight meetings.

The series started in 1987 with a 37-0 win for Frostburg and the Bobcats carried that momentum to seven-straight wins to open the series.

From 1999-2010, Frostburg and Wesley were members of the Atlantic Central Football Conference. Frostburg won three of the first five meetings between the two as conference foes, however, Wesley hasn't lost in the series since 2004.

The ACFC dissolved following the 2010 season and Frostburg joined the Empire 8 for four years from 2011-14 prior to joining the NJAC.

The last win for the Bobcats in Dover came in 2003 when they captured a 42-39 overtime victory.

Scouting Wesley
Wesley has been a top-10 team in NCAA Division III for more than a decade under the direction of 24th-year head coach Mike Drass.

Since 2005, Wesley has averaged over 11 wins per season and its resume includes 11-straight NCAA Playoff appearances and six NCAA South Regional Championships.

The Wolverines lost Gagliardi Trophy winner Joe Callahan to graduation following last season, but they return starters all over the field. Callahan is currently the third-string quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jamar Baynard returns to the backfield after rushing for 1,381 yards and totaling over 2,000 all-purpose yards a year ago.

Bryce Shade, Alex Kemp and Xavier Allen are back for the receiving corps and combined to haul in 46 touchdowns last fall.
On the defensive side of things, defensive back Andre Connally earned All-NJAC honors a year ago and will lead a veteran secondary. At linebacker, Samer Manna made 127 tackles last fall and earned preseason All-American honors in August.

Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald
DeLane Fitzgerald is in his third season at the helm of the Frostburg State football program in 2016 and his impact has been immediate. The Bobcats finished 4-6 overall in '14 and posted a 6-4 mark a year ago. The six wins mark the first winning season for the Bobcats since the 2005 season, while the Bobcats' five-game winning streak is the longest since the 1999 team.

Frostburg hasn't just improved in the win/loss column, but the team GPA has improved every semester since Fitzgerald became head coach. Fitzgerald and his staff also see vast improvements in the weight room and around campus and in the town of Frostburg in terms of volunteer hours.

On the field, Fitzgerald's squad continues to improve statistically in every aspect of the game. On offense, the Bobcats set the school record in completion percentage (61.1%) last fall and finished fourth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in rushing (164.3 ypg.).

On the other side of the ball, the Bobcats' improved in total defense for the second-straight year. In his first year, Fitzgerald's defense allowed 359.6 yards per game, while a year ago, FSU finished third in the NJAC at 313.4 yards allowed per contest. Prior to Fitzgerald's arrival, Frostburg allowed 464.2 yards per contest during the '13 season.

Fitzgerald also placed an emphasis in special teams since the day of his arrival at Frostburg. Following the '14 season, the Bobcats finished 17th in the nation in blocked kicks (6) and they finished 18th a year ago (6). FSU also finished 11th in the country last season in punt returns (15.63) and 15th in kickoff return defense (14.95).

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On Saturday's game at Wesley ...
"We are playing in one of, if not the biggest NCAA DIII games in the country this Saturday at 1:00pm. This is what our players signed on at Frostburg for, to be a part of games like this!"

On Wesley ...
"Wesley will be fired up Saturday. They lost last week at home and they have lost their last two regular season home games. They are not used to that and I expect them to play very hard. We have to exceed their energy and passion on Saturday."

On player matchups ...
"Offensively, we have to run the football to be successful, our offensive line has to show up big on Saturday. Their front seven is very good on defensive, #3 Samer Manna and #11 Roderick Caine are great LBs. We have to win up front on Saturday.

"Defensively, the key will be shutting down their passing attack. Wesley's WRs are as good as we will see all season, #1 Bryce Shade, #5 Alex Kemp, and #2 Cappadonna Miller are very good football players. We have to be very good against the pass."

A Win Would ...
- Lift the Bobcats to 247-278-8 overall
- Give the Bobcats their second 2-0 start in three seasons
- End a nine-game losing skid to the Wolverines
- Be the 10th win over Wesley in the 21-game series
- Hand coach DeLane Fitzgerald his 12th win in three seasons
- Be the 13th 2-0 start in program history
- Be the first win in Dover since 2003

Speaking of the NJAC
Five of the 10 NJAC schools are in action on the second weekend of the 2016 season. On Friday night, Montclair State travels to Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) at Florham Park for a 7:00 pm kick off. On Saturday, Kean gets things going with a road trip to Bridgewater State University at noon.

Friday, September 9
Montclair State at FDU Florham Park - 7:00 pm

Saturday, September 10
Kean at Bridgewater State - 12:00 pm
Frostburg State at #17 Wesley - 1:00 pm
Christopher Newport at Hampden-Sydney - 1:00 pm

All-Americans ...
Frostburg State had a pair of players take home preseason All-American honors during the month of the August. For starters, senior defensive end William Sewell was selected as a d3football.com Second Team All-American after leading the Bobcats in tackles (64), tackles for loss (14.5) and tied for the team lead with 6.0 sacks. He also garnered preseason All-American honors heading into the '15 season by USA College Football.

Sewell and senior return specialist Austin Bonsall were later named to the Football Gameplan 2016 Preseason D3 All-American Team. Sewell was named to the first team defense, while Bonsall was placed on the third team specialists as a punt returner.

A year ago, Bonsall was named the NJAC Special Teams Players of the Year after leading the NJAC and finished second in the nation with two punt return touchdowns. He also finished second in the league and 22nd nationally with a 12.9 yard per return average.

Kick It Up A Notch ...
Senior kicker Isaac Robinson has been recognized for the second-straight preseason for his excellence on the football field and in the community as he has been selected to the 2016 Fred Mitchell Award watch list.

The Fred Mitchell Award recognizes 27 place-kickers on its annual Watch List for their excellence on the football field during the previous season and for continued community service during their off-season.

Of the 27 place-kickers on the watch list, Robinson is one of just four kickers from Division III and is the only NJAC representative on the list.

Last year, Robinson earned First Team All-NJAC honors and was an ECAC All-Star kicker after finishing ninth in the nation in FG's per game (1.20) and 10th in the country in FG percentage (0.750). He led the NJAC with 12 field goals and he finished the season with 63 points that also included 23-of-26 PAT's.

The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the football field and in the community.  Details are provided at www.fredmitchellaward.com.

Bringing Home More Bacon ...
Robinson's Fred Mitchell Award Watch List honor isn't the only preseason nomination for a national award that also honors his work off the field. In mid-July, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced its 25th Anniversary Allstate Good Works Team nominees and Isaac Robinson was among the 156 nominations.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team has recognized college football players from across the country who exemplify a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism.

During his time at Frostburg, Robinson has volunteered with Beautify the Burg picking up trash around the city as well as mulching and painting parts of the town of Frostburg. He has volunteered at local nursing homes, Special Olympics, Storybook Forest, the Scottish Games and has helped with elementary school reading programs.

A 2015-16 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) All-Academic selection, Robinson is also a two-time Empire 8 Athletic Conference President's List honoree and a four-time Dean's List Student. He majors in engineering and carries a 3.56 GPA.
 
On the field, Robinson was named a 2015 ECAC South All-Star and was a 2015 First Team All-NJAC Special Teams player after leading the league in field goals (12), FG's per game (1.20) and FG percentage (75.0). He was third in the conference in PATs with 23.

He was the lone AFCA Good Works Team nominee from the NJAC.

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. The Bobcats have blocked six kicks in each of the last two seasons and have finished 17th and 18th, respectively, in NCAA Division III.

The Bobcats also finished the 2016 season ranked second in the nation in punt return touchdowns (4), 11th in punt returns (15.63), 15th in kickoff return defense (14.95) and 40th in net punting (34.41).

NJAC Preseason Poll
The NJAC released the 2016 Preseason Coaches Poll in early August and Frostburg State was picked to finish third in the 10-team league. The Bobcats were chosen as the league's dark horse team for the second-straight season and received one first-place vote.
Defending champion Salisbury was picked to repeat as the league champion in '16, followed by seventh-ranked Wesley in second place. Rowan, which received one first-place vote, was picked fourth, while Kean was fifth. Rounding out sixth through 10th place are Montclair State (6th), Christopher Newport (7th), TCNJ (8th), William Paterson (9th) and Southern Virginia (10th).

Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 56th year of collegiate football in 2016 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 246-278-8. 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 '16 season marks the second 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.

Last Time Against Wesley
Frostburg  3    Wesley  44    Dover, Del. - Scott D. Miller Stadium
After a scoreless first quarter, fifth-ranked Wesley scored 27 points in the second quarter to hand Frostburg State a 44-3 loss in the home opener for the Bobcats. The game represented the first for both schools as members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Joe Callahan tossed a pair of touchdowns for Wesley before Frostburg got on the board when kicker Isaac Robinson booted a 32-yard field goal.

Callahan and Wesley closed out the half with two more touchdown tosses en route to the 44-3 final.

Connor Cox paced Frostburg offensively with 100 yards through the air and 56 yards rushing.