#11 Frostburg (2-0, 1-0 NJAC)  vs  CNU (2-0, 1-0 NJAC)
Frostburg enters Saturday evening having won 11-straight games

POMOCO Stadium
Saturday, September 16  I  7:00 pm
Live Video  I  Live Stats

Frostburg Game Notes
 

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Setting the Scene
The 11th-ranked Frostburg State football team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling across state lines to face NJAC-rival Christopher Newport at POMOCO Stadium in a matchup of the league's top passing offenses. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Frostburg (2-0) carries an 11-game winning streak and nine-straight league wins into Saturday's matchup.

Frostburg is one of only two NJAC teams ranked inside this week's D3football.com Top 25 Poll. Both teams come into the game following a win in week two, as Frostburg cruised to a 49-14 triumph over The College of New Jersey and Christopher Newport used stifling defense to outlast Hampden-Sydney 20-7.

Christopher Newport (2-0) is under the direction of new head coach Art Link, who earned his first victory at the helm of the program in week one over Southern Virginia (45-17). Last week the Captains limited Hampden-Sydney to 45 rushing yards and held the Tigers off the scoreboard until the final minute of the game.

Frostburg defeated the Captains 17-6 on Homecoming last season at Bobcat Stadium. Senior wide receiver Russell Neverdon caught seven passes for 107 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown pass from QB Connor Cox in the third quarter.  

The game will be streamed live by Christopher Newport and available on CNUSports.com/live.

The Series
Today's matchup between Frostburg and CNU is the fourth between the two schools and the Bobcats have won all three previous meetings.

Frostburg has only traveled to POMOCO Stadium once and the Bobcats escaped with a 19-14 win in 2015.

FSU won the first meeting between the two in 2010, 33-31, and the Bobcats' 17-6 win over CNU last season came on Homecoming at Bobcat Stadium.

Scouting CNU
Christopher Newport has been "linked in" to begin the 2017 season with the arrival of new head coach Art Link. The Captains opened the year with a 45-17 win over Southern Virginia and are coming off a 20-7 victory over Hampden-Sydney last week.

Senior QB K.J. Kearney, the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week in week one, is completing nearly 75% of his passes and leads the NJAC with 551 passing yards and six touchdowns in 2017. He has a host of offensive weapons around him, including freshman RB Taige Brown and WRs Austin Hall and Cole Blais. CNU ranks second in the league in total offense (410.0), third in scoring offense (32.5) and first in passing offense (279.5).

Defensively, CNU is third in the league in scoring defense (12.0), fifth in total defense (290.5) and seventh in passing defense (182.5). Junior LB Jamal Spence enters week three with 15 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one sack and one fumble recovery. Senior DB Justus Drakeford leads the NJAC with six passes defended, including five pass breakups and one interception.

Following tonight's game, the Captains will travel to Montclair State for an NJAC matchup at 1:00 p.m.

Scouting Frostburg
The 11th-ranked Bobcats have emerged as one of the top teams in the nation through the first two weeks of the season and have improved their win total each of the last three years under head coach DeLane Fitzgerald.

Frostburg picked up where right it left off in the season-opener with a 49-14 blowout win over The College of New Jersey at Bobcat Stadium last Saturday. The Bobcats came out firing to begin the game, jumping out to a 28-0 first half lead. Chad Gleason returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown on the fifth play from scrimmage and Connor Cox found Malik Morris for a 57-yard touchdown on the Bobcats' first offensive snap.  

Frostburg held steady at #11 in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll this week and junior RB Grayson Boyce was named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week after running for 122 yards on 14 carries and two first half touchdowns.

The Bobcats racked up 466 yards of total offense in week two and worked in a plethora of players into the game. Overall, three players threw a pass, seven players had at least one rushing attempt and ten players had at least one reception. Frostburg ranks second in scoring offense (41.0) and is tied for second in passing offense (233.5).

Defensively, the Bobcats pace the NJAC in rushing defense (20.5) and rank second in scoring defense (10.5) and total defense (204.5). Senior DT Niles Scott leads the NJAC in sacks/game (1.5) and is tied for fourth in tackles for loss (1.5)

In 2016, the Bobcats finished at 10-1 overall and captured a share of the NJAC Championship. Frostburg finished the season ranked ninth in the country by allowing 240.6 yards of offense per contest. The Bobcats also led the nation in tackles for loss per game (10.7), and allowed just 13 points per game, good for the sixth-best scoring defense in Division III.

In the Rankings
The Bobcat football team remained at 11th in the D3football.com week two poll, their highest ranking in program history.

Following a 33-7 week one win over then 18th-ranked Stevenson, the Bobcats moved from 17th in the D3football.com Preseason Poll to 11th in the week one poll. FSU defeated TCNJ 49-14 this past week prior to the release of the week two poll.

Frostburg garnered plenty of preseason attention in the rankings from multiple outlets, checking in at 15th in the Street & Smith's Preseason Poll, 16th according to the Lindy's Poll and were tabbed 19th in the College Football Yearbook Preseason Poll.

Last fall, FSU finished 10-1 overall and was ranked 23rd in the final D3football.com Top 25 Poll and they reached 24th in the final AFCA Division III Top 25 Poll.

FSU was picked to finish second in the NJAC and received two first-place votes.

Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald
DeLane Fitzgerald is in his fourth season at the helm of the Frostburg State football program in 2017 and his impact has been immediate. The Bobcats finished 4-6 overall in '14, posted a 6-4 mark in 2015 and rolled to an impressive 10-1 overall mark a year ago. FSU capped the '16 season with nine-straight wins, a share of the NJAC Title, the 18th Annual Regents Cup trophy and the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game trophy.

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, the Bobcats posted some of the most impressive numbers last fall. The FSU defense finished ninth nationally in total defense after holding opponents to just 240.6 yards per game. The Bobcats also led the nation in tackles for loss per game (10.7), and allowed just 13 points per game, good for the sixth-best scoring defense in Division III.

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 following the '15 campaign (6). FSU finished the 2015 season ranked 11th in the country in punt returns (15.63) and 15th in kickoff return defense (14.95). Last season, the Bobcats finished first in the NJAC and 12th nationally in blocked kicks.

Through two weeks this fall, the Bobcats pace DIII in sacks (6.00), are 16th in first down defense (16) and are 12th in scoring offense (49.0).

Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
On the CNU matchup ...
"The biggest game in our conference this week, a matchup of the top two teams in the standings. A Saturday night game at one of the best stadiums in our conference, their stadium will be packed. If you can't get up for this game, you need to check your pulse, weeks like this are what we practice and play for!"

"Saturday night will be a hard-fought football game between two good football teams. Turnovers and special teams will determine who wins."   

On the CNU staff ...
"CNU has a new head coach in Art Link and new coaching staff and coach Link has done a nice job coaching his guys and young people like things that are new. The CNU players have played very hard for the new coaching staff the first two weeks and I expect CNU's players to play very hard again on Saturday night."

On the CNU offense ...
"CNU is running a fast paced, no huddle offense led by #4 QB KJ Kearney, #78 LG Tyler Williams, #10 WR Austin Hall. Kearney is the returning First Team All-NJAC QB and he's been very accurate so far this fall. "

On the CNU defense ...
"CNU is mixing up their defensive fronts in an attempt to cause confusion for opposing offenses and it has work so far this fall. CNU is led defensively by #52 MLB Brennan Gary, #2 CB Justus Drakeford, and #90 DE Chris Coggins."

A Win Would ...
- Lift the Bobcats to 258-279-8 overall in 56 seasons
- Keep the Bobcats undefeated against CNU at 4-0
- Give the Bobcats their 10th-straight win in conference play
- Hand Frostburg its 12th-straight win dating back to week three of the 2016 season
- Bring Frostburg within one game of tying the school record for 13-consecutive wins
- Land Fitzgerald his 23rd victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Be FSU's fifth-straight win away from Bobcat Stadium
- Hand the Bobcats' their fourth-straight win in the state of Virginia

Speaking of the NJAC
All 10 NJAC schools are in action this Saturday and all 10 are in league action.

Saturday, September 16
Wesley at TCNJ – 12:00 pm
Rowan at William Paterson – 1:00 pm
Montclair State at Southern Virginia - 1:00 pm
Salisbury at Kean – 1:00 pm
Frostburg at Christopher Newport – 7:00 pm

Oh Captain, My Captain
A foursome of Frostburg players will serve as team captains for Saturday's matchup with Christopher Newport: senior offensive linemen Jake Townsend and Christian Walsh, senior defensive back Dante Chinnery and senior defensive tackle Niles Scott.

NJAC Preseason Poll
The NJAC released the 2017 Preseason Coaches Poll in early August and Frostburg State was picked to finish second in the 10-team league. The Bobcats received two first-place votes after being selected as the league's dark horse prior to both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Wesley was selected to finish a top the league standings after receiving eight first-place votes. Salisbury sits one spot behind Frostburg in third, followed by Rowan.

Kean, the 2017 dark horse selection, is projected fifth. Christopher Newport, Montclair State, Southern Virginia, William Paterson and TCNJ round out the poll, slotted at the six through ten spots.

Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 57th year of collegiate football in 2017 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 257-279-8. The Bobcats appeared in the 1993 NCAA Playoffs and have played in eight ECAC Bowl Games. The Bobcats capped their 2016 campaign with a 10-1 overall record that included a lopsided 38-14 win over then 22nd-ranked St. John Fisher in the ECAC's Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game.

The '17 season marks the third 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-American
Bobcat senior defensive tackle Niles Scott has racked up the preseason awards heading into his final season in a Bobcat uniform. Scott received preseason All-American honors from D3football.com, HERO Sports, Street & Smith's and Lindy's Sports. He capped his junior campaign ranked 47th in the country in TFLs (1.6) and 49th in sacks (0.82).

Through two games this year, Scott has totaled nine tackles with three sacks and three tackles for loss.

Leading the Charge
Junior running back Grayson Boyce has powered the Bobcat ground game through the first two games this fall. He has totaled five touchdowns and is averaging nearly seven yards per carry.

Following two rushing TDs and 122 yards against TCNJ, Boyce was the named the league's Offensive Player of the Week and he leads the conference in scoring (15.0).

Under Center
Junior quarterback Connor Cox is back for his third season as the Bobcats' signal caller in 2017. Through two weeks, Cox has passed for 419 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 66.7 percent of his passes.

Cox is seventh in school history in passing yards (3,594), just 448 yards shy of passing current FSU assistant coach Ken Emmons for sixth. Cox is also one touchdown toss shy of moving into fifth in the record books.

Providing Versatility
Senior wideout Russell Neverdon leads the Bobcats and is fifth in the conference in receiving yards (128) on eight receptions. He has also returned two kickoffs for 37 yards. A year ago, Neverdon was a Second Team All-NJAC selection as a wide receiver and he earned first team all-conference honors as a return specialist.

On the Defensive
Over the last five games dating back to last season, Frostburg has held its opponents to 160 rushing yards on 149 carries, a 1.07 yard per carry average. The Bobcats have also held three of their last five opponents to negative rushing yardage.