Frostburg (4-1, 4-1 MEC)	vs.	W.Va. Wesleyan (1-4 1-3 MEC)

Cebe Ross Field  I  Saturday, Oct. 12
Buckhannon, W.Va.  I  1:00 pm


Live Stats
Live Radio - All 11 games will be broadcast on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg
Frostburg vs. Urbana Game Notes (PDF)

---

PRIOR TO KICKOFF
The Frostburg State Bobcats travel to West Virginia Wesleyan this Saturday for the third road contest of the season at 1:00 p.m. Saturday's matchup also represents Homecoming 2019 for Wesleyan.

Saturday's matchup will be the sixth Mountain East Conference game for Frostburg and FSU has won four-straight games after dropping its season opener to W.Va. State. Frostburg sits at 4-1 overall and 4-1 in the league and is third in the MEC standings.

Frostburg started its winning streak with a 52-14 victory over Concord in Athens, W.Va. and since then, the Bobcats have dropped West Liberty (27-24), Fairmont State in 2OT (41-34) and Urbana (24-16).

W.Va. Wesleyan hosts FSU with a 1-4 overall record, including a 1-3 MEC mark. The Bobcats lost to Notre Dame last Saturday 52-6 and picked up their first victory in late September with a 33-19 win over Wheeling.

BY THE NUMBERS      
1 - First season (2019) at the NCAA Division II level for Frostburg State
2 - FSU has appeared in the NCAA Playoffs in each of the last two seasons
2 - Frostburg is tied for second in DII in fewest sacks allowed (166 DII teams)
3 - The Bobcats have made three-consecutive trips to the postseason between the NCAA Playoffs and ECAC Bowl Game (2016, 2017 & 2018)
4 - The current winning streak for Frostburg
5 - The Bobcats have five All-Americans in the last five seasons
5 - The Bobcats have scored five TDs this fall outside the redzone
8 - FSU has won eight-straight games in the month of Oct.
8 - FSU has eight scoring drives (TD or FG) over 60 yards this season
9 - Frostburg's preseason ranking in the MEC Coaches' Poll
10 - FSU has won 10 or more games in the last three seasons
12 - Seniors on this year's team
16 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 18 home games
18 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 20 games away from home
20 - The number of times Frostburg has found the end zone this fall
20 – Of Frostburg's 20 TDs this season; 19 have come from the offense
24 – Number of combined TFLs for Zach Strand, Carl Igweh and Wayne Palmer
25.5 - Tackles for loss for junior DE Zach Strand during his career
26 - The numbers of wins over a 10-year stretch before Fitzgerald took over
35 - Number of wins for the Bobcats since the start of the 2016 season
45 - Wins in five-plus seasons under the direction of DeLane Fitzgerald
48 - FSU has 48 tackles for loss this fall
48 - Frostburg has collected 48 all-conference honorees in the last five years

BOBCATS ON TV      
The Mountain East Conference has announced that Frostburg's football game against Charleston has been moved to Thursday, Oct., 17 at 7:00 pm and will now be televised live on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and at 9 p.m. on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, reaching nearly 10 million homes. For more details, visit www.FrostburgSports.com/TV or find a watch party near you at https://www.frostburg.edu/alumni/reunions.php. The are six locations throughout the state of Maryland that will feature a watch party.

AWAY FROM  BOBCAT STADIUM      
The Frostburg football program has been highly successful away from Bobcat Stadium over the last five seasons, boasting 22 wins to just five losses. In fact, the Bobcats were 5-0 outside Frostburg last fall, while in 2017, FSU was 7-1 in road games falling to eventual-national champion Mount Union in the NCAA Playoff quarterfinals in November.

This season, Frostburg is 2-0 on the road after defeating Concord in week two, 52-14 and Fairmont 41-34 in 2OT.

Frostburg has won its last seven road games counting games in 2018 and 2019.

FSU SUCCESS IN OCTOBER      
While the month of September has been a great month for Frostburg football, October has been even better as FSU boasts a 18-5 mark in the month over the last five seasons.

In fact, over the last three seasons the Bobcats have just one blemish on their schedule as they are 13-1 in October. FSU has won it's last eight games in the month after that blemish in early October of 2017.

Frostburg Month-By-Month Over The Last Five Seasons
Month    W-L
September    14-5
October    18-5
November    11-4

SCOUTING FROSTBURG      
- 4-1 Overall in 2019 and 4-1 in the MEC
- FSU has won its last four games; Concord (52-14), West Liberty (27-24), Fairmont (41-34 2OT) and Urbana (24-16)
- Bobcats are 2-1 on Thursday nights this fall; 2-0 on Saturday
- Frostburg posted 19-point, fourth quarter comeback in the 2OT win over Fairmont
- Frostburg dominated Urbana 24-16, holding the Blue Knights to less than 100 yards in offense until midway through the fourth quarter
- Fourth in MEC in scoring (32.2), leads league in scoring defense (21.6)
- Sixth in total offense (372.4), fifth in total defense (373.8)
- Fifth in rushing (155.4), sixth in rushing defense (148.0)
- Seventh in passing offense (217.0), fourth in passing defense (225.8)
- Leads MEC in sacks (17); lead MEC in fewest sacks allowed (1)
- Third in time of possession in MEC (32:29)
- Junior RB Gavin Lavat third in MEC in rushing (101.0)
- Graduate QB Will Brunson seventh in passing (215.2)
- Brunson tied for fourth in MEC in passing TDs (10)
- Juniors Carl Igweh (9.0) and Zach Strand (8.5) are first and second in the MEC in tackles for loss, and senior Wayne Palmer (6.5) ranks seventh
- Senior Michael Bell is second in MEC interceptions (3)

SCOUTING W.Va. WESLEYAN     
- 1-4 Overall, 1-3 MEC
- Opened the season 0-3
- Only win over Wheeling (33-19)
- Wesleyan ranks 10th in MEC in scoring (16.4), 10th in scoring defense (37.8)
- 11th in MEC in offense (281.0), 9th in defense (413.4)
- 10th in rushing (72.8), 8th in rushing defense (164.6)
- 9th in passing offense (208.2), 10th in passing defense (248.8)
- 8th in sacks (8) and allowed the ninth most sacks in the MEC (14)
- John Merica leads MEC in tackles (60) and tackles per game (12.0)
- Ephraim Moore ranks fourth in passes defended (7); five PBUs .. 2INTs
- Kord Jenkins leads team in rushing (227 yds.) and ypg (56.8)
- Jarrett Northrop has thrown for 1,019 yards on 82-of-164 attempts with 6 TDs
- Six different players have caught a TD
- Devin Taylor has 23 receptions, 250 yards and one TD

ADDITIONAL WESLEYAN NOTES     
- First year of football - 1899
- 5-6 in 2017, 1-9 in 2018
- Picked 10th in MEC Preseason Coaches Poll
- Two All-MEC honorees in 2018; neither returned in 2019

SECOND, FIFTH, SIXTH & EIGHTH       
Frostburg was picked to finish ninth in its first season as a member of the Mountain East Conference and all four of the Bobcats' wins have come against team picked ahead of them in the poll.

Frostburg took down Fairmont in 2OT and the Falcons were picked to finish second in the league. The Bobcats have also defeated Urbana (fifth), West Liberty (sixth) and Concord (eighth).

This Saturday will pit Frostburg against West Virginia Wesleyan, which was picked to finish in 10th.

SCORING FIRST      
Frostburg is currently riding a four-game winning streak and FSU has scored first in three of those wins. Under Fitzgerald, FSU is 36-3 when scoring first.

FOUR OF A KIND      
Frostburg is currently riding a four-game winning streak after opening the season with a loss. The Bobcats have collected at least four-straight wins in each of the last five seasons dating back to 2015.

A VICTORY WOULD      
- Lift the Bobcats to 281-283-8 overall in 59 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 46th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Hand the Bobcats their ninth-straight win in October
- Be FSU's eighth-straight road win
- Give the Bobcats their 17th win in their last 18 conference games

TOUGH TO COME BY      
In his five-plus seasons at the helm, Fitzgerald has led the Bobcats to a 28-1 record when holding opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.

WHO DOESN'T LIKE EXTRA FOOTBALL      
During Fitzgerald's tenure in Western Maryland, Frostburg is 4-1 when a game needs to be decided in overtime. The Bobcats are 3-0 during that span in games that need two overtimes just as FSU's thrilling 41-34 win over Fairmont couldn't be settled in just one extra frame.

The win over Fairmont marks the third-consecutive season that FSU has collected a win in OT.

Since Frostburg's first overtime game in 1999, the Bobcats are 7-5 all-time when a game needs more than the normal 60 minutes.

IN WILL WE TRUST      
Frostburg graduate QB Will Brunson is in rare territory despite the recent success under center for the Bobcats. Brunson has thrown for 10 touchdowns through the first five games, including one in Saturday's 24-16 win over Urbana.

Brunson's 10 TDs equal recent Frostburg QB Connor Cox's numbers in each of the last two seasons when Frostburg scored a school record 61 TDs.

OPPONENT BACKFIELDS      
A pair of Frostburg juniors have been introducing themselves to MEC opponents by spending quality time in their opponent's backfield.

Carl Igweh and Zach Strand are currently first and second in the league's statistical standings in tackles for loss. Igweh paces the league with 9.0 tackles for loss (1.80), while Strand is second at 8.5 (1.70).

In his two years with Frostburg, Igweh has made 15 stops behind the line, while Strand has 25.5 TFLs through 2.5 years on the roster. A year ago, Strand finished 97th in Division III at 1.3 tackles for loss per game.

However, when comparing FSU's numbers with the stats around the MEC, the Bobcats would be among the league's best in several categories.

Frostburg would currently lead the MEC in tackles for loss per game (9.5), sacks per game (3.4) and scoring defense (21.6).

LEANING ON LAVAT      
Junior RB Gavin Lavat is third in the MEC statistics in rushing this season, averaging 101.0 yards per game over FSU's first five games in Division II.

Lavat opened the season with 99 yards on 22 carries against W.Va. State and added 141 yards and three touchdowns on 17 attempts in a win over Concord.

Last Saturday, Lavat rumbled for 124 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown.

BOBCATS IN THE MEC      
Through five MEC games this fall, Frostburg is ranked fourth in the MEC in scoring (32.2) and leads the league in scoring defense (21.6). FSU also leads the league with 17 sacks and has allowed just one sack this season, the best mark in the conference.

Frostburg is also fifth in the league in total defense (373.8) and third in time of possession (32:29).

FINDING THE END ZONE      
The Bobcats have scored 61 offensive touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. In 2017, Frostburg's 61 TDs broke the program record of 53 touchdowns that was set in 1990.

So far this fall, Frostburg is averaging four TDs per game and if that pace continues, the Bobcats will find the end zone nearly 44 times in their first season at DII.

LAST TIME OUT      
Frostburg cruised to its sixth-consecutive win on Homecoming with a dominating 24-16 victory over Urbana last Saturday.

The win is the fourth in-a-row this season for FSU after it dropped its season opener.

The Bobcats jumped out to a 24-0 lead against Urbana and held the Blue Knights to less than 100 yards in total offense until midway through the fourth quarter when UU scored two late touchdowns.