Frostburg (6-1, 6-1 MEC)	vs.	Wheeling (0-7, 0-6 MEC)

Game Information
Date / Time: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 - 1:00 pm
Where: Bishop Schmitt Field
Watch: MountainEast.tv/Wheeling
Live Stats: WUCardinals.com
Directions: Click Here

Listen: All 11 games will be broadcast on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg



Frostburg Game Notes (PDF)
 

---

PRIOR TO KICKOFF      
The Frostburg State Bobcats hit the road for the fourth time this fall when they travel to Wheeling University this Saturday for 1:00 pm MEC meeting. Fans can listen to the game on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg or online at 995wdzn.com.

Frostburg heads into the contest with a six-game winning streak, while Wheeling is 0-7 overall and 0-6 in the MEC. The Cardinals are in their first season of collegiate football and are under the direction of Zac Bruney. FSU has won six-straight games in each of the last four seasons.

Frostburg started the six-game run with a 52-14 win over Concord, and since then, have earned victories over West Liberty (27-24), Fairmont (41-34 2OT), Urbana (24-16), W.Va. Wesleyan (35-13) and Charleston (42-7).

The Cardinals opened the season with a narrow 33-30 loss against West Liberty, but have lost their last six games by an average of 27 points. Wheeling is ninth in the league in scoring (17.7) and are last in the league in scoring defense (41.4).

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
3 - The Bobcats have made three-consecutive trips to the postseason between the NCAA Playoffs and ECAC Bowl Game (2016, 2017 & 2018)
5 - Frostburg is tied for 13th in DII with just five sacks allowed (166 DII teams)
5 - The Bobcats have five All-Americans in the last five seasons
6 - The current winning streak for Frostburg
9 - Frostburg's preseason ranking in the MEC Coaches' Poll
10 - The Bobcats have scored 10 TDs this fall outside the redzone
10 - FSU has won 10-straight games in the month of Oct.
10 - FSU has won 10 or more games in the last three seasons
12 - Seniors on this year's team
13 - FSU has 13 scoring drives (TD or FG) over 60 yards this season
17 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 19 home games
19 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 20 games away from home
26 - The numbers of wins over a 10-year stretch before Fitzgerald took over
28 – Of Frostburg's 30 TDs this season; 28 have come from the offense
28.5 - Tackles for loss for junior DE Zach Strand during his career
31 – Number of combined TFLs for Zach Strand, Carl Igweh and Wayne Palmer
37 - Number of wins for the Bobcats since the start of the 2016 season
47 - Wins in five-plus seasons under the direction of DeLane Fitzgerald
48 - Frostburg has collected 48 all-conference honorees in the last five years
69 - FSU has 69 tackles for loss this fall

AWAY FROM  BOBCAT STADIUM      
The Frostburg football program has been highly successful away from Bobcat Stadium over the last five seasons, boasting 23 wins to just four 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 3-0 on the road after defeating Concord (52-14), Fairmont State (41-34, 2OT) and W.Va. Wesleyan (35-13).

Frostburg has won its last eight 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 20-5 mark in the month over the last five seasons.

In fact, since the 2015 season, Frostburg is 19-2 and has won it's last 10 games in the month of October.  

Frostburg Month-By-Month Over The Last Five Seasons
Month    W-L
September    14-5
October    20-5
November    11-4

SCOUTING FROSTBURG      
- 6-1 Overall in 2019 and 6-1 in the MEC
- After dropping its season opener, FSU has won its last six games
- The Bobcats are averaging 37 ppg during the six-game winning streak
- Bobcats are 3-1 on Thursday nights this fall; 3-0 on Saturdays
- Fourth in MEC in scoring (34.0), leads league in scoring defense (18.2)
- Seventh in total offense (361.0), third in total defense (342.1)
- Fourth in rushing (150.6), fifth in rushing defense (122.4)
- Eighth in passing offense (210.4), third in passing defense (219.7)
- Leads MEC in sacks (29); leads MEC in fewest sacks allowed (5)
- Second in time of possession in MEC (32:45)
- Junior RB Gavin Lavat second in MEC in rushing (103.0)
- Graduate QB Will Brunson sixth in passing (206.9)
- Brunson tied for fifth in MEC in TDs (14)
- Juniors Carl Igweh and Zach Strand rank first and third respectively in the league in tackles for loss per game at 12.5 and 11.5
- Senior Michael Bell is second in MEC interceptions (4)

SCOUTING WHEELING     
- 0-7 Overall, 0-6 MEC
- First official season of collegiate football
- Narrowly dropped the season opener to West Liberty in the final seconds (33-30)
- Head coach Zac Bruney (1st season) – program's first head coach
- WU ranks ninth in MEC in scoring (17.7), last in scoring defense (41.4)
- Tenth in MEC in total offense (286.7), last in total defense (490.6)
- Have surrendered 500+ yards in four of its first five games
- The offense has passed on 61% of snaps
- QB Tucker Strachan leads the MEC in pass comps (153) and attempts (270)
- Two receivers have over 450 yards (Jaquan Davidson 481, Ryan LaFollete 460)
- CB Rich White III is second in the MEC in passes defended (11), tied for sixth in total tackles (60)
- LB James Reese has a team-best four sacks on the season
- CB Aaron Finch has picked off three passes, including one returned for a TD.

BOBCATS ON TV      
Frostburg's dominating 42-7 win over Charleston last Thursday was broadcast live to 10 million homes on MASN and was rebroadcast on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh at 9:00 pm later that evening. It was Frostburg's first live TV game in program history and fans joined watch parties throughout Maryland and in Charlotte to catch all of the action.

PRESEASON POLL       
Frostburg was picked to finish ninth in its first season as a member of the Mountain East Conference and five of FSU's six wins have come against teams picked ahead of them in the poll.

Frostburg took down Fairmont in 2OT and the Falcons were picked to finish second in the league. Last Thursday night, the Bobcats dominated Charleston to the tune of 42-7 at Bobcat Stadium and UC was slated to finish fourth in the league.

The Bobcats have also defeated Urbana (fifth), West Liberty (sixth), Concord (eighth) and W.Va. Wesleyan (10th).

Wheeling was one of just two teams selected to finish behind FSU in the preseason poll.

FAMILIAR TERRITORY      
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) released its weekly top 25 poll on Monday and the Bobcats find themselves in familiar territory.

Frostburg boasts a 6-1 overall record and the AFCA has FSU listed in the receiving votes category despite the Bobcats being in their first season at Division II.

Frostburg spent the entire 2017 and 2018 season ranked in the DIII AFCA poll and the Bobcats reached as high as sixth in the coaches poll midway through the '18 season.

SCORING FIRST      
Frostburg is currently riding a six-game winning streak and FSU has scored first in five of those wins. Under Fitzgerald, FSU is 38-3 when scoring first.

STRAIGHT SIX      
Frostburg is currently riding a six-game winning streak after opening the season with a loss. The Bobcats have collected at least six-straight wins in each of the last four seasons dating back to 2016.

A VICTORY WOULD      
- Lift the Bobcats to 283-283-8 overall in 59 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 48th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Hand the Bobcats their 11th-straight win in October
- Keep Frostburg undefeated on the road this season at 4-0
- Be Frostburg's fourth-straight season with a seven-game winning streak

TOUGH TO COME BY      
In his five-plus seasons at the helm, Fitzgerald has led the Bobcats to a 30-1 record when holding opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.

FSU has limited its last three opponents, Urbana, Wesleyan and Charleston, to less than 100 yards on the ground.

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.

WEEKLY HONORS      
Frostburg junior DE Zach Strand pulled in his second weekly honor from the Mountain East Conference office this week as he was named the Defensive Player of the Week for the second time.

In FSU's dominating 42-7 victory over Charleston, Strand made four tackles, including two sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and returned one of those fumbles 39-yards for a touchdown. It marks the second game this season that the junior recorded two sacks in a game, and his second collegiate scoop and score.

IN WILL WE TRUST      
Frostburg graduate QB Will Brunson has thrown for 14 touchdowns in seven games this season and is completing nearly 56 percent of his passes. He has thrown for two or more TDs in four contests and has passed for 1,448 yards. He is currently tied for fifth in the MEC in TDs and seventh in yards.

TIME MANAGEMENT      
Frostburg enters the eighth week of the fall season ranked second in the MEC in time of possession at 32:45 per game.

The Bobcats have held the ball for 30 or more minutes in five of seven games this season. FSU has held onto the football for 34 or more minutes in three games.

The Bobcats's T.O.P. numbers are a direct result of Frostburg running the ball on 62 percent of its offensive plays.

TIME MANAGEMENT 2.0      
Frostburg held the football for impressive 37:25 in its win over Charleston, effectively keeping UC's high-powered offense off the field. The time of possession against UC, is the most since Frostburg held the ball for 40:07 in its 35-34 win over nationally-ranked Wesley a year ago.

In 2017, Frostburg held the ball for more than 35 minutes in six games and surpassed 40 minutes against Witterberg in the NCAA Playoffs.

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 third in the league's statistical standings in tackles for loss. Igweh paces the league with 12.0 tackles for loss (1.79), while Strand is third at 11.5 (1.64).

In his two years with Frostburg, Igweh has made 18.5 stops behind the line, while Strand has 28.5 TFLs through 2.5 years on the roster.

The Bobcats are currently third in the DII ranks in sacks per game (4.14) and  tackles for loss per game (9.9).

LEANING ON LAVAT      
Junior RB Gavin Lavat is second in the MEC statistics in rushing this season, averaging 103.0 yards per game over FSU's first seven games in Division II.

Lavat ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Concord and posted a season-high 143 yards on 30 attempts with three touchdowns in a win over Charleston.

Lavat is on pace to become Frostburg's first 1,000 yard runner in a single season since DeNelle Hale in 2001 (1,073).

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 4.14 TDs per game and if that pace continues, the Bobcats will find the end zone nearly 45 times in their first season at DII.

LAST TIME OUT      
The Frostburg State football team jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter en route to a dominating 42-7 win over Charleston last Thursday in a TV game on MASN and AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

The Golden Eagles entered the contest with the MEC's second-ranked offense in yardage (459.3) behind the league's top passing attack (351.8). The Bobcat defense limited UC to just 252 yards in offense and 170 yards through the air.

The Bobcats turned a pair of Charleston turnovers in the first half into touchdowns, recovered a pooch kick that led to six more points and limited the visitors to just 141 yards on five possessions over the first two quarters.