Frostburg (7-1, 7-1 MEC)	vs.	#6 Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 MEC)

Game Information
Date / Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 - 1:00 pm
Where: Bobcat Stadium
Watch: MountainEast.tv/Frostburg
Live Stats: FrostburgSports.com/Live
Directions: Click Here

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


Frostburg Game Notes (PDF)
 

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PRIOR TO KICKOFF      
Frostburg State returns home this Saturday for the fifth home game of the 2019 season and will welcome sixth-ranked Notre Dame for a 1:00 pm kickoff. Fans can listen to the game on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg or online at 995wdzn.com.

Frostburg heads into the contest with a seven-game winning streak and is in second place in the MEC standings. On the other, Notre Dame is undefeated at 8-0 and sits in first in the league standings. Last fall, the Falcons advanced to the NCAA Playoff semifinals and lost to eventual national champion Valdosta State.

Frostburg started the seven-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), Charleston (42-7) and Wheeling (42-12).

The Falcons are outscoring their opponents this season by an average of 22 points per game and are 3-0 in away games this fall. ND boasts one of the top rushing attacks in the nation behind Jaleel McLaughlin who is averaging 180 yards on the ground per game.

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 - The Bobcats have five All-Americans in the last five seasons
7 - The current winning streak for Frostburg
7 - FSU has allowed just seven sacks; tied for 18th in fewest allowed (166 DII teams)
9 - Frostburg's preseason ranking in the MEC Coaches' Poll
10 - Frostburg has won 10 of its 11 games in the month of November
10 - FSU has won 10 or more games in the last three seasons
11 - FSU has won 11-straight games in the month of Oct.
12 - Seniors on this year's team
13 - The Bobcats have scored 13 TDs this fall outside the redzone
15 - FSU has 15 scoring drives (TD or FG) over 60 yards this season
17 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 19 home games
20 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 21 games away from home
26 - The numbers of wins over a 10-year stretch before Fitzgerald took over
29 - Tackles for loss for junior DE Zach Strand during his career
32 – Of Frostburg's 36 TDs this season; 32 have come from the offense
32.5 – Number of combined TFLs for Zach Strand, Carl Igweh and Wayne Palmer
38 - Number of wins for the Bobcats since the start of the 2016 season
48 - Wins in five-plus seasons under the direction of DeLane Fitzgerald
48 - Frostburg has collected 48 all-conference honorees in the last five years 74 - FSU has 74 tackles for loss this fall

WELCOME TO BOBCAT STADIUM      
The Frostburg football program has been impressive over the last three seasons at home at Bobcat Stadium. During that span, FSU has won 19 games against just three losses.

In 2016, the Bobcats were a perfect 6-0, while a year ago, Frostburg was 4-0 at home during the regular season and defeated Western New England, 42-24, in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs at Bobcat Stadium.

After dropping the 2019 season opener to W.Va. State (20-17), FSU has won its last three home contests; West Liberty (27-24), Urbana (24-16) and Charleston (42-7).

FSU SUCCESS IN NOVEMBER      
The month of November means that the Division II regular season is coming to a close and playoffs are just around the corner. Frostburg has made trips to the postseason in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and while the Bobcats don't qualify for the postseason for three seasons, the final month of the season is still big for FSU.

Over the last three seasons, Frostburg is 10-1 in games in November and the Bobcats are 4-1 in postseason play in November.

Frostburg Month-By-Month Over The Last Five Seasons
Month    W-L
September    14-5
October    21-5
November    11-4

SCOUTING FROSTBURG      
- 7-1 Overall and 7-1 in the MEC
- After dropping its season opener, FSU has won its last seven games
- The Bobcats are averaging 37.6 ppg during the seven-game winning streak
- FSU is holding opponents to just 17 ppg over the last seven games
- Frostburg is 3-1 with three-consecutive wins at home this fall
- FSU has six wins over ranked opponents in Fitzgerald's six seasons
- Third in MEC in scoring (34.8), leads league in scoring defense (18.9)
- Sixth in total offense (378.6), fifth in total defense (346.4)
- Fourth in rushing (143.1), fifth in rushing defense (132.9)
- Seventh in passing offense (235.4), third in passing defense (213.6)
- Lead MEC in sacks (32); lead MEC in fewest sacks allowed (7)
- First in time of possession in MEC (33:05)
- Junior RB Gavin Lavat second in MEC in rushing (105.5)
- Graduate QB Will Brunson seventh in passing (201.8)
- Brunson tied for fourth in MEC in TDs (16)
- Juniors Carl Igweh and Zach Strand rank third and fourth respectively in the league in tackles for loss per game at 13 and 12
- Senior Michael Bell is second in MEC interceptions (4)

SCOUTING NOTRE DAME     
- 8-0 Overall and 7-0 MEC
- One of 14 undefeated teams remaining in Division II
- The Falcons have not lost a regular-season game since late in the 2017 season
- ND has won its last 19 regular-season games
- Scored over 40 points in six of eight games this season
- Boast the nation's 13th best rushing attack (252.6)
- Sophomore RB Jaleel McLaughlin leads the country in rushing yards (1,277), yards per game (182.4) and scoring (16.3)
- McLaughlin needs just 26 yards on the ground to become the MEC's all-time leader in rushing yards
- Mike Jacobs third head coach in program history - 38-6 overall - in his fourth season
- First in MEC in scoring (45.0), fourth in scoring defense (26.9)
- Third in total offense (436.4), fourth in total defense (344.0)
- First in rushing (265.1), first in rushing defense (77.6)
- 11th in passing offense (171.3), eighth in passing defense (266.4)

BOBCATS ON TV      
Frostburg's dominating 42-7 win over Charleston on Thursday, Oct. 17 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 seven 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. On Thursday Oct. 12, 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), W.Va. Wesleyan (10th) and Wheeling (11th).

Notre Dame was picked to win the league with 10 of the league's 11 first-place votes. The Falcons won the league a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Playoff semifinals.

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 7-1 overall record and the AFCA has FSU listed in the receiving votes category for the second-straight week 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 seven-game winning streak and FSU has scored first in five of those wins. Under Fitzgerald, FSU is 38-3 when scoring first.

RANKED WINS      
Frostburg has posted six wins over ranked opponents during Fitzgerald's tenure in Western Maryland. Three of those ranked wins came in FSU's historic 2017 campaign, while a year ago, the Bobcats defeated No. 6 Wesley 35-34.

LUCKY 7      
Frostburg is currently riding a seven-game winning streak after opening the season with a loss. The Bobcats have won seven games in a row in each of the last four seasons starting in 2016.

A VICTORY WOULD      
- Lift the Bobcats to 284-283-8 overall in 59 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 49th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Give the Bobcats their 11th win in their last 12 games in November
- Give FSU an eight-game winning streak for the third time in the last four seasons
- Elevate Frostburg into first place in the MEC standings

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.

TURNOVER BATTLE      
Over the last four games, Frostburg's opponents have turned the ball over 12 times with 10 of those takeaways coming on interceptions.

The Bobcats are currently third in the MEC with 17 turnovers gained and they are second in the league at +5 in turnover margin.

IN WILL WE TRUST      
Frostburg graduate QB Will Brunson has thrown for 16 touchdowns in eight games this season and is completing nearly 56 percent of his passes. He has thrown for two or more TDs in five contests and has passed for 1,614 yards. He is currently fourth in the MEC in TDs and seventh in yards.

TIME MANAGEMENT      
Frostburg enters the ninth week of the fall season ranked first in the MEC and 13th in the nation in time of possession at 32:54 per game.

The Bobcats have held the ball for 30 or more minutes in six of eight 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 63 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.

Frostburg currently ranks 13th in the country in TOP and will be important in keeping Notre Dame's offense off the field.

BIG PLAYS      
Notre Dame has scored 15 touchdowns this fall on plays of 30 yards or longer. Frostburg, meanwhile, has allowed just five touchdowns of 30 yards or longer, including just two in the last four games.

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 third and fourth in the league's statistical standings in tackles for loss. Igweh has 13.0 tackles for loss (1.63), while Strand has 12.0 (1.50).

In his two years with Frostburg, Igweh has made 19 stops behind the line, while Strand has 29 TFLs through 2.5 years on the roster.

The Bobcats are currently ninth in the DII ranks in sacks per game (3.75) and tied for seventh in tackles for loss per game (9.3).

LEANING ON LAVAT      
Junior RB Gavin Lavat is second in the MEC statistics in rushing this season, averaging 105.5 yards per game over FSU's first eight 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 4.6 TDs per game and if that pace continues, the Bobcats will find the end zone nearly 51 times in their first season at DII.

LAST TIME OUT      
Graduate quarterback Will Brunson tossed two touchdowns, junior running back Gavin Lavat eclipsed 100 yards on the ground and the Frostburg defense scored twice as the Bobcats powered to a 42-12 win over Wheeling.
 
FSU scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to blow open the contest against a winless Cardinal team in their first year as a varsity program.