Frostburg (2-1, 2-1 MEC)	vs.	Fairmont State (1-2, 1-2 MEC)

Duvall-Rosier Field  I  Thursday, Sept. 25
Fairmont, W.Va.  I  7:00 pm

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Live Radio - All 11 games will be broadcast on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg
 
Frostburg vs. Fairmont Game Notes
 

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PRIOR TO KICKOFF      
Frostburg State hits the road for the second time this season as it visits Fairmont State on Thursday for a 7:00 pm kickoff.

The matchup under the lights will be the third night game this season for Frostburg as it meets the Falcons for the first time. The Bobcats enter the match up with a 2-1 overall record, while Fairmont sits at 1-2.

Frostburg has won two straight after defeating Concord 52-14 in week two and West Liberty last Thursday 27-24.

Meanwhile, Fairmont enters the contest at 1-2 overall and 1-2 in the league. The Falcons dropped their season opener at Charleston 42-39 and lost to fifth-ranked Notre Dame last Saturday, 61-49. In between Fairmont defeated Wheeling 53-10.

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
6 - The number of home games for Frostburg in 2019
9 - Frostburg's preseason ranking in the MEC Coaches' Poll
10 - FSU has won 10 or more games in the last three seasons
11 - The number of times Frostburg has found the end zone this fall
12 - Seniors on this year's team
15 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 17 home games
17 - Number of wins for Frostburg in the last 19 games away from home
20 - 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
33 - Number of wins for the Bobcats since the start of the 2016 season
38 - Number of starts for senior Ryan Landis as FSU's long snapper
43 - Wins in five-plus seasons under the direction of DeLane Fitzgerald
48 - Frostburg has collected 48 all-conference honorees in the last five years
61 - FSU scored 61 TDs on offense in 2017 and 2018

PROGRAM HISTORY      
Frostburg is in its 59th year of collegiate football in 2019 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 278-283-8. The Bobcats have made three appearances in the NCAA DIII Playoffs (1993, 2017 & 2018) and have played in eight ECAC Bowl Games.

The Bobcats have won eight or more games 10 times, nine or more games  eight times and have eclipsed the 10-win plateau four times.

AWAY FROM  BOBCAT STADIUM      
The Frostburg football program has been highly successful away from Bobcat Stadium over the last five seasons, boasting 21 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 1-0 on the road after defeating Concord in week two, 52-14.

FSU SUCCESS IN SEPTEMBER      
The Bobcats have enjoyed great success in the month of September, owning an 13-5 mark over the last five seasons. Going back seven years, Frostburg has collected 17 wins in the first month of the college football season.

Frostburg Month-By-Month Over The Last Five Seasons
Month    W-L
September    13-5
October    17-5
November    11-4

THE POSTSEASON      
DeLane Fitzgerald has been at the helm of the Bobcat program for five full seasons and he has quickly turned Frostburg into a team that competes for a spot in the postseason.

After inheriting a 1-9 squad, Fitzgerald had the Bobcats in an ECAC Bowl in just three seasons and the Bobcats made back-to-back NCAA Playoff appearances in '17 and '18 for the only time in school history.

SCOUTING FROSTBURG      
2019
- 2-1 Overall in 2019 and 2-1 in the MEC
- Won back-to-back games against Concord (52-14) and West Liberty (27-24)
- Frostburg collected its first Division II win in week two with a 52-14 win over Concord
- Junior RB Gavin Lavat is 2nd in MEC in rushing (112.7) and rushing yds. (338) ... 64 carries, 338 yards and 3 TDs
- Grad. QB Will Brunson is 6th in MEC in passing (201.0) and passing yds. (603) ... 41-of-68, 603 yards and 5 TDs
- Junior kicker Jeremy Harrison fifth in MEC in scoring (8.0)
- Junior Carl Igweh is 3rd in MEC in sacks per game (1.00) and 4th in sacks (3)
- Frostburg is 3rd in MEC in scoring defense (19.3)
- Junior WR Terrell Brown leads Frostburg in receiving (67.0) and receiving yards (201)
- Senior DB Michael Bell leads Frostburg in tackles (20), 1 INT and 2 PBUs
2018
- 10-1 Overall in 2018, school record 9-0 during regular season
- Second-straight NCAA Playoff appearance
- NJAC Championship; second time in three seasons
- Three-straight postseason appearances (2 NCAA Playoffs, 1 ECAC Bowl Game)
- Ranked inside top 15 in both D3football.com and AFCA Poll
- 10 wins for third-straight season
- Hosted NCAA Payoffs in 2018, first time since 1993
- Tied program record with 61 touchdowns

SCOUTING FAIRMONT     
2019
- 1-2 Overall and 1-2 in the MEC
- Head coach Jason Woodman - 40-27 overall - NCAA Playoffs in 2016
- Leads the MEC in scoring (47.0)
- Leads MEC in total offense (561.0)
- Second in MEC in rushing offense (245.7) and passing offense (315.3)
- Second in MEC in first downs (74)
- Third in MEC in total defense (399.7)
- RB Khalik Hamlin 3rd in rushing (110.7) and rushing yards (332)
- QB Takwan Crews-Naylor second in passing (306.0), first in passing efficiency (182.0) and second in total offense (312.0).
- WR Andrew Hall 2nd in receiving yards per game (95.0)

ADDITIONAL FAIRMONT NOTES     
- 9-2 in 2018 and 8-2 in MEC
- Returned 13 All-MEC honorees from 2018; 18 MEC selections in total
- Eight All-Americans in the last three seasons
- Woodman has led Fairmont to four-consecutive winning seasons
- Eight or more wins in a season just six times since 1979

PRESEASON POLL      
Frostburg was picked to finish ninth in its first season as a member of the Mountain East Conference. The Bobcats received 26 votes and were selected ahead of W.Va. Wesleyan (23 pts.) and Wheeling (13 pts.).

Notre Dame (Ohio) was picked to win the league and received 10 of 11 first-place votes. Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA Playoff semifinals last fall.

UNDER THE LIGHTS      
Under Fitzgerald, Frostburg is nearly perfect at 10-1 in night games both home and away from Bobcat Stadium. In fact, prior to the Bobcats' home opening loss at night to West Virginia State, Frostburg was a perfect 5-0 in season openers under Fitzgerald and all five wins had come under the lights.

This season, FSU is 1-1 in night games, losing to W.Va. State (20-17) and beating West Liberty (27-24).

A VICTORY WOULD      
- Lift the Bobcats to 279-283-8 overall in 59 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 44th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Be FSU's 17th win in the last 19 games away from home
- Be Frostburg's seventh-straight road win
- Improve Frostburg's record to 14-5 in September over the last five seasons

TOUGH TO COME BY      
In his five-plus seasons at the helm, Fitzgerald has led the Bobcats to a 27-1 record when holding opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.

LEANING ON LAVAT      
Junior RB Gavin Lavat has moved into second place in the MEC statistics in rushing this season as he averages 112.7 yards per game over FSU's first three games at Division II.

He opened the season with 99 yards on 22 carried against W.Va. State and added 141 yards and three touchdowns on 17 attempts in a win over Concord. Last Thursday, he rushed for 98 yards on 15 carries in a win over West Liberty.

MEC WEEKLY HONORS      
Frostburg junior kicker Jeremy Harrison was named the MEC's Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his part in helping the Bobcats defeat West Liberty at home last Thursday, 27-24.

Harrison connected on a pair of long field goals and averaged 57.2 yards on six kickoffs. Harrison capped the first half and put FSU up 17-14 at intermission with a 43-yard FG and he opened the third quarter with a 46-yard FG that extended Frostburg's lead to 20-14.
 
BOBCATS IN THE MEC      
Through three MEC games this fall, Frostburg is ranked fourth in the league in scoring (32.0), fourth in rushing offense (186.7), seventh in passing offense (204.0) and seventh in total offense (390.7).

On the other side of the ball, the Bobcat defense leads the MEC in scoring (19.3), is fourth in rushing defense (186.7) and is fifth in total defense (236.0).

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 4.0 TDs per game and if that pace continues, the Bobcats will find the end zone nearly 44 times in their first season at DII.

BLOCK PARTY      
When Fitzgerald arrived on campus in the winter of 2014, he promised Frostburg would be dominant on special teams and his squads have delivered every season.

The Bobcats blocked six kicks in each of his first three seasons. In 2017, FSU turned back four kicks, while last fall, Frostburg finished with five blocks and all five came on punts.

AFCA GOOD WORKS      
Bobcat senior long snapper Ryan Landis was selected to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2019 Good Works Team®. He was one of 22 student-athletes from the 137 nominees that were selected for their leadership in local communities and overall commitment to giving back.

Landis is a volunteer firefighter and a volunteer with his local rescue squad, in addition to a multitude of community service projects along with his Bobcat teammates.
 
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be invited to the 2020 Allstate® Sugar Bowl® and will join Tim Tebow and Allstate volunteers to give back to New Orleans through a special community service project. Allstate will recognize the team during the halftime show.

He is the first Good Works Team selection in program history.

ACADEMIC GRIDIRON      
FSU senior defensive back Vincent Persichetti was nominated in early August for the William V. Campbell Trophy of the National Football Foundation (NFF) that is awarded to the nation's top football scholar-athlete. Persichetti carries a 3.57 GPA in the classroom and majors in law & society.
 
GRIDIRON GRADUATES      
Frostburg has three players that will contribute on the field this year that have already earned their bachelors degree and will suit up for the Bobcats as graduate transfers.

Quarterback Will Brunson is working on his masters degree in recreation and parks management after transfering from the University of Albany. Running back Brady Watson, from nearby Ridgeley, W.Va., is working on his MBA after arriving at FSU from West Virginia University, while defensive back Andrew Ashley is working on his masters in economics after graduating from Monmouth University last fall.

LAST TIME OUT      
Graduate transfer quarterback Will Brunson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to help lead Frostburg State to a 27-24 win over West Liberty.
 
Frostburg finished the evening with 343 yards of offense and held the ball for nearly 35 minutes. Junior tailback Gavin Lavat rushed for 98 yards on 25 carries, while Brunson scooted for 38 yards on eight carries.

Brunson completed 13-of-24 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, one each to juniors Christian Thornton and Terrell Brown. Junior Jeremy Harrison also kicked two FGs, one late in the first half and the other to open third-quarter scoring.