Frostburg	vs.	W.Va. State

2019 Season Opener
Bobcat Stadium I Thursday, Sept. 5
Frostburg, Md. I 7:00 pm

Directions
Tickets - Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets through the link above to avoid delays at the entrance to Bobcat Stadium
Tailgating Policies

Live Video
Live Stats
Live Radio - All 11 games will be broadcast on 99.5 WDZN Cumberland/Frostburg

 

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PRIOR TO KICKOFF      
The Frostburg State Bobcats host West Virginia State this Thursday at Bobcat Stadium in the opener of the 2019 NCAA football season at 7:00 p.m.

The Bobcats are playing their first Division II football game after spending the past 41 seasons in Division III. FSU is coming off a season in which it went a perfect 9-0 in the regular season, won the New Jersey Athletic Conference Title, reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs and hosted its first home NCAA Playoff game since 1993.

West Virginia State will travel to Frostburg, coming off a season where it went 6-5 overall and 5-5 in MEC play.

The Bobcats have won their last five season openers and seven of the last eight season debuts dating back to the 2011 season.

BY THE NUMBERS      
1 - First season at the NCAA Division II level for Frostburg State Athletics
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
5 - The Bobcats have five All-Americans in the last five seasons
6 - The number of home games for Frostburg in 2019
9 - Frostburg returns nine defensive starters from the 2018 season
10 - Senior WR Malik Morris is currently 10th in career receiving yards
12 - Seniors on this year's team
17 - Tackles for loss for junior DE Zach Strand over his first two seasons
26 - The numbers of wins over a 10-year stretch before Fitzgerald took over
31 - Number of wins over the last three seasons for the Bobcats
35 - Number of starts for senior Ryan Landis as FSU's long snapper
41 - Wins in five seasons under the direction of DeLane Fitzgerald
48 - Frostburg has collected 48 all-conference honorees in the last five years
61 - FSU has scored 61 touchdowns on offense in each of the last two years

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 15 games against just two 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.

PROGRAM HISTORY      
Frostburg is in its 59th year of collegiate football in 2019 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 271-282-8. 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.

FSU SUCCESS IN SEPTEMBER      
The Bobcats have enjoyed great success in the month of September, owning an 11-4 mark over the last five seasons. Going back seven years, Frostburg has collected 15 wins in the first month of the college football season.

Frostburg Month-By-Month Over The Last Five Seasons
Month    W-L
September    11-4
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 (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
- Bobcats defeated Western New England 42-24 in NCAA First Round
- Frostburg lost to #13 Johns Hopkins 58-27 in NCAA Second Round
- Tied program record with 61 touchdowns
- Offense averaged 435.9 yards per game, good for 39th in the country.
- Defense ranked 15th in nation in TFLs (8.7), 19th in sacks (3.45)
- 10th in DIII in fumbles recovered (14), 14th in passing yards allowed (150.5)
- Five blocked punts; second in nation
- Senior Malik Morris second player in program history with 1,000-plus receiving yards in a season (1,009) - nine receiving TDs
- Morris third in nation in yards per reception (24.02)
- Junior Lincoln Ikwubuo; 34 receptions, 514 yards and five TDs
- Three of the top four leaders in total tackles returning
- Junior Avery Thurman led with 68 tackles
- Junior Zach Strand led with 14.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks
- Senior Wayne Palmer 65 tackles, five TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two INTs, two FF

SCOUTING W.Va. STATE (2018)      
- 6-5 Overall in 2018
- Second-straight six-win season
- Head coach John Pennington - third season
- Pennington served as State's offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016
- Pennington served as State's OL coach and special team's coordinator in 2010
- Yellow Jackets rushed for 222.6 yards per game; ranked 24th nationally
- Carl Garmon led at 98.7 ypg and six TDs; Second Team All-MEC
- Receivers AJ Barrette and Zach Pate combined for 1,230 receiving yards and six touchdowns a season ago
- Tied for MEC lead for fewest turnovers (12)
- Eight defensive starters return; including Second Team All-MEC safety Tevon Littleton

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 Jesuit (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.

A VICTORY WOULD      
- Lift the Bobcats to 277-282-8 overall in 59 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 42nd victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Be Frostburg's 16th win at home in the last 18 games
- Be the Bobcats' seventh-straight home win during the regular season
- Land Frostburg it's sixth-straight win in a season opener
- Be the first win over a school from the state of West Virginia since FSU defeated West Virginia Tech, 38-21 in 1999

30 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER      
The Bobcats scored over 30 points in nine of their 11 games a season ago, and under Fitzgerald, the Bobcats are 26-1 when scoring 30 or more.

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.

Frostburg allowed just three 100 yard rushers last season and two came against Salisbury and its triple option attack.

OFFENSIVE MIGHT      
Over the last two seasons, Frostburg has re-written the record books in terms of offensive output. In 2017, the Bobcats set the program record with 5,439 yards in total offense. In 2018, FSU finished with 4,795 yards in offense, the second-best mark in program history.

OFFENSIVE MIGHT 2.0      
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.

IT ALL STARTS WITH DEFENSE      
Frostburg has emerged as one of the nation's most complete defensive units over the last four seasons and has produced a pair of All-Americans in William Sewell and Niles Scott. The Bobcats have ranked inside the top 40 nationally in total defense in each of the last four years, including a national ranking of ninth in 2016.

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.

UNDER THE LIGHTS      
Under Fitzgerald, Frostburg is a perfect 10-0 in night games both home and away from Bobcat Stadium. In fact, FSU is a perfect 5-0 in season openers under Fitzgerald and all five wins have come under the lights.

THE BOBCAST      
The Frostburg athletic department releases a weekly podcast known as the Bobcast on either Monday or Tuesday that talks with all in-season head coaches regarding their team's performances, upcoming games, individual players and much more.

Fans interested in the weekly series can find the podcast through social media or the department's official YouTube account at youtube.com/frostburgsports1.

AFCA GOOD WORKS      
Bobcat senior long snapper Ryan Landis was nominated prior to the start of the 2019 season for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Landis is a volunteer fire fighter, helps with Beautify the Burg and is involved in both the Frost Elementary and Grantsville Elementray Reading Programs.

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.

ALL-NJAC RETURNERS      
The Bobcats return five players that garnered All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) honors a year ago.

Senior wide receiver Malik Morris and junior defensive end Zach Strand both earned All-NJAC First Team honors last fall, while senior defensive back Vincent Persichetti and junior returner Terrell Brown each took home second-team honors. Senior defensive tackle Walter Riley captured Honorable Mention All-NJAC honors.

- Morris caught 42 passes for 1,009 yards and 9 TDs
- Strand totaled 50 tackles, 14.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks
- Persichetti made 45 tackles, two INTs and eight pass break-ups
- Brown returned 15 kicks for 375 yds. & 28 punts for 424 yds. and 1 TD
- Riley notched 27 tackles, 6.0 TFLs and 2.5 sacks
 
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      
Frostburg State closed its 2018 campaign with a pair of NCAA Playoffs contests at Bobcat Stadium. It was the first time in program history that FSU had hosted two playoff games.

In 1993, Frostburg welcomed nationally-ranked Washington & Jefferson to Bobcat Stadium and FSU fell 28-7 in the NCAA second round. That season marked the only other time in program history when FSU hosted an NCAA Playoff game.

- FSU opened the '18 NCAA Playoffs w/42-24 win over Western New England
- Senior QB Connor Cox tossed for 381 yards and three TDs
- Junior WR Malik Morris caught 11 casses for 185 yards and two TDs
- Junior RB Malcolm Facey ran for 112 yards on 18 carries and one TD

- In second week of NCAA Playoffs, FSU lost to #13 Johns Hopkins, 58-27
- Tyler Messinger ran for 231 yards and four TDs on just 16 carries for JHU
- Cox closed his Frostburg career with 355 yards and two TDs on 24 comps.