FROSTBURG, Md. – Frostburg State booted two fourth quarter field goals and tossed a touchdown in between for a 24-14 come-from-behind win over Rowan, Saturday.
The Profs (5-3, 4-3) surged to a 15-14 lead late in the third quarter, but the Bobcats were not to be denied their sixth-consecutive win as senior Isaac Robinson kicked two field goals and sophomore quarterback Connor Cox tossed a 33-yard touchdown strike to junior Russell Neverdon. All three scores came in the fourth quarter.
The win improves Frostburg's overall record to 7-1 and marks their NJAC record at 6-1. The win keeps FSU in a three-way tie for first place in the league standings.
The current six-game winning streak is the longest for the program since the 1999 season and the 7-1 start is the best since the 1998 squad opened at 8-1. Coincidentally, the last time the Bobcats were ranked was in '98 when FSU reached as high as 12th for two-straight weeks in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Poll.
Heading into the matchup with RU, Frostburg was receiving votes in the AFCA and D3football.com top 25 polls.
The Bobcat defense once again dominated an opposing offense as it held the Profs to a season-low 219 yards in offense. Rowan ran for 109 yards, but completed less than 50 percent of its passes, tossed a pair of interceptions and Frostburg junior Niles Scott tackled Gawain Bragg in the end zone for a safety with just over three minutes left in the opening half.
On offense, the Bobcats totaled 206 yards on the ground on 44 carries behind sophomore Jamaal Morant, who ran for 145 yards on 33 rushes. Cox finished with 124 yards through the air on just five completions and he ran for another 61 yards on 10 carries and a score.
Cox got things going with a 60-yard run on FSU's second drive of the game and a 7-0 advantage.
Two possessions later, Rowan tied the game when Anthony Diorio scored from a yard out with 2:25 showing on the first-quarter clock.
Robinson finished with three FGs on the afternoon and his first attempt split the uprights from 43 yards out and handed Frostburg a 10-7 cushion with 4:12 to play in the second quarter.
The Bobcats added two points on the Profs' next drive. Robinson's kickoff was mishandled by Dashown Waller and Rowan started at its own four. Gawain Bragg was stopped behind the line of scrimmage twice and the second attempt resulted in a safety as he tackled deep in the endzone by Scott.
Rowan rallied in the third quarter to take its first lead of the ballgame. Pinckney jumped over the line of scrimmage and extended the football into the end zone from the one for a 14-12 lead. It was RU's longest drive of the game as it marched 69 yards on seven plays and Pinckney's touchdown came with 3:55 left in the third.
Frostburg sealed the win in the fourth. On the Bobcats' first possession of the final quarter, Cox connected with Neverdon with a 57-yard pass that landed them on the Rowan four. Four plays later, Robinson kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 15-14 lead.
FSU forced a punt on Rowan's next drive and Frostburg started its longest drive of the game at its own 20 with 10:23 to play in the game. Morant posted runs of 27, 18 and two yards, respectively to put the Bobcats at the Rowan 35. Cox then found Neverdon over the middle with a 33-yard touchdown toss for a 21-14 lead.
Junior linebacker Dre'Quan Reed intercepted a Pinckney pass with 5:42 remaining that setup Robinson's 30-yard field goal that stamped the final at 24-14.
Reed paced the Bobcats with nine tackles, including two interceptions, while senior Matt Capozza added eight stops and 05 tackles for loss.
Frostburg returns to action next Saturday with a NJAC road tilt at Montclair State at 1:00 pm.
Frostburg Rallies Past Rowan For Sixth-Straight Win
/seasons/2016/boxscores/20161029_xbq3.xml
2016
Rowan
14
Frostburg State
24
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan (5-3) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 24 Frostburg State (7-1) | 7 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 24 |
Oct 29, 2016