Football Defeats The College of New Jersey on Homecoming

Frostburg hosted the College of New Jersey on October 17th, for the Bobcat’s homecoming game. The low scoring game saw lots of big defensive plays, and an unforecast surprise on the gridiron; Frostburg’s first snow of the semester. The Bobcats held off the Lions to just one score in the game, resulting in a 19-6 win for Frostburg.

The chilled atmosphere of the cloudy Saturday afternoon was no problem for the homecoming festivities on October, 17. Students and alumni alike filled the stands in anticipation for the Bobcat’s third home game of the season. Frostburg entered the contest with a 4-1 record and a 3-1 record against NJAC opponents. The Bobcats homecoming foe entered the contest 0-5 and 0-4 in the NJAC.

The teams’ defenses battled toe to toe throughout most of the first quarter, preventing either offense from posting a score in the first frame. When the second period got underway, however, Frostburg would find the scoreboard first. Sophomore kicker Isaac Robinson drilled a 32-yard field goal to give the Bobcats the lead, a lead they would not give up for the rest of the game.

The Bobcats would have to wait till the final minute of the first half to find the end zone. With 26 seconds left before the halftime break, quarterback Connor Cox threw to his senior wide receiver Antonio Wood in the corner of the end zone for a jump ball touchdown. Wood elevated himself, feet above his defender to make the catch before coming to the ground with one foot in bounds to record the touchdown. The play concluded an 8 play, 4 minute 51 second drive, and gave the Bobcats a 9-0 lead after a missed extra point right before the half.

With the start of the second half, snowflakes continued to sweep over the turf of the Bobcat stadium. Roars from the crowd reverberated across the field as the flakes of ice fell from the sky, and the crowd’s energy seemed to have charged the Bobcat defense. The Bobcat defensive unit held the Lion’s offense to 180 yards passing and 97 yards rushing. The unit also allowed the Lions to convert just 2 of 14 third downs, and just 1 of 4 fourth down attempts. The defensive efficiency allowed for the Bobcats to a lead time of possession with 33 minutes to TCNJ’s 28 minutes. Leading the defense was junior J.R. Lowery who notched 8 tackles; 2 tackles for loss and a sack. Junior defensive back Matt Capozza intercepted TCNJ in the first quarter via a diving catch, and recorded 7 tackles, 2 for a loss.

The Bobcat offense would find the end zone again in the third period, lifting the Bobcats to a 16-0 lead. Backup quarterback Joe Beckford, who was in for the injured Connor Cox, passed to wide receiver Austin Bonsall for the 20 yard score. Kicker Isaac Robinson would tack on a second field goal in the fourth quarter to complete the Bobcat’s scoring for the game.

The Bobcats had their bid for a shutout thwarted late in the fourth quarter. TCNJ drove 75 yards in 8 plays to take on a touchdown in garbage time.

The Bobcat’s win over TCNJ propelled them to 5-1 for the season and 4-1 in the NJAC. Next, the team will travel to Christopher Newport for a Saturday night showdown against the Captains, then to Rowan University the following Saturday for a match-up against the #21 Rowan Profs. Both games will be streamed online through the home team’s athletic sites.

To view a gallery of photos from the homecoming game on October 7, click here.