FROSTBURG, Md. – Frostburg coach DeLane Fitzgerald talked about resurrecting the Bobcat football program at length during his first team meeting following his hiring in the winter of 2014.
On Saturday, he kept true to his word as his Bobcat squad ended a 12-year losing streak to in-state rival Salisbury with a 21-17 win in the 18th Annual Regents Cup Game at Bobcat Stadium on senior day.
The victory also handed Frostburg a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship with a 9-1 overall record and a 8-1 record in the league.
The Bobcats, who are receiving votes in both the D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) polls will now await a possible bid to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 1993. The NCAA will air its selection show tomorrow evening at NCAA.com at 6:00 pm.
Frostburg trailed Salisbury early in the fourth quarter when sophomore quarterback Connor Cox tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wideout Russell Neverdon in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score with 1:04 to play in regulation.
The win is the eighth-straight for Frostburg, the longest such streak in the program since 1993. FSU also captured nine regular-season wins for the first time since '93.
Cox captured Mike McGlinchey MVP honors for the Bobcats after totaling 266 yards in offense and three touchdowns. He completed 13-of-31 passes for 151 yards and all three Frostburg touchdowns. He also led all players with 115 yards on the ground on 12 carries.
For Salisbury, Ryan Jones won the McGlinchey MVP honors after throwing for 140 yards and a touchdown.
The Bobcat defense once again held a high-powered offense in check. Salisbury entered the Regents Cup matchup with the NJAC's top ranked scoring offense (40.6), total offense (473.2) and rushing offense (224.9).
The nation's seventh-best and NJAC leading defense held SU to just 293 yards in offense behind 153 on the ground. FSU also held the Sea Gulls (7-3, 6-3 NJAC) to a season-low 17 points.
Senior tight end Aaron Turner hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Cox midway through the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Salisbury answered on the second play of the second quarter as Jones tossed a short pass to Aarron Moore and he raced 84 yards for the score and a 7-7 tie.
Cox found another tight end for the halftime lead late in the second frame. The Bobcats collected their longest drive of the afternoon when they marched 90 yards in seven plays for a 14-7 lead when Cox found sophomore Christian DiPaola over the middle for 21 yards.
The Sea Gulls again answered for a 17-14 lead. Alex Potocko knocked home a 25-yard field goal and Sean Rowland ran for a 45-yard touchdown as SU led 17-14.
In between the two scores, Potocko had a 40-yard FG blocked by Bobcat freshman Malik Morris.
Frostburg's first drive after Salisbury took the lead resulted in a three-and-out, however, the Bobcats grabbed a 21-17 lead with a drive that started with 4:22 showing on the fourth quarter clock at their own 21. The hosts maneuvered their way to the SU 14 before Cox tossed a ball towards the corner of the end zone and into the arms of Neverdon for the lead with 1:04 to play.
On SU's ensuing possession, the Bobcat defense forced Jones to throw three incomplete passes and on second down he was sacked back to the 15 by junior defensive end Jordan Proctor.