DOVER, Del. – Senior tailback Jamaal Morant scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:43 remaining for fifth-ranked Frostburg as it slipped past No. 6 Wesley, 35-34, Saturday.
The Bobcats improve to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the NJAC with their first victory over the Wolverines (4-1, 3-1) in the last 12 meetings. The victory is the fourth against a ranked opponent in the last two seasons for the Bobcats and the highest-ranked win in school history.
Last season, Wesley needed overtime to defeat the Bobcats and the two schools traded jabs all game until Morant's game winner. Both teams scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and both schools appeared poised to grab the win.
Khaaliq Burroughs tossed a 37-yard touchdown to Alex Kemp to open the fourth quarter as the Wolverines led 26-21.
The Bobcats answered just over three minutes later when senior Connor Cox's pass was tipped and caught for a 37-yard touchdown by sophomore Christian Thornton for a 28-26 lead.
Wesley countered when Marcellus Pack took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 34-28 cushion.
Frostburg put the final exclamation point on the win with a big play in all three phases of the game.
With just over five minutes to play, Frostburg sophomore Terrell Brown returned a Wesley punt 46 yards to the WC 31 to set FSU up for the game-winning score. On the fifth play of the drive, Cox rushed for 17 yards on third and 10 and two plays later, Morant scored from a yard out. Sophomore Jeremy Harrison knocked home the extra point and the Bobcats led 35-34.
On Wesley's final drive, Burroughs dropped back to pass on first down and his throw was intercepted by first-year linebacker Michael Morgan to seal the victory.
Frostburg totaled 420 yards in offense on the afternoon and gained 25 first downs. FSU also held the ball for an impressive 40 minutes behind a rushing attack that rolled to 290 yards on 69 carries. Morant led the ground game with 162 yards on 30 carries and his one TD in the fourth.
Cox finished the afternoon with 130 yards through the air on 16-of-24 attempts with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 41 yards and two more scores.
Wesley's Kemp opened the afternoon with back-to-back TDs as the hosts jumped out to a 13-0 advantage. Burroughs connected with Kemp for an 80-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage and the two later connected for a 17-yard score early in the second.
Cox answered with scoring runs of two and five yards in the second and he found sophomore Lincoln Ikwubuo in the back of the end zone for a five-yard touchdown to close the half with a 21-14 lead.
Burroughs ran for a one-yard score in the third quarter that setup the dramatic fourth.
Burroughs led the way for Wesley on offense with 333 yards on 15-of-30 attempts with three scores and three interceptions. Kemp caught five passes for 148 yards and all three of Burroughs TD passes.
Sophomore Avery Thurman posted nine total tackles with a tackle for loss to power the Bobcats. Junior Daniel Ezeagwu made eight stops, while junior Vincent Persichetti and senior Dre'Quan Reed each finished with seven.
Frostburg returns to action next Saturday when it hosts William Paterson at 1:00 pm.
Notes: The win is the first over Wesley since 2003 … The Bobcats have won 11 of their last 12 road games during the regular season … Including playoffs, Frostburg has won 14 of its last 15 games away from Bobcat Stadium … Morant moved into sixth all-time in career rushing … The Bobcats forced five turnovers for the first time since 2010.
Frostburg Rallies Past No. 6 Wesley
/seasons/2018/boxscores/20181006_xqz1.xml
2018
Frostburg State
35
Wesley
34
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Frostburg State (4-0) | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Wesley (4-1) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 34 |
Oct 06, 2018