UNION, N.J. - Sophomore Jamal Morant rushed for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter and the Frostburg defense and special teams made key plays when they needed them the most in a 25-18 win over Kean, Saturday at Kean Alumni Stadium.
The Bobcats, ranked 21st in the country in total defense heading into the contest, held the New Jersey Athletic Conference's third-best rushing attack to just 63 yards on the ground, a week after Kean (3-2, 2-2) ran for 232 against William Paterson.
The FSU defense also scored a touchdown and forced the Cougars to settle for three field goal attempts deep in Bobcat territory.
The Bobcats (3-1, 2-1 NJAC) took an early 7-0 lead thanks to the defense and junior defensive back Josh Washington. Kean's second drive started at its own eight-yard line and on second down, junior Jordan Procter stripped the football from running back Brian Matthews and Washington recovered it in the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead.
On its ensuing possession, Kean marched 55 yards to the Bobcat 18. Freshman Monte Jones sacked quarterback Charles App on first down and the drive stalled as Kean settled for a 35-yard field goal.
Late in the first quarter, sophomore quarterback Connor Cox connected with senior wide receiver Austin Bonsall for a 40-yard connection to the Kean 19. On the first play of the second quarter, Cox found junior wide receiver Russell Neverdon for 17 yards to the three and Cox finished off the drive with his third rushing touchdown of the season to make it 14-3.
On its next possession, Frostburg collected the game's longest drive for either team as it marched 85 yards on 16 plays for a 17-3 advantage. Morant started the drive with a 27-yard carry to the FSU 37 and later junior wide receiver Joe Beckford ran for 12 yards to the Kean 10. The drive stalled, however, and Frostburg senior Isaac Robinson connected on a 21-yard field goal.
Kean cut its deficit to 17-6 just before the half. The Cougars started at their own 34 and moved to the FSU 18 before calling a timeout with 1:28 remaining. Kean recovered its own fumble on the first snap after the timeout and eventually settled for a 28-yard field goal from Aryeh Moslavi.
The Cougars rebounded in the second half, including a 78-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the third quarter. D'Wan McCrary capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown that narrowed the deficit to 17-12. App tossed a 50-yard pass to Jordan Smith for the big play of the drive.
The Bobcats struggled to get going on offense on its next three possessions and Kean surged ahead with its final touchdown of the ballgame late in the third. The Cougars moved 75 yards on nine plays for an 18-17 lead after Brian Mathews found the end zone from five yards out. App's two-point conversion pass attempt was off the mark keeping the score differential at one point.
Frostburg quickly answered on the next possession as Bonsall returned the kick 25 yards to the FSU 33. Cox found Neverdon for 30 yards, connected with senior tight end Aaron Turner for eight more and Frostburg was in Kean territory as the clock rolled over to the fourth quarter.
On the first play of the fourth, Morant ran for 14 yards and Cox added a 13 yard run to the Kean two before Morant pushed his way into the end zone for a 25-18 lead.
Kean threatened Frostburg's lead on the next drive when it needed just three plays to make it down to the FSU 13. The Bobcat defense again tightened up and dropped Mathews for a loss of two yards on second down before sacking App on third down for a loss of 10 yards. Moslavi came on to attempt a 33-yard field goal, but freshman linebacker Grayline Walker blocked the kick and senior linebacker Lyle Fugate returned the ball to the Kean 48.
The Frostburg defense held Kean deep in its own territory on its final two drives to seal the win.
Frostburg finished with 252 yards in total offense behind 141 yards through the air. Cox completed 10-of-17 passes for 141 yards and ran for another 21 yards on nine carries and a touchdown.
Neverdon hauled in four passes for 61 yards, while Morant led all players with 80 rushing yards on 17 carries and his first career touchdown.
The Frostburg defense limited Matthews, the NJAC's second leading rusher (111.8 ypg), to just 48 yards on 19 carries and one score. App finished the afternoon with 253 yards on 17-of-33 completions.
Junior Niles Scott led the Bobcat defensive effort with nine tackles, including 2.5 sacks (20 yards) and 5.0 tackles for loss (29 yards). Fugate, senior Matt Capozza and junior Josh Scales all added seven tackles.
Frostburg returns to action next Saturday when it hosts William Paterson at 1:00 pm.
Frostburg Rallies For Road Victory at Kean
/seasons/2016/boxscores/20161001_v5ec.xml
2016
Frostburg State
25
Kean
18
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 24 Frostburg State (3-1) | 7 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 25 |
| Kean (3-2) | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 18 |
Oct 01, 2016