WVSU's Second Half Too Much for Football on the Road

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Frostburg State Football team fell short on the road to West Virginia State on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 38-24.
 
Frostburg received the kickoff, as redshirt sophomore Jordan Marcucci ran it back 25-yards to set up the Bobcats offense on their 28-yard line.  Redshirt sophomore Owen Doyle ran the ball three yards on FSU's first possession, right before catching a 24-yard pass from redshirt sophomore Myles Fulton to put Frostburg past midfield.  West Virginia State then came to life on defense, not letting the Bobcats pick up another first down, forcing sophomore Sam Dominguez out to punt.  The Yellow Jackets started their offensive drive at their 33-yard line, picking up two huge first downs on 3^rd and 2 to push down field for a pass into the endzone for an early 7-0 score for the lead. 
 
With just under seven minutes left in the first, WVSU kicked off to FSU after the touchdown, where Marcucci responded with a 97-yard kick off return, now securing one for back-to-back weeks, as he set up senior Brandon Keen for the extra point and a tie game at 7-7.  West Virginia State quickly responded right back, marching down field once again, trotting in for a 10-yard touchdown to jump back in front 14-7.  With a minute left on the clock, Fulton dropped back and connected with sophomore Trashaun Timmons for a 50-yard gain to push the game to the second quarter with Frostburg on WVWU's 25-yard line. 
 
On 3^rd and 8, Fulton hit Timmons for a 10-yard pass play to pick up the first down to kick off the second quarter.  Doyle then picked up seven yards on the ground, before Fulton threw a six-yard dime to junior Amari N'namdi-Hall for a six yard touchdown, tying the game once more at 14-14, after Keen tacked on the extra point.  The Bobcats were able to make a stop on defense on the Yellow Jackets next possession, with senior Yasir Holmes and sophomore Kurt Thomas making a big stop on 3^rd and 3, allowing the ball to be back in the hands of FSU with around 10 minutes left in the second. 
 
FSU saw a three and out on their next drive, as Dominguez belted a 58-yard punt to set up West Virginia State on their 15-yard line.  WVSU quickly moved down field, connecting on a 45-yard pass play to take back their lead, seeing a 21-14 game with just under five minutes left in the half.  The Bobcats set up their next drive also on their own 15-yard line, as carries from Fulton and Doyle gave Frostburg the first down they needed to continue their drive.  After the two-minute mark before the half, Fulton gained 13 more yards on the ground on another third down play, giving the Bobcats another first down.   The Yellow Jackets were finally able to pull out a stop on third down, getting the ball back right before the break.  Both teams did see one more possession, seeing no other scores, sending the game into the half with West Virginia State on top 21-14. 
 
The Yellow Jackets started the second half off with a three and out, with Holmes being credited with a sack to end the drive.  Frostburg then saw a three and out on their first possession of the third quarter, as on WVSU's first play of their next drive, senior Colby Street punched the ball out as junior Marquise Allsup recovered it to set up the Bobcats on West Virginia State's 14-yard line.  On the first play of the drive, Fulton hit senior Tranell Clanton with a 14-yard pass in the endzone for a touchdown, as Keen came out to knot the extra point and tie the game at 21-21 around the 12 minute mark. 
 
Junior Jaylen Boyd was credited with two tackles on WVSU's next possession, keeping the Yellow Jackets to just a field goal, as West Virginia State sat in front 24-21.  Fulton connected with Marcucci and N'namdi-Hall to move down field in response, while picking up a handful of yards on the ground as well.  The Bobcats were unable to get any points on the board after a 3^rd and 15 opportunity, as the ball was fumbled in the attempt of a field goal on fourth down, leaving the game at 24-21 with under three to play in third.  Frostburg's defense kept the score the same, forcing the Yellow Jackets to another three and out, as FSU had the ball going into the fourth quarter. 
 
Sophomore Harrison Fritz recorded a 23-yard field goal to open the fourth, tying the game once more, this time at 24-24.  WVSU racked up two first downs on their first look at offense in the fourth, but were pushed back even farther on third down after a fumble by the offense, forcing them to punt away on 4^th and 22.  FSU again turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, giving the Yellow Jackets great field position for their next attempt, sitting at Frostburg's 25-yard line.  West Virginia State quickly used just five plays to get into the endzone, tacking on a full score for a 31-24 advantage with under eight to play. 
 
Fulton dished to sophomore KJ Smothers for a 10-yard gain in the air to start the team's next drive, but after another short pass, Fulton was picked off, giving the ball back to the Yellow Jackets for another attempt at a score.  Now on Frostburg's 8-yard line, after running the interception back 47-yards, WVSU quickly marched into the endzone for an eight yard score, increasing their lead to 38-24.  After a slow start to the drive, Fulton hit Marcucci deep down field for a 40-yard pass play, giving the Bobcats their first first down of the possession.  Continuing to move down field and hopefully add to their score, Fulton connected with Timmons for 14 yards on 3^rd and 15, as the Yellow Jackets came up with a big stop after FSU tried to go for it, causing Frostburg to turn it over on downs.  Getting the ball back once more with four minutes to go, West Virginia State secured one first down, allowing them to kneel down the rest of the game for the 38-24 victory. 
 
Fulton finished the day going for 18-for-35 in the air, also racking up a team-high 45 yards on the ground off eight attempts.  Doyle was next in the rushing game with 26 yards on 10 carries.  Timmons secured 112 yards in the air off four receptions, while Marcucci was next with 50 yards on two catches.  Holmes led the defensive effort for Frostburg, tallying 14 tackles and a sack on the day, while Boyd (11) and Street (10) were also in double digit tackles. 
 
With the loss, Frostburg drops to 6-3, while West Virginia State improves to 6-3.  The Bobcats remain on the road for their last away game of the regular season, traveling to UNC Pembroke on Saturday, November 9 for a 1 PM game.  For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.