FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Football team used a stout defense and some timely offense to earn a 28-14 Thursday night win over West Virginia State.
 
In a game that was broadcast regionally on MASN and SportsNet Pittsburgh, the Bobcats received the ball first at the 35-yard line after the opening kick went out of bounds. WVSU's defense plugged up the run game on the first two downs, then senior Graham Walker found sophomore Jamil Bishop on a slant that not only converted the third down but turned into a 65-yard catch and run for the opening touchdown. Senior Dayne Koontz struck the extra point through the uprights for a 7-0 lead in the first minute and a half.
 
Looking to keep the momentum going, Koontz stunned the Yellow Jacket receiving team on the ensuing kick-off, collecting his own onside kick to give FSU the ball right back. This time, the West Virginia State locked down, forcing a three-and-out. Each side then traded possessions, with the Bobcats getting the ball back with 10 minutes left in the quarter.
 
Having gotten into Yellow Jacket territory, another long third down resulted in an interception of Walker by Avery Scott, who ran the ball all the way back to the Frostburg 12 before finally being pushed out of bounds. On the first play after the turnover, WVSU's Joel Felder ran the ball into the endzone, tying the score at 7-7.
 
The Bobcats put together a strong drive on their next possession, with Walker and senior Evan Branch churning out runs of 19 and 15 yards, respectively, followed by a Walker pass to Bishop for a 23-yard gain. As the ball got all the way down to the West Virginia State 10-yard line, FSU decided to go for it on fourth down, but the visitors defense quickly shut down the attempted run for a loss of yards to get the ball back.
 
A holding call ended the first quarter with WVSU facing a second-and-17, then junior Yasir Holmes batted a ball down at the line to help the Bobcats force a punt. Walker fired a quick pass to sophomore Jevonn Gilyard on the first play of the drive, who took the ball all the way down to the Yellow Jacket 41. Junior Devin Thompson powered his way forward on a 16-yard run that put FSU in the red zone, which culminated in Walker finding Bishop yet again for a nine-yard score and a 14-7 lead.
 
Frostburg's defense came to life on the ensuing drive, as junior Leonard Scott and graduate Jaylen Parks sacked WVSU quarterback Donovan Riddick to force third-and-long, then junior Jeremiah Baxter broke up the resulting attempted pass to force another punt.
 
With 6:26 on the clock, FSU nearly churned down the entirety of the half on a long drive that started at their own 16. On yet another third-and-long, Walker dropped a short pass into the hands of sophomore Sean Aaron, who rumbled his way for 17 yards to secure the first down. Branch followed up with a 15-yard catch-and-run for a third down conversion, then Aaron followed suit yet again with a 16-yard screen to get into the red zone. Pass interference was called on West Virginia State as Walker tried to find sophomore Amari N'namdi-Hall in the endzone, putting the ball at the two-yard line. Walker took the ball himself, running it in behind his offensive line with just 28 seconds left in the half for a 21-7 lead at the break.
 
WVSU got the ball to start the second half and picked up 27 yards on third-and-20, but Parks stuffed the next run in the backfield and freshman Darrell Scott broke up a Riddick throw to give Frostburg's offense another chance to score. Aaron carried the ball four times for 21 yards to get into Yellow Jacket territory, but a holding call on second down forced the Bobcats to attempt a long field goal. Lining up from 52 yards out, Koontz put all of his leg into the kick, but fell just agonizingly under the bar.
 
Parks chased down Riddick yet again for another TFL after a quick West Virginia State first down, then junior Austin Amadi had a nine-yard sack that forced another WVSU punt. The Bobcats couldn't muster a scoring drive, allowing the Yellow Jackets to take possession, driving down the field into the fourth quarter. Riddick and running back Joel Felder helped lead a near-eight-minute drive, culminating in Riddick taking the ball in himself from six yards out to make it a one-possession game at 21-14.
 
A quick three-and-out from FSU suddenly gave West Virginia State the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead with 7:15 left on the clock. The visitors marched their way into Bobcat territory, but on a first-and-10 from the Frostburg 44, Parks came up with a huge sack. On third-and-nine, sophomore Wylan Harich limited Felder to a four-yard gain, then as the Yellow Jackets went for it on fourth down, Riddick was unable to find his intended target, handing the ball back to FSU with 3:30 remaining.
 
With the Bobcats looking to run the clock down, WVSU forced a third-and-five, desperate to get the ball back for another chance to tie the game. Branch shut down that hope, bursting through the line on a 46-yard gain all the way to the West Virginia State 10 inside the final two minutes. On the very next play, Aaron bulldozed his way into the endzone, effectively securing the FSU win with a 28-14 lead.
 
In their last hope of desperation, the Yellow Jackets tried to pass their way to a quick score, but Holmes twice got pressures on Riddick, helping to force a pair of incompletions for a turnover on downs. After a false start put Frostburg back five yards, Aaron would not be denied on a 15-yard run, allowing Walker to take a pair of kneels that ran down the clock for the victory under the lights.
 
Walker finished 16-of-23 for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while he and the backfield combined for 216 rushing yards, Aaron leading the way with 85 and a score. Bishop had an astounding day, catching five passes for a career-high 112 yards and two TDs.
 
Parks was a one-man wrecking crew defensively, tying for a team-high eight tackles on a whopping four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Amadi added a pair of TFLs and a sack of his own, while Scott came up with a pair of pass breakups.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 6-1 on the year, while WVSU falls to 4-3. The Bobcats next go on the road to face MEC leaders Charleston (WV) on Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.