FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Football team battled to a 29-24 victory at home over West Virginia State on Saturday afternoon.
 
Prior to the game, FSU honored seniors from the marching band, cheerleading, and football teams as members from each close out their Bobcat careers.
 
Frostburg won the opening toss and deferred to the second half, giving WVSU the ball to start the game. After the kickoff went for a touchback, senior CT Taylor ensured the drive wouldn't last long, as on the first play from scrimmage he rushed around the right side and strip-sacked QB Kaleb Jackson, recovering the ball himself to set the offense up at the 19. The Yellow Jacket defense was able to keep FSU in check, only letting up six yards before freshman Tyler Cook converted a field goal from 30 yards out for a 3-0 lead.
 
WV State rebounded from their slow start to put together a long drive, getting all the way down to the Bobcat 13 for a first down from the redzone. The next three plays resulted in eight yards as the visitors decided to go for it on 4^th-and-2, with Devin Cox just getting over the line to gain to keep the drive alive. WVSU was immediately forced back, however, as junior Will Burns and redshirt sophomore Zack Isaac combined for a seven-yard tackle for loss. Two plays later, Jackson looked for a receiver in the end zone but got picked off by senior Marquise Allsup, who ran the ball all the way back to the Yellow Jacket 25.
 
On second down, redshirt sophomore Jordan Brooks looked for sophomore Ray Adames down the right side, who was shoved down for a pass interference call, putting the ball on the seven-yard line. Redshirt junior Owen Doyle scampered through a hole through the left side and waltzed in for a 10-0 advantage following Cook's point-after.
 
The first play on WV State's next drive was a 17-yard strike from Jackson to Malik Baker II, however that would just about be their lone highlight. On 3^rd-and-3, sophomore Amari Johnson and redshirt sophomore Cayden Bratton stopped Joe Dailey a yard short of the marker, forcing a punt. Frostburg thought they had extended the lead on the final play of the quarter, however junior Landon Alexander's 78-yard run was wiped out by a holding call.
 
Brooks still was determined to drive down the field, as he found redshirt sophomore Cruiz Paul-Umstead for 27 yards followed by a 16-yard Doyle carry to get into Yellow Jacket territory. The drive stalled out from there, however, as the next four plays generated just two yards, turning the ball over on downs. WVSU finally found their cohesion having gotten the ball back, converting a 3rd-and-2 at midfield before Jackson found Amare Ary for 19 yards down to the 11. On the next play, Jojo Restall made one man miss on his way to his team's first score of the day, pulling within 10-7.
 
A short kick was returned by redshirt sophomore Amirr Coles up to the Bobcat 39 to start FSU's next drive. After being gifted a first down through a pass interference call, they weren't able to get much else going, with a botched snap handle putting them at 4^th-and-25 and forcing a punt. Within three plays, WV State went 43 yards, as Cox tallied 28 on a pair of carries, while a pass interference put the ball at the 25. Frostburg was able to clamp down, as a two-yard run was followed by back-to-back incompletions, with the visitors settling for a 40-yard field goal to level things at 10-10.  
 
Running their two-minute drill, Doyle carried twice for 12 yards while Brooks found Adames for 28 yards on a pair of catches in hopes of getting into field goal range. A sack with eight seconds left stopped the momentum, as Brooks' hail mary was picked off to go into the half tied.
 
On the first play out of the break, Brooks found Paul-Umstead across the middle for 21 yards, then thought he had senior JeVonn Gilyard for a 48-yard gain, however an illegal formation call wiped out the big play. The Bobcats weren't able to get much else going, as Baker II gave the Yellow Jackets a spark with a 35-yard punt return, as Doyle made a touchdown-saving tackle at midfield.
 
Restall took over the drive after an offensive personal foul put them at 1^st-and-25 from the 43, getting 27 yards on his first run before being called on twice more for 16 yards and the score to give the visitors their first lead at 17-10. Frostburg needed just two plays to find an answer, as Brooks darted a ball over top the WV State defense to Gilyard, who caught the ball at midfield and ran the rest of the way through open field for a 76-yard score and a 17-17 tie.
 
FSU's defense kept the momentum up, as a pair of runs gained just five yards before a Jackson incompletion forced a very short punt, going just 13 yards to the Bobcat 45. Brooks found Adames on a slant route for a 13-yard gain to get into Yellow Jacket territory before WVSU stopped Doyle short on a 3^rd-and-3 from the 19. With a roll of the dice, Frostburg decided to go for it on fourth down, as Doyle took a pitch around the right side for 12 yards to keep the drive going. He kept the ball churning three more times, getting in from two yards out for his second score of the day, however the resulting point-after was blocked, making the score 23-17.
 
In just three plays, WV State wiped away any momentum that the Bobcats had built, as Jackson scrambled to his right and fired a hopeful ball that was caught by Ary behind FSU's secondary, running in for a 63-yard score, with their extra point going through to lead 24-23. An unsportsmanlike conduct allowed WVSU to kick off from the 50, as they thought they immediately had possession back with a successful onside attempt, however an offside call forced them to re-kick for a touchback.
 
Adames got held on the first play trying to receive a pass from Brooks to start the drive with the first 10 yards. The next two plays got just three yards, then on 3^rd-and-7, Brooks dumped the ball to redshirt sophomore KJ Smothers out of the backfield, as he dove to just get across the line to gain. Another pair of plays later, the drive stood at 3^rd-and-7 once more, with Brooks again getting a clutch pass to Adames on the near sideline for 10 yards. Doyle then muscled his way for a pair of yards on 3^rd-and-1 before getting the highlight play of the drive, sprinting 23 yards through the middle for FSU's fourth third down conversion. He then leapt over the line from a yard out for another score, as a failed two-point conversion brought the score to 29-24.
 
Needing a touchdown to keep their hopes alive, the Yellow Jackets converted a necessary 3^rd-and-5 with Jackson getting the ball to Baker II across the middle for 19 yards. Now in four-down territory, WVSU gained eight yards on three plays and had to go for it on 4^th-and-2, as Restall was stopped a yard shy by senior Rainer Halveland for a turnover on downs.
 
As WV State still had all three timeouts, the Bobcats would still need to find a first down in hopes of running the clock out. Two runs gained just three total yards, then on third down, a fumble gave WVSU home, with Daryl Fletcher recovering the ball and getting down to the Yellow Jacket 34. FSU's defense picked things up from there, as senior Josh McTier broke up the first pass, then junior Tristin Forby had the game-winning play, picking off Jackson at midfield and going out of bounds, allowing Brooks to take three kneel downs to hold on for the 29-24 final.
 
Doyle led the rushing attack with 22 carries for 117 yards and three scores, tying his career-high for TD's in a single game. Brooks finished the day 15-of-24 for 213 yards and a touchdown, with Adames hauling in five catches for 55 yards and Gilyard adding a pair for 85 and a score.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 8-2 while WV State drops to 5-5. The Bobcats will play in their regular season finale on the road at Fairmont State on Saturday, November 15, with kick-off set for 12 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.