PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Sophomore Connor Cox tossed three touchdown passes and Frostburg's stifling defense was dominant again as the 24th-ranked Bobcats cruised to a 38-14 win over 22nd-ranked St. John Fisher, Saturday in the ECAC's Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
With the game tied at seven, the Bobcats scored 31 unanswered points to put the game out of reach quickly. Frostburg scored the first 21 of those points in a 4:22 stretch in the second quarter.
Game Highlights: Frostburg's First TD I Walker's Interception
The victory caps Frostburg's 2016 season with a 10-1 overall record that included nine-consecutive wins to end the year. It is just the second time in the 56-year history of the program that Frostburg has won 10 games in a season. The nine-straight wins also tie a school record.
Prior to the ECAC Bowl Game, Frostburg squared off against St. John Fisher from 2010-14 and had never defeated the Cardinals. The win marks Frostburg's first ECAC Bowl victory since it downed Wilkes in 1996.
The Bobcats entered Saturday's matchup ranked seventh in the country in total defense and Frostburg was dominant again holding St. John Fisher (8-3) to 330 yards in offense. However, the Bobcats held the Cardinals to minus 26 yards rushing. Frostburg also registered 17.0 tackles for loss and posted 10 sacks.
Aside from the Cards two touchdown drives, the Bobcat defense forced three turnovers on downs in the second half and forced a fumble at the SJFC 29 early in the fourth that led to a field goal.
Junior Jordan Procter had an impressive bowl game as he registered six total tackles and earned MVP honors. All six of his tackles were behind the line of scrimmage and five of those stops were sacks of St. John Fisher quarterback Matt Naton.
His five sacks tie a single-game school record and his six TFLs tie for the fourth most in a single-game in program history.
Junior Josh Scales led all players with 11 tackles, while senior Lyle Fugate made 10 stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
On offense, Frostburg grabbed a 7-0 lead when Cox completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to junior Russell Neverdon with 6:40 left in the first quarter.
Fisher knotted things at 7-7 when Mike Collichio threw a 21-yard TD to Dylan Harrington early in the second quarter.
However, Frostburg answered in a big way with 21-straight points.
Cox rushed for a 20-yard touchdown with 5:18 to play in the second for a 14-7 edge. On the ensuing Cardinal possession, freshman Graylin Walker stepped in front of a Naton pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and a quick 21-7 lead with 3:52 to play.
After holding St. John Fisher to a 3-and-out, Frostburg added its fourth and final score of the first half with 56 seconds left when Cox tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Jamaal Morant for a 28-7 cushion.
In the third, the Frostburg defense forced St. John Fisher to turn the ball over on downs twice inside FSU territory. Back-to-back sacks from Procter followed by seniors J.R. Lowery and William Sewell stalled the first drive at the FSU 18 with 5:21 showing on the clock.
On its ensuing possession, the Bobcat secondary forced Naton to throw three incompletions, including a pass that sailed out of bounds on 4-and-11.
Frostburg added to its lead with no time left on the third quarter clock as Cox rolled to his left and found senior Austin Bonsall for a 47-yard touchdown completion and a commanding 35-7 lead.
Senior Isaac Robinson opened fourth quarter action when he booted a 41-yard field into a significant wind for a 38-7 advantage.
The Bobcat defense held SJFC to one final turnover on downs at the FSU 29 when Naton rushed for 12 yards on fourth-and-24 with 8:43 left in the fourth.
The final points of the evening came when Naton tossed screen pass to Tony Fusco who scored from 22 yards out to make it 38-14.
Cox finished the evening with 267 yards on 13 completions with three TDs and he added another score on the ground. Neverdon hauled in four passes for 93 yards and a score, Bonsall added two catches for 83 yards and one TD as Morant ran for 72 yards on 20 carries.