Sept. 6 — FROSTBURG — Frostburg State had a top-20 defense last season, and it showed in the season opener against Millersville.
The Bobcats (1-0) allowed just one touchdown and posted a second-half shutout en route to a 23-6 victory Thursday night at Bobcat Stadium.
“One of the big takeaways is this was Millersville’s second game and our first,” FSU head coach Eric Wagoner said. “So a lot of the mistakes we made, they could have made last week. We had 10 guys on the field for two punt returns, a bunch of holding penalties. Just a few operational plays. But we got a win. Winning in college football is not easy.”
Myles Fulton made his debut as the starting quarterback, and three plays into the opening drive produced the first highlight.
Fulton played for Old Mill in 2021 when Fort Hill upset the Class 4A school 28-13 in Cumberland.
On third-and-7 at the 18, he cut right and took it 43 yards to the Millersville 39.
Frostburg got within five, and Fort Hill graduate Blake White caught a pass for a touchdown, but a holding penalty erased it.
White is listed as a linebacker, but has moved to running back over the past week.
“The thing about Blake White is if you watch his high school film, you’ll see he can run,” Wagoner said. “He’s a good offensive player, everybody knew that and everybody wanted to see if he could do it defensively. We had a need on offense and we figured who’s the only guy we could move there, and that was Blake. I’m just disappointed that touchdown was overturned.”
White was named the region’s player of the year in 2021, passing for 1,353 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 103 tackles and 17 tackles for loss.
Three plays later, Owen Doyle scored with a punch from a yard out.
The Bobcats failed on the ensuing two-point conversion, keeping the score at 6-0.
The Marauders (0-2) took over late in the first and converted three third downs, driving 59 yards.
Robert Footman Jr. found Titus Kruah from 13 yards out to tie the game.
On the extra point, several Bobcats jumped the snap and Demetrius Salley, Jr. blocked the kick.
“It was a good thing for the momentum, going to a 6-6 tie feels a lot different than going in, guys are all frustrated,” Wagoner said. “We knew he was going to have a chance, we planned it all out, I think it was a big turning point.”
The game remained tied at six at halftime.
After the first drive, Frostburg’s offense failed to generate much.
The next three attacks all ended with three assists, and the fourth stopped before crossing midfield.
“We scored and then we made some big plays,” Wagoner said. “I told our offense we have to get the ball down the field. Everybody’s going to charge the box if we don’t. And Myles is knocking them down, if we make one of those plays, our offense is going to be going.”
However, the Bobcats’ defense kept them in the game.
The Marauders had four drives in the first half. The first two resulted in punts, the third was a Kruah touchdown and the fourth ended with a DJ Denson interception.
In the first half, Frostburg held Millersville to 135 total yards.
Facing a fourth-and-3 at the 38, Frostburg called a timeout after initially sending the offense out.
Doyle took the direct snap on a fake punt for 13 yards and the first down, but Sean Aaron fumbled the ball on the next play.
After the Bobcats defense forced another three-and-out, Frostburg needed just three plays to take the lead.
Jordan Marcucci caught a screen near the left sideline and sped for 47 yards and a touchdown.
“That’s what we needed, we needed to pull the rug out from under them,” Wagoner said. “The longer you let a defense hang in there, the more they start to believe in themselves. It gave us a little breathing room and it gave the sidelines and the home crowd some momentum.”
A clumsy snap on the extra point kept the score at 12-6.
The Bobcats took over in the final minute of the third, and three plays later they faced a third-and-13.
Fulton rolled to the right and fired deep to the right sideline, finding Trashaun Timmons for a first down and a 43-yard gain.
Fulton finished 17 of 25 for 188 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
“I’m really proud of Myles, he’s my roommate,” Doyle said. “I feel like he had a great game today, it’s the first game of a long series.”
A late sideline hit against Millersville put the ball at the 11, and two plays later, Doyle scored his second touchdown from a yard out.
Doyle led all players, rushing 16 times for 95 yards and two scores.
“It’s awesome to see your running back carry the ball like that,” Fulton said. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
Frostburg attempted two points and Fulton connected with Jeremiah Gibson on a slant, pushing the lead to 20-6.
The Marauders went three and out again on the ensuing drive, and after missing the punt, the Bobcats took over at the Millersville 37.
Facing fourth-and-5 at the 32, a pass from Fulton to Gibson scored five.
The score was initially judged to be too short, but a measurement gave Frostburg the first down with a length less than a football.
After seven plays, the offense stalled and Brandon Keen kicked a 23-yard field goal with just under two minutes left.
Yasir Holmes led the Bobcat defense with eight tackles, including one for loss, adding a pass breakup and getting three quarterback pressures.
Frostburg’s defense held the Marauders to 188 total yards, while the offense racked up 390.
“We’ve been playing our defense all camp, we’ve been helping each other out for this game,” Doyle said. “The defense showed some grit tonight, we just have to do a little bit better on our end.”
Footman Jr. finished 8-of-18 passing for 115 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also led Millersville in rushing with 46 yards on 14 attempts.
Frostburg heads to West Liberty on Saturday, September 14 at 1 p.m.
Jordan Kendall is a sports reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. Email him with your scores and story suggestions at [email protected].
