Frostburg, MD – Senior running back
DENZEL NIEVES rushed for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns while the Montclair State defense came up with some key stops in the second half as the Red Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 33-27 win over Frostburg State on Saturday.
Freshman
RYAN DELEON connected on a pair of 41-yard field goals allowing MSU to snap a two-game losing streak. Montclair, which improved to 4-5 overall, 4-4 in the NJAC, captured the first meeting with the Bobcats since 2005. MSU is now 5-1 all-time against Frostburg (6-3, 4-3 NJAC).
Montclair took the opening kickoff and marched 58 yards before settling for the first of DeLeon's two field goals with 10:40 remaining for a 3-0 lead. Two possessions later, the Bobcats got a 47-yard punt return to the MSU 4. Connor Cox hit Myles Burgess for touchdown giving Frostburg a 6-3 lead after the PAT failed.
MSU immediately responded as
RYAN DAVIES found
AARON WILLIAMS for a 67-yard touchdown putting Montclair State back in front 10-6. Isaac Robinson hit from 22 yards out on the third play of the second quarter trimming the lead back to 10-9 however
JOHN DISTEFANO returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the FSU 28 and a personal foul penalty put the ball at the 14. Two plays later, Nieves raced around the left side for the touchdown extending the MSU lead to 16-9.
The defense then came up big on the next possession as
JOSHUA BETTS scooped up a fumble and returned it to the Frostburg 30. That turned into DeLeon's second field goal giving Montclair a 19-9 lead with 7:57 to play. The Bobcats drove the ball to the MSU 23 on its next touch but senior
JOSH BROWN forced a fumble that was recovered by
RAHMEIN HERRON at the MSU 17.
DiStefano rushed for six and three yards on the first two plays before ripping off a 74-yard run down the right sideline for a touchdown as Montclair increased its lead to 26-9 with 1:38 to play before halftime. The Bobcats countered with a touchdown before half and a two-point conversion made the score 26-17 at intermission.
Frostburg pulled even closer with eight minutes to play in the third as Robinson hit from 20 yards out cutting the lead to 26-20. Later in the quarter, the Bobcats drove to the MSU 1 wand went for it on fourth-and-goal however linebacker
NICK CATALANO came up with the stop giving the ball back to the Red Hawks.
Senior cornerback
BILL SHIMKO thwarted another FSU drive in the fourth with an interception at the Montclair State 11 however MSU gave it right back with a fumble at its own 27. Again the Bobcats went for it on fourth-down from the Montclair 19 but
DEVIN TERRY made a huge stop as MSU took over with 8:45 remaining.
The Red Hawks used that momentum and turned it into a nine-play, 82 yard drive that chewed 5:48 off the clock. Nieves accounted for half the yards but it was two key completions that kept the drive going. Davies hit
JOE SCHULTZ for eight yards on a 3
rd-and-7 out to the MSU 39. Four plays later found
JULANEE PRINCE for 40 yards on a 3
rd-and-14 down to the Frostburg 25. Nieves did the rest with a 25-yard run that gave MSU a 33-27 lead with 3:02 left.
Frostburg did not go away as a solid return and penalty gave the hosts the ball at the MSU 45. Cox needed just four plays to put the Bobcats in the end zone as FSU got within 33-27 with 1:10 left.
Pinning MSU deep in its own territory and using its timeouts, Frostburg got the ball back and put itselft in position to win the game as Austin Bonsall returned a punt to the MSU 25 with1:14 to go. Following a two-yard run, the Red Hawk defense came up with one more big play as Herron intercepted Cox sealing the game for Montclair State.
DiStefano finished with 99 yards on eight carries as Montclair rushed for 223 yards in the contest. Davies was 10-of-17 for 158 yards with Prince pulling in three for 50 yards. Linebacker
MICHAEL KLIMEK and Shimko led the defense with 12 tackles apiece while
MICHAEL TENPENNY added 11 and
MICHAEL STRADFORD eight. Catalano had four tackles, including three for a loss.
The Red Hawks close out their 2015 campaign on Saturday, November 14 hosting Kean University at Sprague Field beginning at 1:00 pm. It will be Senior Day for Montclair State, which will honor their 22 seniors prior to the start of the game.
