WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Frostburg State took advantage of four Washington & Jefferson turnovers en route to a 46-23 win in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Division III Football Championship at Cameron Stadium.
The loss eliminated Presidents' Athletic Conference champion W&J from the postseason after posting an 11-1 overall record on the year, the sixth time in program history that the Presidents reached 11 victories.
Senior cornerback
O'Shea Anderson (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) picked off two passes, giving him nine on the season which is the third most in program history, and 13 for his career, fifth most all-time. Senior linebacker
Dalton Day (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) registered a game- and career-high 18 tackles in the loss.
Senior wide receiver
Jesse Zubik (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) had game highs of 10 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, going over 1,400 yards for the second-straight season. He ended his storied career with 291 receptions, 4,756 yards and 54 touchdowns, all among the best in NCAA Division III history.
The Presidents struck first, just 1:27 into the game, with a six-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Alex Rowse (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) to senior wide receiver
Cody Hearst (Clarion, Pa./Clarion). The next three scores were by the visitors as they took a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter. A 27-yard field goal by senior kicker
Josh Hnat (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) at the 7:06 mark of the second quarter gave the halftime margin at 17-10.
A Bobcats' score on the opening possession of the second half extended it to 24-10, but W&J answered to get within a score, 24-17, when Rowse connected with Hearst for the second time in the game, this time from four yards out at 9:24. W&J got the ball back on the second play of Frostburg's ensuing possession when Anderson picked off his second pass of the day, but the Bobcats returned the favor on the second play of W&J's drive and returned it to the Presidents' five-yard line, converting it into a field goal three plays later, 27-17. Another interception followed, this time ending with a touchdown, and FSU extended the lead to 34-17 after three periods.
Trailing 41-17, Rowse connected with Zubik from nine yards out and got W&J within 41-23 after the two-point conversion attempt failed.
W&J was held to 323 yards on the day (263 passing), while allowing 388 (248 rushing). Senior safety
Luke Merhaut (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) joined Day in double figures with a career-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Senior defensive end
Tom Marra (Moon Township, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) finished with two sacks, giving him 22.0 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks on the season.
Freshman running back
EJ Thompson (La Plata, Md./Thomas Stone) led W&J on the ground with 12 carries for 52 yards and also caught two passes for 31 yards. Rowse finished 29-of-55 for 263 yards and three touchdowns, plus three interceptions. Hearst caught five passes for 64 yards and the two scores.
Post Game Press Conference, Head Coach
Mike Sirianni, Anderson and Rowse
Highlights
Rowse to Hearst from 21 yards out to open the scoring:
Hearst makes a one-handed catch along the sideline in the first quarter:
Anderson picks off his first interception of the day and eighth of the season:
Zach Royba (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) picks off a time-ending Hail Mary to end the first half:
Hearst's second TD grab of the day brought W&J within 24-17:
Anderson's second interception of the day was his ninth of the year:
Rowse hits Zubik for a touchdown:
Â
