Glenville State’s Jeremiah King (5) carries the ball during a game against Charleston earlier this season. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

By JAY W. BENNETT

Sports Writer

GLENVILLE — Mountain East Conference leader and No. 21 Frostburg State will try and keep the good times rolling with a sixth straight victory to open the season when Glenville State invades for a 1 p.m. showdown on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.

Following a 33-7 homecoming win last week against Concord the Bobcats of third-year head coach Eric Wagoner were the first team in the conference to reach 3-0.

FSU (5-0, 3-0), which has rolled early on, is averaging just a turnover a game while forcing two. Coach Wagoner’s squad has a 426-275 average total yards advantage and has averaged 5.2 yards per carry on the ground while allowing just 3.7. On top of that, the Bobcats are converting at nearly 48% on third down and giving up just 27.6% defensively.

“Right now they are playing the best on offense, defense (in the MEC) and they are undefeated,” admitted GSU head man Mike Kellar on his weekly show. “They’ve got some good wins in there.

“They are a good football team. They beat us bad here (41-9) a year ago. Two years ago we beat them up there (13-10). It’s really going to be about who can go up there and play a clean football game.”

Quarterback Jordan Brooks has completed 60% of his attempts for 694 yards with seven touchdowns and three picks. The rushing game is led by the duo of Owen Doyle (72-438-7) and KJ Smothers (74-360-3) while the receiving unit is dangerous and features the likes of Cruiz Paul-Umstead (11-241-4), Ray Adames (11-223-4) and Tra’Shaun Timmons (17-201-3).

“We still haven’t played that clean, clean game yet without turning it over or missing kicks or having missed assignments or alignments,” stressed coach Kellar despite last week’s 36-24 win against Fairmont State.

“We were better, but we’re not really where we need to be with all that just yet, which is kind of frustrating as a coach. The kids’ efforts and their abilities, we’ve got some talent. We just got to play a little bit cleaner.”

The G-men (2-3, 1-1) have turned it over 11 times and have gained seven while converting at almost 34% on third down and allowing conversions at 46.2%. Offensively, the Pioneers are putting up nearly 429 yards a game and average 4.2 per carry, but have allowed 436 and 5.6 ypc.

Jeremiah King (101-400-4) leads the way in the backfield with Graylan Holland (35-204-2).

Anthony Garrett has now completed 58.8% of his 148 aerials for 1,330 yards, nine TDs and five INTs. Six different players have a receiving touchdown led by Naseem Pacheco (22-313-2) and Arnav Thornhill (8-245-1).

The GSU defense, paced by Brandon Penn’s 52 total stops and 37 solo, is still looking to apply more pressure on the quarterback according to Kellar, who has four players thus far with a sack apiece – Kalon Curry, Eugene Allen, Jamar Grimball and Donovan Williams.

Frostburg State is led defensively by Carter Mazalewski’s 36 tackles, seven TFLs and three sacks.

“What they do, what they’ve always done, is very similar to us,” coach Kellar added of the FSU offense. “Now they do it in more of a condensed set where we’re a little more spreadish. Fairmont was kind of this way, too.

“They really like to run the ball and pound it and they get you single high. It’s their bread and butter. That’s what they want to do. Their pass game scares you the most because it’s the faster death.”

Penn is joined with an interception for the G-men by last year’s MEC Defensive Freshman of the Year Jaiden McLendon Parker, Henry Lyes, Elias Ofosu and Jaziah Berberena.

“We got to hold our own in the kick game,” stressed the coach. “They blocked a punt versus Concord. They got good returners. Defensively, it’s the same story as always.

“You can’t give up the deep part of the field and you got to stop the run. Offensively, we just got to execute ball plays. Frostburg is not going to give you freebies.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com