Tigers Fall to Bobcats in First Round of NCAA Postseason Play
On a sloppy November day, the Tigers fell to the Bobcats of Frostburg State 35-7.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Team Stats
Frostburg St.
| Game Statistics | Frostburg St. | Wittenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 116 | 191 |
| Rushing Yards | 385 | 60 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of Poss. | 40:59 | 19:01 |
SRINGFIELD, Ohio—Wittenberg football had their opportunities on Saturday, but the Tigers could not overcome a Frostburg State team that was determined to move on in their second NCAA postseason appearance in school history. On a sloppy November day, the Tigers fell to the Bobcats of Frostburg State 35-7. Wittenberg was knocking on the door multiple times in the red-zone, but turnovers crutched the Tiger offense in a game that saw the red and white struggle in the red-zone.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Wittenberg trailed 21-0 in the third quarter before Ryan Fallon threw a touchdown pass from two-yards out to give the Tigers their lone points of the contest. The Tigers threw two interceptions and lost one fumble on Saturday, with one pick coming at the start of the second half, and the other interception and fumble both coming in the red-zone. Frostburg State scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 93-yard fake punt turned run, and then again on a 61-yard run with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, making the score 35-7.
WHO STOOD OUT: Jeff Tiffner logged 76 receiving yards for the Tigers who finished the season 10-1 and NCAC champions for the 15th time in school history. Bryce Bailey set a Wittenberg school record with a wind-aided 78-yard punt, pinning the Bobcats back deep in their own territory. Terrance Crowe paced the Tigers defense with 14 tackles and one forced fumble, while Keenan Wilson recorded 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. In his last game as a Tiger, Jay Mastin logged ten tackles.
2017: The 2017 team became the 20th football team in school history to go undefeated in regular season play, as the league title is Wittenberg's 15th overall. For the seventh time in the last nine seasons, the Wittenberg Tiger football program won the NCAC, as the Tigers' 10-0 campaign is the sixth under Coach Fincham's tenure. Wittenberg currently holds a 22-17 record in the postseason, as the Tigers loss to Frostburg State snaps a streak of four Tiger wins in their last four first round games.