Graduate student running back Grant Swinehart galloped 71 yards for a touchdown with 3:48 left in the third quarter, during Shepherd University’s game against Frostburg State University on Saturday. Shepherd lost the away game, 27-41. Photo by David Pennock

FROSTBURG, Md. — Frostburg scored first. Frostburg scored last. And Frostburg State University, which lost its last five games of the 2024 season, scored enough between its book end scoring to defeat Shepherd University, 41-27, in the season-opener for both schools.

The Bobcats’ Myles Fulton repeatedly found his open receivers for huge touchdowns, as he finished with four scoring passes and a night where he flourished from start to the end.

Shepherd’s five turnovers, frequent defensive lapses and vulnerability to ceding huge chunks of yardage had it constantly playing from behind on the scoreboard.

Keeping the Rams at least partially afloat were kicking specialist Max Barba, an offense that accounted for 27 points, halfback Grant Swinehart and his 135 rushing yards on only nine carries and defenders Devin Harper and Nathan Muhle, who both had eight tackles. Geo-Di Tolbert scored when he returned a blocked field goal by Vince Flook for one of Shepherd’s scores.

Frostburg’s Fulton threw scoring passes of 40 yards to JeVonn Gilyard and 45 yards to Ray Adames to get him pointed in the direction of Shepherd’s beckoning end zone.

Shepherd University junior Damarcus Butler tackles a Frostburg State University football player, during Saturday night’s away game. Frostburg won the game, 41-27. Photo by David Pennock

Fulton found time to complete TD passes of nine yards and 18 yards to Cruiz Paul-Umstead and to Trashaun Timmons.

Frostburg’s only rushing score came from Owen Doyle, who ran in from the 15.

The Bobcats never trailed. However, they were always facing danger and facing a Shepherd team that continually was in pursuit of the bob-tailed Frostburg lead.

Carter Mazalewski was Frostburg’s defensive man of the coolish night whether registering sacks, making defensive stops from his linebacker post or returning a pass interception for a 65-yard score.

The opportunistic Bobcats led, 14-3, just before the first half closed. They lined up for a field goal try with just seconds remining before the intermission. It was then that Flook blocked the attempt and Tolbert rambled back the other way. keeping the score close as Frostburg had just as 20-13 lead to carry to the second half.

Frostburg’s dominant lead in time of possession took control with it pared time off the clock to open the second half with still another TD that boosted its lead to 27-13. That scoring march took over eight minutes and helped the Bobcats cement their 35:48-to-24:12 ownership of time/ball control.

The lead never shrank below seven points and bobbed from seven-to-14 points in the second half.

It was 41-27 in the last reaches when the Bobcats managed a final sack and made an exclamation-point interception to top off the season-opening success over a Ram team that is open this week before traveling to see nationally ranked Slippery Rock on Sept. 13.