Flanigan, SU roll to Regents Cup win over Frostburg State, 49-7
SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University Regents Cup McGlinchey MVP award recipient Ross Flanigan ran eight times for a career-high 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Salisbury University football team defeated Frostburg State University, 49-7, in the 13th Regents Cup game at Sea Gull Stadium Saturday.
With the victory, SU (9-1, 7-0 Empire 8) claimed the E8 conference championship outright in its first season in the league. The title is the first for the Sea Gulls in football since winning consecutive Atlantic Central Football Conference crowns in 2004 and 2005.
Salisbury has also now beaten Frostburg State (4-6, 3-4) in eight straight games for the Regents Cup and in the process set a new program record for points in a season with 459, topping the previous mark of 410, set in 2008.
Salisbury put up 430 yards of offense, including 348 on the ground. Tyler Curley had eight carries for 66 yards and a touchdown while Jonathan Briscoe ran six times for 55 yards and a score.
Dan Griffin was 2-for-4 for 70 yards and a touchdown through the air and had 36 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Salisbury got off to a quick start, scoring on its first four possessions to take a 28-0 lead less than 14 minutes into the game.
Flanigan capped a six play, 61-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run at the 10:53 mark. The key play came when he scampered down the sideline for 22 yards.
After a Frostburg State punt, Flanigan was at it again as he took a Griffin pitch 42 yards to the end zone.
Griffin hit Doug Ticse with a 33-yard pass to key the Sea Gulls' third scoring drive that was finished with a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:54 left in the period.
The ensuing kickoff landed short of the Frostburg returnmen, bouncing back toward the on-rushing Salisbury players and SU's Matt Heacock dove on the ball at the FSU 27 to give the Sea Gulls possession. Six plays later, Griffin plunged in from 1 yard to make it 28-0.
Greg Stanton pounced on another FSU fumble on a Sea Gull punt, giving them the ball on the FSU 41. Ticse made a one-handed catch on a Griffin toss to the 4-yard line and Griffin was able to punch it in at the 9:57 mark to push the lead to 35-0.
Briscoe added a 14-yard rushing score with six minutes left in the half to go up by five scores at the break.
Curley picked up a touchdown with 1:13 to go in the third quarter on a 5-yard jaunt to move the lead to 49-0. Nick Aloi jumpstarted the six-play march with a 28-yard gain on the ground to the FSU 17.
The Bobcats narrowly avoided the shutout when Garfield Lampkin converted a fourth-and-one run for a touchdown with 22 seconds left.
JD Hook led Frostburg State, rushing for 75 yards on 15 chances and Josh Volpe connected on 16-of-30 pass attempts for 125 yards. Anthony Young led all players with eight catches, finishing with 64 yards.
FSU game MVP Brendon Blanchette led the Bobcats' defense with 12 tackles and two for loss. Drew Allebach paced the Sea Gulls' defense with seven tackles while Alex Akinseye tallied a two tackles for loss and a sack.
Salisbury must now wait on its plans for NCAA tournament. The announcement is slated for Sunday at 6 p.m.
