Football | 9/22/2017 9:27:00 AM

BLOOMSBURG (2-1, 0-0 PSAC East) vs CHEYNEY (1-2, 0-0 PSAC East)
Saturday, September 23, 2017 (2:00 PM)
Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

GAME NOTES
Bloomsburg Game Notes
Cheyney Home Page
PSAC Week 4 Notes

GAME COVERAGE
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RELATED LINKS
Bloomsburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Cheyney - Schedule | Roster | Statistics

SERIES HISTORY
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series, 47-9-1
Streak: Bloomsburg 27W

Last Meeting: September 24, 2016 at Cheyney (Bloomsburg 54, Cheyney 14)
First Meeting: November 4, 1960 at Bloomsburg (Bloomsburg 39, Cheyney 0)
Largest Bloomsburg Win: October 16, 2004 at Bloomsburg (69-0)
Largest Cheyney Win: October 26, 1974 at Cheyney (29-0)

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
- Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Cheyney, 47-9-1, and have not lost to the Wolves since a 31-28 home setback on October 14, 1989. The Huskies have won 27 consecutive meetings between the two schools since that defeat. The winning streak represents a school-record against a single opponent.

- The Huskies enter Saturday's contest having allowed only 10 first downs on 42 opponent third-down opportunities (23.8%) through the first three games of the season. That figure is tops in the PSAC and ranks eighth in the country. After allowing Stonehill to go 7-of-18 on third downs in the opener, Clarion and Gannon have combined to go 3-of-24 (12.5%) on third down chances over the last two weeks.

- Bloomsburg enters the 2017 season having posted a winning record for 18 consecutive years dating back to a 5-6 mark in 1998. The Huskies have recorded a winning record in 22 of the last 23 seasons.

- The Huskies have scored at least one point in 165 consecutive games and have recorded at least one touchdown in 120 straight contests.

- Cheyney snapped a 43-game losing streak with a 21-20 victory at Lincoln in last season's opener. The Wolves dismantled the Lions in the opener this season, 56-28, giving Cheyney back-to-back seasons with at least one win for the first time since 2011 and 2012. The Wolves have not won more than one game in a season since 2003 and, since going 3-3 against the East in 1989, the Wolves have gone 4-165 in divisional play over the last 27 seasons.

LAST WEEK
Bloomsburg scored 13 of its 27 points off of four Gannon turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) en route to a 27-10 victory over the Golden Knights in front of nearly 4,200 fans at Redman Stadium. Both of the interceptions, by redshirt junior Marquis Seamon (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) and senior Eric Schwartz (York, Pa./Central York), led to field goals of 26 and 36 yards, respectively, by redshirt junior Ryan Abbott (Hagerstown, Md./Saint James School). The other seven points came when redshirt junior Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) picked up a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a Huskies' touchdown. The Huskies only had 319 yards of total offense but limited the Golden Knights to 321. Redshirt senior Chris Palubinsky (Ringtown, Pa./Shenandoah Valley) completed 14-of-21 for 207 yards and one touchdown while redshirt sophomore Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) led the Huskies on the ground with 67 yards on 23 carries.

Cheyney got two touchdown passes from senior quarterback Dominick Trautz but fell at sixth-ranked IUP by a 65-16 final last Saturday. The Wolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the first collegiate field goal from freshman Alexander Rummel but the Crimson Hawks closed out the quarter with 20 consecutive points and never looked back. Trautz finished the afternoon completing 20-of-40 passes for 262 yards and two scores but the Wolves were held to minus-33 yards rushing on 33 attempts. IUP finished with 247 yards on the ground and 169 through the air.

SCHWARTZ EARNS FIRST WEEKLY AWARD
Senior Eric Schwartz (York, Pa./Central York) was named the PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in Saturday's 27-10 win over Gannon. Schwartz, arguably, had the best game of his collegiate career as he led the Huskies with nine total tackles (seven solo), a sack, and an interception during the Huskies' 17-point win. He was also an integral part in limiting Gannon's offense to only 10 points (34 below Gannon's season average) and 321 yards of total offense (176.5 below Gannon's season average).

The nine tackles established a new career-high for Schwartz and the sack was the first of his collegiate career (37 career games). His interception came late in the fourth quarter - at the Bloomsburg 37-yard line - and led to an Abbott field goal with under a minute remaining to put the game out of reach. It was Schwartz' first interception since November 8, 2014 during a victory at Lock Haven.

GETTING OFF THE FIELD
Bloomsburg's defense has done a tremendous of stalling opponent drives this season. The Huskies enter Saturday's contest having allowed only 10 first downs on 42 opponent third-down opportunities (23.8%) through the first three games of the season. That figure is tops in the PSAC and ranks eighth in the country. After allowing Stonehill to go 7-of-18 on third downs in the opener, Clarion and Gannon have combined to go 3-of-24 (12.5%) on third down chances over the last two weeks.

WORKING AHEAD
The Huskies have been tremendous when scoring first and while working with a lead under head coach Paul Darragh. Last Saturday, the Huskies scored first and led after each of the first three quarters en route to the 27-10 victory over the Golden Knights. It marked the first time this season that Bloomsburg scored first, improving its record to 23-2 since Darragh took over in 2013. Meanwhile, during the Darragh era, the Huskies are 23-1 when leading after one quarter, 29-1 when leading at halftime, and 31-2 when leading after three quarters.

POPSON CONTINUES BREAKOUT
Redshirt sophomore Jay Popson (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) made his first collegiate start at wide receiver against Stonehill and took advantage of the opportunity by catching seven passes for 121 yards. He entered the contest with two career catches and 27 career receiving yards but emerged as redshirt senior Chris Palubinsky (Ringtown, Pa./Shenandoah Valley)'s main target against Stonehill. His 121 receiving yards marked the first time a Bloomsburg receiver eclipsed 100 yards receiving yards in a game since Connor Gades hauled in 102 yards against Lock Haven on November 7, 2015. He added team-highs in receptions (4) and receiving yards (45) in the 29-20 win at Clarion and then added four catches for a team-high 98 yards in last Saturday's win over Gannon. Popson currently leads the team with 15 catches for 264 yards. He ranks sixth in the PSAC in receiving yards per game (88.0).

ANOTHER QUITEH LEADS THEM
Following in his older brother's footsteps, redshirt sophomore Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) picked up his first collegiate 100-yard rushing effort as he carried the ball 29 times for 118 yards in the 29-20 victory at Clarion on September 9. Through three games this season, Quiteh leads the Huskies with 259 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 67 carries. He entered the season with 14 career carries for 99 yards and two scores. Quiteh ranks eighth in the PSAC in rushing yards per game (86.3) and he has led the Huskies in rushing in all three games to date.

Quiteh is the younger brother of Bloomsburg's - and the PSAC's - all-time leading rusher, Franklyn Quiteh who compiled 7,523 rushing yards from 2010-13. Franklyn won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation's top player in Division II during his senior season of 2013 after rushing for 2,195 yards and 29 scores. He was a three-time Harlon Hill finalist.

ABBOTT EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Redshirt junior placekicker Ryan Abbott (Hagerstown, Md./Saint James School) was named the PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in Saturday's 29-20 victory at Clarion University. It marks the second time in Abbott's career that he has been honored with a weekly award from the PSAC. He also claimed the PSAC East Special Teams Player of the Week honor on September 25, 2016 - on the heels of last season's 54-14 victory at Cheyney University.

Abbott was a perfect 3-of-3 on field goals and 2-of-2 on extra points as he helped the Huskies to their first win of the 2017 campaign on Saturday. It marked a new career-high in field goals made in a game for Abbott – his previous high was two set on two different occasions last season (at Cheyney on September 24 and at IUP on November 12). He connected on a 30-yard field goal late in the first half which, at the time, gave the Huskies a 17-13 lead over the Golden Eagles. His 35-yarder on the Huskies' first drive of the second half tied the game at 20-20 and then his 33-yard boot late in the third quarter gave Bloomsburg the lead for good at 23-20.

DIRTY LAUNDRY
In the 29-20 victory at Clarion, the teams combined for 28 penalties and 297 penalty yards with the Huskies getting flagged 15 times for 145 yards in the victory. Last season, Bloomsburg was penalized only 61 times for 553 yards (50.3 yards per game) and allowed only nine opponent first downs via penalty. In fact, the Huskies were the least penalized team in the conference last year. This season, Bloomsburg has been flagged 27 times for 281 yards (93.7 yards per game) and have allowed 11 opponent first downs via penalty. Things calmed down for the Huskies last week, but Bloomsburg ranks 14th in the PSAC in fewest penalty yards per game and is 141st in Division II.

SELDOM HAPPENS
The Huskies rushed for only 79 yards in the season-opening loss to Stonehill - just the fifth time in 48 games under head coach Paul Darragh that the team has been held to under 100 yards rushing. The Huskies are 1-4 in such games with the only victory coming against Shippensburg on November 5, 2016 when the ground game picked up 96 yards in a 22-19 win. Redshirt sophomore Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) led the Huskies with 15 carries for 74 yards while also scoring his third career rushing touchdown. The rest of the team accounted for 16 carries for five yards.

FOR OPENERS
The season-opening loss to Stonehill marked just the second time in the last 18 home openers, dating back to the 2000 season, that the Huskies found themselves on the wrong end on the scoreboard. The Skyhawks also earned a victory at Redman Stadium back in 2015. Meanwhile, the 44 points allowed by the Huskies were the most allowed by a Bloomsburg team in a season-opener since a 47-37 setback against New Haven to open the 1999 campaign. It also marked the most given up in a game since a 58-20 loss at Shippensburg in the 2012 NCAA playoffs on November 17, 2012.

CAPTAINS NAMED
Bloomsburg will go with a trio of captains this season - redshirt seniors Aaron Allison (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford), Scott Beltz (Pen Argyl, Pa./Pen Argyl), and Eric Schwartz (York, Pa./Central York). Allison, a tight end from Philadelphia, has appeared in 36 games entering the 2017 season and has career 37 catches for 443 yards and five scores. Beltz, a defensive lineman from Pen Argyl, enters the season with 86 total tackles and 4.5 sacks in 32 career contests. Schwartz, a safety from York, has played in 32 career games and has 60 total tackles and an interception.

SERVICEMEN
Schwartz spent four years in the service, serving as a lance corporal before promotion to corporal. During his time in the Marines, Schwartz was deployed for nine months in Kunjak, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where he worked as an infantry machine gunner. Deployed in 2009, he spent his days in a combat position on top of a truck, responsible for tactical employment of a heavy machine gun to provide direct fire in support of his unit. He also served a tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea with an expeditionary unit. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Alex Findura (Bloomsburg, Pa./Woodland (Ga.)) also served in the United States Marine Corps Infantry for four years.

PRESEASON POLL
The Huskies were picked to finish fourth in the PSAC preseason coaches poll released in early August. Bloomsburg finished in a tie for third last year with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in divisional play. The six victories snapped a streak of 17 straight seasons of seven or more victories but extended the program's streak to 18 straight years of having a winning season. The Huskies have had a winning record in 22 of the last 23 seasons.

JONASSEN TO ENTER BU HALL OF FAME
Former Husky great Eric Jonassen will be inducted into the Bloomsburg University Hall of Fame on October 27 as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Jonassen is the father of starting center, Seth Jonassen (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley).

Eric Jonassen was a dominant offensive lineman for two seasons on the Huskies' football team and earned a number of postseason accolades during his time at Bloomsburg. He was a two-time First Team All-PSAC selection and collected numerous All-American honors including being named Second Team AP All-American in 1990, First Team AP All-American in 1991, and First Team AFCA All-American in 1991. He was also tabbed a First Team Football Gazette All-American twice. After his collegiate career, Jonassen was drafted in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, participating in Super Bowl XXIX, and then played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring after the 1997 season.

Other members of this year's class are Michele Baylor Kane (women's lacrosse), Kathy Frick (field hockey, women's lacrosse coach), Chuck Laudermilch (women's soccer coach), Ralph Moerschbacher (men's swimming), and Michelle Wolyniec (women's cross country/track and field).

The ceremony will take place on Friday, October 27 and then the six individuals will be honored at halftime of Bloomsburg's home game against Lock Haven on Saturday, October 28.

SCOUTING CHEYNEY
The Wolves go into Saturday's contest with a 1-2 record. Cheyney won its opening contest at home against Lincoln, 56-28. Since then, the Wolves lost two games on the road against fifth-ranked California (PA), 54-14, and sixth-ranked Indiana (PA), 65-16. Before the season, Cheyney was picked to finish in eighth place in the PSAC East.

On offense, Brandon French leads the team with 97 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Damon Williams and Dominick Trautz also own one rushing touchdown so far this season. The Wolves are last in the PSAC, averaging only 55.7 yards rushing per game. However, through the air, Trautz has completed 50 passes for 622 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Yvesner Ferdinand leads the team with 14 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Berlin also has two receiving touchdowns, and has six receptions for 61 yards total.
 
On the defensive side of the football, Chaplin Johnson-Davis leads the team in tackles with 16 (11 solo). Tariq Furbush, Gary Brown, Jeremiah Wells have 15 tackles apiece. Keyson Dingle has two sacks for the Wolves. Cheyney has the third-best passing defense in the conference, allowing 576 yards through the air and nine touchdowns. The Wolves have two interceptions, recorded by Brown and redshirt senior Jamiel Hines. Hines' interception featured an 82-yard run-back against California (PA).  

UP NEXT
Bloomsburg heads to Millersville next Saturday, September 30, to battle the Marauders at 1:00 p.m. The Huskies have won 17 consecutive meetings between the two schools and are 44-30-5 lifetime against their PSAC Eastern Division rival.