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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - Senior Hakeem Sillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) and redshirt juniors Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) and Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) each hit the century mark in rushing yards on Saturday afternoon as the Bloomsburg University football team snapped a two-game losing skid with a 26-18 victory over visiting East Stroudsburg University in front of more than 3,400 fans at Danny Hale Field at Redman on Parents and Family Weekend. With the win, the Huskies improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. The Warriors dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the PSAC East.

Quiteh led the Huskies with 123 yards on 14 carries but was followed closely by Sillman, who finished with 117 yards on 15 attempts, and Gooden, who carried the ball 17 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the first time that Bloomsburg had three players rush for at least 100 yards in a game since Jamar Brittingham (142), Mike Ceroli (109), and Julius Brown (101) accomplished the feat in a 37-12 victory at Kutztown on October 9, 2004. The Huskies ran for 355 yards on 60 attempts on Saturday afternoon - the most rushing yards in a game since rushing for 454 yards in a 41-10 victory over West Chester on October 25, 2014.

The Huskies improved to 12-0 lifetime under head coach Paul Darragh when rushing for at least 300 yards in a game. The last time Bloomsburg ran for 300 yards was in last season's 38-28 win at East Stroudsburg on October 21, 2017. The Huskies are averaging 312.7 yards rushing against the Warriors in the last three meetings between the two schools - all Bloomsburg victories.

Things looked promising for the Huskies right off the bat as when senior Nathaniel Webb (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) forced East Stroudsburg's Jaymar Anderson to fumble on the first play from scrimmage. Redshirt senior Josh Salak (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) recovered the loose ball at the Warriors' 31 yard line and Bloomsburg was in business. The offense came out with a new face under center as freshman Logan Leiby (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area), who had eye-popping career numbers at Selinsgrove Area High School, made his first collegiate start. It marked the first time Bloomsburg started a "true" freshman at quarterback since Glen McNamee earned the start at Kutztown on October 16, 1993 - the first season under Danny Hale. After a 12-yard run by Sillman on the Huskies' first play, Bloomsburg went backwards as a rush for negative yards, two sacks, and two false start penalties forced Bloomsburg to punt the ball away ending what was a promising start.

After the Warriors punted on their next possession, the Huskies appeared to take the lead when Leiby threw a perfect strike to junior Marshall Rizzuto (Port Matilda, Pa./Williston Northampton (Mass.)) for, what would have been, a 68-yard touchdown reception with 5:03 left in the first quarter. But, the play came back on offsetting personal foul penalties to keep the game scoreless. The Huskies continued marched down the field, however, and eventually had a first-and-goal from the East Stroudsburg four-yard line. But, the Warriors' Jacob Keane forced a Quiteh fumble shy of the goal line and the ball rolled out of bounds in the endzone to give the visitors the ball following the touchback. And, the Warriors took advantage as they drove 80 yards on five plays with Ben Moser finding R.J. Sarajian for a four-yard touchdown reception with 12:24 left in the first half. Jordan Walters added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Huskies got into East Stroudsburg territory on the next drive but Leiby was sacked on fourth-and-six to force a turnover on downs. Worse yet, Leiby had to leave the game on the play and did not return, ending his collegiate debut. East Stroudsburg drove 26 yards on nine plays and had to settle for a 45-yard field goal from Walters as the Warriors extended the lead to 10-0 with 3:53 left in the opening half. Those would be the final points of the opening 30 minutes as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms.

On the opening drive of the second half, Bloomsburg went nine yards on its first three plays setting up a fourth-and-one from its own 35-yard line. Junior Kieron Smethers (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) came on to punt and, after receiving the snap, ran past the first-down marker for a four-yard gain to keep the drive alive.

That play, single-handedly changed the momentum of the game.

Six plays later - all runs - the Huskies were in the endzone as redshirt sophomore Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), who replaced Leiby at quarterback, scampered in from 12 yards out. Redshirt freshman Jaco Sattamini (Delaware Water Gap, Pa./Stroudsburg) added the extra point and Bloomsburg trimmed the lead to 10-7 with 9:34 left in the third quarter. On the third play of East Stroudsburg's drive, redshirt freshman Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) picked off Moser at the Warriors' 45-yard line - his first collegiate interception - and the Huskies' offense went back to work. Six plays later, Benjamin found redshirt junior Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) from 31 yards out to give the Huskies their first lead of the game at 13-10 with 5:54 left in the third. Sattamini, however, missed the extra point to keep it a one-possession game.

At the outset of the fourth quarter, senior Dexter Jordan (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) intercepted Moser at the East Stroudsburg 35-yard line and returned it 16 yards to set up the offense at the Warriors' 19. It was Jordan's fourth interception of the season and second in as many games. Five runs later, Gooden leaped into the endzone from two yards out to extend the Huskies' lead to 19-10 with 11:40 left.

East Stroudsburg drove to the Bloomsburg 34 yard line on its next possession but, on third-and-24 from the Huskies' 48, Moser was picked off right in front of the goal line by Pollard - his second interception of the game - who then returned it 12 yards to the Bloomsburg 13 yard line, ending another Warrior drive. Quiteh started the ensuing possession with a 47-yard run to the East Stroudsburg 40 and, four more runs later, Gooden was back in the endzone as he found paydirt from seven yards out with 3:47 left. Sattamini nailed the extra point to give the Huskies a 26-10 lead.

The Warriors did not go quietly as Anderson took the handoff, following a touchback, and sprinted 75 yards for an East Stroudsburg touchdown to cut the lead to 26-16. Moser then found Ezequiel Lopez for the two-point try to make it a one-possession game, 26-18, with 3:34 left. East Stroudsburg recovered the onside kick only to have it nullified due to an illegal formation penalty on the kick. The Warriors then kicked deep and, eventually, forced a Bloomsburg punt to have one more shot to tie the game with 1:47 left. Starting from the Bloomsburg 49-yard line, Moser had an incomplete pass and then was sacked by freshman AJ Simon (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) on second down. A false start penalty and then a fumble by Moser, which was recovered by Anderson, set up fourth-and-27 from the East Stroudsburg 34. Moser found Jylil Reeder for 12 yards who then lateraled back to Moser. But, sophomore Kasean Patterson (Philadelphia, Pa./Lankenau) was there to stop Moser well short of the first-down marker to end the contest.

Bloomsburg had a season-high 412 yards of offense with 355 of those coming on the ground. The Huskies attempted only nine passes all afternoon. Leiby finished 3-of-4 for 26 yards while Benjamin was just 1-of-5 for 31 yards but the one completion was the perfectly thrown 31-yard touchdown strike to Allen. East Stroudsburg finished with 296 yards of total offense - 159 rushing and 137 passing. Anderson finished the day with 17 carries for 175 yards and one touchdown. Moser finished 10-of-22 for 137 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Rece Bender caught two passes for 55 yards.

Defensively, Salak lead the Huskies with six tackles, one tackle for a loss, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup. Patterson and Simon had five stops apiece with Simon leading the team with 1.5 of the team's five sacks. Pollard had his first two career interceptions and finished with four total tackles. Keane, Justin Johnson, and Billy Inge III finished with 11 tackles apiece for East Stroudsburg.

The Huskies will be on the road next Saturday, October 20, when they make the short trip to Lock Haven University to battle the Bald Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.