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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University football team allowed 14 unanswered points in the second half and suffered its second consecutive loss with a 17-14 setback to 13th-ranked West Chester University on Saturday afternoon in front of more than 5,800 fans at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium for Homecoming Weekend. The Huskies dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division while the Golden Rams improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in divisional play.

Bloomsburg held a 14-3 lead at halftime but the Golden Rams rallied in the second half on an 11-yard touchdown run from Mark Dukes on the opening drive of the third quarter followed by a 26-yard touchdown reception by Elijah Hall from A.J. Long early in the fourth quarter to take a 17-14 advantage. On the Huskies' ensuing possession, Bloomsburg drove down the field but stalled at the West Chester 20-yard line. Redshirt freshman Jaco Sattamini (Delaware Water Gap, Pa./Stroudsburg) came on to attempt a game-tying 37-yard field goal with 5:36 left in regulation but the kick was blocked by West Chester's Tyler Morrissey to keep the Golden Rams in front by three. The Huskies got runs of 17 and 18 from redshirt junior Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) and then converted a fourth-and-three from their own 49 when redshirt sophomore Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) connected with junior Marshall Rizzuto (Port Matilda, Pa./Williston Northampton (Mass.)) on a five-yard completion to keep the drive alive.

The Huskies nearly got the ball right back deep in enemy territory when Long fumbled but was able to narrowly recover his own miscue at the West Chester 14-yard line. The Golden Rams then converted a pair of third downs to keep the clock moving which, inevitably, forced the Huskies to use their three timeouts. Redshirt freshman Logan Yohn (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) made a game-saving tackle when he stopped Long for no gain on third-and-two from the Bloomsburg 37 to allow the Huskies one final drive with 1:42 left. But, the Huskies went quietly with the big blow coming on third down when Benjamin was sacked for a loss of 14 yards back to their own 10-yard line by Morrissey and Diquan Gilbert. After the turnover on downs, West Chester ran out the clock to preserve the three-point win.

For the second consecutive week, Bloomsburg could not eclipse 200 yards of total offense as it was held to a season-low 165 yards on Saturday afternoon by a Golden Rams' defense that was ranked ninth in the country in yards allowed per game. The Huskies ran just 50 offensive plays and converted only nine first downs on the afternoon as West Chester played keep away by winning the time of possession battle by holding the ball for more than 36 minutes. West Chester ran 72 plays and totaled 330 yards of offense.

Bloomsburg finished the day with 54 yards on the ground against the nation's top rushing defense. Gooden totaled 55 yards on eight carries while redshirt junior Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) added 25 yards on six totes. Benjamin, however, was sacked four times for a loss of 38 yards which brought the team's rushing total down significantly. The redshirt sophomore quarterback finished 12-of-26 for 111 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Rizzuto and redshirt junior Jay Popson (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) each caught three passes while redshirt junior Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) hauled in the touchdown pass - an 11-yard strike early in the second quarter.

The Huskies' defense did a good job containing Long who came in averaging with 1,250 passing yards and 360 rushing yards while totaling 19 touchdowns through the first five games of the season. Long finished 16-of-23 for 184 yards and one score but was picked off twice. He added 40 yards rushing on 23 carries with his average coming down due to a season-high five Bloomsburg sacks. Dukes led the ground game with 76 yards on 17 carries while Lex Rosario was the favorite target as he caught eight passes for 91 yards.

West Chester took a 3-0 lead when Andrew Chegia booted a 30-yard field goal with 1:26 left in the opening quarter. After Bloomsburg had to punt the ball away to start the second quarter, West Chester's first play from scrimmage resulted in Long getting picked off by sophomore Kasean Patterson (Philadelphia, Pa./Lankenau) who returned it ten yards to the West Chester 23-yard line. It was Patterson's first career interception. On third-and-nine from the West Chester 11, Benjamin found Allen in the back corner of the endzone and, after Sattamini booted the extra point, the Huskies held a 7-3 lead with 13:07 left in the first half.

Long then made a costly mistake at the end of the first half when he was picked off by redshirt senior Dexter Jordan (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) who then took it to the house for an 18-yard interception return with 45 seconds left in the opening 30 minutes. Sattamini booted the extra point for a 14-3 Bloomsburg advantage at the break. It was his second career pick-six with his first coming in a 35-14 win over East Stroudsburg on October 22, 2016.

Defensively, Patterson, redshirt junior Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg), and sophomore Alexander Findura (Bloomsburg, Pa./Woodland (Ga.)) each finished with ten total tackles. It marked career bests for both Patterson and Findura and was one short of a career-high for Annan. Findura also led the way with three tackles for a loss and one and-a-half sacks. Seniors Josh Salak (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) each finished with a career-high nine stops with Gary collecting one of Bloomsburg's five sacks. Shaquille James and Nate Barnes led West Chester with six tackles apiece.

Bloomsburg will return home to host East Stroudsburg University next Saturday, October 13, at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. The annual Parents and Family Weekend game will get underway at 2:06 p.m. due to television coverage.