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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - Senior running back Hakeem Sillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) rushed for 142 yards on 17 carries and redshirt sophomore quarterback Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) accounted for three total touchdowns in his first collegiate start as the Bloomsburg University football team opened the 2018 season with a 30-16 victory over visiting Merrimack College on Saturday afternoon in front of nearly 3,700 fans at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. It marked the first meeting between the two schools in the all-time series.

Sillman finished with 264 all-purpose yards on Saturday, adding one reception for 25 yards and three kickoff returns for 97 yards in the victory. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry and had seven runs of at least 10 yards on the afternoon. Sillman got help from redshirt junior Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West), who finished the day with 92 yards rushing on 13 carries. All told, the Huskies rushed for 258 yards on 41 carries while the defense held Merrimack to 112 yards rushing on 33 attempts. Benjamin, who was making his first career start for the Huskies under center, finished the day 9-of-20 for 145 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions through the air while adding four carries for 16 yards and two scores on the ground.

The Warriors scored the first points of the game as Corey Resendes nailed a 28-yard field goal on their first possession of the game to take a 3-0 lead with 10:20 left in the opening quarter. The big play came on a 48-yard pass play from quarterback Christian Carter to Marquis Spence to set up a first-and-goal from the Huskies' three-yard line. Bloomsburg's defense stiffened as back-to-back tackles for a loss and a false start penalty took the Warriors back to the 11-yard line on third down. Carter's pass into the endzone was knocked down by redshirt senior Josh Salak (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and the visitors had to settle for three points.

Bloomsburg answered on the ensuing possession. After a three-and-out on their opening drive, the Huskies used the legs of Sillman to march down the field. Back-to-back runs by Sillman of 14 and 16 yards, respectively, got Bloomsburg into Merrimack territory and then Benjamin completed his first career pass - 28 yards to redshirt junior Jay Popson (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) - got the Huskies to the Merrimack 17-yard line. However, the drive stalled and redshirt freshman Jaco Sattamini (Delaware Water Gap, Pa./Stroudsburg) was called upon for a 33-yard field goal to knot the game at 3-3 with 7:45 left in the opening stanza. It was Sattamini's first collegiate field goal.

On Merrimack's next drive, senior Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) forced a fumble from Matt Brehon which was recovered by redshirt senior Dexter Jordan (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) at the Bloomsburg 24-yard line to end a Warriors' threat. The Huskies took advantage, this time with Quiteh leading the charge in the backfield. The redshirt junior rushed for 40 yards on the drive, including a 16-yard carry to set up a first-and-goal from the Merrimack one-yard line early in the second quarter. Redshirt junior Alexander Arcangeli (Bensalem, Pa./Archbishop Wood) got his number called and he found paydirt from a yard out to give Bloomsburg a 9-3 lead, capping off a 12-play, 76-yard drive that took 6:16 off the clock. The Huskies converted three third downs including a third-and-11 that Benjamin scampered for an 11-yard carry with a personal foul penalty against Merrimack tacked on at the end of the run.

The Warriors answered with another Resendes field goal, this time from 32 yards out, to cut the Huskies' lead to 9-6 with 8:47 left in the first half. But, Sillman put the Huskies in business as he returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Merrimack 47-yard line on the next play. Benjamin completed a 12-yard pass to redshirt junior Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) and then Sillman followed with three carries for 34 yards to get to the Merrimack one-yard line. Benjamin scored his first career rushing touchdown on a quarterback keeper with 6:24 left in the first half and, after Sattamini's point after, the Huskies led 16-6.

After going three-and-out on offense, Merrimack's defense came up with a turnover as Caleb Holden picked off Benjamin in the endzone with 3:42 left and then the Warriors scored their only touchdown of the game on the ensuing possession to cut the lead to 16-13 at halftime. Carter found Cody Demers on a 23-yard pass in the endzone with six seconds left to cap off a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

Bloomsburg regained its ten-point lead when Benjamin threw his first collegiate touchdown to redshirt senior Duffy Gilhool (Upper Chichester, Pa./Chichester) - a 34-yard pass play - with 11:54 left in the third quarter to extend the lead to 23-13. The pass appeared to be intercepted by a Merrimack defender but Gilhool ripped the ball out of the defender's hands and came down with the ball while staying in-bounds at the back of the endzone. It was Gilhool's first career touchdown reception.

Resendes booted his third field goal of the game for Merrimack on the next possession, cutting the Huskies' advantage to 23-16 with 7:24 left in the third quarter. Then, the offenses sputtered until the Huskies came up with one final scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Sillman carried the ball seven times for 41 yards on the drive and Benjamin finished it off with a two-yard touchdown run - his second of the game - to put the final points on the scoreboard with 4:11 left in regulation.

Bloomsburg finished with 403 yards of total offense with 258 of those coming on the ground while Merrimack totaled 349 yards of offense with 237 of those through the air. However, the Warriors could muster just 98 yards of total offense in the second half as the Huskies' defense toughened. Bloomsburg held the slimmest of margins in the time of possession battle as the Huskies held the ball for 30:04.

Sillman and Quiteh combined for 234 yards rushing on 30 carries. Popson led the Huskies with three catches for 50 yards while Gilhool caught a pair of passes for 40 yards and a score. Jamari Venter led Merrimack with 43 yards rushing on 11 carries. Carter finished 21-of-37 for 237 yards and one touchdown through the air while adding 32 yards rushing on 11 carries on the ground. Demers led the Warriors with 11 catches for 110 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, redshirt junior Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) posted a career-high 11 total tackles while redshirt freshman Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) added eight stops in the win. Redshirt senior Jake Klinger (Berwick, Pa./Central Columbia) had one sack while redshirt seniors Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and Marquis Seamon (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) combined on another. Jesse Jones led Merrimack with ten stops.

The Huskies will return home next Saturday, September 8, when they host the Fighting Scots of Edinboro University at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

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