Football | 9/21/2018 10:02:00 AM

BLOOMSBURG (1-2, 0-0 PSAC East) vs SHIPPENSBURG (2-1, 0-0 PSAC East)
Saturday, September 22, 2017 - 6:00 PM
Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

BLOOMSBURG GAME NOTES

GAME COVERAGE
Live Radio: Bigfoot Country 106.5 FM (Jim Doyle and Andy Ulicny)
Live Radio Stream: Click Here
Live Video: BUSN (Bloomsburg University Sports Network)
Live Video Stream: Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @GoBUHuskies

RELATED LINKS
Bloomsburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Shippensburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics

SERIES HISTORY
Shippensburg leads the all-time series, 46-36
Streak: Shippensburg 1W

Last Meeting: November 4, 2017 at Shippensburg (Shippensburg 20, Bloomsburg 6)
First Meeting: October 6, 1917 at Bloomsburg (Bloomsburg 23, Shippensburg 0)
Largest Bloomsburg Win: September 10, 2005 at Bloomsburg (49-21)
Largest Shippensburg Win: October 25, 1941 at Shippensburg (42-0)

LAST WEEK
Bloomsburg suffered its second consecutive loss last Saturday as it fell on the road at Mercyhurst by a 14-10 final. With the Huskies leading 10-7 with 4:33 left in regulation, the Mercyhurst defense forced Bloomsburg to punt from its own 38-yard line. The Lakers' Cortez Watson returned the punt 77 yards before being tackled by Kieron Smethers (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) at the Bloomsburg three-yard line. The Huskies' defense made things interesting as Mercyhurst could not get in on the first three plays setting up a fourth-and-goal from the Huskies' one with the game on the line. Mercyhurst decided to go for the win instead of attempting to tie the game and the move paid off for the Lakers as Doug Altavilla found paydirt from a yard out, despite a bad snap, to give Mercyhurst a 14-10 lead with 2:16 left in regulation after Mark Shafer booted the extra point. On the ensuing possession, Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) drove the Huskies down the field thanks, in large part, to a 40-yard pass play to Jay Popson (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) on third-and-eight which set up a first-and-goal from the Mercyhurst nine-yard line. However, Bloomsburg could not get into the endzone with the final attempt being a Benjamin pass attempt, intended for Smethers, being batted down by Mercyhurst's Dante Redwood with 36 seconds left. Neither team was able to generate much in the way of offense as Bloomsburg could muster only 283 yards of total offense while the Lakers had just 245 yards on the afternoon. A majority of the Huskies' yardage came on the ground as Bloomsburg, which entered the contest as the PSAC's top rushing team through the first two weeks, rushed for 164 yards against the Mercyhurst defense. Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) made a triumphant return to the backfield as he carried the ball 16 times for 99 yards and the lone Bloomsburg touchdown. Hakeem Sillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) added 15 carries for 58 yards on the afternoon. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst had most of its yardage through the air as Altavilla threw for 146 yards and one score. Benjamin finished the day by completing 12-of-24 passes for 119 yards but was held to just 66 yards passing until completing a pair of passes for 53 yards on the Huskies' final drive. Popson was the team's leading receiver with four catches for 60 yards. Defensively, Nate Monroe (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) and Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) led the Huskies with six tackles apiece. Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) recorded the lone Bloomsburg sack on the day Marquis Seamon (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) collected his second interception in as many weeks.

Shippensburg could not overcome five turnovers and a strong offensive attack from the opposition last Saturday, as the Red Raiders dropped a 57-14 decision to visiting California (Pa.). Shippensburg (2-1) fell behind 6-0 after the opening possession and trailed 20-0 after the opening quarter. Shippensburg was intercepted five times and yielded 518 yards of offense to the Vulcans, with the only two Red Raider scores coming in the third quarter. Josh Gontarek was the standout performer for the Red Raiders on offense – he finished the day with eight receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Gontarek now has a receiving touchdown in all three games this season. Shea O'Donnell had back-to-back receptions of 48 and 27 yards on a third-quarter drive, the second of which resulted in the final Shippensburg touchdown of the day. O'Donnell had three receptions for 70 yards and the score. Brycen Mussina was 19-of-34 for 218 yards, throwing two touchdowns and four interceptions. Senior Chase Yocum also saw time under center, throwing for 11 yards and one interception to go along with eight rushing yards. Raleigh Sirb averaged 4.0 yards per carry on 14 totes. He finished with 56 of Shippensburg's 92 rushing yards on the day. Defensively, Tig Spinelli had a team-high nine tackles, while Steven Cain added seven tackles. John Chaney III had six tackles and intercepted a pass for the second consecutive week.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
- Saturday's contest with Shippensburg is the 83rd in the series, with Bloomsburg's record in the first 82 games standing at 36-46 (23-18 at home and 13-28 on the road) since the first game in 1917. The Huskies have an 8-3 record versus the Red Raiders in Redman Stadium since 1994, with the last loss on a rainy Halloween night in 2013. The first win during this period came in 1995. Shippensburg led 31-7 at the half that day, before Bloomsburg stormed back to win 41-34 - still the largest comeback in school history.

- The Huskies closed out the 2017 season with a 7-4 record - Bloomsburg's 19th consecutive winning season dating back to 1999. It is the third-longest streak in PSAC history, behind West Chester's 31 (1940-42, 1945-72) and Clarion's 22 (1964-85). The 19 straight seasons with at least six victories, however, continues a PSAC record. Bloomsburg has now posted a winning record in 23 of the last 24 years.

- This season marks the fifth time since the consecutive winning season streak began that the Huskies have started the season with a 1-2 record and, in each case, Bloomsburg went on to win at least seven games. In 2000, the Huskies actually started 0-2 before advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championship game against Delta State where it ultimately fell, 63-34. Bloomsburg also started 1-2 in 2003 (finished 7-4), 2007 (finished 7-3), and 2015 (finished 7-4). Bloomsburg has not started 1-3 since 1998 - the program's last season with an under-.500 record.

- Bloomsburg has scored at least one point in 176 consecutive games dating back to a 21-0 home loss against Shippensburg on September 13, 2003. The Huskies have rattled off 88 consecutive home games with at least a point dating back to that loss to the Red Raiders in 2003.

- Bloomsburg comes into the contest ranked third in the PSAC in rushing yards per game (193.0) but goes up against a Shippensburg defense that is fourth in the PSAC in rushing yards allowed per game (102.0). The Huskies are last in the conference in passing yards per game (145.7) but the Red Raiders are last in the conference in passing yardage allowed (305.0).

Stay up to date with the Huskies all season long by following us on our official social media accounts: Twitter (@GoBUHuskies), Facebook (BUHuskies), and Instagram (BUHuskies).