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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University football team got a career-high three touchdown passes from redshirt sophomore Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) and took advantage of three Shippensburg University turnovers and four missed point-after conversions as the Huskies snapped a two-game losing streak on Saturday night with a 28-24 victory over the visiting Red Raiders in front of more than 2,200 fans at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. With the victory, the Huskies improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division standings. Shippensburg dropped to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in divisional play.

Benjamin completed 10-of-21 for just 109 yards on the night but connected with redshirt junior Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) on a pair of scores while finding junior Kieron Smethers (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) for the other en route to his career-high three touchdown passes. He entered the night with just one touchdown pass through the first three weeks of the season. Meanwhile, the ground game rushed for 196 yards against a Shippensburg defense that had allowed an average of 102 rushing yards through the first three weeks. Redshirt sophomore Jack Gaugler (Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa./Selinsgrove) accounted for the other Bloomsburg points when he powered his way into the endzone from 20 yards out for his first collegiate touchdown in the third quarter.

On the other side, Brycen Mussina completed 26-of-46 for 312 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. The Red Raiders, however, could muster only 39 rushing yards on 20 attempts as they played from behind for much of the night.

After the Huskies went scoreless on the opening possession of the game, the Red Raiders got a great punt return from Josh Gontarek and, with the addition of a personal foul penalty against the Huskies, started at the Bloomsburg 37-yard line on their first drive. Shippensburg could get only 12 yards on the drive which left it to attempt a 42-yard field goal from David Shank. Shank missed the kick wide to the right and the Huskies' defense held with 7:38 left in the opening quarter.

Bloomsburg ran out the clock on its ensuing drive and, on the first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Benjamin hooked up with Allen on a 28-yard touchdown pass. Redshirt freshman Jaco Sattamini (Delaware Water Gap, Pa./Stroudsburg) added the extra point to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead with 14:54 left in the opening half. All told, Bloomsburg drove 75 yards on 14 plays that took 7:52 off the clock. The Huskies converted four third downs and a fourth down - three of which were a result of Shippensburg penalties. Later in the quarter, Mussina fumbled the snap from center which resulted in the first of three Shippensburg turnovers when freshman Chase Heath (Dover, Pa./Dover Area) pounced on the loose ball at the Red Raider 24-yard line. Three plays later, Benjamin found Smethers from six yards out and, after Sattamini's point after, the Huskies took a 14-0 lead with 8:40 left in the first half. The touchdown reception by Smethers was the first of his collegiate career.

The visitors responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by Mussina's 16-yard touchdown pass to Charles Headen with 11 seconds remaining in the half to cut the Huskies' lead to 14-6. However, a bad snap on the extra point attempt allowed Bloomsburg to maintain an eight-point advantage at the break. The miscues on extra point tries all night for Shippensburg would prove to be the difference in the game.

Mussina and Headen hooked up again for the first points of the second half as Shippensburg cut the lead to 14-12 with 9:41 left in the third quarter after the 13-yard touchdown strike. The Red Raiders went for two to attempt to knot the game at 14-14 but a breakup in the endzone by redshirt freshman Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) kept the two-point lead intact.

The Huskies went three-and-out on their next possession but Gontarek fumbled the Smethers punt and senior Josh Salak (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) recovered the loose ball at the Shippensburg 45-yard line to give the Huskies new life on offense. Bloomsburg took advantage as it drove 45 yards in five plays which culminated in the 20-yard touchdown run from Gaugler for his first collegiate touchdown. Sattamini added the extra point and the Huskies extended the lead to 21-12 with 5:16 left in the third.

The score remained until Bloomsburg was back in the endzone on a three-yard touchdown pass from Benjamin to Allen with 8:06 left in regulation to balloon the advantage to 28-12 after Sattamini's point after.

Mussina and the Red Raiders responded with a nine-play, 78-yard drive that took just 2:09 off the clock as Mussina found Shea O'Donnell for a five-yard touchdown with 5:46. Shippensburg, again, went for two to try to make it a one score game but the try failed and the Huskies maintained a 28-18 advantage. Mussina struck again later in the quarter when he found Winston Eubanks on a 65-yard touchdown strike with 2:03 left to cut the Bloomsburg lead to 28-24. Shank, however, missed the extra point to keep the Huskies in front by four. On the onside kick attempt, senior Dexter Jordan (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) recovered for the Huskies and Bloomsburg was able to run out the clock to preserve the four-point win.

Redshirt junior Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) led the Huskies on the ground with 13 carries for 89 yards. He was Bloomsburg's workhorse down the stretch as he carried the ball seven times for 62 yards in the fourth quarter alone. Redshirt junior Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) added 51 yards on 14 carries. Senior Hakeem Sillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) found some tough sledding on Saturday night as he finished with just 24 yards on 11 carries. Allen was Benjamin's favorite target as he caught four passes for 53 yards and two scores. Sean Judge led Shippensburg on the ground with 14 yards on five carries. Gontarek led the Red Raiders' receiving corps with 70 yards on six catches. Headen had five catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

All told, Shippensburg outgained Bloomsburg, 351-305. Bloomsburg held the edge on the ground, 196-39, but the Red Raiders turned the tide through the air, 312-109. The teams also combined for 24 penalties for 260 yards with 11 of the team's 41 combined first downs coming via penalty.

Defensively, Salak had a big night for the Huskies as he finished with seven total tackles, one fumble recovery, and the lone interception of the night. It was his first career interception and his first career fumble recovery. Senior Nate Monroe (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led the way with ten total tackles. Senior Jake Klinger (Berwick, Pa./Central Columbia) finished with six tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss while senior Chris Gary (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) had the lone Huskies' sack on the night. Josh Lister led the Red Raiders with eight tackles and a tackle for a loss.

Bloomsburg will be back in action next Saturday, September 29, when it heads to Kutztown University to battle the Golden Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

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