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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University football team trailed 21-7 early in the second quarter and could not quite complete a rally as the Huskies dropped a 21-16 decision to visiting Edinboro University on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. The Huskies dropped to 1-1 on the season while the Fighting Scots improved to 2-0 on the campaign.

The Huskies had a chance to win the game but had to drive 85 yards over the final 47 seconds of regulation following a key 48-yard punt from Edinboro's Levi Becker that was downed at the Bloomsburg 15-yard line. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) drove the Huskies to the Edinboro 36-yard line after finding redshirt junior Jay Popson (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) on a 17-yard pass play on which Popson got our-of-bounds with two seconds left on the clock. Benjamin had one final chance for a pass into the endzone but he was unable to get the throw off as Ryan Bischof came through the line and sacked Benjamin ending the contest. It was Edinboro's second sack of the drive - the only two sacks allowed by the Huskies during the game and the first two sacks allowed on the young season.

Edinboro started the scoring on the game's opening drive as the Fighting Scots drove 63 yards on five plays in 1:59 which was culminated with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Tomko to James Clark. Jake Monroe added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. After the Huskies went three-and-out, junior punter Kieron Smethers (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) had his punt partially blocked by Branson Smith which gave the Fighting Scots excellent field position at the Huskies' 31-yard line. But, the defense stiffened and Edinboro was forced to turn the ball over on downs when Tomko was sacked by senior Jake Klinger (Berwick, Pa./Central Columbia) and redshirt junior Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) on fourth-and-four from the Bloomsburg 25-yard line.

The Huskies took over at their own 40 and drove 60 yards on six plays with Benjamin calling his own number for a one-yard touchdown run with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. Senior Hakeem Sillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) started the drive with a 29-yard run to the Edinboro 31-yard line and, five plays later, the Huskies were in the endzone. Redshirt freshman Jaco Sattamini (Delaware Water Gap, Pa./Stroudsburg) added the point after and the game was tied at 7-7.

But, on the ensuing kickoff, Edinboro's Ta'Nauz Gregory caught the ball at his own 10-yard line and sprinted up the field going virtually untouched for a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and, after the point after from Monroe went through the uprights, the Huskies again found themselves trailing by seven, 14-7.

The visitors had a chance to tack on more points in the opening quarter when the Huskies fumbled at their own 40-yard line. But, the Bloomsburg defense again tightened up and held Edinboro to a 27-yard field goal opportunity that Monroe missed wide left which kept the Fighting Scots' lead at 14-7 with 3:44 remaining in the opening stanza.

On the second play of the second quarter, Benjamin was picked off by Edinboro's Trey Hall - his second interception of the afternoon - and the Fighting Scots were in business again at the Bloomsburg 30-yard line. Five plays later, Walter Fletcher found paydirt from a yard out and Monroe added the point after to extend the Edinboro lead to 21-7 with 12:46 left in the first half.

The Huskies were able to put three points on the board as the horn sounded to end the first half when Sattamini drilled a 28-yard field goal. Sattamini's second field goal of the season cut the Fighting Scots' lead to 21-10 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Bloomsburg got back into the game following an interception by redshirt senior Dexter Jordan (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) at the Huskies' 13-yard line. Bloomsburg then put together a 12-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that took 4:45 off the clock. During the scoring drive, Benjamin completed 3-of-5 for 35 yards and got some help from redshirt juniors Qmac Quiteh (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) and Tre Green (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) who combined to carry the ball four times for 29 yards. Benjamin called his own number again for his second one-yard rushing touchdown of the day, cutting the lead to 21-16 with 6:21 left in regulation. The Huskies went for two points but Benjamin's pass fell incomplete in the endzone, intended for redshirt junior Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood).

Bloomsburg's defense came up big again, stopping the Edinboro offense twice over the final 6:21 to give the Huskies' multiple opportunities to take the lead. However, Benjamin was picked off for the third time of the day with 3:31 left and then was sacked on the final play of the game with the Huskies at the Edinboro 36-yard line.

Sillman led the Huskies with 20 carries for 104 yards on the ground - his second consecutive 100-yard rushing effort. Quiteh added seven carries for 26 yards and redshirt sophomore Jack Gaugler (Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa./Selinsgrove) toted the ball three times for 17 yards. The rest of the team, however, carried the ball 20 times for a total of seven yards. All told, Bloomsburg had 154 yards rushing on the afternoon. Benjamin completed 18-of-36 for 173 yards but was picked off three times. Allen caught a team-high six passes for 55 yards while Popson hauled in five catches for 49 yards. Fletcher led Edinboro with 33 carries for 147 yards and a score as the Fighting Scots totaled 140 yards on the ground. Tomko was just 5-of-18 for 101 yards, one touchdown, and two picks while backup Jarrod Kellar went 2-for-5 for 17 yards and an interception. Clark led the Fighting Scots with three catches for 64 yards.

Bloomsburg managed 327 yards of total offense while limiting Edinboro to just 258 yards of offense.

Defensively, senior Nate Monroe (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led the Huskies with 10 total tackles while Annan had eight stops, two tackles for a loss, and one-and-a-half sacks. Jordan had two interceptions on the day to go along with six tackles while senior Marquis Seamon (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) also registered a pick. Edinboro's Trey Hall had 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and two interceptions.

The Huskies will play their first road game of the 2018 season next Saturday, September 15, when they head to Erie, Pennsylvania to battle the Lakers of Mercyhurst University. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

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