The Bloomsburg University football team heads to Shippensburg on Saturday afternoon to open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action. Both teams are looking to bounce back from setbacks last week as the Huskies dropped a 38-24 home decision against Mercyhurst while the Red Raiders were hammered at Cal U, 58-7.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Shippensburg leads the all-time series against Bloomsburg, 46-37. The Huskies, however, have won four of the last five meetings between the two schools.
LAST MEETING
The Huskies got a career-high three touchdown passes from
Erik Benjamin (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) and took advantage of three Shippensburg turnovers and four missed point-after conversions as the Huskies earned a 28-24 victory over the visiting Red Raiders at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium.
Benjamin completed 10-of-21 for just 109 yards on the night but connected with
Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) on a pair of scores while finding
Kieron Smethers (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) for the other en route to his career-high three touchdown passes. 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.
Jack Gaugler (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) 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.
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.
Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) added 51 yards on 14 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. Josh Gontarek led the Red Raiders' receiving corps with 70 yards on six catches. 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,
Josh Salak (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) 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.
Nate Monroe (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led the way with ten total tackles. Josh Lister led the Red Raiders with eight tackles and a tackle for a loss.
PRESEASON POLL
Bloomsburg was chosen to finish fifth in the PSAC Eastern Division according to the annual preseason coaches' poll. Shippensburg, meanwhile, was selected to finish fourth.
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THROUGH THE ARCHIVES with BLOOMSBURG ARCHIVIST BOB DUNKELBERGER
- The Huskies have surrendered at least 21 points in each of the first three games this season - 92 in all. The last time they did this was in 2007. That year, they gave up at least 28 a game, a total of 101, in a 1-2 start. The team then won six of its final seven.
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Michael Allen (Oley, Pa./Fleetwood) continues to climb the all-time receiving record charts at Bloomsburg. With 17 receptions on the year, he now has 140 for his career, which is fourth all-time. This season, he has passed Jeff Zoranski (128 from 1991-94) and Bob Tucker (131 from 1965-67). Next up is Ron Lelko, who had 182 from 1994-97. Allen has also moved into seventh place in receiving yards. The 166 on Saturday gave him 1,896, passing Stef Kern (1,762 from 1988-90) and Matt Wilson (1,858 from 1998-99). Next is Tierell Johnson (1,952 from 1999-2002). With his two touchdown receptions, Allen has 18 and is now tied for ninth all-time with Kyle Ream (2006-08) and Rocco Forgione (2001-02). He passed Steve Burke (2003-04) and Tucker, both of whom had 17. Next up is a three-way tie at 21 between Wilson, Kern, and Stan Kucharski (1965-67).
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- The 38-24 loss to Mercyhurst was the first time in 1,086 games in school history the Huskies have had a game with that score. The closest were a 38-23 loss to East Stroudsburg in 1969 and a 38-22 win at Mercyhurst in 2014. This was the ninth time in school history Bloomsburg has surrendered 38 points in a game, with a record of 2-7. Four of the games occurred in two years: losses to West Chester and East Stroudsburg in 1969, and wins over East Stroudsburg (52-38) and Slippery Rock (42-38) in 2013. The latter was for the PSAC championship.
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- The all-time record for the Huskies on September 28 is 7-4-1, with a record of 5-1-1 at home and 2-3 on the road. The first was a 14-0 win over a team from Berwick in 1895. The most memorable game played on September 28 was in 1912, a 92-0 victory over Northumberland High School, the most points ever scored in a single game in school history. The two road wins on this date occurred in 1985 (21-16 over East Stroudsburg) and 1996 (28-24 at American International).
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- Saturday's contest with Shippensburg is the 84th in the series, with Bloomsburg's record in the first 83 games standing at 37-46: 24-18 at home and 13-28 on the road, since the first game in 1917. The Huskies have a 4-3 record versus the Red Raiders at Shippensburg since 2006, with wins in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2015.
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
Bloomsburg enters Saturday's contest with a record of 1-2 overall after dropping a 38-24 decision against Mercyhurst on Saturday. Offensively, the Huskies are 14th in the league as they are averaging only 221.3 yards of total offense over the first three weeks. Only Seton Hill (218.0) and Millersville (193.7) are averaging fewer offensive yards per game. Bloomsburg is ninth in the league on defense, allowing 356.0 yards per contest.
On the ground,
Nyfease West (Philadelphia, Pa./North Penn) leads the Huskies with just 72 yards on 16 carries while
Khalil Nelson (Philadelphia, Pa./Mastery Charter Thomas) is right behind with 71 yards on 20 attempts. Bloomsburg is 11th in the league in rushing, averaging just 91.7 yards per game - and only 2.8 yards per carry.
Logan Leiby (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) has completed 57.6% of his passes (38-of-66) for 389 yards and three touchdowns. The Huskies' 129.7 passing yards per game average is 15th in the league with only Seton Hill (95.5) posting fewer. Allen leads with 17 catches for 250 yards and two scores. The senior is sixth in the PSAC in all-purpose yards per game (117.0) and receptions (17) while ranking ninth in receiving yards (250).
Defensively,
Alex Findura (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland) paces the Huskies with 21 total tackles (13 solo) while adding a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss.
Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) is right behind with 20 total stops (13 solo) and a pair of tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) and
Aaron Trumino (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) have 18 and 17 tackles, respectively. Three players -
Tariq Blakney Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa./Abraham Lincoln),
Cameron Young (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia), and Trumino - have interceptions while six players have had a hand in five total sacks.
SCOUTING SHIPPENSBURG
Shippensburg is off to an 0-3 start to the season and has allowed a whopping 160 points (53.3 per game) through the first three contests. The Red Raiders are averaging 328.7 yards per game offensively - 11th in the PSAC - but are dead last in total defense as they have given up an average of 524.0 yards per game to their opponents.
Bill Williams leads the team with 77 rushing yards and both of the team's rushing touchdowns. The Red Raiders are dead last in the league in rushing, averaging only 46.3 yards per game on the ground. Brycen Mussina and Max DeVinney have nearly identical passing stats. DeVinney is completing 60.3% of his passes for 424 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while Mussina is completing 54.5% for 423 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Winston Eubanks has had a huge first three weeks as he has hauled in 25 passes for 340 yards and two scores. He leads in the PSAC in receptions and is second in both receiving yards and receiving yards per game (113.3).
Defensively, Tig Spinelli leads the team with 19 total tackles and is tied for the team lead with 2.5 tackles for a loss. Tyler Simon has 18 tackles and a pair of tackles for a loss. The team has only three sacks on the year by three different players and Laron Woody has the team's only takeaway with an interception.
UP NEXT
Bloomsburg will be back at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium next Saturday, October 5, to host the Golden Bears of Kutztown University on Parents' and Family Weekend. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m.
