SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - For the second consecutive week, a slow start doomed the Bloomsburg University football team. Shippensburg University raced out to a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter and knocked off the Huskies, 30-15, in front of more than 5,000 fans at Seth Grove Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies dropped to 1-3 overall while the Red Raiders earned their first victory of the year and improved to 1-3 on the season. It was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener for both teams.

Redshirt sophomore Khalil Nelson (Philadelphia, Pa./Mastery Charter Thomas) rushed for a career-high 70 yards and scored the first rushing touchdown of his collegiate career that got Bloomsburg on the board midway through the second quarter. Redshirt freshman Logan Leiby (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) also had a solid effort as he completed 14-of-18 passes for 147 yards and a late touchdown pass to redshirt senior Duffy Gilhool (Upper Chichester, Pa./Chichester). Redshirt junior Nyfease West (Philadelphia, Pa./North Penn) posted career-highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (67) while also adding five carries for 15 yards out of the backfield.

However, the Huskies had no answer for Shippensburg running back Luke Durkin who carried the ball 31 times for 172 yards on the afternoon. He also added three catches for 40 yards to finish with 212 yards of total offense.

Shippensburg started the scoring as it took the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards on nine plays with Brycen Mussina hooking up with Charles Headen on a 38-yard touchdown pass to cap off the drive. David Shank added the extra point as the Red Raiders took a 7-0 lead with 11:12 left in the opening quarter. Bill Williams found paydirt from a yard out to finish off a six-play, 74-yard drive on Shippensburg's next possession and, after Shank added the point after, the Red Raiders led 14-0 with 7:14 left in the opening stanza. Mussina then found Tyrese Dargan on a 10-yard touchdown reception as Shippensburg scored on its third consecutive possession to open the contest to push the lead to 20-0 with 11:37 left in the opening half.

Nelson put Bloomsburg on the board with his first career rushing touchdown - a 12-yard scamper into the endzone - to polish off a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Sophomore Cameron Shollenberger (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) booted the extra point as the Huskies cut the deficit to 20-7 with 6:39 left in the first half. But, the Red Raiders answered as they put together a scoring drive on their fourth straight possession with Shank connecting on a 28-yard field goal to give the hosts a 23-7 lead at the break.

The score remained until Williams burst his way into the endzone from nine yards out with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter as the Red Raiders extended the margin to 30-7. Leiby found Gilhool from 16 yards out with 29 seconds left in regulation and then the redshirt freshman quarterback ran in for the two-point conversion to cut the Shippensburg lead to 30-15. The Huskies attempted an onside kick, but the Red Raiders recovered and ran out the clock.

The banged-up Huskies could muster only 208 yards of total offense on the afternoon as they ran 26 fewer plays than Shippensburg, which finished with 464 yards of total offense. Bloomsburg had just 61 yards on the ground which was hurt by the Red Raiders' six sacks of Leiby. The Huskies finished with 147 yards through the air as seven different players caught a pass including the first career receptions for redshirt senior TJ Tornetta (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) and redshirt junior Christian Schlegel (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy).

Shippensburg's offense was nearly split down the middle - 225 on the ground and 239 through the air. Mussina finished 16-of-25 for 239 yards and two touchdowns while completing passes to seven different receivers.

Senior Alex Annan (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) paced Bloomsburg with 11 total tackles (six solo) and had one of the Huskies' two sacks on the afternoon. Redshirt sophomore Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) had ten total stops (six solo) while junior Aaron Trumino (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) added nine stops (five solo). Junior Chris Monaco (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) had the lone takeaway for either team - a fumble recovery early in the third quarter. Tyler Simon led the Red Raiders with five total tackles while Aaron Alphee had a pair of sacks in the victory.

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.