BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University football team dropped its final contest of the 2021 season to #15 Cal U on Saturday, 24-9. With the loss, Bloomsburg ended its season at 3-8 while the Vulcan improved to 9-1 for the year and are hoping for an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. Prior to kick off, the Huskies celebrated their 17 graduating student-athletes as well as the students from the marching band, cheerleading team, and dance team.
 
After a strong defensive back and forth battle to begin the first quarter, Cal U struck first as Jermel Martin returned senior Jaco Sattamini's (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) third punt of the quarter 23 yards to the Bloomsburg 13 yard line to set up a short field for the Vulcan. Cal turned the 13 yards into seven points with just three plays, including a two-yard run by Isaiah Cameron to get into the end zone.
 
As much as the Huskies struggled to get their offense going, the Vulcans struggled just the same as the second quarter saw four punts between the two teams, a Bloomsburg interception by sophomore Nadir McLeod (Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King) and a fumble recovery by Cal.
 
On the Vulcans final drive of the half, Cal has a very short field to work with as they recovered a Bloomsburg fumble on the Bloomsburg 12-yard line. After a hold call on an incomplete pass gave the Vulcans new life and a 1^st-and-goal situation, Cal elected to kick the short 24-yard field goal as time expired to carry a 10-0 lead into halftime.
 
Cal came out strong on its opening drive of the second half as the Vulcans used 6:44 and went 72 yards on 13 plays to take a 17-0 lead after Noah Mitchell found Richie Sykes for the 15-yard touchdown.
 
Neither team could get into the end zone again in the third and Cal U maintained its 17-0 lead with 15 minutes to play.
 
Bloomsburg had the ball at the end of the third and into the fourth and drove down the field on 10 plays and 67 yards. Graduate student Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) got the ball on the first play of the fourth and ran it for seven yards to pick up a Huskies first down. He pushed his way down to the Cal 21-yard line on the next play before a Vulcans sack brought it back to the 27. After not finding an open man, freshman quarterback Ben Ries (Bloomsbury, N.J./Phillipsburg) scrambled out of the pocket and scampered 27 yards to the far-side corner of the end zone and the Huskies' first points of the game. The touch down ensured the BU streak of scoring in a game continued as it reached 207 straight contests with at least one point.  Freshman Michael Baloga connected on the extra point and the Huskies cut the lead to 17-7 with 12:43 to play in regulation.
 
After a 48-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, the Vulcans needed just 50 yard and did so on eight plays to get back into the endzone and answer the Huskies TD with one of their own.
 
Bloomsburg's next drive ended with an interception on the Cal 2-yard line but redshirt senior AJ Simon (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) forced a fumble in the end zone and after the Vulcans recovered, he got credit for the tackle and the Bloomsburg safety to cut the lead to 24-9.
The Huskies got the ball back after the score but another interception by the Vulcans' defense gave the ball back to Cal with 4:52 to play in regulation. Senior Chris Monaco (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) returned the favor on the next drive as he picked off Mitchell and returned it 88 yards to the Cal 8 but a pair of penalties brought the ball back to the Bloomsburg 29 yard line. The Huskies had just 21 seconds to work with to end the game and Gooden got the ball on the final play and picked up the Huskies last 12 yard and first down as time expired.
 
Gooden finished the game with 95 yards on the ground on 23 carries while Nas Jones (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) finished the day with 39 yards on five catches. Freshman David LePoidevin (Middlesex, N.J./Bound Brook) was 4-for-13 for 53 yards while Ben Ries (Bloomsbury, N.J./Phillipsburg) went 10-for-17 for 83 yards and a rushing touchdown.
 
Tom Goetz (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway Regional) led the team with 12 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss of six yards. Simon finished the day with eight stops and 2.0 TLF for four yards.
 
The Huskies wrap up the season with an 3-8 mark in head coach Frank Sheptock's first season on the field with Bloomsburg.