MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University football team survived a wild comeback attempt and defeated Millersville University, 38-35, Saturday afternoon. The Huskies improved to 3-7 for the year, and 2-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East play, while the Marauders dropped to 2-8 for the year and 1-6 in conference action.
 
It was indeed another tale of two halves as the Huskies held off a late-game comeback attempt by the Marauders. Bloomsburg scored 38 first-half points, while Millersville put up 21 points in the final two quarters to cause some unease on the BU sidelines. The Huskies' offense ran out the final 2:16 to hang on for the win.
 
Bloomsburg got out to an early lead as Millersville won the coin toss and elected to defer. Bloomsburg received the opening kick, and after an 11-yard return by freshman Kaleb Monaco (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West), the Huskies began their opening drive at their 30-yard line. Freshman quarterback David LePoidevin (Middlesex, N.J./Bound Brook) went 8-for-8 on the opening drive for 38 yards while Monaco rushed seven times for 47 yards as the Huskies marched down the field and capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown catch by Jack Riley (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East). Freshman Michael Baloga converted the extra point, and the Huskies led 7-0 with 5:33 to play in the first.
 
Millersville's first drive ended in a punt after the Marauders went backward four yards on their five plays, which included a VILLE penalty, and the Huskies got the ball back with 3:34 to play in the opening quarter. Monaco opened the drive with a 17-yard run, and LePoidevin connected with senior Tyshaun Pollard (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) to get into the red zone for a 25-yard catch and run. A BU penalty backed the Huskies up five yards to the Millersville-6, and Monaco rushed down to the four-yard line to set up a 2^nd-and-goal with two yards to go as the time ran out for the quarter. After two more attempts to get into the endzone did not succeed, Baloga hit an 18-yard field goal to give BU a 10-0 lead early in the second.
 
William Martin III (Darby Township, Pa./Academy Park) sacked the Marauders quarterback on 2^nd-and-10 on their next drive, and freshman Jake Davis (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia) got his second interception of the season on the next play and returned it to the Millersville-13 to set his offense up in the red zone.
 
Needing to go just 13 yards, graduate student Alex Gooden (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) took care of business all himself as he made one tackler miss and found a wide-open seam to dance into the endzone for his team-leading third rushing touchdown of the season. After another Baloga extra point, the Huskies claimed a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
 
The Huskies forced a punt on the next Millersville drive, but a high punt got lost in the sun, and the Huskies fumbled on the return. Millersville recovered at the Huskies 19-yard line, and the Marauders needed five plays to give into the endzone and cut the Huskies lead to 17-7 with 10:50 to play in the half.
 
Monaco broke out a 27-yard run on 1^st-and-10 at the BU 38-yard line to get the ball into Millersville territory. A nine-yard completion between LePoidevin and freshman Malik Langley (Chester, Pa./STEM Academy) set up a short run by Monaco to get another Husky first down. LePoidevin hit freshman Nas Jones (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) for a one-yard catch before a one-yard rush by Monaco once again got the Huskies into the red zone once again. LePoidevin connected with Jones for the second time in the drive, this time in the endzone for the 19-yard TD catch and the 24-7 BU lead.
 
After another Millersville punt, the Huskies began their next drive on their six-yard line. Monaco got a big 18-yard run on the first play from scrimmage before LePoidevin and Langley hooked up for one of their patented big plays. LePoidevin found Langley for a 31-yard reception to get past midfield. Monaco rushed for another eight yards, and after a defensive pass interference call, the Huskies were right outside the red one again. LePoidevin had Jones open in the endzone for his second TD catch, and Baloga's extra point made it 31-7 in favor of the Huskies.
 
The Marauders fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Bloomsburg took over on the Marauders 35-yard line. The Huskies were pushed back to the 48-yard line after a sack and intentional grounding penalty. Needing 48 yards to get back into the endzone, Monaco picked up 36 of those yards with 28 on the ground and an eight-yard reception. After two failed attempts to get into the endzone, LePoidevin found Pollard for his fourth touchdown throw of the game, a 12-yard catch to give BU a 38-7 lead.
 
The Marauders had just 44 seconds left in the half and needed to go 73 yards to close out the half, a seemingly impossible task, but Millersville was up to the challenge and went the length of the field to cut the lead to 38-14 at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, Millersville out-scored the Huskies 13-0, aided by a Husky fumble, to cut into the BU lead, 38-27, with one quarter to play.
 
The Huskies and Marauders traded punts on the first two possessions of the fourth quarter, and redshirt junior Mason Malozzi (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) intercepted Jack Stagaard in the endzone to halt any scoring threat. The Huskies were forced to punt on their next drive, and Millersville made it a one-score game as they went 89 yards in just over two minutes after converting a big 4^th-and-9 at the Millersville 21-yard line to get to the Bloomsburg 15 with a 64-yard catch by T'iar Young. The Marauders converted a two-point play to get to within a field goal.
 
With 2:16 to play and clinging to a three-point lead, the Huskies opted for the risky pass play on 3^rd-and-11 at the Bloom 24-yard line. The risk paid off as Langley caught a 38-yard pass from LePoidevin to get past midfield and give the Huskies some breathing room. A Gooden 14-yard rush to the Millersville 35-yard line picked up another Huskies first down and let BU line up in victory formation. A kneel down by Bloomsburg ran out the clock and sealed the 38-35 win.
 
LePoidevin finished the game 22-for-30 for 213 yards and four touchdowns while Langley had five catches for 90 yards, and Jones finished the day with 67 yards on seven catches, including two touchdowns. Monaco ran for a career-best 163 yards while Gooden picked up 36 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
 
Malozzi led the team with eight tackles and one INT, while Martin and senior AJ Simon (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) accounted for the two sacks in the game. Davis finished with three tackles and a 21-yard interception return for the Huskies.
 
Baloga had a perfect kicking day for the Huskies as he went 5-for-5 on extra points and hit an 18-yard field goal.
 
The Huskies wrap up the 2021 season next week as they welcome #3 California University of Pennsylvania to Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium for a noon kick-off.