BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – In a game that came down to the final minute and the final play, the Bloomsburg University football team fell to visiting East Stroudsburg, 27-21, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division thriller that spoiled the Huskies' 2022 Homecoming game in front of a packed Redman Stadium crowd.
 
Looking for their second consecutive win, the Huskies moved to 3-5 overall on the season and Bloomsburg in 2-3 in PSAC East action. With the win, East Stroudsburg moved to 3-5 overall and the Warriors are now 2-3 in PSAC East play.  
 
Trailing 27-21 and with 5:08 left in the game, the Huskies started a drive from their own 13-yard line. Eleven plays later, Bloomsburg found itself knocking on the door of victory as the hosts were set up with first-and-goal from the East Stroudsburg 2-yard line. Four straight rushes later, the Warrior defense held in heroic fashion, and the last-minute, goal-line stand helped ESU edged out Bloomsburg for the important Week-8 PSAC victory.
 
Quarterback KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) finished with 181 yards passing after completing 13 of 21 passes. He threw for one touchdown and added 37 yards on the ground.
 
The Bloomsburg offense saw eight different players run the ball for 134 yards.
 
Nas Jones (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) made six catches for 62 yards and John Ayres (Mt. Carmel, Pa./Mt. Carmel) hauled in the TD-catch.
 
Defensively, Ryan D'Ambra (Southampton, Pa./Archbishop Wood) led the way for Bloomsburg as he finished with a team-high eight tackles. Ryan Long, Joseph Kahn (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove), and Quentin Gaskill (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) each finished with seven tackles apiece. Long had two tackles for a loss. As a unit, the Huskies recorded six break ups.
 
Despite the game coming down to the final moments, it was a clash filled with exciting plays throughout, and special teams play certainly featured in the outcome.
 
East Stroudsburg kicker Devin Bartholomew connected on field goals from 49 and 40 yards and Justin Cook returned a kickoff 99 yards for the Warriors.
 
For Bloomsburg, Chris Monaco (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) returned a fumble off a botched fake field goal attempt 59 yards and the Huskies also scored on a blocked punt.
 
Monaco's 59-yard fumble return on ESU's failed trick play tied the game at 7-7 with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
 
Bartholomew's 40-yard field goal as time expired in the first half pushed the East Stroudsburg lead to 20-7.
 
With 11:36 left in the third quarter Owen Anderson (Cogan Station, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone for a Bloomsburg TD. The score cut the ESU lead to 20-15, but the Warriors responded in with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on ensuing kick.
 
Ayres and Riley connected for a 39-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter, capping the game's scoring.
 
Bloomsburg will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 29 at nationally-ranked Shepherd. Kickoff is set for noon in the Week-9 PSAC East clash.