BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg football team showed grit and determination in the second half but could not overcome an early deficit, falling 37-13 to Shepherd University on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Redman Stadium.

Shepherd struck quickly out of the gate, finding the end zone on the game's first play from scrimmage as quarterback Michael Hardyway connected with Carrington Nickens-Yzer for a 63-yard touchdown just 18 seconds into the contest. The Rams added a 24-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter before Jordan Barnett's one-yard plunge stretched the lead to 16-0 late in the frame.

Bloomsburg looked poised to respond late in the first quarter when KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) directed the Huskies near midfield, but an interception halted the early drive. Despite controlling possession for more than 33 minutes on the day, turnovers proved costly as Shepherd capitalized on short fields and a pair of fumble recoveries in the first half to build a 23-0 lead at intermission.

After halftime, the Huskies settled in and found their rhythm on both sides of the ball. The defense tightened up behind Izzy Dobbins (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic), who recorded a third-quarter sack, while Cole Turner (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) and Brady Thompson (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) helped hold Shepherd's passing attack to just 34 yards in the period.

Offensively, Riley sparked a long-awaited breakthrough midway through the third quarter. The sophomore quarterback engineered a 17-play, 75-yard march that chewed up nearly ten minutes of clock. Riley's composure on third down was key—converting three times on the drive, including a 20-yard touchdown strike to Jerry Griffen-Batchler (Norristown, Pa./Germantown Academy), who slipped behind the defense to haul in the Huskies' first score of the day and cut the deficit to 30-7.

Shepherd answered early in the fourth when Kordell Batten scooped up a fumble and returned it 20 yards for a defensive touchdown. But Bloomsburg refused to fold. The Huskies pieced together another impressive drive late in the game, with Riley connecting on short passes to Gabe Brower (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) and Justin Wolfe (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) before finding Mike Conway (Fox Chase, Pa./Father Judge) from three yards out to cap a 12-play, 73-yard drive. Though the extra point was blocked, the late score showcased Bloomsburg's resilience as they outgained Shepherd 165–147 on the ground and nearly matched total offense (307–313).

Riley led the way for Bloomsburg with 142 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 75 rushing yards on 18 carries. Griffen-Batchler totaled 72 all-purpose yards, while Brower added 37 receiving yards. The Huskies' defense saw Turner finish with seven tackles and three pass breakups, and Idriz Ahmetovic (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) contributed four stops and solid play in coverage.

Barnett paced Shepherd with 90 rushing yards and three scores, while Nickens-Yzer had two catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskies look to get back in the win column next Saturday when they travel to Millersville for a 12:00 p.m. PSAC East contest at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.