BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — The Bloomsburg football team erased a 21-point deficit behind a relentless defensive effort and two special teams touchdowns, rallying past Shippensburg for a 33-31 victory Saturday afternoon at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium.
Eli Zimmerman (Schnecksville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) returned a kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown moments after the Huskies' defense produced a go-ahead safety, completing a stunning nine-point sequence in 12 seconds that gave Bloomsburg a 33-24 lead with 5:05 remaining.
The Huskies (3-1, 1-0 PSAC East) scored 33 of the game's final 43 points after falling behind 21-0 in the second quarter. Bloomsburg held Shippensburg to 30 rushing yards, recorded three sacks and 10 tackles for loss, and made a pivotal fourth-down stop late in the fourth quarter.
Bloomsburg's defense helped complete the comeback after the Huskies were stopped at the Shippensburg 7 with six minutes remaining and the score tied at 24. On the Raiders' next possession, Andre Weidman gained 2 yards before an offensive holding penalty in the end zone resulted in a safety, giving Bloomsburg its first lead of the afternoon, 26-24.
Zimmerman then fielded the ensuing free kick at the Bloomsburg 24, burst through the coverage and raced 76 yards for a touchdown. Peter Kashynski's (Falls Church, Va./Justice) extra point extended the Huskies' lead to nine.
The last time the Huskies recorded a kickoff return for a touchdown was in 2019 when Chris Monaco carved through the East Stroudsburg defense for an 87-yard touchdown return in a 22-17 Bloomsburg win over the Warriors.
Shippensburg (1-3, 0-1) drove from its 9 to the Bloomsburg 37 on the following possession, but the Huskies' defense held. TJ McLain (Bangor, Pa./Bangor Area) hurried Roman Jensen into an incompletion on second down before Brendan Gilliland (Troy, Pa./Troy) broke up Jensen's fourth-down pass to return the ball to Bloomsburg with 1:56 remaining.
The Raiders received one final opportunity and scored on a 19-yard pass from Jensen to Ethan Carlos with 23 seconds left. Shippensburg's ensuing onside kick sailed out of bounds, allowing Bloomsburg to secure its second consecutive victory.
The Huskies' comeback began late in the first half after four turnovers helped Shippensburg build its 21-point advantage.
Bloomsburg responded with a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that relied entirely on the ground game. Zimmerman opened the possession with runs of 13 and 45 yards, moving the Huskies from their 25 to the Shippensburg 17. A horse-collar penalty advanced the ball to the 8 before Declan Clancy (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) finished the drive with consecutive 4-yard carries, scoring with 3:41 remaining in the half.
The defense quickly forced a three-and-out, and Zimmerman returned the ensuing punt 9 yards to give Bloomsburg possession at its 44 with 2:09 left. Zayd Etheridge (Bridgeport, Pa./Upper Merion) converted a third-and-10 with an 18-yard completion to Alex Achenbach (Tower City, Pa./Williams Valley), helping set up Kashynski's 37-yard field goal that trimmed the deficit to 21-10 at halftime.
Bloomsburg's special teams delivered the next major turning point early in the third quarter.
Shippensburg appeared to extend its opening possession with a roughing-the-kicker penalty, but the Huskies forced another fourth down. Louden Murphy (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia) broke through the line and blocked Wilson Ingerski's punt. Brady Ronan (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone Area) recovered the ball at the Shippensburg 12 and returned it for a touchdown.
Kashynski's extra point pulled the Huskies within 21-17 with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
The Huskies last returned a blocked punt for a touchdown when Ryan D'Ambra blocked a punt at Millersville in 2023 and Hunter Lino scooped up the loose ball to run it in for a 30-yard score. The Huskies went on to win the game 34-31 against the Marauders.
Shippensburg answered with a 20-play possession that consumed nearly nine minutes, but the Bloomsburg defense kept the Raiders out of the end zone. Dylan Clair (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College HS) stopped Jensen for a 2-yard loss inside the 10 before Nahzier Booker (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) recorded a 6-yard sack on third down, forcing Shippensburg to settle for a 38-yard field goal and a 24-17 lead.
A 47-yard kickoff return by Jon Seamans (Scott Township. Pa./Lakeland) immediately gave Bloomsburg the ball at the Shippensburg 32. The Huskies carried the possession into the fourth quarter, overcoming a holding penalty when Etheridge connected with Achenbach for 18 yards on third-and-16.
On the next play, Justin Wolfe (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) took a handoff around the right side and raced 20 yards for a touchdown. Kashynski's extra point tied the game at 24 with 13:55 remaining.
The Huskies followed with another defensive stop as Booker and Ian Donohue (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) held Jensen without a gain on second down and Garrett Garcia (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia) limited Weidman to 1 yard on third-and-4. Shippensburg punted, and Bloomsburg responded with an 11-play, 76-yard drive.
Zimmerman opened the possession with a 10-yard run, Clancy followed with a 13-yard gain and Etheridge converted third-and-9 with an 11-yard pass to Xavier Diaz (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel). Clancy later broke a 16-yard run to the Shippensburg 16, but the Raiders stopped Etheridge a yard short on fourth-and-2 at the 8.
The stalled drive still pinned Shippensburg deep and allowed the Huskies' defense to produce the go-ahead safety.
Zimmerman paced Bloomsburg with 194 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 84 yards on nine carries, collected 99 yards on two kickoff returns and added 11 yards on punt returns. Clancy finished with 72 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Etheridge completed 16 of 26 passes for 179 yards. Achenbach led the receiving corps with seven catches for 77 yards, while Diaz recorded four receptions for 59 yards.
Booker led the defense with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry. Garcia added eight tackles, two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries, while Donohue recorded six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries.
Bloomsburg returns to action Saturday, Oct. 3, when it travels to Scranton for a 1 p.m. match up against Lackawanna.
Inside the Box Score
- Bloomsburg overcame a 21-0 second-quarter deficit and scored 33 of the game's final 43 points.
- The Huskies improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in PSAC East play with their second consecutive victory.
- Bloomsburg outgained Shippensburg 332-305 despite running 24 fewer offensive plays.
- The Huskies posted a 153-30 advantage in rushing yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Shippensburg averaged just 1 yard on 29 attempts.
- Bloomsburg's defense recorded three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries.
- The Huskies scored 16 fourth-quarter points on Justin Wolfe's (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) 20-yard touchdown run, a safety and Eli Zimmerman's (Schnecksville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) 76-yard kickoff return.
- Bloomsburg scored two special teams touchdowns. Brady Ronan (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone Area) returned a blocked punt 12 yards for a score, and Zimmerman delivered the go-ahead kickoff-return touchdown.
- The Huskies totaled 212 return yards, including 158 yards on kickoff returns and 54 yards on punt returns.
- Zimmerman accumulated a game-high 194 all-purpose yards with 84 rushing yards, 99 kickoff-return yards and 11 punt-return yards.
- Declan Clancy (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown, giving Bloomsburg two players with at least 70 rushing yards.
- Alex Achenbach (Tower City, Pa./Williams Valley) caught seven passes for 77 yards, leading the Huskies in both categories.
- Peter Kashynski (Falls Church, Va./Justice) converted a 37-yard field goal and all four of his extra-point attempts, finishing with seven points.
- Ian Donohue (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) recorded two of Bloomsburg's three sacks and three of the Huskies' 10 tackles for loss.
