ERIE, Pa. - NCAA Division II leading rusher Franklyn Quiteh produced 251 yards and two touchdowns as No. 9 Bloomsburg defeated Gannon 38-14 Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover action at Gannon University Field.
A homecoming crowd of 1,748 witness a physical affair that included 24 accepted penalties for 257 yards between the two teams. Bloomsburg took advantage early, racing to a 21-0 halftime lead.
Following a scoreless first quarter, Derek Burkhard got the Huskies on the board first with a 42-yard screen pass from Tim Kelly midway through the second frame. Quiteh then went to work, scoring on runs of 21 yards and 12 yards during the final 3:51 of the half. The latter capped the first-half scoring with 39 ticks left on the clock.
Bloomsburg out-gained Gannon 237-124 during the first half, but the difference came on the ground. The Huskies chewed up 139 rushing yards compared to the Golden Knights' 32. Quiteh had 87 of those yards.
Gannon tried to rally after the break, marching down field during its first possession to cut the deficit to 21-7. The seven-play, 54-yard drive ended with a play that summed up the afternoon.
Jansen Jones (Rochester, N.Y./Penfield) broke off a 16-yard touchdown run, but a whistle blew as he reached the three-yard line despite the play not being over. Jones and the defenders continued play as the redshirt senior tailback reached the end zone as the line judge signaled touchdown.
Bloomsburg stymied the momentum with a 40-yard field goal during its next possession, assuming a 24-7 advantage that it would take into the fourth quarter.
The play of the game arguably came near the end of the third quarter. Gannon drove inside the red zone with a chance to cut into the 17-point deficit. On third-and-goal from the five-yard line,
Liam Nadler (Leipsic, Ohio/Leipsic Local) was forced out of the pocket and stopped on the one-yard line. The Golden Knights elected to go for it, but were stopped on a sweep to the right.
Bloomsburg followed with a 12-play, 96-yard drive that put the game away. Quiteh accounted for 43 yards on the ground. The final blow was a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Aaron Allison that gave the Huskies a 31-7 edge with 9:26 remaining.
The two squads traded touchdowns during the final six minutes to account for the final 38-14 score. Nadler's one-yard quarterback keeper on third-and-goal with six minutes to play capped Gannon's scoring.
Quiteh was the story of the day. The senior tailback, who entered the day as the NCAA Division II top rusher with 197 yards per game, raced for 251 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Â He rushed for 164 yards during the second half and have several runs called back due to holding.
Jones, who entered the contest ranked third in NCAA Division II with 164.3 yards per game, rushed for a season-low 69 yards and one touchdown on 23 attempts. Nadler finished 21-of-37 for 204 yards to six different receivers.
Justin Caliste (Roseville, Calif./Oakmont) led the way with six catches for 44 yards.
Luke Rankie (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) played sideline to sideline defensively, recording a career-high 15 tackles.
Mike Zanders (Charlotte, N.C./Hopewell) and
Kailan Chavis (Charlotte, N.C./Hopewell) added 10 stops each. Zanders reached double digits for the third time in five games while Chavis produced a season-high.
Bloomsburg owned advantages in first downs (21-20), rushing yards (351-72), total yards (500-276) and time of possession (33:00-27:00). Gannon was held to a season low in total offense and points, but out-gained the Huskies through the air 204-149.
Gannon saw its two-game win streak snapped, dropping to 3-2 overall. Bloomsburg, ranked ninth in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll, remained undefeated at 5-0. The Golden Knights return to PSAC Western Division play Saturday, October 12 against rival Edinboro at Gannon University Field. Game time is scheduled for 12 noon.
