FINAL GAME STATS

(SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.) Sophomore

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C.J. Bahr scored the first points of the season for Slippery Rock, booting a 46-yard field goal at the 9:48 mark of the first quarter. Bowie State answered with 1:56 left in the first quarter, when freshman Gregory Jackson (Accokeek, MD, Gwynn Park) recovered a blocked punt (redshirt freshman Marcelus Manear (Fort Washington, MD, Fort Meade)) in the end zone for six Bulldogs points. Junior Michael Gagne (Baltimore, MD, Parkville) added the extra point for a 7-3 Bowie State advantage.

Bahr closed the gap to 7-6 with 9:39 left in the second quarter, converting a 22-yard field goal, capping off a 15-play, 64 yard drive. The Rock regained the lead when Rocco Colaveechia fired a 23-yard touchdown laser to Kevin Sanders. Bahr added the extra point, making the score 13-7 Slippery Rock. Sophomore Clifton Budd (Silver Spring, MD, Sherwood) hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from fellow Johnson, shifting the advantage back to Bowie State with 12.9 second left before intermission. Gagne's extra point sent the visiting Bulldogs into halftime leading 14-13. Penalties were a huge problem for Bowie State in the first half as the Bulldogs were penalized five times for 80 yards, compared to three Slippery Rock penalties for 20 yards.

The Slippery Rock duo of Colaveechia and Sanders burned the Bowie State secondary again just after the start of the third quarter (13:14), this time for a 41-yard pass and catch. Bahr's extra point put the home team back in front at 20-14. Slippery Rock added two more points to the scoreboard via a safety at the 9:36 mark after a center snap sailed over the head BSU punter Gagne. Gagne kicked the ball at the BSU two-yard line out the back of the end zone resulting in a safety.

Johnson scrabbled for a 24-yard touchdown run, trimming the Bowie State deficit to 22-20 with 14:32 left in the game. However, the Bulldogs two-point conversion failed. Sophomore Tariq Jones (Baltimore, MD, Edmondson) scored his first touchdown of the season from 12 yards out and Gagne's extra point, pushed Bowie State in front 27-22.

Bowie State gave away a safety at the 3:53 mark of the final period when Gagne stepped out the back of the end zone instead of punting the ball from the BSU 8-yard line. Unfortunately, that strategy came back to haunt Bowie State as Slippery Rock took advantage of the free kick.

Slippery Rock put together a 6-play, 58 yard drive, capped off by 23-yard touchdown run by SayQuan Scott-Mitchell. Mitchell carried the ball three times in the game winning series and ended the contest with 38 total rushing yards.

Ryan Lehmeier carried the rock 13 times on the night for a team-high 50 rushing yards and Colavecchia completed 13-of-21 passes for 136 yards.

Bowie State's Budd led all receivers with 55 yards to go along with 29 punt return yards. Defensively, Bowie State was led by senior Yusef Dorman-El (Baltimore, MD, Dunbar) and juniors Sterling Grant-Jones (Baltimore, MD, Edmondson) and Terence Peete, Jr. (Memphis, TN, Northwest) with eight tackles each.

Bowie State's Bulldogs return to the gridiron – Saturday, September 5th, hosting the Shepherd University Rams at 1 p.m. in BSU's Bulldogs Stadium. Shepherd's Rams defeated Shippensburg 34-23 in their season opener.