FINAL STATS

PHOTO GALLERY (Courtesy of Lawrence Johnson)

(BOWIE, Md.) Bowie State University overcame a nine point third quarter deficit and rallied to a 24-18 Homecoming victory over Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.  The win keeps BSU's Bulldogs in the chase for the CIAA Northern title with a 4-1 division mark (4-4 overall).

Bowie State delivered the necessary plays late, rallying from a double-digit deficit to defeat the Lincoln University football team, 24-18, at Bulldog Stadium. Senior Rodney Webb (Baltimore, MD, Milford Mill Academy) scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 12:56 remaining that proved to be the game winner.

Lincoln (0-4 CIAA, 1-6 overall) scored the game's first 12 points before Bowie State's defense demonstrated why it is No. 1 in the CIAA, limiting Lincoln to 207 yards of offense and just 129 yards following the Lions' opening score.

After forcing a Bulldogs punt, on LU's first play from scrimmage, sophomore quarterback Laquan Williams faked a handoff to Gerald Swain and raced down the left sideline for a 42-yard gain. Later in the drive, junior back D'Ante Smith (Bowie, Md./Riverdale Baptist), playing in his own Homecoming game of sorts as a Bowie native, not only converted a fourth-and-11 but scampered off tackle down the right seam 26 yards with 8:56 remaining in the opening quarter. It was his first rushing touchdown of 2010.

On Bowie State's ensuing drive and facing third-and-17, Lincoln defensive end Timothy Green, sacked junior quarterback Clifton Budd (Silver Spring, MD, Sherwood) and forced a fumble, which he promptly fell on. The offense capitalized when Williams found Anthony Wilson while under pressure for a five-yard touchdown connection for a 12-0 LU lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Lincoln appeared to deliver another dagger. Bowie State drove from its own 44 down to the Lincoln seven, but the Lions' defense stuffed Webb on third-and one, and on fourth-and-one, senior defensive back Jairon Bailey delivered a crushing blow on Webb, stopping him just shy of the marker to force the turnover on downs.

Bowie State, though, would catch a break. Lincoln could not move the football following the defensive stop, and punting out of its own end zone, a blocker was flagged for holding, resulting in a safety.

Given a short field on the free kick, Budd and the Bulldogs maneuvered down the field, thanks largely to a 42-yard grab by senior Gregory Jackson (Accokeek, MD, Gwynn Park). Several plays later, Budd hit junior Douglas McNeil, III (Baltimore, MD, New Town, James Madison Univ.) on a jump ball in the left corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 12-9 with 3:51 to go before a halftime.

After halftime and a Lincoln (Pa.) three-and-out, the Lions desperately needed a play, which Bailey again delivered. When he popped junior Tariq Jones (Baltimore, MD, Edmondson), the ball squirted loose, and Bailey alertly recovered the football on the BSU 29-yard line.

Williams rushed twice for a combined 15 yards before trying to hit Matthew Coston in the end zone on a post pattern. Although the pass fell incomplete, the defender was called for pass interference and the ball was moved to the two. Williams kept it on the next play and muscled past the goal line for an 18-9 Lincoln edge.

Late in the third, Budd, who was contained for most of the day, broke left and found a hole and beat the defenders to the corner for a 20-yard touchdown run with 6:50 left in the third, capitalizing on a short field aided by a Smith fumble to pull within 18-16. Then, after a Williams fumble set Bowie State up at the LU 27, Budd scored from two yards out to give the Bulldogs their first lead at 24-18, a score that would hold up.

Budd threw for a game-high 167 yards, completing 13-of-24 passes and one touchdown and Webb tied for game-high 59 rushing yards to lead the BSU Bulldogs. Junior James Proctor, Jr. (Capital Heights, MD, Suitland) paced Bowie State's receivers with 54 receptions yards.

Senior Sterling Grant-Jones (Baltimore, MD, Edmondson) once again led the Bowie State Bulldogs defense with a team-high eight tackles (six solo), 2.5 tackles for a loss of eight yards and three pass breakups. Sophomore Bekewele Amadi (Riverdale, MD, Bladensburg, Salisbury) recorded six total tackles including one for a loss of two yards and one quarterback hurry.

Bowie State will play its home finale next Saturday (10/23), hosting the Elizabeth City State University Vikings at 1 pm. This game has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Day and 14 Bowie State seniors will be recognized at a special 12:30 pm awards ceremony.