ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Bowie State showed why they are rankled No. 13 in the NCAA as the Bulldogs roll 60-21 over Elizabeth City State on Saturday afternoon. The win marks the first time in school history that the Bulldogs record a perfect 10-0 regular season record, 7-0 in conference play and 5-0 in the Northern Division.
 
Junior Ja'rome Johnson (Washington, D.C.) completed 12-of-17 passes for a game-high 153 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 80 yards on seven carries and three touchdowns to lead Bowie State offensively. Junior Calil Wilkins (Temple Hills, Md.) was the leading ground gainer for the Bulldogs with 81 yards and one touchdown. Senior DuShon David (Washington, D.C.) was Bowie State's top receiver with 77 yards on four receptions. Sophomore Joshua Pryor (Baltimore, Md.) was a beast on defense for Bowie State, leading the team with 10 total tackles, which included five tackles for a loss (21 yards) and a pair of sacks (15 yards).
 
Johnson put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first at the 12:16 mark of the first quarter on 45-yard run. Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. On the very next Bowie State possession, Wilkins busted up the gut of the Vikings defense for a 43-yard touchdown and a 13-0 advantage.
 
Bowie State pushed the lead to 19-0 at the 3:50 mark of the opening quarter when senior Deron Smith (Bowie, Md.) caught a 12-yard pass from Johnson.
 
Elizabeth City State (2-8, 2-5 CIAA) put seven on the Roebuck Stadium scoreboard at the 11 mark of the second quarter when Kevin Caldwell hit Dajuan Greene for a 9-yard score, but the Vikings trailed 26-7.
 
Bowie State got those points right back via a Johnson 30-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 26-7 advantage. Johnson threw his X touchdown pass of the afternoon, this time connecting for a 9-yard pass to Montez Clay to send the Bulldogs into halftime with a 33-7 lead.
 
The Bulldogs scored on the opening possession of the third quarter when Johnson rushed for a 1-yard touchdown at the 9:23 mark to pad the Bowie State lead at 39-7.
 
Redshirt freshman Darius Bowman (Fort Washington, Md.) returned a punt 39 yards for a touchdown with 6:12 to go in the third and Carson's PAT was good to increase Bowie State's lead to 46-7.
 
Sophomore David Medley (Suitland, Md.) found the Elizabeth City State end zone at the 14:03 mark of the fourth quarter to extend Bowie State's lead to 53-7.
 
ECSU's De'Quan Napper punched it in from 1-yard out with 10:17 left in the game but trailed Bowie State 53-14.
 
Bowie State's lead ballooned to 60-14 on the Bulldogs next possession via a 49-yard touchdown pass from junior Gaston Cooper (Silver Spring, Md.) to freshman Christian Greaves (Silver Spring, Md.) with 8:03 remaining in the contest.
 
Dajuan Green caught his second touchdown pass of the game with 5;00 to go in the game, this time for 3-yards from Kedrick Patterson to set the score at 60-21.
 
The Bulldogs advance to next Saturday's (11/16) CIAA Championship game for the second straight season and will face Fayetteville State for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs and Broncos will do battle at 3 p.m. at Salem (Va.) Stadium.