BOWIE, Md. – The No. 16 Bowie State University football team will host the Trojans of Virginia State University on Saturday, Oct. 16 for a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Northern Division tilt.
The contest will appear live on national television as part of the CIAA and AspireTV partnership for the 2021 football season. Check your local cable or satellite provider for AspireTV channel listings.
The Department of Athletics at Bowie State is requiring all fans to show proof of vaccination cards with proper identification prior to entering stadium. The move is designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and allow Bowie State to have as close to a full stadium as possible during the 2021 season.
Ticket information for Saturday's game can be found here.
No. 16 Bowie State (5-1, 3-0 CIAA, 1-0 North) will look to extend its win-streak to six-straight on Saturday against the Trojans. The Bulldogs are coming off a great win at Chowan, 14-3 last time out. BSU's defense held the Hawks, one of the nation's top offenses in the country to a season-low 167-yards of total offense led by redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Ross (Waldorf, MD) and graduate senior and linebacker Wesley Bowers (Fort Washington, MD) who both recorded nine tackles apiece while redshirt sophomore defensive back Jordan Carter (Bryans Road, MD) and redshirt junior defensive lineman Joshua Pryor (Baltimore, MD) both grabbed a total of seven tackles, respectively.
A trio of the Bulldogs defense featuring Ross, Bowers and Carter were all chosen as CIAA Players of the Week at their respective positions for their performances against the Hawks. BSU leads the CIAA in defense - allowing (12.3 opponent points), passing defense (103.3), rushing (59.7), and defensive efficiency (73.7). The Bulldogs lead the nation in defensive touchdowns (5) and total defense (160.8).
While BSU's defense has been ranked nationally all season – the Bulldogs offense has held their own as well led by senior quarterback and the league's 2019 Offensive Player of the Year in Ja'rome Johnson (Washington, D.C.) who ranks third in the CIAA with 14 touchdowns and 1,147 yards on 79-of-134 pass completions. On the ground, senior running back Calil Wilkins (Temple Hills, MD) has a team-best 394 yards on 98 carries (3rd in CIAA), while redshirt sophomore Darious Bowman (Fort Washington, MD) is the leader for the receiver unit with 191-yards, two touchdowns and 16 receptions.
Bowie State currently ranks second in the CIAA for points (180) and touchdowns (25).
Virginia State (2-3, 2-1 CIAA, 1-0 North) defeated Elizabeth City State, 35-7 last Saturday at home. The Trojans gave up over 100-yards in penalties but VSU tallied 459-yards of offense against the Vikings, highlighted by 14-0 point spread in the third and fourth quarter.
VSU is fifth in the league for defense, allowing 20 points per game and sixth in the league in offense - posting 19 points per outing.
Jordan Davis has 363 yards on 28-of-43 passes and two touchdowns. Demetrius Strickland has a team-high 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries. Defensively, Will Adams has 39 total tackles and Zion Johnson has 26 tackles.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
