BOWIE, Md. – The No. 10 Bowie State football team advanced to the NCAA Playoffs second round with a 31-10 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon at Bulldogs Stadium. The win extends the Bulldogs win-streak to 11 games as BSU will host Newberry next weekend also in Bowie, Md., at the Bulldogs Stadium. Game time has yet to be determined but will more than likely be at 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead after the first quarter when senior Ja'rome Johnson (Washington, D.C.) glided through a pair of Bear defenders for a 65-yard rushing touchdown at the 12:32 mark. LRU drilled a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter to pull within four but BSU swung the momentum back when senior Tevin Singleton (District Heights, MD) caught an interception and returned it for 70-yards – marking the eighth defensive score for the Bulldogs defense this season.
Following Singleton's pick six, the Bulldogs forced a fumble that led to a 34-yard field for redshirt freshman Alen Omerhodzic, stretching Bowie State's lead 17-3 at halftime.
In the second half, Johnson broke away for another long run, this time on a 48-yard rushing scamper, pushing the lead 24-3 with 3:01 left in the third quarter. LRU scored its only touchdown on a 39-yard reception for Jordan Payne to close the gap (23-10) but the Bulldogs final touchdown on a nine-play, 97-yard drive solidified the win for Bowie State.
BSU's defense was a complete force to be reckon, the Bulldogs held the Bears to a season-low 103-yards on the ground in addition four turnovers.
Johnson finished with 147-yards rushing on 12 carries and a pair of scores while he completed eight passes for 76-yards. Senior Calil Wilkins (Temple Hills, MD) recorded 101-rushing yards on 23 carries and a touchdown while graduate senior Myles Wolfolk (Largo, MD) garnered nine tackles and a block. Both redshirt sophomore Jonathan Ross (Waldorf, MD) and graduate senior Simeon Gatling (Greensboro, NC) grabbed eight tackles each with Ross registering 1.5 sack for 15-yards.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
