WEST HAVEN, Conn. – It was the defense that led the No. 24 Bowie State University football team to a 27-13 win over the University of New Haven Chargers on the road at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs forced three turnovers, holding the Chargers to 16 yards rushing and five sacks.
Bowie State improves to 2-1 overall while New Haven falls to 1-1 on the year.
Senior Ja'rome Johnson (Washington, D.C.) finished 12-for-20 for 176 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 17 times for 24 yards and a touchdown. Seniors Victor Olayinka (Glenarden, MD) and Isaiah Rainey-Nix (Montgomery Village, MD) posted three receptions apiece for 55 and 46 yards, respectively, while as Rainey-Nix posted the Bulldogs second reception touchdown on the day.
Redshirt junior Joshua Pryor (Baltimore, MD), junior Demetri Morsell (Upper Marlboro, MD) and graduate senior Simeon Gatling (Greensboro, NC) all registered six tackles apiece to lead the Bulldogs defense. Pryor also tallied two tackle for losses and a sack while Morsell gathered a tackle for loss and pass breakup.
In a first half riddled with slow starts offensively for both teams, the Bulldogs defense came out on top in the end.
After a scoreless first quarter, Bowie State's defense turned up the heat causing a fumble by Jake Conlan that led to a recovery and scoring touchdown for sophomore James Ballanger (Landover, MD) that provided BSU with a 6-0 lead with 9:01 left in the second quarter. The Bulldogs would hold on to that lead heading into intermission.
In the second half, the Chargers scored their first touchdown on a 11 yard run from Briant DeFelice that gave New Haven a 7-6 edge over Bowie State at the 9:00 mark but moments later the Bulldogs defense forced another turnover ignited by a sack for redshirt junior Sharif Coombs (Upper Marlboro, MD) that led to recovery and touchdown for graduate senior Kendell Robinson (Fort Washington, D.C.). BSU capitalized on a two-point conversion thanks to Johnson who found redshirt senior Montez Clay (Baltimore, MD) in the endzone for a 14-7 spread at the conclusion of the third quarter.
Bowie State's defense continued to apply pressure down the stretch as the Chargers simply had no answer offensively.
Despite a very late touchdown for New Haven in the game's final two minutes, the Bulldogs outscored the Chargers 13-6 in the fourth quarter as Johnson connected with Rainey-Nix for a touchdown at the 10:54 mark, followed by a two-yard scamper of his own to put the icing on the win for Bowie State.
No. 24 Bowie State will remain on the road next Saturday, Sept. 25 when the Bulldogs travel to face Livingstone in a cross division tilt in Salisbury, N.C. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.BSUBulldogs.com.
