RALEIGH, N.C. – After a slow start against a team that ranks 12th in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in defense, the Bowie State Bulldogs was able to erase a first half scare to defeat the Falcons of Saint Augustine's University, 36-20 at the George Williams Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs turned in a season-high 503-yards of total offense that featured 251 through the air and a season-high 252 on the ground. For the first time this season, the Bulldogs went 4-for-4 in point after touchdown attempts and tallied three interceptions for 61-yards and a TD.
The win snapped a two-game losing skid for Bowie State who improves to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the CIAA. Saint Augustine's remains winless at 0-4 on the year and 0-2 in the league action.
Redshirt sophomore Corey Johnson (Upper Marlboro, MD) rushed for a season-high 117-yards on 16 carries and a TD – the best for a Bulldog running back this season highlighted by a 70-yard rush in the fourth quarter. Graduate senior Dion Golatt, Jr. (Largo, MD) threw nine completions on 16 attempts for 130-yards to go along with two rushes for 30-yards and a rushing TD – his first of the season.
Three receivers had over 50-yards led by redshirt junior Keshane Hinckley (Laurel, MD) with 69-yards and five catches. Defensively, junior Cameron Proctor (Bryans Road, MD) recorded six tackles, two tackle for losses, a sack, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble while redshirt sophomore Sadiq Salawu (Upper Marlboro, MD) tacked on five tackles. Of the Bulldogs four sacks, sophomore Tyshawn Blow (Chesapeake, VA) registered a 1.5 sack while graduate senior Ellison Jordan (Upper Marlboro, MD) posted one and junior Shaun Tolbert (Baltimore, MD) tacked .5.
Bowie State scored the game's first touchdown on an interception from redshirt freshman Jadon Carter (Bryans Road, MD) for 38-yards to the house. The Bulldogs would ride that 7-0 lead going into the second quarter.
The Falcons responded with a 51-yard reception TD for Mekhi Hague to even the score at the 14:20 mark of the second frame. A few possessions later, SAU started on their one-yard line as the Bulldogs defense captured a safety to extend its lead 9-7, followed by a 26-yard field goal from sophomore Justin Zavala (Bowie, MD) to stretch the Bulldogs lead 12-7 at the 2:40 mark. With 40 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bulldogs drove the ball down the field into the Falcons territory to set up Zavala for a 25-yard field goal in which he would connect to give the Bulldogs a 15-7 cushion at the half.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter but in the fourth frame, the Falcons and the Bulldogs traded scores as SAU scored a 13-yard reception TD at the 13:50 mark while Golatt, Jr. rushed for a 31-yard scamper with 9:15 on the game clock, giving BSU a 22-13 advantage. The Falcons then put together a seven-play, 84-yard drive for a four-yard scoop to pull within 22-20 of Bowie State with under 5:00 remaining but Johnson had an answer, breaking through multiple defenders for the 70-yard TD and a Bulldog 29-20 score with 3:16 left to play. The icing on the cake for BSU occurred when Proctor captured a sack, which caused a fumble, and redshirt senior Joshua Pryor (Baltimore, MD) recovered for a four-yard TD – his first of the year.
Bowie State returns to action Saturday, Oct. 1 for its annual Homecoming game, which will be held at Bulldog Stadium with a kickoff slated for 2 p.m. against Livingstone College. Tickets for the 2022 Homecoming game can be purchased HERE.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
