BOWIE, MD -- Behind a dominant defensive performance that held the Elizabeth City State offense to 61 rushing yards, the Bowie State Bulldogs knocked off the Vikings 19-7 at home Saturday afternoon for Senior Day and its home finale at Bulldog Stadium.
The Bulldogs improved to 5-4 on the year and 4-3 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play, while the Vikings fall to 2-7 and 1-6 league action. Within in the Northern Division, the win puts Bowie State in third place within the division at 2-2 while Elizabeth City State dips to fifth at 1-3.
Jordan Morse led Bowie State's passing attack with 105 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns and one interception. The signal caller also added 61 yards on the ground. Joshua Thurston led all Bulldogs rushers with 63 yards and one touchdown in the contest, picking up 6.3 yards per carry while Christopher Ferguson reeled in three catches for 45 yards and one score.
Devin Williams paced the Bowie State defensive effort, totaling four tackles, one interception, and four pass breakups while Shawan Lewis added six tackles, 2.0 tackle for loss, and two sacks and Malcolm Sesay had one interception in the win.
The Bulldogs won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing five turnovers while coughing the ball up one time, with BSU turning those takeaways into six points.
Defensively, Bowie State held up fairly well against the Elizabeth City State offensive attack, holding the Vikings to 247 total yards. The Bulldogs defense disrupted the ECSU's passing game on the way to grabbing five interceptions and breaking up seven Vikings passes.
How It Happened
Bowie State scored first with 5:12 left in the second quarter to take a 7-0 lead when Morse connected with Ferguson for a three-yard reception TD. Elizabeth City State then tied the game at 7-7 before the Bulldogs responded with a 10-yard touchdown reception from Morse to
Keshane Hinckley to jump back in front 13-7.
BSU then added a touchdown with 7:04 left in the third quarter to make it a 19-7 lead thanks to a seven yard scamper from Thurston. That score would be the games finale TD in the game as neither teams scored in the fourth quarter.
Game Notes
» Bowie State outgained Elizabeth City State 267-247, including a 162-61 advantage on the ground.
» BSU won the turnover battle 5-1 after picking off five passes.
» The Bulldogs scored first with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter and never trailed the rest of the game on their way to victory.
» BSU tallied 12 points in the third quarter, accounting for 63.2-percent of their total score.
» Bowie State converted 4-of-16 third downs while Elizabeth City State was successful on 5 of 17.
» Mychale Salahuddin led the Bulldogs with eight tackles.
» BSU went 1-for-2 on fourth down, converting on 50-percent of attempts.
» Bowie State won the time of possession battle 30:56 to 29:04.
» The Bulldogs ended the game on a high note, scoring 12 unanswered points to close out the contest.
» Dono Davenport led the Vikings passing attack, completing 21 of his 44 attempts for 183 yards and one touchdown with five interceptions.
» Quinz Lockhart was Elizabeth City State's leading receiver with 85 yards and one touchdown.
WHAT'S NEXT
Bowie State will close out its 2023 campaign on the road at rival Lincoln (PA) for a division matchup on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. from the LU Athletics Stadium. The Bulldogs owns an all-time record of 13-0 against the Lions.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
