BOWIE, Md. — On senior day, Bowie State (5-5, 5-3 CIAA) defeated Lincoln (PA) (1-9, 1-7 CIAA) 47-21 on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium, highlighted by 21 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Bulldogs totaled 273 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, finished with 28 first downs and held the ball for 39:37.
During the opening the quarter, the Lions' first possession reached midfield, but Aaron Anderson, Jr. dropped Malachi Williams for a loss and the drive ended in a punt. BSU followed with a 12-play, 76-yard drive built largely on the run, with Maximus Jones gaining 23 and 10 yards early before Jaylin Solomon finished it with a 6-yard touchdown at and Peter Lipscombe's PAT made it 7-0. LUPA tied it at 7-7 on the next drive, using Jayden Triplett's 39-yard completion to Allante Stubbs to reach the red zone before Triplett found Noble Thompson for a 12-yard touchdown and Armando Avril added the extra point. The Bulldogs pushed back into scoring position late in the first quarter when Daniel Coles, Jr. broke a 71-yard run to the Lions 3, and the first quarter ended with BSU at the 5 in a 7-7 game.
Bowie State was unable to punch the ticket, and Lipscombe's 25-yard field goal made it 10-7 for the Bulldogs at 14:53, but LUPA answered with a 15-yard completion to Kyrie Tyson and Kendu Brown's 33-yard touchdown pass to Tyson to move ahead 14-10. Solomon brought BSU back with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Smith at 11:16, and Devonta Johnson's sack helped force a punt that Chase Francis blocked, setting up Coles' 4-yard touchdown run for a 24-14 lead. The Bulldogs added another short-field drive after John Thompson's 31-yard punt return, going 35 yards before Solomon scored from 3 yards out to make it 31-14 with 3:37 left. LUPA cut into the margin on a 63-yard drive capped by Triplett's 10-yard touchdown pass to Stubbs at 1:59, and BSU closed the second quarter ahead 31-21 after Victor Diaz pinned the Lions at the 1 with a 43-yard punt.
After the Bulldogs' opening possession ended with Diaz's punt to the LUPA 8, the Lions moved out with a pass-interference penalty and a 25-yard Triplett completion to Tyson, but the drive stalled after a personal foul and Jamillah Fuller Jr.'s hurry helped force an incompletion before an 8-yard punt. BSU took over at the Lions 44 and overcame a 12-yard loss and a holding penalty, converting fourth-and-14 when Solomon ran 16 yards from the LUPA 48 before Smith finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run at 6:53 the extra-point attempt failed, leaving the Bulldogs ahead 37-21. The Lions' next series ended after Jordan Harper stopped Malory Pinkney for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1, and Thompson's 22-yard punt return plus a Lincoln (PA) holding penalty gave BSU the ball at their 32. Solomon later converted fourth-and-7 with a 10-yard completion to Thompson, and the Bulldogs reached the red zone before the third quarter ended at the Lincoln (PA) 11 with the score still 37-21.
The fourth quarter began with Chris Gbakinro's 30-yard field goal at 14:56, which left BSU ahead 40-21, before the Lions moved into the red zone on the ensuing possession. LUPA reached the BSU 7, but Dexter Baptisin fumbled on a rush and Alijah Miller recovered at the BSU 19 at 12:17. The Bulldogs followed with a 12-play, 81-yard drive that included Solomon completions to Smith and Devean Byrd, and Coles finished it with a 7-yard touchdown run at 5:07 before Lipscombe's kick made it 47-21. Miller added a sack on the Lions' next series to help force a punt, and LUPA's final drive reached the BSU 16 before three incompletions ended the game with the Bulldogs closing out a 47-21 win.
Solomon completed 10-of-21 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 43 yards and two scores, making this the best game of his early collegiate career. Coles ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Smith scored twice, rushing for 21 yards and a touchdown on six carries while adding two catches for 24 yards and another touchdown. Jones rushed for a team-high 96 yards on 19 carries.
Bowie State narrowly missed out on playoff contention following Fayetteville State's 23-17 victory over Winston-Salem State. The contest also marked the conclusion of Head Coach Dawson Odums' inaugural season at the helm of the Bulldogs. Bowie State finishes the campaign with its highest win total since the 2023 season, reflecting a positive step forward for the program.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, please visit BSUBulldogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on social media.
