BOWIE, Md. – The Bulldogs of Bowie State University got the job done on Homecoming, knocking off the Virginia State University Trojans 20-15 on Saturday afternoon before a nationally televised audience. The victory sets Bowie State’s overall mark at 5-2, 3-1 in CIAA play and 1-1 in the North.
Senior Amir Hall threw for a season-low 171 yards, completing 16-of-24 passes and two touchdowns. Senior Maurice Williams rushed for a team-best 66 yards and redshirt sophomore Montez Clay recorded a team-high 55 reception yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior Roger Richardson paced the Bulldogs with seven tackles, forced one fumble and was credited with one pass breakup.
Virginia State (3-3, 3-1 CIAA, 1-1 North) was led offensively by versatile quarterback Cordelral Cook, leading the Trojans in passing yards (215) and rushing yards (83). Cook completed 16-of-28 passes with one interception and was sacked three times. Joshua Harris was the games’ leading receiver with a game-high six receptions and a game-high 79 yards. Patrick Prosser and Kurtis Brooks led the VSU with nine and eight tackles respectively.
Bowie State junior kicker Gene Carson, II put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first at the 3:49 mark of the first quarter, booting a 29-yard field for the 3-0 lead.
Virginia State scored on a safety early in the second quarter following a high snap over the head of the Bowie State punter that ended up rolling out the back of the end zone to set the score at 3-2. Carson knocked through his second field goal of the game with 2:59 remaining before halftime and sent Bowie State into intermission leading 6-2.
BSU’s Clay was responsible for the Bulldogs next two scores, scoring on a 2-yard pass from Hall at the 10:11 mark of the third quarter and again five minutes later, this time from 22-yards away, providing a 20-2 cushion for the home team.
Virginia State’s Cook ran it in for six from 11-yards out, and Nicholas Woolfolk’s extra point trimmed the Trojans deficit to 20-9 heading into the final quarter.
The Trojans put together a pretty lengthy drive to start the fourth quarter but came up empty. Virginia State attempted fake punt combined with a personal foul penalty, keeping their drive alive. Fortunately, the Bowie State defense held deep in Bulldogs territory.
Virginia State was able to cut the Bowie State lead to five (20-15) with exactly three minutes remaining in the contest following a 1-yard touchdown run by Daniel Reid.
The Bulldogs head south next Saturday (October 20) to face the division-leading Panthers of Virginia Union for another nationally televised broadcast (Aspire Network) from Hovey Field. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m.
Courtesy: BSU Athletics
