BLOOMSBURG - Improbable and impressive.
Both equality describe what the Bloomsburg University football team has accomplished through the first nine weeks of the season.
Projected to finish third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division preseason coaches' poll, the Huskies clinched their second straight East title and third in five years Saturday with a convincing 34-13 victory over East Stroudsburg on Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium.
Sixth-ranked Bloomsburg (9-0, 8-0 PSAC) ends the regular season this week at Lock Haven (2-7, 2-6) and then travels to the home of the PSAC West champion in two weeks in an attempt to successfully defend its conference title. And this year,
defense has been the underlying theme of this team that ranks among the national leaders in points allowed and takeaways.
With two interceptions against sophomore quarterback Bruce Campbell, who made his first career start for the Warriors because 2,700-yard passer Matt Soltes was injured in the previous week's 31-16 loss to Kutztown, and two fumble recoveries, the Huskies are now plus-23 in takeaways. Their average of allowing 13.8 points a game will drop slightly, even though East Stroudsburg's first touchdown came on a 76-yard fumble return by Konrad Mims 49 seconds into the second quarter when the officials ruled what appeared to be an incomplete pass by Tim Kelly was a lateral.
Bloomsburg was leading 14-0 at the time, scoring less than five minutes into the game on a 15-yard drive that was set up by a sack and forced fumble by defensive end David McFadden and the recovery by tackle Jeremiah Lowery at the 15. Senior running back Eddie Mateo covered the 15 yards on four carries, and on the next possession following a punt he capped a nine-play, 48-yard drive with a 3-yard run.
With 55 seconds left in the half Mateo capped a six-play, 64-yard drive with an 11-yard TD run for a 21-7 halftime lead. After taking a hit to the shoulder early in the third quarter, he sat out the rest of the game, finishing with 21 carries for 76 yards and his third 1,000-yard season.
"Getting the score to 21 at the half was big and felt good because we had been sluggish," coach Paul Darragh said. "That allowed us to get Eddie out of there and give him some rest because at this stage of the season just about everybody is banged up.
"We didn't have the big offensive numbers today, but we played consistently, which has been our trademark all year. Our defense was solid, which is the most important thing because you're just not going to be at the top of your game offensively week in and week out."
Two field goals by Braden Drexler, including a career-best of 41 yards, extended the lead to 27-7 with 8:41 left. A 12-yard pass from Campbell to Jon Schnaers capped a four-play, 51-yard drive for the Warriors, but the placement kick was blocked.
"From the defense's perspective it's all about consistency," senior linebacker Justin Shirk said. "Our attitude is that if we keep a team from scoring, they're not going to win, and it doesn't matter what our offense is doing.
"This was too big of a game not to win, and we didn't let down just because they didn't have their quarterback. We prepare the same way every week, and that's the way we'll approach this week coming up."
East Stroudsburg was limited to just 17 yards rushing on 22 carries and 140 total yards which gave the Huskies a huge advantage even with offensive numbers that were modest by their standards. Kelly had 10 carries for 66 yards and Dai'Shon Munger had 15 carries for 60 yards, and Kelly completed 13 of 29 passes for 146 yards, including a 3-yard TD to Aaron Allison.
"Last year we weren't picked to win, and this year people expected even less from us," Kelly said. "It's taken some time, but we've been coming together, and we wanted to go out and win this today."