Box Score Box Score
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Michael Washington registered his 24th career 100-yard day, but it was not enough to extend his marvelous college career as the 14th-ranked Bloomsburg Huskies edged No. 20 West Chester, 28-21, in an NCAA second round playoff game Saturday afternoon at Redman Stadium to advance to the regional final next weekend.
Bloomsburg advances to the NCAA quarterfinals and will host California (11-1) next Saturday at 12 p.m.
West Chester (9-4) could not turn the trick of beating Bloomsburg (11-1) on the road twice in one season to keep its 2008 campaign alive. With the loss, Washington concludes his illustrious college career sixth all-time across all divisions with 4,715 receiving yards. He moved up three spots with Saturday’s performance, supassing Jerry Rice (4,693 yards at Mississippi Valley St. from 1981-84) in the process. Washington’s 58 career touchdown receptions also tied for sixth all-time across all three divisions.
Bloomsburg’s Jesse Cooper intercepted a Joe Wright pass and returned it 62 yards for a score that broke a 14-14 tie three minutes into the fourth quarter. Kyle Ream caught a 28-yard pass with just over three minutes remaining in the game to double the hosts advantage.
West Chester fought back, going 56 yards on 12 plays in just 1:57 to draw within a touchdown on an 18-yard TD catch by Washington. However, the Golden Rams’ ensuing on-side kick was unsuccessful, and the Huskies ran out the clock.
The game was as even statistically as it was on the scoreboard. Bloomsburg held a 20-19 advantage in first downs and a 335-333 advantage in total yards. The difference was Cooper’s interception.
Wright finished 20 of 39 for 262 yards and the TD to Washington. He threw two interceptions as Bloomsburg won the turnover battle, 3-1. He places fourth on the school’s all-time single-season passing chart with 3,336 aerial yards and ties Bill Zwaan Jr.’s total of 28 TD passes from a year ago for fifth on the single-season chart.
West Chester and Bloomsburg traded touchdowns in the first and third quarters. Stefan Adams scored the first of his two TDs on a 7-yard run to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Wright tied things up with a 1-yard QB sneak later in the opening frame.
Adams then scored from three yards out in the third quarter. However, Jackson Fagan scored his seventh rushing TD of the season on a 6-yard scamper later in the stanza to knot things up at 14. Fagan ends his surprising 2008 campaign with 973 yards rushing.
Mike Dell led West Chester with 12 tackles in the game, including four for a loss and one sack. Sam Scott registered nine tackles and recovered a Bloomsburg fumble, which was forced by T.J. Cascio.
