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Game Stats, Play by Play

MILLERSVILLE —Wide receiver Rocco Forgione (Peckville/Valley View) caught a team-high seven passes for a career-high 234 yards and four touchdowns to lead Bloomsburg University to a 49-26 win over Millersville University Saturday. The win gives the Huskies a season mark of 4-2, 1-1 in the PSAC East, while Millersville falls to 0-5, 0-2 in the PSAC East.

The four touchdowns tied a school record previously accomplished by Ron Lelko in 1996 and Stan Kucharski and Bob Tucker in 1967.

The Huskies used a strong defense and good play from its special teams to set up its first three scores of the day. On Millersville's first drive of the day, the Huskies' Zach Miers (Alpha, NJ/Phillipsburg) forced a fumble by the Marauders' Chris Meyers with linebacker Matt Keys (West Fairview/East Pennsboro) recovering the loose abll. Four plays later Mike Ceroli (Medford, NJ/Lenape) ran 14-yards for a score to make it a 7-0 game with 12:12 to play in the first.

Special teams for Bloomsburg then played a role in the next score when BeJey Thomas (Bloomsburg/Bloomsburg) returned a Millersville punt 57-yards to the Marauders' 18-yard line. Three plays later Andrew Herrmann (Brookeside, NJ/Mendham) hit Forgione with an 11-yard scoring pass to give Bloomsburg a 14-0 lead.

Bloomsburg' special teams then struck again with time running out in the first period when Brett Fyrer (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) blocked a Millersville punt and Darryl Williams (Philadelphia/Central) recovered in the end zone for a Bloomsburg score. The touchdown gave Bloomsburg a 21-0 lead after one period.

Millersville trimmed the deficit to 21-7 with a touchdown on a 27-yard pass with 4:09 to play in the second period, the only scoring of the period for either team.

In the third period, Millersville's defense intercepted Herrmann and returned the ball to the Bloomsburg 23-yard line. Four plays later Christian Scott-Peters scored from two yards out to make it 21-13 after the missed extra point.

On the Huskies' next drive they would need just four plays to get the touchdown back as Herrmann hit Forgione with a 45-yard scoring strike to make it a 28-13 lead with 10:25 to play in the third. A key play in the drive came when Millersville was flagged 15-yards for unsportsmanlike on the play before the touchdown.

The Marauders, though, continued to battle and cut the margin once again on its next drive. Quarterback Chris Meyers kept the ball and ran 69-yards for a score to make it a 28-19 game after the failed two-point conversion.

The excitement though brought on by Meyer's long run would be short-lived on the Millersville sideline.

On Bloomsburg's first play from scrimmage following the touchdown run, Herrmann hit a streaking Forgione with a long pass. Forgione then put a couple of moves on the defense and went in for a 70-yard touchdown to make it a 35-19 lead with 7:48 to play.

Following a Millersville punt on its next drive, the Huskies needed just three plays to strike again with Herrmann hitting Forgione with a 39-yard pass making it 42-19 with 4:56 to go in the third period.

Bloomsburg's final score was set up by the play of the special teams following a 39-yard punt return by BeJey Thomas. His return out to the Bloomsburg 45-yard line gave the Huskies a short field to work with.

On the first play of the drive Herrmann connected with Forgione on a 47-yard pass down to the Marauders' four-yard line. Three plays later Jamison McLaughlin scored from a yard out to make it 49-19.

A late score by Millersville made the final score 49-26.

In all Forgione caught seven passes, the only seven passes completed by Herrmann on the day, with touchdowns catches of 11, 45, 70 and 39 yards. Punt-returner Thomas finished with five returns for 117 yards, while kick-returner Nick Kurtz (Coplay/Whitehall) had three returns for 73 yards. Herrmann finished 7-16 for 234 yards and four scores and two interceptions.

Defensively, Eric Steffen (Catawissa/Southern Columbia) had a game-high 16 tackles, including eight solo stops, while Matt Keys had nine tackles and one fumble recovery. As group, the Huskies had seven sacks for 40 yards in losses and two interceptions.

Also during the game Bloomsburg wide receiver Tierell Johnson (Harrisburg/C.D. East) saw his 31 consecutive games with at least one catch snapped as he finished with no receptions.

Bloomsburg will be on the road again Saturday, Oct. 19th, visiting Kutztown starting at 1:05 p.m.