BU Football Suffers First Defeat of Season in Final Minute
With 46 seconds left in the game, Shippensburg scored a touchdown to beat Bloomsburg, formerly undefeated, by a score of 28-27 on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game.
Slideshow of key plays in the game also included*
BLOOMSBURG–Chase DiFebbo’s caught an 11-yard scoring pass with 46 seconds left to lift Shippensburg University (7-2, 5-1 PSAC East) past Bloomsburg University (8-1, 5-1 PSAC East) 28-27 on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division showdown.
Photos Courtesy of Connor Showalter
DiFebbo’s catch of the throw from his brother Chad DiFebbo capped a 15-play, 79-yard drive for Shippensburg. Taking over at their 21-yard line following a Bloomsburg punt, the Red Raiders moved out to their own 46-yard line and faced a fourth and one. DiFebbo misfired on a pass attempt to Mike Harris, but Bloomsburg was called for pass interference giving the Red Raiders new life. Driving to the Bloomsburg 11-yard line and facing a third and six, Chad DiFebbo threw to Chase in the corner of the end zone for the game tying points. Kyler Ford converted the extra point to put Shippensburg in front 28-27 with 46 seconds to go.
Bloomsburg would drive out to it’s own 47-yard line, but quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) was sacked on the game’s final play giving Shippensburg the win. Both teams are now tied for the PSAC East lead with one game to play. Should the teams remain tied after next week, the Red Raiders would play for the PSAC championship based on head-to-head competition.
The Huskies took the early lead in the game scoring on its first drive of the game. Kenny Domzalski (Mildford/Delaware Valley) capped a four-play, 65-yard scoring drive with 20-yard scoring to put the Huskies on top 7-0 with 12:17 left in the first. Shippensburg answered right back with Harris catching an 11-yard pass from Chad DiFebbo to knot the score at 7-7 with 8:36 to play in the first.
Bloomsburg wasted little time in regaining the lead. After getting a 23-yard kickoff return from Branden Wright (Danville/Danville) putting the ball at the Huskies 48-yard line, the Huskies needed just four plays to score with Derrick Price (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) going the final 25-yards for a score for a 14-7 lead.
The Huskies extended that lead to 21-7 early in the second quarter when Domzalski ran a career-long 77 yards for a score on the first play of the drive with 10:15 to go in the second period. Shippensburg, though, trimmed the lead 21-13 by halftime with a pair of field goals from Ford of 19 and 38-yards.
In the third period, the Huskies took the second half kickoff and got a 39-yard field goal from Jon Koenig (Pine Grove/Pine Grove) to extend its lead to 24-13 with 10:15 to play in the quarter. Bloomsburg later in the period had a chance to extend the lead, but a 40-yard field goal from Koenig went wide left keeping it as 24-13 lead.
The Red Raiders answered later in the period when Mike Frenette scored on a 55-yard run and then converted a two-point conversion to pull within three at 24-21 with 45 seconds to go in the third.
On Bloomsburg’s ensuing drive the Huskies moved to the Shippensburg seven yard line with the help of a 41- pass from Latorre to Chris Tressler (Lewistown/Lewistown). The Shippensburg defense stiffened, though, and forced the Huskies to settle for a 24-yard field goal from Koenig with 12:30 to go in the game setting up Shippensburg’s late game heroics.
Chad Difebbo was 13-3 for 195 yards and two scores for the Red Raiders with Harris catching nine passes for 147 yards and one score. Defensively, Cody Fleming made 12 tackles for the Red Raiders. Domzalski finished with 121 yards rushing and two scores for Bloomsburg, while Price totaled 109 yards and one score. On defense, Anthony Smith (Pottstown/Pottstown) made 14 tackles to lead the Huskies.
Bloomsburg will travel to West Chester for a 1 p.m. kickoff next week, while Shippensburg plays at Cheyney.
