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EDINBORO, Pa. (Sept. 14, 2013) – In a game that featured 1,040 total yards and two conference records, the most damaging number in regards to Edinboro was five turnovers.  They led to four touchdowns and 27 Bloomsburg points, and ultimately a 47-35 loss to the 15th-ranked Huskies.  The contest marked the home opener for Edinboro, and evened the Fighting Scots' record at 1-1.  Bloomsburg improved to 2-0 on the young season.
 
Bloomsburg would finish with 526 yards in total offense, most of that coming on the ground.  The Huskies finished with 383 yards rushing, the third-highest total ever allowed by an Edinboro team.  A week ago Bloomsburg had run for 457 yards in a win over Stonehill.  In the process, Bloomsburg's Franklyn Quiteh broke the PSAC's career rushing record, as he burned the Fighting Scots for 231 yards on 31 carries with three touchdowns.  He boosted his career rushing total to 5,741 yards to surpass former Bloomsburg standout Jamar Brittingham's record of 5,689 yards.
 
Edinboro wasn't far behind, totaling 514 yards while having the ball for under 23 minutes.  The Fighting Scots gained the majority of their yards through the air, as Cody Harris enjoyed an outstanding individual effort.  The senior quarterback completed 25 of 32 passes for 360 yards with four touchdowns, adding 95 yards on 18 rushes with another touchdown.  The 455 yards in total offense ranks third all-time in a game.   The blemish was two costly interceptions.
 
Marcus Johnson was Harris' favorite target, doing most of his damage in the second half to finish with nine catches for 185 yards, tied for the eighth-most yards receiving in a game.  The senior wide receiver also returned a kickoff 100 yards for an apparent touchdown, only to have it called back for "just" an 80-yard return due to an illegal block.
 
Edinboro took the opening kickoff and made an immediate statement, driving 76 yards on just six plays.  The bulk of the yardage came on a 54-yard TD pass from Harris to running back D'Andrea Vaughn, who ran down the seam, hauled the ball in at the 25, and outran a pair of Bloomsburg defenders.
 
Quiteh answered immediately with a 28-yard run on Bloomsburg's first play, but the Boro defense stiffened and held the Huskies to a 36-yard field goal by Dan Fisher.  Just over four minutes into the game it was already 7-3.
 
The next four possessions resulted in punts for the two teams, but Edinboro's turnover problem then cropped up, as the Fighting Scots would turn the ball over three times in a span of six plays, leading to three  Bloomsburg touchdowns in just over seven minutes.
 
The first turnover of the game was the result of a tipped pass thrown long down the middle by Harris, with Tyler Knoblauch returning 18 yards to the Boro 29. 
 
Five plays later the Huskies had taken a 10-7 lead, as Quiteh weaved up the middle five yards for his first touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the quarter.
 
Three plays later the Scots' Ben Eisel coughed it up on a hit by Justin Shirk, with Thomas Cabrera giving the Huskies the ball at the Edinboro 44.  The Huskies needed seven plays to traverse the 44 yards, thanks in large parts to runs of 13 and 17 yards by Quiteh.  On a fourth-and-goal from the one quarterback Tim Kelly sneaked in for a 17-7 lead.
 
Bloomsburg would regain possession of the ball on the second play from scrimmage, as Johnson had a sizeable gain on a reception, but lost the ball when hit by Gary Postell, with Donovan Morris recovering.
 
This time the Huskies needed just five plays to go 72 yards and take a 24-7 lead with 8:07 left in the half.  The six-points came courtesy of a four-yard run by Dai'shon Munger, who finished the day with 133 yards rushing on 21 carries.  However, it was a 57-yard hookup from Kelly to Tony Peregrin that accounted for most of the yardage, as Peregrin took a short pass and broke a couple tackles before being hauled down by Devin Ghafoor.
 
Edinboro refused to fold, as Harris threw his second long touchdown pass of the game.  This time he found Johnson wide open behind the Bloomsburg secondary for a 50-yard TD pass with 6:18 remaining.
 
Unfortunately, Bloomsburg would boost the margin to 31-14 at the half thanks to an eight-play, 73-yard march.  The bruising 6-minute, 18-yard drive featured runs of 15 and 13 yards by Quiteh, but it was a 31-yard hookup from Kelly to Glenn Hutton Jr. on a 3rd-and-11 play that really hurt the Scots.  Quiteh capped the drive with a two-yard run.
 
Edinboro would commit its fourth turnover of the half with just over a minute to play as Harris was picked off by Cabrera.
 
After forcing a three-and-out to start the second half, Edinboro opened the second half with a long 14-plya drive, moving from its own one to the BU 27.  The drive stalled, however, when Harris' pass fell incomplete on a 4th-and-7 play.
 
Bloomsburg's second series would result in an interception by Devin Ghafoor, who returned the pickoff 25 yards to the BU 36.  The Scots turned the miscue into six points as Harris vaulted into the end zone on a 4th-and-goal play with 3:17 left in the third period.
 
That score cut the margin to 31-21, but the Huskies quickly built the lead back to 13 points on their next possession, with a 27-yard run by Munger and a 15-yard jaunt by Quiteh leading to a 32-yard field goal by Fisher.  The three-pointer gave Fisher the new PSAC record for points scored by a kicker.  He would end the game with 291 points.
 
The Edinboro faithful were on their feet when the Fighting Scots closed the margin to 34-28 with 40 second left in the quarter.  At first it appeared Johnson had returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but a late flag cut the return to 80 yards.  It hardly mattered. On the next play from scrimmage, Harris combined with Jordan Williams on a 35-yard touchdown pass.  It was the first career touchdown for the sophomore.
 
The Edinboro defense would come up with a stop on the next series after Bloomsburg drove into Boro territory.  Mike Shansky's sack on 4th-and-4 at the Edinboro 34 gave the ball back to the Scots.
 
Unfortunately, the fifth and final turnover of the game spelled doom for the Scots.  After picking up one first down, Jeremy Donaldson fumbled at midfield, with Larry Webster recovering for the Huskies. 
 
Bloomsburg would follow with a pair of scores to boost the lead back to 47-28.  The first came courtesy of an eight-yard run by Munger following the fifth Boro turnover.  During the drive Quiteh claimed the PSAC rushing title on an eight-yard run. 
 
Edinboro would reach midfield before turning the ball over on downs, and Quiteh capped his record-breaking day with his most incredible run of the day.  After looking like he was stopped for a short gain, the senior tailback somehow emerged from a mass of tacklers and burst away for a 47-yard touchdown run.    
 
Harris would close the scoring with his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon, leading the Scots a 65-yard drive that featured a 50-yard hookup with Johnson.  The catch and run carried down to the three.  On 4th-and-goal Harris found Eisel in the left corner of the end zone, with the junior making a great diving catch.
 
The going doesn't get much easier for Edinboro, as the Scots open PSAC West action next Saturday, September 21 at California(Pa.).
 
BORO NOTES:  Cody Harris continued to climb in the career record book.  He now has 7,261 yards, moving into third place and just 39 yards shy of going into second.  He is also now tied for second in attempts (953) and is tied for third in touchdowns passing (55).  He is also third in career total offense with 7,404 yards …. Marcus Johnson moved up a notch in career receptions, now ranking tenth with 113 receptions.