BOWIE, Md. — The No. 8 Bowie State football team pulled off some late-game heroics to secure a dramatic come-from-behind 27-20 victory over No. 16 New Haven Saturday afternoon in Bulldog Stadium for its 2022 season opener.
It happened in the fourth quarter when graduate senior Dion Golatt, Jr. (Largo, MD) rushed for 11-yards for a first down, two pass completions later and 42 seconds on the game clock. Golatt, Jr. found redshirt sophomore James McNeill (Montross, VA) for a 16-yard reception and another first down that led to a 20-yard catch for redshirt sophomore Sam Doku (Silver Spring, MD) as he quickly ran out-of-bounds with 14 seconds remaining. The next play, Golatt, Jr. connected with redshirt sophomore Kwincy Hall (Washington, D.C.) for a nine-yard touchdown and nine seconds left in regulation that ultimately sealed the win for Bowie State.
With the win, Bowie State (1-0) extends its regular season winning streak to 21 games at home — dating back to the 2017 season.
Although the Bulldogs took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter on an 18-yard reception TD for redshirt junior Keshane Hinckley (Laurel, MD), the Chargers put up 10 points in the second quarter including a 27-yard reception that gave them a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Bowie State went scoreless in both the second and third quarter before finding an offensive rhythm in the fourth, outscoring its opponent 20-3 led by Golatt who threw for two touchdowns and rushed for one.
Doku rushed for 33-yards into the endzone that pulled BSU within four (17-13) and then redshirt senior Morgan Scroggins (Baltimore, MD) scored on a 68-yard pass that aided the Bulldogs 19-17 edge with 7:05 left. UNH tacked on a 29-yard field goal to take a 20-19 frame with 1:27 left in regulation but it would be the heroic efforts of Golatt, Jr. and a host of Bulldogs that lifted the Bulldogs to the win.
Offensively, Golatt, Jr. threw for 266 yards on 17 completions and three TDs while Doku had eight carries for 53 yards and a score and Hinkley caught seven passes for 106-yards and a TD.
Both redshirt sophomores Keith Williams (Baltimore, MD) and Shawan Lewis (Baltimore, MD) paced the defense with five tackles apiece as Lewis tacked on a sack. Both graduate senior Ellison Jordan (Upper Marlboro, MD) and redshirt junior Cameron Chesley (Fort Washington, MD) contributed two sacks apiece in the winning effort.
The win serves as interim head coach Kyle Jackson‘s first at the helm.
The No. 8 Bulldogs will get on the road next weekend as they travel to Wickes Stadium to take on Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 10. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The game will conclude a week of events to celebrate the HBCU traditions.