Bloomsburg, PA -  After a high-scoring, last-minute thriller last season, the Huskies and Eagles played a lackluster, defensively dominated game in this season's opener despite the offensive firepower returning for bout as BU defeated AU, 10-7.  Bloomsburg scored on its first drive as Jon Koenig booted a 28-yard FG.  An interception by the Huskies' Oscar Rivera at his own 15 led to am 85-yard TD drive culminated by QB Dan Latorre's 8-yard draw for a 10-0 first quarter lead.  If the Eagles came back right away, it looked as if we would get another high-scoring affair as both teams just seemed to be getting warmed up.  That never happened. 

   In the second period, BU stopped the Eagles on fourth and short on their own 40.  Later in the period, DB Donnie Dottei intercepted a Latorre pass and put the Eagles in business at the BU 42.  Ashland made it down to the one, but with three TOs remaining HC Lee Owens signaled in the play and HB Ryan O'Dell went for no gain up the middle.  With three TOs remaining, it seemed like it would have made sense to come up with a little more creativity as the Husky defense held their own this night holding AU to 90 yards on 28 carries and sacking QB Billy Cundiff six times.

  The Eagles score came late in the third when Carlin Isles picked up 50 of the Eagles rushing yards on one play bobbing, weaving and cutting up the right sideline for a touchdown run to cut the Bloomsburg lead 10-7.  A 26-yard FG attempt to start the fourth by BU was no good.  Playing TB for injured Ken Domzalski who injured a knee earlier in the game, Stefan Adams stepped in from his FB position and rambled 46 yards from the three to get the Huskies better field position late in the fourth.  A Latorre fumble at the AU 31 ended the drive, but the Bloomsburg D forced a punt from the same stripe.  Return man Jesse Cooper added some excitement with his moves on the punt return to give BU good field position once again at the Ashland 42.  Ashland took possession for the last time on their own three, and gave the ball up on a fourth and nine before the Huskies took over and ran out the clock. 

     It was an unexpected low-scoring game between No. 13 and No, 15 in the AFCA D-2 rankings where the defenses dominated.  BU outgained AU offensively 288 to 261 yards, much less than expected for both teams.  Unlike the pros who play four exhibition games, it'll take these two teams another week or two and we'll expect to see some high-scoring from both.  They're just getting started. 

Extra points - Bu hosted a crowd announces as 4,804.  It wasn't a very loud crowd as the teams just didn't play a very exciting brand of football this night.

   Arrived shortly before the game and noticed new dorms near the stadium since our last visit to Redman Stadium since our last visit in 2006 when we saw the Huskies beat West Chester.  We sat on the home side this time as the place was packed last time, and admired the view of the surrounding area even more as the site sits atop a hill surrounded by valleys of farmland and far-off forested hills - beautiful setting.  The baseball field was redone since and looked in great shape.  The former infield we saw last time only had clay around each base with grass-covered basepaths.  Now the infield was sod and clay.

     Roongo, the BU Husky mascot with a student inside, initially spooked a real Husky that his owner/trainer kept on a leash along the sideline.  The real one did not know what to make of the large one on two legs at first and barked while keeping his distance.  Not until Roongo got on the ground to "challenge" the four-legged one did they become friends.  At one point. as Roongo laid on his back, the real one sniffed like he was about to lift his leg, but thankfully for the kid inside, that didn't happen.  Later, the two-legged one led the four-legged one on a leash, or was that the other way around?

    Whatever happened to the word "team"?  On fourth down, Cundiff unleashed a long pass down to the BU 15 where Oscar Rivera made a diving interception for the Huskies. Rivera's stat looks good on paper, but what he actually did was lose 20 yards for his team.  Instead of starting at their own 35, the offense stared from the 15.  A DB should have that in his mind in that situation to knock the ball down - not to make a diving catch.  If he was upright and saw he had room down field that's one thing, but you have to think of the team in that situation.  Luckily for Rivera, his team bailed him out going 85 yards for their only TD.  It should have been a 65-yard drive.

   So much for a fake punt by AU in the third period.  It was pretty evident what was going to happen when P Derek Riedel lined up about eight yards behind the center.  Had he been back where he was supposed to be, maybe his bad pass wouldn't have sailed over his intended receivers hands, too.

   Bloomsburg need to put a hood over the BBQ grills near the stands.  A lot of smoke drifted up through the home side stands during the first half of the game. 

  The BU cheerleaders did a dance routine at the half.  The music wasn't good to begin with, but the speaker system was so loud that I couldn't pay attention.  My wife's always yelling at me to turn down the sound on the TV and teh car radio.  Someone else nearby even said, "Yea, cheerleaders.  Boo music."  It turned a bit nostalgic afterwards though as they played a few tunes for the '70s like "Brick House" and "Le Freak".  I was waiting for one of my favorites - "Push, push in the bush", but that didn't happen.  The Husky band performed at the half, but they need more practice to extend their halftime show. 

   Both teams return to conference action next as BU travels to play last season's PSAC champ, California of PA, and Ashland will host Ferris State.  Cal lost to Saginaw, also of the Great lakes Conference to which Ashland belongs, 23-17, on this same night.  We think there will be a good chance that we will see BU play again in either the PSAC championship game or hosting a play-off game late in the season.