BLOOMSBURG — The Bloomsburg University football team was selected to finish sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division by the league’s coaches in the 2022 Preseason Poll.
Last year’s runner’s up, Shepherd, was selected to win the East this year with four first-place votes, while the reigning PSAC champion, Kutztown, was chosen to finish second with four first-place votes. West Chester rounded out the top three. Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, and Bloomsburg finished four, five, and six in the voting, while Millersville came in at No. 7 and Lock Haven at No. 8.
On the West, IUP and Slippery Rock grabbed three first-place votes each and a share of the top spot. California earned a pair of first-place votes and came in at number three on the poll. Gannon finished fourth in the voting while Edinboro and Seton Hill tied for the fifth spot. Mercyhurst came in at No. 7 while Clarion rounded the West at No. 8.
The Huskies finished the 2021 campaign 3-8 with a 2-5 record in PSAC East action under head coach Frank Sheptock. Bloomsburg defeated Gannon on a last-second touchdown pass in Sheptock’s first home game of the season. The Huskies handed Lock Haven a 44-0 shutout on Homecoming for its first shutout since the 2015 season.
Bloomsburg returns a pair of all-PSAC players in junior safety Quentin Gaskill and sophomore running back Kaleb Monaco. Gaskill, a First Team All-PSAC East defensive back, led Bloomsburg with 89 tackles, including 53 solo. He paced BU with three forced fumbles and three recoveries while pulling down one of the team’s 16 interceptions. Monaco burst on the scene for BU with 707 yards on the ground and 133 carries as an All-PSAC East Second Team running back. Monaco had 372 yards on the kick return on 15 returns during the season.
Junior David LePoidevin returns to lead a talented pack of returning and new quarterbacks for the Huskies. LePoidevin finished the year 106-for-189 with 16 TDs and 1,423 yards. Ben Ries played nine games and went 32-for-63 with two TDs and 399 yards. Ries ran for 111 yards as well.
Graduate student Tyshaun Pollard returns as a top target for the quarterbacks after finishing the 2021 season with 537 yards on 41 catches in all 11 games for the Huskies. Pollard caught four touchdown passes and had a season-long catch of 50 yards. He took care of the punt returns for the Huskies in 2021 and had three kickoff returns for 77 yards. Sophomore Nas Jones looks to build on his first solid year with the program. Jones finished 2021 with 28 catches for 295 yards and three touchdowns as an h-back.
The Huskies’ defense was one of the more prolific turnover defenses in the PSAC and Division II. Bloomsburg posted 28 takeaways, eighth in DII and first in the conference. Bloomsburg finished the year with 31 passes broken up, and 46 passes defended.
Joining Gaskill as a returner on the defensive unit is junior Adam Burkhart. Burkhard played eight games for the Huskies in 2021 and made 59 tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Senior Chris Monaco returns for the Huskies after starting all 11 games for BU last year. Monaco made 48 tackles, including 2.0 TFL. He was responsible for four of the Huskies’ interceptions and broke up nine passes.
Redshirt sophomore Ky Seesholtz started all 11 games last season and finished with 41 tackles, including 4.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks. He forced one fumble and had one quarterback hurry and one broken-up pass to his credit.
Bloomsburg plays four of its first five games at home this season, opening the year against Stonehill on Sept. 3. The teams are 4-4 in the all-time series, with Stonehill winning three of the last four meetings. The Huskies welcome Clarion to Redman Stadium on Sept 10 be.fore hitting the road for the first time against Edinboro on Sept. 17.
The Huskies welcome Shippensburg to Bloomsburg on Sept. 24 to open PSAC East action before hosting West Chester on Oct. 1 under the lights for a 6:00 p.m. kick-off. Bloomsburg heads to Kutztown (Oct. 8) and Lock Haven (Oct. 15) before returning home on Oct. 22 to face East Stroudsburg in its Homecoming Game. Bloomsburg honors its six Hall of Fame inductees during the game as well.
After closing out the month of October at Shepherd on the 29th, the Huskies host Millersville on Nov. 5 in the final home game of the year. Bloomsburg is scheduled to close out the year at Indiana (Pa.) on Nov. 12 during PSAC championship weekend.
TICKETS, TAILGATES, FOLLOW ALONG
All Husky home games will be streamed on the Bloomsburg Digital Network in partnership with Bloomsburg University Sports Network (BUSN) and Blue Frame. Live stats will be provided through SIDEARM Sports and NCAA Live Stats. Fans can tune into every game on 106.5 Big Foot Country and listen to Jim Doyle and Andy Ulicny on the call.
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