After Assumption edged ahead by a 20-17 margin with 33.8 seconds remaining, Bowie State scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore Jared Johnston to senior Douglas McNeil, III with 5.7 seconds left to rally for a 24-20 win over the Hounds on Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.

“The guys persevered and battled back from 14 points down with a new quarterback and I feel pretty good about this win”, said Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson.

On the first Bowie State possession of the game, senior Sonny Dillinger (Naples, Fla./St. John Neumann) recovered a fumble at the 17-yard line and set the Hounds up in great field position. Assumption made the Bulldogs play on the next play as junior Bobby Jordan (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) found senior tight end Sean Daigle (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) for the 17-yard touchdown and the early 7-0 lead with 11:57 left in the first.

The Hounds added to that lead almost eight minutes later as senior Nick Bolio (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) capped off an 11-play, 64-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown and the 14-0 advantage. The Bulldogs cut that advantage in half with 1:59 left in the second quarter as Johnston found senior Reginald McIntyre in the left corner of the end zone from 22 yards out. On the ensuing kickoff, Assumption’s Darius Daniels (Clearwater, Fla./Tarpon) returned the kick from inside the end zone for what appeared to be a 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown. That play negated by a holding penalty however and the game went into the half at 14-7. The Hounds had six penalties for 112 in the opening half.

The Bulldogs tied the game on the opening drive of the second half, tying the score on a one-yard touchdown lob to McNeil with 10:39 left in the third. The drive was kept alive by yet another Assumption penalty after the Hounds stopped the Bulldogs on a third down and goal play. Read Full