FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Fairmont State football (1-0) team trailed by three points with 1:43 on the clock in the final quarter. The Falcons drove 93 yards in 1:26 to comeback and edge Bloomsburg (0-1).
 
Quarterback Michael Floria completed three passes over 20 yards and helped spark the Fairmont State rally. Dereik Crosby II ran into the end zone with a two-yard carry to put the Falcons on top and give Fairmont State the season-opening win.
 
"Our guys fought until the end," said Fairmont State Football Head Coach Jason Woodman. "They kept fighting all night long. We talked all week how we needed to be there in the fourth quarter. We matured as a group tonight."
 
Junior defensive back Jovon Jackson made a pair of key plays on the defensive side of the ball. In the second quarter, Jackson forced a fumble at the one-yard line that resulted in a turnover for Bloomsburg and wiped away a golden scoring opportunity. In the third quarter, Jackson blocked a punt that led to a scoop-and-score touchdown for Eltayeb Bushra to give the Falcons a 24-10 lead in the third.
 
"I have to give credit to Coach Rankin," said Jackson. "He always tells us to put in relentless effort. That play was supposed to be something big for them, and I wanted to do what I could to stop them from scoring."
 
The Huskies scored on their opening drive that was capped off by a Ty Pringle five-yard rushing touchdown with 8:40 remaining in the first quarter. Fairmont State responded after a two-yard rushing score from Donovan Washington to tie the game at seven. After a defensive stop, Leonard Farrow ripped of a 61-yard run and gave Fairmont State a 14-7 cushion midway through the second quarter. The Huskies drove down the field and quarterback KJ Riley found Nas Jones for a 33-yard reception on 4^th and 10. Jones was two strides away from the end zone when Jackson punched the ball out of Jones' arms and forced a key turnover to wipe away the BU score. Bloomsburg kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half, and Fairmont State held a 14-10 lead.
 
Fairmont State increased its lead back to seven after Emmanuel Richardson split the uprights for a 26-yard field goal at the 2:30 mark in the third quarter. The Falcons' defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Bloomsburg drive. Jackson blocked the Huskies' punt and Bushra recovered the football and crossed the goal line to pull the Falcons ahead 24-10 at the end of the third quarter.
 
Bloomsburg scored early in the fourth quarter and tied the game after Riley scampered for a 22-yard touchdown rush. Richardson booted a 43-yard field goal to put the Falcons back on top, 27-24 with 5:53 left in the fourth. Riley found Jerry Griffen-Batchler for a 29-yard strike to give BU a late lead, 30-27. The Falcons punted with 3:31 left and Bloomsburg controlled possession in the final minutes of the game. The Fairmont State defense stood tall again after Brocton Blair made a pair of tackles and Donovan O'Malley recorded a tackle for a loss to force a Bloomsburg punt. The Huskies pinned the Falcons down to the seven-yard line with 1:43 on the timer.
 
On 2^nd and 10, Florida connected with Winston Page for a 26-yard reception for a first down. After an incompletion and a delay of game penalty, Floria delivered a pass to Kobe Harris for a 32-yard completion to set the Falcons up inside Bloomsburg territory. With less than a minute to go, Floria found Page inside the five-yard line to give the Falcons 1^st and goal from the three-yard line. On third down, Crosby II found the end zone and scored the game-winning touchdown for Fairmont State.
 
The win marks the first time the Falcons won a season opener since 2018. Fairmont State will travel to West Liberty to open Mountain East Conference play next Thursday (Sept. 7) in West Liberty, W.Va. The game will kick off at 7 p.m.