Hempstead, NY (Oct. 11) - Senior running back Vemba Bukula had a 67-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter to help the Hofstra Football team seal a 24-14 Homecoming win over 19th-ranked Northeastern on Saturday afternoon at James M. Shuart Stadium. With the win, Hofstra captures its first victory of the season and improves its record to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Northeastern, meanwhile, slips to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the league, while droppings its third straight game after a 4-0 start.
Bukula's run was one of only his two carries on the day, but it came at a pivotal time. Hofstra had gone into the fourth quarter with a 17-7 lead and appeared to have the win all but sealed when Northeastern failed to convert on 4th-and-3 from the Hofstra 39-yard line with 5:14 remaining. However, Hofstra was whistled for a roughing the passer penalty, and two plays later, Husky quarterback Shawn Brady found receiver Cory Parks in the end zone from 11 yards out to close the Hofstra lead to 17-14 with 4:58 on the clock.
However, Bukula responded on Hofstra's very first play from scrimmage on its next drive, running over right tackle and breaking free into the open field. Bukula had just one defender to beat once he got through the line of scrimmage and managed to outrace him down the sideline and into the end zone. Northeastern again drove down the field on its next possession, but Hofstra forced the Huskies to eat up a lot of the clock in the process. The win was finally sealed for good when Prentice James intercepted a Brady pass at the three-yard line and ran it back 75 yards to the Huskies' 25. Hofstra was able to kill the clock from that point on.
Hofstra jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the contest. A 27-yard field goal from junior Chris Onorato opened the scoring with 3:52 left in the first quarter. Hofstra quarterback Bobby Seck, who was making his first start since being injured against Marshall in the season opener, had a 25-yard pass to Marques Colston and an 18-yard pass to Ricky Bryant to key the drive. Seck helped the Pride stretch the lead to 10-0 on the first play of the second quarter, when he ran off right tackle for a four-yard touchdown.
Northeastern, though, would close to within 10-7 with an eight-play, 74-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard touchdown run from running back Tim Gale with 7:06 left in the second quarter. Linebacker Mike Hall intercepted a Seck pass late in the second quarter to give the Huskies the ball on the Pride 40-yard line, but the Hofstra defense held firm and allowed Northeastern just -2 yard on three plays to end the threat.
Seck once again was forced to leave the game with an injury and did not return in the second half. However, Hofstra kept moving the ball and picked up a much-needed insurance touchdown late in the third quarter when running back Trevor Dimmie rushed in from two yards out. That score was set up by a 53-yard throw from reserve quarterback Andrew English to Irby, which put the ball down to the two-yard line.
Hofstra came up with a big defensive stand on Northeastern's next drive as the Huskies got the ball down to the Pride 28-yard line. On second-and-10, Brady attempted to run an option play, but was immediately met by Hofstra linebacker Tyree Johnson. Johnson's pressure forced Brady to pitch the ball errantly to Peter Harris, who recovered the fumble for a loss of 13 yards.
Seck completed 13-of-23 passes for 171 yards in his one half of work, while English threw for 80 yards off the bench. Irby caught eight passes for a game-high 139 yards for the Pride. Bukula led Hofstra in rushing with 67 yards on two carries, while Terry Crenshaw added 41 yards on the ground and Dimmie chipped in with 36. The defense was led by Johnson's 12 tackles, while Carlton Bargman and Gian Vallante each added 11. Gale ran for 107 yards on 19 carries for the Huskies.
Hofstra will next be in action on Saturday when it travels to face Massachusetts for a 12:30 p.m. contest.
