BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - A 15-play, 79-yard drive that included three fourth-down conversions culminated with an 11-yard touchdown pass from redshirt senior quarterback Chad DiFebbo to redshirt junior Chase DiFebbo with 46 seconds to play that completed a 28-27 come-from-behind victory for the Shippensburg University football team over the No. 3-ranked Bloomsburg Huskies.

"It's typical of our whole season," said Shippensburg head coach Rocky Rees. "Our kids just keep plugging away; they keep believing that they can be champions and I'm so proud that they got the victory today."

Shippensburg (7-2, 5-1 PSAC East) began its game-winning drive on its own 21-yard line with 6:14 to play. A facemask penalty moved the Red Raiders to a 37-yard line, but soon SU faced a fourth-and-1 from the 46-yard line. On the first of three fourth-down conversions, redshirt senior split end Mike Harris could not haul in a reception due to pass interference and the drive continued.

Four plays later, needing seven yards to keep the drive alive, Harris caught a 10-yard pass from DiFebbo. Harris, whose shoulder was knocked out of alignment in the first half, played through the pain and set the university record for career receptions in the contest while finishing with nine catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.

After reaching the Husky 33-yard line, the Red Raiders again had their backs up against the wall, going backwards before facing a fourth-and-13 from the 36-yard line. Undaunted, the offensive line gave DiFebbo enough time to find Harris on a crossing pattern for 21 yards that put SU on the 15-yard line.

Two subsequent rushes advanced Shippensburg to the 11-yard line with less than a minute to play, and on the ensuing third-down play, the DiFebbo brothers connected for the game-winning touchdown that sent the Red Raider sidelines into sheer jubilation.

"Our kids made big plays when it was time to make big plays," Rees said. "Bloomsburg played an outstanding game, they're a very good football team and I hope we get the chance to play them again."

Bloomsburg (8-1, 5-1 PSAC East) had a chance to drive for a game-winning score in the final 45 seconds of play and reached the 47-yard line with 15 seconds to play and two timeouts remaining. On the final snap, Latorre was once again pressured and the game ended on a 15-yard sack by junior Riley Bowen.

"We knew after last year that good teams finish," Harris said. "Last year we weren't a good team because we didn't finish. I think that shows the character of this team that we push hard and we finish games."

The Red Raiders trailed by 11 points in the second half before closing its deficit to three points with 45 seconds to play in the third quarter after freshman tailback Mike Frenette scampered 55 yards to paydirt and senior Mark Rossi caught a two-point conversion pass from DiFebbo.

The Huskies had their way with the Red Raiders on the ground in the opening half. Tailbacks Kenny Domzalski and Derrick Price combined for 226 yards and three first-half touchdowns, including a 77-yard burst from Domzalski that gave Bloomsburg a 21-7 lead just four minutes into the second quarter.

The only Red Raider touchdown to that point came on the team's second drive of the game; a 7-play, 78-yard series of plays that culminated with an 11-yard touchdown from DiFebbo to Harris. DiFebbo finished the contest completing 13-of-30 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior place kicker and punter Kyler Ford kicked a pair of field goals in the second quarter, including a career-long of 38 yards, that brought the halftime deficit to eight points, 21-13. The first of those field goals concluded a 13-play, 60-yard drive that lasted 5:46.

At halftime, the Huskies had compiled 183 yards rushing on 14 carries. In the second half, Shippensburg's defense clamped down and limited the Huskies to just 45 yards rushing on 23 carries. The Huskies kicked a field goal on their opening drive of the third quarter before Frenette's touchdown brought SU within one possession.

Neither team committed a turnover in the contest. Defensively, redshirt freshman Cody Fleming had the game of his life with 12 tackles (five solo) including 0.5 for a loss. Redshirt linebacker Andy Casale had 10 tackles (including 1.5 for loss with one sack) while Bowen has eight tackles (including two for loss).

The game was played in a variety of weather conditions, with the contest beginning under sunny skies before making way to random patches of steady rain that eventually let up by the fourth quarter. SU earned its first victory at Redman Stadium since 2003 and snapped a three-game losing streak to the Huskies.

Shippensburg, who was picked fifth in the preseason Eastern Division coaches poll, will play next week for the right to host the State Game when it travels to face Cheyney from O'Shields-Stevenson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Notes: Harris now has 187 career receptions, three more than Jamie Ware '99...Shippensburg scored 23 or more points for the ninth consecutive game to open a season, a feat never before achieved in 105 seasons of organized football at the university...the Red Raiders converted two fourth-down conversions on the final drive with passes and one by penalty, while Bloomsburg had held opponents to 1-of-16 on fourth down this season entering the contest...Shippensburg also scored three touchdowns against a team that had allowed just eight all season through eight games...SU totaled 134 offensive yards on its two scoring drives in the second half and a total of -7 yards on its other three second-half possessions...Ford also averaged 45.0 yards per punt over the course of six boots...Bloomsburg's pass defense, which led the conference in sacks entering the contest, recorded just two in the contest while the Red Raiders tallied three...SU's 13-play drive in the third quarter matched its longest drive of the season in terms of plays, set at Edinboro...Saturday marked the second game in three weeks that SU won with a TD in the final minute...Bloomsburg had not allowed more than 14 points in a game through eight weeks before Saturday.