Tyson Bagent completed 31 of his 37 mainly short- to mid-range passes for 364 yards and five touchdowns. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Successful short passes for first downs and yardage that just kept adding up. Four running backs (Ty Hebron, Ronnie Brown, Chantz Swartz and Avaughn Holley) clipping off more first downs and snowballing yardage figures that when placed alongside the Tyson Bagent-produced passing stats gave Shepherd 555 yards of total offense against a beleaguered Bloomsburg team that showed some grit but still was swamped, 62-18, by the offensive-minded Rams.

Still spying an NCAA Division II Super Region One playoff berth on the now in-focus horizon, Shepherd moved its record to 8-1 while miring the Huskies near the bottom of the PSAC East Division with a 2-7 record.

Two long-range scores had the Huskies within five points at halftime. But then the all-Shepherd second half saw the Rams burst out with 41 points while limiting Bloomsburg to only an additional two points.

On a cloud-choked afternoon where Bloomsburg celebrated its additional Athletic Hall of Fame entries, Shepherd made the second half an avalanche of additional points.

Bagent completed 31 of his 37 mainly short- to mid-range passes for 364 yards and five touchdowns.

After being unable to get even one first down with its first three possessions, Bloomsburg struck for scores of 60 yards to Malik Langley and 50 yards to Tyshaun Pollard — plus a late first-half field goal — to breathe life into its once-dormant offense and spill into the halftime dressing room trailing only 21-16.

But Shepherd was to receive the second-half kickoff. Using almost seven minutes off the clock, the upstart Rams methodically moved goalward by converting third downs into first downs, finally scoring to move ahead, 28-16.

Bloomsburg misfired on a short field try. And the Shepherd point parade began in earnest.

After Bagent threw to Josh Gontarek for a short TD, the suddenly offensive-minded Rams went on to outpoint the home team, 28-0, in the lopsided fourth quarter to whisk away to another conference win.

Scoring in rapid-fire order in the last period were Malik Holloway with an intercepted pass, Greg Leonard with a 22-yard pass reception, Gontarek with a lengthy punt return and Holley with a nine-yard run.

The once jeopardized lead had gone from 34-18 to 62-18 in one Shepherd-owned quarter.

Shepherd suddenly had a choke hold on the scoreboard and the stats.

The keep-away Rams had possession for 40:03 to Bloomsburg’s 19:52. They converted seven-of-nine third downs into first downs, had 68 offensive plays and outpointed the faltering Huskies, 41-2, in the second half.

Now 8-1 overall, Shepherd is back home for consecutive games against East Stroudsburg and once-beaten Slippery Rock in the next two weeks.

Bagent, in his junior year, set school records for most career passing attempts and most career passing yards. He now has 101 career TD passes.

His five scoring throws against the Huskies has him with 36 touchdown passes this season in just nine games.

The nationally-ranked Rams, however, still trail Kutztown by one game in the East Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.