(BOX SCORE)
BUFFALO, NY—Buffalo State (0-3/0-2) overcame a 23-0 halftime deficit, but Justin McLendon ripped off a late 85-yard kick return to reclaim the lead for Kean (2-1/2-1), and the Cougars held on for a 33-29 victory to spoil the Bengals' Homecoming today at Coyer Field.
Buffalo State climbed all the way back and took its first lead of the game at 29-26 with 5:53 remaining, but McLendon took the ensuing kickoff the distance thwart the Bengals' comeback bid.
Jay Gwaltney was the workhorse for Kean, rushing the ball 31 times for 131 yards and two scores, and added five catches for 30 yards. Anthony Giordano finished the day 14 of 22 for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Ryan Lehotsky (N. Royalton, OH/N. Royalton) bounced back from a tough opening half for Buffalo State to finish the day 5 of 12 for 106 yards with a touchdown and two picks.
Rob Smith (Rochester/McQuaid) had four catches for 106 yards and a score.
Gibran Johnson (Buffalo/Dutchtown (GA)) led the Bengals on the ground with 18 carries for 89 yards and a score, and
Greg Spears (Syracuse/Henninger) had 10 carries for 29 yards and two scores.
A Billy Daniels' 21-yard field goal opened the scoring after some sloppy play by both teams early. The Cougars extended their lead to 10-0 with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter on a 5-yard scoring run by Gwaltney.
Kean found the end zone twice more in the second quarter, scoring on a 21-yard pass from Giordano to Matt Puorro, and another 5-yard run by Gwaltney.
Buffalo State had drive starts at the Kean 9 and 27-yard lines in the first half after Cougar fumbles, but stalled out both times and came away with no points, trailing 23-0 at the intermission.
The Bengals finally took advantage of a short field on its first possession of the second half after an acrobatic interception by
Josh Mims (Syracuse/Nottingham) put Buffalo State in business at the Kean 37. The drive appeared to stall, but a Kean personal foul kept the drive alive, and the Bengals found the end zone on the next play with a 13-yard Johnson scamper.
A 42-yard Kean field goal by Daniels was the only other score of the third quarter, before Buffalo State scored the first 22 points of the final period.
After Mims recovered a fumble in Kean territory, Lehotsky hit Smith on a 46-yard scoring strike on the next play. Lehotsky and Smith connected on a 43-yard play to start the Bengals' next possession, and the Bengals got back in the end zone on a six-yard Spears' run.
Kean miscued again on its next possession with a bad snap on a punt attempt, giving the Bengals the ball on the Cougars' 14. Buffalo State pulled ahead with a 1-yard Spears run, but Kean pulled ahead for good just seconds later.
Buffalo State will host Rowan next Saturday at noon.
