Box Score (BOX SCORE)

GLASSBORO, N.J.—Rowan's Chris Alvarez sacked Casey Kacz (Amherst/Sweet Home) on the final play of the game on a first-and-goal from the 3-yard line, and visiting Buffalo State (3-5/3-4) could not stop the clock as the Profs (5-3/4-2) held on for a 36-29 victory in an NJAC game today at Wackar Stadium.

Kacz led a Buffalo State offense that totaled 517 total yards.  He finished 23 of 36 for 379 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.  Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) had two catches for 115 yards, including a 97-yard score, and had eight carries for 59 yards and another touchdown.  Caesarae Lewis (Newbern, AL/Sunshine) added six catches for 95 yards, and Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) had five catches for 97 yards and a score. 

Pasquale Vacchio (Glen Head/North Shore) led the Buffalo State defense with 10 tackles, and Kimani George (Brooklyn/William Grady) had six stops including two sacks.

Louie Bianchini was 21 of 32 for 338 yards for Rowan.  Eddie Eisenhart was his primary target, collecting six catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

After a defensive stop on the first drive of the game, Buffalo State struck first on its first offensive play from scrimmage when Pete took a screen pass 97 yards to the house to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead.  The 97-yard play was just one yard shy of equaling the school record for longest passing play in school history.

Rowan answered with 21-consecutive points in the second quarter, however, and led 21-10 at halftime.   The Profs scored on a pair of 92-yard drives, assembling a 10-play drive capped by a 22-yard reception from Bianchini to Chris Garcia, and a nine-play trip that ended with a 17-yard scoring run by Keith Corcoran.  Rowan added a 6-yard reception by Eisenhart with 46 seconds left in the period.   Buffalo State moved quickly into field goal range and added three-points on a 33-yard field goal by Nick Debbins (Lancaster/Lancaster) with just nine ticks before the intermission.

The Bengals' opening the scoring in the second half on their second possession of the period with a 37-yard reception by Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East), but Rowan answered just 2:02 later with Garcia's second touchdown catch of the day, this time from 21 yards out. 

Debbins tied the school record for field goals in a game with three, booting a 44-yard field goal to complete the third quarter scoring, and added a 21-yard boot early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-23.  The Bengals then reclaimed the lead with 6:28 remaining on a 24-yard run by Pete, but failed on the two-point conversion try, leaving the score 29-28.

The lead did not stand long, however, as Bianchini and Eisenhart connected again for a 61-yard score just 39 seconds later.  Kevin DelleDonne hauled in a pass in the corner of the end zone to convert the two-point try to push the Rowan advantage to 36-29.

After the Bengals' were forced to punt on the ensuing drive, Buffalo State's defense answered the call and forced a three-and-out.  Following a Rowan punt, the Bengals started out on their own 26 with 2:15 remaining and two timeouts.  Buffalo State marched down to the Rowan 3-yard line, but Kacz took a sack on a first-and-goal play with just eight seconds remaining and the Bengals could not stop the clock.

Buffalo State will return home to take on Brockport in the I-90 Bowl next Saturday at noon.