BUFFALO, N.Y.— Buffalo State rumbled for 239 rushing yards and 497 yards of total offense in a decisive 35-14 victory over visiting St. John Fisher to close the season today at Coyer Field.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 35, St. John Fisher - 14
LOCATION: Coyer Field - Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (6-4/3-4), St. John Fisher (2-8/2-5)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Austin Neal (Buffalo/South Park) became the Bengals' first 100-yard rusher of the season with 123 yards on 17 carries with touchdown.
- Antoine Holloman (Brooklyn/Abraham Lincoln) added 98 yards on 17 carries and found the end zone twice.
- Kyle Hoppy (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) finished 18 of 27 for 258 yards and two touchdowns.
- Ricky Bailey (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls) led the receiving corps with seven catches for 106 yards, and Stephen Johnson (Buffalo/McKinley) had five catches for 95 yards and two scores.
- Darren Thompson (Buffalo/St. Joe's) had a team-best eight tackles, while Khalil Sommerville (Buffalo/Bennett) had six tackles and a sack.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Buffalo State dominated the first half, possessing the ball for nearly 20 minutes and piling up 13 first downs, compared to four by the Cardinals, but only had a 21-7 lead to show for it.
- The Bengals opened the scoring on their first possession of the game, marching 72 yards on seven plays, capped by a 2-yard run by Holloman.
- Fisher fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the Bengals returned the favor with a lost fumble of its own just two plays later.
- An Elloheim Tucker (Bronx/Cardinal Spellman) interception late in the first quarter, set up a Johnson's first receiving touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from the 4 early in the second quarter to extend the Bengals' lead to 14-0.
- St. John Fisher took advantage of a Bengals' miscue later in the quarter to get on the scoreboard when Brennen Thompson recovered a fumble in the end zone on a muffed snap on a punt attempt.
- Johnson hauled in a 19-yard touchdown reception with just 18 seconds remaining in the half to give Buffalo State a 14-point lead heading into the intermission.
- St. John Fisher produced the only points of the third quarter to cut the deficit to seven with an eight-play, 83-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard scoring run by James Chambers.
- The Bengals were able to pull away, however, scoring a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the win.
- Holloman got loose for a 22-yard run for his second score of the day.
- Then after a Tiquan Simpkins (Syracuse/Henninger) interception, Buffalo State closed the scoring with a six-play 94-yard drive, culminating in a 28-yard scoring run by Neal.
- Buffalo State held the Cardinals to just 224 yards of total offense, including just 100 through the air.
FOR THE FOES
- Chambers finished with 127 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
- Joshua Michels finished 7 of 23 for 86 yards and a pick off the bench, and Alejandro Utset was just 1 of 6 for 14 yards and an interception.
- Joseph Zickl led the Cardinals defense with 10 tackles.
NOTEWORTHY
- Buffalo State finishes the season 6-4 for its seventh-consecutive season with a record of .500 or better.
