Game #8 - Buffalo State Bengals (1-6) at RPI Engineers (4-3)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 - Noon 
ECAV Stadium (Troy, N.Y.)

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The Matchup…Buffalo State enters this week in search of its second Liberty League victory, looking to improve on a 1-6 overall mark and a 1-2 record in league play.  RPI is 4-3 overall and also 1-2 in the Liberty League after a 35-21 loss at St. Lawrence last week.

Sticky Fingers...Senior wide receiver Jordan Evert leads the Liberty League with 57 catches and is second with 697 receiving yards.  He has topped the 100-yard mark in three of the first six games this season with 101 receiving yards on eight catches in the Bengals' opener against St. John Fisher, 11 grabs for 157 yards against Brockport, and 10 catches for 183 yards at Ithaca.

Scoop and score...Offensive lineman Kyle Schreader scored his first career touchdown when he scooped up a fumble and rumbled into the end zone from eight yards out in the Bengals loss to Union on Oct. 26.

Tackle attack...Gino Bonagura leads the Liberty League with 87 tackles through seven games.  He had a season-best 20 stops against Cortland. Bonagura led the Bengals with 104 stops last season.  Devin Delmont is second in the league with 70 tackles.

Defensive Accolades...Buffalo State junior linebacker Devin Delmont was named the Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week after last Saturday's win over the University of Rochester.  Delmont finished with a career-best 15 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage as the Bengals' defense held the Yellow Jackets to just 297 total yards and just one fourth-quarter touchdown.

Breakout...Buffalo State senior running back Martin Bailey had a breakout performance last week earning Liberty League Weekly Honor Roll status as he rushed for a career-high 122 yards on 16 carries against the University of Rochester, including a 28-yard touchdown.  He also had one catch for 12 yards. 

Pick-6's...Darren Wesley registered a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown during the Week 2 loss at Utica. Gino Bonagura added a second Pick-6 of the season, with a 37-yard return for a score against Cortland.

Signal call from the hardwood...Buffalo State's starting quarterback Zak Ciezki was originally recruited as a football player, but elected to play basketball instead for the past three seasons.  In 63 games with the Bengals' hoops team from 2016-2019, Ciezki averaged 3.1 points and had 34 steals as a guard.  As a senior in high school, Ciezki led Cheektowaga's football team to a Section VI Class B championship in 2014.

Oh captain, my captains...Four players will lead Buffalo State in 2019 as team captains.  Senior offensive lineman Dave Lauer will represent the offensive side of the ball.  The defense will be led by senior safety Gino Bonagura and senior defensive end Anthony Wasiyo, while senior kicker Tommy Carr will be the special teams captain.

With honors...Buffalo State returns a pair of players that earned All-Empire 8 honors last season.  Senior offensive tackle Dave Lauer was named second team, while senior wide receiver Jordan Evert earned honorable mention recognition in 2018.

New Home...Buffalo State is officially an affiliate member of the Liberty League starting this season.  The move stabilizes both The Liberty and Empire 8, creating a pair of seven-team conferences that will collaborate for both non-conference scheduling and a postseason bowl game.  Buffalo State will compete with Hobart, Ithaca, RPI, Rochester, St. Lawrence and Union in the Liberty League. The Bengals played as an independent from 1981 through 2003, then joined the Atlantic Central Football Conference for 2004 and 2005, played in the New Jersey Athletic Conference from 2006-2011, and then in the Empire 8 from 2012-2018.