Game #1: St. John Fisher (0-0) at Buffalo State Bengals (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 - Noon
Coyer Field (Buffalo, N.Y.)
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LIVE VIDEO
The Matchup…Buffalo State and St. John Fisher open their 2019 seasons as members of different conferences for the first time since 2011 with the Bengals making the move to the Liberty League this season. Buffalo State was 1-9 last season and is led by first-year interim head coach
Christian Ozolins. The Cardinals were 3-6 last year and are under the direction of head coach Paul Vosburgh who begins his 29th season.
The Bengals' Last Game…Buffalo State led 28-7 midway through the third quarter, but host St. John Fisher rallied to score 24 unanswered points, including hitting a 34-yard field goal as time expired to steal a 31-28 victory in the 2018 season finale.
Omar Robinson and
Martin Bailey shared the duties Bengals' in the backfield. Robinson had 87 yards on just 15 carries, while Bailey had 68 yards on 25 carries and also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass. Senior
Kevin Torrillo finished just 11 of 27 for 93 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his final game as a Bengal.
Gino Bonagura led the Bengals' defense with 15 tackles, giving him 104 for the season, and added a forced fumble.
Jay-Quan Wilson added 12 stops.
Fisher quarterback Joshua Michels ended up 22 of 45 for 317 yards with two touchdowns and one interceptions. Cam Cleveland had five carried for 97 yards to go with 12 catches for 192 yards with two touchdowns. The Cardinals outgained the Bengals 490-257 for the game.
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.
About the Bengals' Coach…
Christian Ozolins was promoted to interim head football coach on Nov. 16 and will serve in that capacity through the 2019 season.
Ozolins joined the Bengals' coaching staff in 2003 and was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2013. He also served as the offensive backs coach and the recruiting and academic coordinator.
His previous college coaching experience includes stints at Maryville, Methodist, Alfred and Hamilton. As a player, he played in the NAIA National Championship Game for Cumberland University in Tennessee.
He earned his bachelor's in education from Cumberland and completed a master's degree from Alfred University. Christian also serves as the recreation and intramurals manager on campus. He and his wife Shaton reside in South Buffalo with their son CJ who plays football as a senior at Canisius High School.
