Game #6 - Buffalo State Bengals vs. Rochester Yellowjackets
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 - 4:00 PM
Coyer Field (Buffalo, N.Y.)
LIVE STATS VIDEO AUDIO - 91.3FM WBNY-Buffalo & My Team Media
The Matchup…The Buffalo State football team comes home, looking for its first Liberty League victory as it hosts the University of Rochester from Coyer Field on Saturday. This is the fifth matchup between the teams all-time; the Bengals hold a 4-0 advantage, with victories in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2019.
The "Ruby" Season...Buffalo State Football embarks on its 40th season of varsity competition in 2021. Sept. 12, 1981 was the first varsity football game for the Bengals, falling to Alfred. The Bengals finished 3-3 in their opening season, defeating Niagara twice, sandwiched around a victory over St. John Fisher by a 16-7 score. The Bengals originally started as a club program in 1980, before earning varsity status the next year.
Buffalo State 150...This year marks the 150th year of Buffalo State College. Founded in 1871, Buffalo State has grown tremendously, and is now the largest comprehensive four-year college in the State University of New York system, educating over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year.
The Bengals' Last Game…A pair of late scores by Buffalo State weren't enough as the Bengals fell to RPI by a 24-16 score in Troy last Saturday.
After Buffalo State stalled on its first possession, RPI struck first with a 19-yard touchdown pass from George Marinopoulos to Peter Lombardi. Buffalo State then got into RPI territory on the next drive, but a 12-yard completion to Ale Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./KIPP College Prep) was fumbled and recovered by the Engineers on their own 18-yard line. After forcing an RPI punt, the Bengals went right back to work with a 12-play, 37-yard drive resulting in a Nick Sciandra (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) 30-yard field goal.
Near the end of the half, Marinopoulos threw for a couple of first downs, including a 48-yard pass to Burnett, setting up a second passing touchdown to Lombardi from 17-yards out, taking a 14-3 lead into halftime. Just after halftime, Conor MacDougall kicked a 27-yard field goal to complete a 13-play, 70-yard drive, as RPI led 17-3. Following a Javon Ford (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) fumble, the Engineers took a 24-3 lead at the end of third quarter as Jake Kazanowsky found Vinnie McDonald for a 31-yard touchdown pass as time expired.
The Bengals struck pay dirt midway through the fourth, as Cam Sionko (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) rushed it in from five yards out as they trailed 24-10. With 1:01 left in regulation, the Bengal offense marched right down the field, as Sionko threw completions to JuJu Cunningham (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and Darion Jones (Buffalo, N.Y./Hutch Tech), setting up a 36-yard Hail Mary pass to a leaping Nas Jackson (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joe's), as he went over two RPI defenders in the end zone as time expired.
Sionko completed 18 of 30 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown through the air, and rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He also threw an interception. Omar Robinson (Arverne, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) rushed for 69 yards on 21 carries. Jackson caught his only pass for a touchdown to end the game, finishing with 36 yards, while Cam Crosier (Kenmore, N.Y./Kenmore East) led the receiving corps with seven receptions for 66 yards. Defensively, Justin Jones (Amherst, N.Y./Canisius) led the way with nine tackles (five solo, 1.5 for loss), while Mike Gilinski (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West) added eight tackles (three solo, 1.5 for loss), a sack, and a fumble recovery. Peyton Hill (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) forced a fumble and recorded five tackles. Sciandra converted on his only field goal of the game and is a perfect 4-for-4 on the season. Buffalo State out-gained RPI by a 330-291 margin, including a 136-66 edge on the ground.
Big Hitters...A quartet of the league's top tacklers will meet at Coyer Field Saturday afternoon. For Buffalo State, Glinski is second with 37 total tackles at a 9.3 average per game, while Jones is fourth with 34 tackles at 8.5 a contest. For Rochester, Caden Cole leads the league in tackling with 49 stops (9.8 average), while Simon Weeren is third with 43 (8.6 average).
National Leaders...The Buffalo State defense is 41st in the nation with five forced fumbles...The Bengals are the least penalized team in the conference with 25 accepted penalties, a mark that is 48th nationally...Darren Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joe's) is 28th nationally with 1.5 passes defensed per game. That mark is second in the Liberty League...Glinski is second in the league and is 51st nationally with 9.2 tackles per game...He also shares the league lead with 0.50 sacks per game...Jones is fourth in the league and 79th nationally with 8.2 tackles per game.
Liberty League Honors...The following Buffalo State student-athletes have earned Liberty League weekly honors this season:
Sept. 7 - Tariq Nelson (Liberty League Honor Roll)
Oct. 4 - Mike Glinski & Justin Jones (Liberty League Honor Roll)
Scouting Rochester...Rochester enters the weekend with a 1-4 overall record and an 0-2 mark in Liberty League contests. They, like Buffalo State, are looking for the first league win of 2021.
The Yellowjackets sport a strong offensive line, as they are eighth nationally in sacks allowed per game (0.40 per game) and 16th in tackles for loss allowed per game (3.60). Rochester also leads the Liberty League with two blocked kicks and five recovered fumbles.
Individually, Sean Casey has handled 100% of the passing attempts under center, as he has completed 69 of 141 passes (48.9%) for 795 yards and three touchdowns to five interceptions. His main target is Noah Shinaman, who has 17 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown. Peyton Monaco and Trey Johnson have combined for 20 receptions for 149 yards. On the ground, Daniel Papantonis and Will Varney have split the carries for the Yellowjackets this season. Papantonis leads the way with 335 yards on 69 carries, while Varney has 260 yards on 57 carries and five touchdowns. Casey is also a strong running threat with 114 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
On defense, Cole, the aforementioned league leader in tackles per game, leads the defense at the linebacker spot. Jack Yensel has recovered two fumbles and recorded two interceptions to go along with 29 tackles.
Last Time We Met...Buffalo State blocked a pair of field goals and overcame 177 yards in penalties to outlast the University of Rochester in a 13-7 home victory. The Bengals out-gained the Yellowjackets on offense by a 305-287 margin.
Rochester had the first chance to get on the scoreboard late in the first quarter as it lined up for a 30-yard field goal try, but Jason Taylor darted through the line to block the kick. Three plays later, Martin Bailey broke free for a 28-yard scoring run just three plays later to give Buffalo State a 6-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
Buffalo State forced two turnovers on downs and a punt on the next three Rochester possessions, and the Bengals were able to extend the lead on a 51-yard pass from Zak Ciezki to Jordan Evert who was streaking down the right sideline with just 41 seconds left in the half to push the lead to 13-0. Both teams were held scoreless in the third quarter, thanks to another blocked field goal by Buffalo State, this time by DeeMac Kilgo on a 42-yard try.
Rochester finally got on the board with a 3-yard touchdown catch by Shinaman from Derek Bufano with 9:10 remaining in regulation. The Yellowjackets only had one more possession and turned it over in four downs before the Bengals were able to run out the final 6:03 of the game.
The Wizard of 'Oz'...Christian Ozolins was promoted to interim head football coach on Nov. 16, 2019 and will serve in that capacity through the 2021 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 University 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 Sharon reside in South Buffalo with their son CJ who played football at Canisius High School.
Looking Ahead…Buffalo State hits the road for another Liberty League contest, traveling to face Ithaca on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m.
