BUFFALO, N.Y.— Rochester scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, as the Buffalo State football team dropped a defensive battle to the Yellowjackets by a 14-7 score, in Liberty League action from Coyer Field on a windy Saturday afternoon.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Rochester– 14, Buffalo State – 7
LOCATION: Coyer Field – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Rochester (2-4, 1-1 Liberty), Buffalo State (0-6, 0-3 Liberty)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Ethan Biscaro (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles (0.5 for loss).
- Peyton Hill (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) recorded a sack and added 15 tackles, 1.5 for loss.
- Mike Glinski (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West) added 13 tackles (four solo, 2 for loss).
- Seth Penn (Angola, N.Y./Lake Shore) forced a fumble and added 10 tackles and a sack.
- Brendan Cimerman (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) led the team with 1.5 sacks, recording nine tackles (three for loss).
- Tariq Nelson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys and Girls) led the receiving corps with four receptions for 66 yards.
- Cam Sionko (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) completed 9 of 18 passes for 88 yards. He also rushed for 10 yards and a touchdown.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After Buffalo State stalled on its first possession, Brandon Barksdale (Buffalo, N.Y./Bennett) picked off a Sean Casey pass on 2nd-and-6, returning to the Buffalo 42-yard line.
- Later in the quarter, it was the Rochester special teams' unit that made a play, as Tommy Wunder recovered a muffed Buffalo State punt at the Bengals' 39-yard line.
- Rochester got into the redzone in the second quarter, but the 20-yard field goal attempt by Shane Bombace was pushed wide right.
- Beginning the second half, Rochester went on a 13-play, 66-yard drive, but Jordan Laudani missed a 21-yard field goal to keep the game scoreless.
- 'State took advantage on the next possession, as Sionko found Nelson on a screen pass, as he raced 42 yards to the Rochester 40-yard line.
- Four plays later, Sionko scrambled 19 yards for the touchdown as the Bengals took a 7-0 lead.
- On Buffalo's first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, the Bengals attempted a flea-flicker that was fumbled and recovered by Rochester's Joe DeBonis at the Buffalo State 27-yard line.
- The Yellowjackets took advantage 11 plays later, as Will Varney plunged ahead for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven.
- Later in the quarter, Rochester took a 14-7 lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Rose to Daniel Papantonis with 4:15 to go.
- With the ball down seven, the Bengals were unable to convert a fourth-down play at the Bengals' 47-yard line, as Sionko's pass to Nelson fell incomplete.
- Rochester gained one more first down to run out the clock.
FOR THE FOES
- Rose completed 8 of 14 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
- Casey completed 6 of 12 passes for 72 yards and an interception.
- Papantonis rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries, and also caught one pass for 12 yards and a touchdown.
- Jack Dippolito led the defense with 2.5 sacks, recording five tackles.
- Nicholas Petruzziello added two sacks and four total tackles.
- Rochester outgained Buffalo State by a 284-110 margin.
- The Yellowjackets win their first-ever game against the Bengals in five tries (other matchups in 2019, 1998, 1997, 1996)
UP NEXT
Buffalo State travels to the Finger Lakes region, taking on #15/17 Ithaca on Saturday in a 2 p.m. start from Butterfield Stadium.