Game #1 - St. John Fisher Cardinals at Buffalo State Bengals 
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021 - 6:00 PM
Coyer Field (Buffalo, N.Y.)
LIVE STATS  VIDEO  RADIO (91.3 FM WBNY Buffalo)

The Matchup…After a wait of over 650 days, Buffalo State returns to the gridiron, hosting St. John Fisher College in the 2021 season opener. The Bengals last competed on Nov. 16, 2019, at home against St. Lawrence College. The Cardinals, like the Bengals, did not play in 2020, and last suited up against Alfred University in Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 16, 2019.

The "Ruby" Season...Buffalo State Football embarks on it's 40th season of varsity competition in 2021. Traditionally, Ruby is the gift for 40 years of marriage, and Buffalo State College and Buffalo State Football have enjoyed a fruitful bond ever since the first varsity game on Sept. 12, 1981. 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…Jordan Evert had a school-record 19 catches for 256 yards and scored two touchdowns, but visiting St. Lawrence prevailed after a wild fourth quarter, defeating the Bengals 31-26 in the 2019 season finale.

The Bengals opened the game with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by Martin Bailey, but the Saints blocked the ensuing extra point, and Kyle Frimel returned it for the defensive extra point, leaving the score 6-2. After St. Lawrence scored on a 2-yard pass from Tyler Grochot to Cameron Edwards, the Bengals answered with another long drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown grab by Praise Prawl to put Buffalo State back ahead, 12-9. A second-quarter field goal by the Saints evened the game at 12, before both offenses stalled to end the first half.

Both teams remained scoreless in the third to set up a wild fourth quarter. St. Lawrence struck first with a 68-yard touchdown pass, but the Bengals answered just two minutes later, as Zak Ciezki found Evert with a 10-yard slant. Following a second blocked extra point, Buffalo State trailed 19-18.

The Saints tacked on another touchdown, this time on the ground, but the ensuing extra point try hit the upright, making the lead just seven. Buffalo State went to work and found the end-zone with 2:23 left in regulation, as Ciezki found Evert again, this time on a 13-yard pass. The pair connected on the ensuing two-point conversion to put the Bengals in front, 26-25. St. Lawrence needed just 1:18 to go 70 yards, however, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 1:05 remaining on a 4-yard keeper by Grochot. Buffalo State had a minute to attempt to answer and picked up three first downs and got to the Saints' 20, but Ciezki was intercepted at the goal line by Tyler Burns with 13 seconds left in the game to seal the win for St. Lawrence.

Along with setting the single-game receptions record, Evert also set the school's single-season record with 92 catches and 1,182 yards. In the air, Ciezki finished his career with a career-high 327 passing yards, going 32 of 48 with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for a team-leading 62 yards on 15 attempts. Defensively, Devin Delmont led the Bengals with 10 tackles, while Gino Bonagura added eight.

Last Time We Met...St. John Fisher's defense tuned Buffalo State over three times, all in the first half, as the Cardinals defeated the Bengals by a 23-6 score in the 2019 season opener on Sept. 7.

The Cardinals scored on their second possession of the game, a seven-play, 55-yard drive capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Dahmir Pross. a 33-yard field goal pushed the lead to 10 early in the second quarter. Buffalo State would look to respond with a pair of long second-quarter drives, but both ended with Fisher interceptions, as they took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Fisher added a field goal on its first possession of the third quarter, then added to the margin with Pross' second touchdown run of the game to take a 20-0 lead. The Bengals responded with a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 45-yard strike from Ciezki to Evert. The extra point sailed wide, leaving the Bengals down 20-6. The Cardinals  then kicked their third field goal of the game early in the final quarter to complete the scoring. 

Evert tallied eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals. Martin Bailey led the team on the ground with 41 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Ciezki completed 15 of 29 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, adding three interceptions. Anthony Wasiyo led the Bengal defense with 13 tackles, one for loss, adding a half-sack.

QB1... Junior Cam Sionko (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) is Buffalo State's likely starter at quarterback for the season opener. The Grand Island, N.Y. native was a four-year starter for the Vikings, securing honorable mention All-Western New York accolades as a senior in 2018. Sionko played in just one game as a Bengal in 2019, attempting three passes against Cortland.

Oh Captain, My Captains...Four players will lead Buffalo State in 2021 as team captains.  Junior linebacker Mike Drywa (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) and senior defensive back Darren Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's) will lead the Bengal defense, while senior wide receiver Nas Jackson (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's) and senior offensive lineman Kyle Schreader (Lockport, N.Y./Starpoint) will lead Buffalo State offensively.

We're Baaaack...Schreader returns to lead the Buffalo State offensive line in 2021 after securing All-Liberty League Second Team honors in the 2019 season. The Bengals averaged 346.0 yards per game last season, totaling 3,460 total yards and 23 touchdowns. He will be joined on the line by fellow starter, senior Henry Palermo (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda). Other key returners include senior long snapper Cole Jenkins (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora), who was named as the Special Teams U All-American Watch List, which honors the best draft-eligible long snappers in college football.

New Home...Buffalo State embarks on its second season as an affiliate member of the Liberty League in 2021.  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, 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 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 intramural's manager on campus. He and his wife Shaton reside in South Buffalo with their son CJ who played football at Canisius High School.

Looking Ahead…The Bengals will get an early bye week, before returning to action on Sept. 18, traveling to Cortland in a 2 p.m. start. Cortland holds a 22-14 edge all-time between the two SUNY foes, and have won the last three games. The Bengals won five straight against the Red Dragons from 2012-2016.