GAME #1 – BUFFALO STATE BENGALS AT ST. JOHN FISHER CARDINALS 
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022 - 1:00 PM
Growney Stadium – Pittsford, NY

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THE MATCHUP…For the third consecutive season opener, Buffalo State will face off against St. John Fisher. It is also the 15^th consecutive season in which the two squads will meet, dating back to 2007. From 2007-11, the teams met in non-conference contests, from 2012-18 in Empire 8 conference games, and non-conference action in 2019 and 2021 after Buffalo State joined the Liberty League. Altogether, the teams have met 24 times, splitting the all-time series 12-12, but the Cardinals have been victorious in the last three meetings.

THE BENGALS' LAST GAME…Wide receiver Nas Jackson (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's) scored a touchdown in his final game for the Buffalo State football team, but visiting St. Lawrence converted on all five of its red zone chances as the Bengals fell to the Saints by a 41-6 score in the season finale, on a snowy and cold Saturday at Coyer Field.

The Bengals drove down the field on their first drive, but Nick Sciandra's  27-yard field goal attempt was blocked by SLU's Victor Gamberoni, killing a 14-play, 51-yard drive. The Saints struck quickly on a 75 yard catch and run from Daniel Lawther to Peyton Schmidt to make the score 6-0 after a missed extra point. The Saints scored again on their next drive, as Lawther found TJ Cornacchia for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

With under a minute remaining in the first half, the Saints increased the lead to 20, as Schmitt's 20-yard run set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Jamie Battaglia. Cam Sionko's first pass on the ensuing drive was intercepted, but Peyton Hill returned the favor one play later by intercepting a tipped pass from Lawther. The Bengals then drove 28 yards in 33 seconds, but Sciandra's 42-yard field goal attempt was no good as the score remained 20-0 into halftime.

St. Lawrence opened the second half with a scoring drive, as Battaglia plunged it in from a yard out, leading 27-0. St. Lawrence then tallied touchdowns on two of its next three possessions to increase its lead to 41-0.

Buffalo State finished the scoring, getting on the board on its first drive in the fourth quarter, as Thomas Dupee threw a low, 14-yard pass to the front corner of the end zone that Jackson slid and caught.
 
Wide receiver Tariq Nelson caught eight passes for 79 yards, while Cody Phillips made 11 tackles to lead the Buffalo State defense.

LAST TIME WE MET... St. John Fisher's defense thwarted Buffalo State three times in the fourth quarter, as the Bengals dropped their 2021 opener by a score of 21-14 in front of a packed Coyer Field crowd.

On Buffalo State's first possession of the game, a Cam Sionko pass on 3^rd down was intercepted by Justin Rodriguez near midfield. The Cardinals took advantage on the ensuing drive, opening the scoring after a one-yard touchdown run by Alex Shudt.

A long Buffalo State drive was halted by Rodriguez' second interception, as he picked off Sionko's pass in the back corner of the end zone. The Bengals responded in the second quarter, as Sionko found Che'Kore Moore for a 19-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at seven with 16 seconds left in the half.

Fisher opened the second half with a long 12-play drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Dahmir Pross. Sionko struck right back on the first play of the ensuing drive, hooking up with Nelson on a go-route for an 80-yard touchdown, the longest passing play from scrimmage since Ryan Carney '16 caught a 92-yard pass in the 2014 season (10/4/14 vs. Frostburg State).

Fisher retook the lead with another touchdown drive, as Hunter Walsh found Jonathan Letta in the back corner of the end-zone for a 22-yard touchdown with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Buffalo State offense was unable to convert on three fourth-down attempts in the fourth quarter, as the Cardinals' defense held strong.

Buffalo State out-gained St. John Fisher by a 450-283 margin, including a 142-88 margin on the ground.

FROM THE BRONX TO BUFFALO… Lazarus Morgan was appointed as the sixth head coach in the history of the Buffalo State football program In January 2022.

A native of the Bronx, Morgan was a defensive back at Utica from 2006-08, then began his coaching career at his alma mater from 2009-13. He then moved to Alfred University from 2014-19, serving as the Saxon's defensive coordinator in the final four seasons.

He arrives to Buffalo after serving as the defensive coordinator at SUNY Cortland during the 2021 season, where he oversaw the fifth-ranked overall defense in NCAA Division III, helping guide the
Red Dragons to an 11-1 record, an Empire 8 title and a trip to the NCAA playoffs.

QB1... Cam Sionko (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) returns as Buffalo State's likely starter at quarterback for the season opener. Sionko appeared in all 10 games last season, completing 140 of 246 pass attempts (56.9%) for 1,291 yards and seven touchdowns. He also added a pair of rushing touchdowns.

CAPTAINS OF MORGAN...Four players will lead Buffalo State in 2022 as team captains. Seth Penn (Angola, NY/Lake Shore) and Anderson Osei-Gyimah (Bronx, NY/New Visions) will lead the Buffalo State defense, with Tariq Nelson (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Alex Westcott (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) serving as offensive captains.

B.B. COME BACK... Defensive back Brandon Barksdale (Buffalo, NY/Bennett) returns to the Buffalo State defense for the 2022 season as the lone returning All-Liberty League selection. Barksdale led the Bengals with nine passes broken up, and also snagged one interception on his way to All-Liberty League honorable mention.



SCHEDULES/RESULTS…
BUFFALO STATE (0-0)
Sept. 3            at St. John Fisher.....................................1:00
Sept. 17          SUNY CORTLAND………………….........12:00
Sept. 24          MORRISVILLE STATE (Homecoming).....5:00
Oct. 1              * at Union…………………….................... 1:00
Oct. 8              * RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC............12:00
Oct. 15            * at Rochester..........................................12:00
Oct. 21            * ITHACA................................................. 7:00
Oct. 29            at Brockport........................................... 12:00
Nov. 5             * HOBART……………….......................... 1:00
Nov. 12           * at St. Lawrence……………....................1:00
 
* Liberty League 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS
 
ST. JOHN FISHER (0-0)
Sept. 3            BUFFALO STATE................................... 1:00
Sept. 10          at Framingham State (MA)....................12:00
Sept. 17          at Hobart…….........................................12:00
Sept. 24          RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC.............. 4:00
Oct. 1              * at Brockport...........................................6:00
Oct. 8              * MORRISVILLE STATE..........................1:00
Oct. 15            * at Alfred University............................... 1:00
Oct. 29            * HARTWICK……................................... 2:00
Nov. 5             * at SUNY Cortland................................ 1:00
Nov. 12           * UTICA.................................................. 1:00
 
* Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS