GAME #1 – BUFFALO STATE BENGALS VS BROCKPORT GOLDEN EAGLES
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 – 7:00 PM
Coyer Field – Buffalo, NY

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THE MATCHUP… Buffalo State kicks off the 2023 season with a trophy at stake in the I-90 Bowl. The Bengals take on Brockport in the 21st installment of the rivalry game, established prior to the 2002 season, with the trophy being designed by former Buffalo State football player Aaron Woloszyn. Brockport has a 15-5 edge in I-90 Bowl history, including victories in six straight meetings.
 
All-time, Brockport holds a 23-17 edge in 40 previous matchups dating back to the 1982 season.

THE BENGALS' LAST GAME… The Buffalo State football team wrapped up the 2022 season with a 31-7 loss to St. Lawrence in Liberty League action on Saturday afternoon.
 
Darren Thompson made 12 tackles and Michael Lastique grabbed the first interception of his career to lead the defense, while Ale Wilson carried 19 times for 79 yards on the ground.
 
St. Lawrence moved into Buffalo State territory on its opening drive, but the Bengals forced a turnover on downs from their own 29-yard line. Buffalo State gave the ball back three plays later, as Javon Ford was intercepted by Owen O'Brien on a deflected pass.The Saints capitalized shortly after on a four-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Lawther to Joseph Ott.
 
After each team punted, the Bengals drove into the red zone, before Nick Sciandra's field goal attempt was blocked by Victor Gamberoni. St. Lawrence took advantage of the momentum swing, extending the lead to 14-0 on a 26-yard touchdown from Lawther to running back Peyton Schmitt. After another Buffalo State interception, the Saints quickly drove into field goal range, and Clayton Fogler nailed a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the half.
 
The Bengals drove 75 yards in 12 plays to open the second half, and Ford capped the drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper to make the score 17-7.St. Lawrence drove down to the Buffalo State one-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs after three straight stops for no gain by the Bengal defense, including a pair of tackles by Orlando Cabrera.
 
After another Buffalo State punt, St. Lawrence drove down inside the red zone, but Lawther was intercepted by Lastique in the endzone. The Bengals went three-and-out, and two plays later, the Saints found the end zone on a 26-yard run by Lawther.
 
St. Lawrence completed the scoring with a pick-six on the first play of the next drive, and the Bengals were stopped by an interception and a turnover on downs on their final two possessions of the game.
 
LAST TIME WE MET… The host Golden Eagles scored four defensive touchdowns, while holding the Bengals' offense to just 64 total yards in a 54-2 victory to claim the I-90 Bowl Trophy for the sixth consecutive year.
 
Orlando Cabrera and Taheim McEachin each recorded a sack, while Cabrera, Ethan Biscaro, and Darren Thompson all had seven tackles for the Buffalo State defense.
 
After Buffalo State punted on its opening possession and Ben Robinson returned the punt to the Buffalo State 22-yard line, Brockport needed just two plays to capitalize on a Gino Fontanarosa nine-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed as Brockport led 6-0.
 
Tom Delgado's pass was intercepted and returned 55 yards for a touchdown on the next Bengals' possession. After another interception, the Buffalo State defense held, and Noah Panepinto's 30-yard field goal was no good. The Golden Eagles' defense forced a second pick-six on the next drive, to take a 20-0 advantage after one quarter.
 
Buffalo State got on the board by way of a safety on Brockport's second possession of the second quarter. Those two points were the only points of the quarter as the Golden Eagles led 20-2 at halftime.
 
Brockport scored two offensive touchdowns and another pick-six in the third quarter to extend the lead to 41-2 after three quarters, then wrapped up the scoring in the fourth quarter with a Louis Usera nine-yard receiving touchdown and a fumble recovery and return for a touchdown.
 
LEADING THE CHARGE… Buffalo State has four Liberty League All-Conference selections from last year back on the roster this year. Offensive tackle Alex Westcott (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) was a first team selection, while wide receiver Tariq Nelson (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), defensive end Orlando Cabrera (Brooklyn, NY/Plainedge), and safety Ethan Biscaro (Batavia, NY/Batavia) were second team choices.
 
BRING 'EM BACK… All 11 starters on offense from last season's finale return for Buffalo State this year, as well as seven of the defensive starters. Kick specialist Nick Sciandra (N. Tonawanda, NY/N. Tonawanda) is also back to lead the special teamers.

SMARTIES… Six student-athletes for Buffalo State were honored on the SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for the 2022-23 school year. Caden Wheeler (Waverly, NY/Waverly), Ian Behrens (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster), Julian Maloney (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca West), Caleb Kruzicki (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South), Sebastian Sierra (Farmingdale, NY/HHH East), and Jeffrey Burgess (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) all maintained a 3.30 cumulative GPA.

GOING FOR 2,000… Tariq Nelson enters the year with 1,366 career receiving yards, just 634 shy of reaching 2,000 for his career. The last Bengal to reach that mark was Jordan Evert in 2019, who surpassed that total with a program-record 256 yards in his final game.

DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE… Ethan Biscaro has 70 career interception return yards on four interceptions. The Buffalo State career record for return yardage is held by Rey Jordan at 215.

LONG GAINER… The Bengals' longest play from scrimmage in the 2022 season was a 54-yard touchdown run by Ale Wilson (Bronx, NY/KIPP College Prep) against St. John Fisher.

BACK IN A NEW ROLE… Michael Drywa '22 is back with Buffalo State as a defensive graduate assistant this year. He led the Bengals in tackles last year with 78.0, and was an All-Liberty League honorable mention.

BROCKPORT CONNECTIONS… A pair of Buffalo State coaches have ties to the opponent. Offensive coordinator Tyrone Nichols was a star running back for the Golden Eagles, then coached for four years on the Brockport staff. Special teams coordinator G. Chandler Williams spent time as a special teams and defensive backs coach at Brockport before joining the Bengals' staff. 

ABOUT THE BENGALS' COACH… Lazarus Morgan enters his second season at the helm of the Buffalo State football program in 2023 after being appointed as the sixth football coach in Buffalo State history in January 2022.
 
In his first season as head coach, Morgan guided six student-athletes to Liberty League All-Conference selections, as well as seven All-Academic team winners.
 
He arrived 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.
 
A native of the Bronx, Morgan was a defensive back at Utica College 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.
 
'BOUT BROCKPORT... The Golden Eagles finished the 2022 season with a 7-3 overall record, completing a sixth winning season in a row. Brockport returns seven member of the Empire 8 All-Conference team to its lineup, including a pair of D3football.com Preseason All-American selections in defensive back Raylens Boutin and punter Dan Giangrasso.
 
The Brockport offense wants to run the ball, and they don't try and hide it. Last season, the Golden Eagles amassed 1,939 rushing yards, nearly 200 per game. The top two rushers from last season are back in Gino Fontanarosa and Rashad Law. Three All-Conference selections from the offensive line are also back for Brockport. There's a good chance that the first offensive play will be a run.
 
Brockport also has a strong defense that will come after you. The Golden Eagles scored seven defensive touchdowns to lead the nation in that category in 2022, and were fifth in the nation, allowing just 122 first downs on defense. The Brockport defensive line allowed an average of only 55.1 rushing yards per game, the fourth-best mark in the country.
     

SCHEDULES/RESULTS…

BUFFALO STATE (0-0, 0-0 Liberty League)
Aug. 31          BROCKPORT                         7 pm
Sept. 9            APPRENTICE SCHOOL        1 pm
Sept. 16         at Dean                                   Noon
Sept. 30         ROCHESTER **                     5 pm
Oct. 7             at Hobart **                            1 pm
Oct. 14           at RPI **                                 1 pm
Oct. 21           HILBERT                                5 pm
Oct. 28           at Ithaca **                             1 pm
Nov. 4             UNION **                               1 pm
Nov. 11          ST. LAWRENCE **                 1 pm
 
** Liberty League game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS


BROCKPORT (0-0, 0-0 Empire 8)
Aug. 31            at Buffalo State                    7 pm
Sept. 9             SUSQUEHANNA               Noon
Sept. 16           at Wilkes                             Noon
Sept. 23           LYCOMING                         Noon
Sept. 30           at St. John Fisher **            6 pm
Oct. 7                HARTWICK **                    1 pm
Oct. 21             at Morrisville **                    1 pm
Oct. 28             UTICA **                              2 pm
Nov. 4              at Cortland **                       Noon
Nov. 11             ALFRED **                          Noon
 
** Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS