BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State football team picked up its first win of the 2026 season, defeating the Hilbert College Hawks, 39-27, on Coyer Field.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 39, Hilbert – 27
LOCATION: Coyer Field – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 1-6 (1-3 Liberty League), Hilbert: 0-6 (0-5 Liberty League)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- JC Dixon (Niagara Falls, NY/Canisius) led the Bengals' running back room with 149 yards on 24 carries, while Ciyan Philbert (Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln) had a strong day as well, rushing for 112 yards on 16 carries.
- Quarterback Amir Cameron (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison) eclipsed the 3,000-career-passing-yards mark, finishing the day with 82 passing yards and a touchdown.
- James White (Depew, NY/Depew) snagged an interception for the Bengals late in the third quarter, recording the lone turnover for either team on the day. DJ Holmes Jr. (Buffalo, NY/Health Sciences) led the Bengals with 12 total tackles.
- As a team, the Bengals finished with 306 total rushing yards and led the Hawks with 27 first downs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Hawks opened the scoring with a quick touchdown on their opening drive, but the Bengals answered right back, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive to return the favor.
- The Hawks and Bengals picked up the pace in the first half, trading possessions and points, with the Hawks leading 21-18 heading into halftime.
- Coming out of halftime, the Bengals found their rhythm, scoring on their opening drive of the half and taking their first lead over the Hawks in the third quarter. As the defense locked down the Hawks, the Bengals' offense continued to find its flow in the run game, scoring on its remaining second-half drives to secure its first win of the season.
A big shoutout and kudos to Head Coach
Mike Neale, who picked up his first win as head coach of the Bengals!
FOR THE FOES
- Noah Workman and Jermey Ganska combined for 147 rushing yards, with Ganska scoring a rushing touchdown and Workman adding three passing touchdowns.
- Scotty Winchell led the Hawks with 12 total tackles, including five solo tackles and two tackles for loss.
UP NEXT
The Bengals will prepare for a spooky Halloween weekend as they host the Ithaca Bombers next Saturday, October 31, on Coyer Field at 3 p.m.
