BUFFALO, NY—Buffalo State (2-3/2-2) scored 21-consecutive third quarter points to pull ahead and celebrate homecoming with a 42-27 victory over William Paterson (2-2/1-2) in an NJAC contest this afternoon at Coyer Field.
Buffalo State had nine penalties for 93 yards in the first half and trailed 17-14 at the intermission, before taking control in the third quarter. The Bengals finished with 13 penalties for 148 yards, compared to 10 for 95 yards by William Paterson. Buffalo State did most of its damage with its rushing attack, racking up 267 of its 353 total yards on the ground. The Pioneers finished with 396 total yards, including 220 rushing.
Casey Kacz (Amherst/Sweet Home) started his first game under center for Buffalo State, finishing 9 of 18 for 86 yards with an interception, but added 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) led the ground attack with 16 carries for 118 yards and a score, and Ismail Brooks (Auburn/Auburn) had 12 carries for 77 yards with three touchdowns. Pasquale Vacchio (Glen Head/North Shore) led the defense with 11 tackles, including four for loss, two sacks and an interception for a touchdown. Kevin Healy (E. Meadow/E. Meadow) added 10 stops, including two for loss and had a key interception.
Dawys German (N. Arlington, NJ/N. Arlington) paced William Paterson's rushing attack with 24 carries for 137 yards and a score. Ryan Gresik (Newton, NJ/Newton) was 13 of 27 for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Clifton Glaze (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) led the Pioneer defense with 10 tackles.
Buffalo State scored on its opening drive, using just four plays on the ground, covering 50 yards. After a 33-yard keeper by Kacz, Ismail Brooks (Auburn/Auburn shot up the middle for an 11-yard score.
Paterson answered on its first possession, however, marching 60 yards on nine plays, taking advantage of a third-down pass interference call that kept the drive alive. Daryl Shuler (Peekskill, NY/White Plains) capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7-7.
After a Jim Hamill (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley) interception early in the second quarter, the Pioneers took a 14-7 lead on a 69-yard scoring run by German.
Buffalo State knotted the score at 14-14 on the ensuing drive, however, marching 72 yards on nine plays, ending with an 11-yard sprint by Pete.
The Pioneers climbed back into the lead just 10 seconds before halftime on a 43-yard field goal by Robert Sinegra (Wharton, NJ/Morris Knolls), leaving the score 17-14 at the break.
Buffalo State took its first lead of the game just 1:30 into the second half when Vacchio picked off a Gresik slant pass and sprinted 33 yards for the touchdown.
The Bengals added two more third quarter scores with a 31-yard run by Brooks, and a 2-yard run by Kacz.
Sinegra stopped the bleeding for the Pioneers with a 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. After a quick three-and-out, William Paterson cut the deficit to 35-27 on an 18-yard pass from Gresik to Joseph Cordato (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne).
After two more defensive stops, William Paterson looked to move down field for a potential tying score, but Healy came up with the Bengals' second interception of the game and returned it 37 yards to the Pioneers' 7-yard line. Brooks punched it in on the very next play for his third touchdown of the day to complete the scoring in the game.
Buffalo State will travel to Kean for a 1 p.m. kickoff next Saturday.