Bengals, Bombers, Cardinals and Pioneers Win in Week 4
ITHACA 17, ALFRED 6
The nationally-ranked Ithaca College football team scored on its first two drives of the second half and defeated Alfred 17-6 on Saturday at Yunevich Stadium. Two touchdown passes from
Tom Dempsey to
Vito Boffoli, sandwiched around a short field goal from
Garrett Nicholson turned a 6-0 halftime deficit to a 17-6 Ithaca lead. Ithaca improved to 3-0 on the season, 2-0 in the Empire 8, and handed Alfred (3-1, 1-1 Empire 8) its first loss of the season.
The Bombers received the second-half kickoff and started their comeback with a long return by
Trevon Perez-Tucker, whose return covered 39 yards and set Ithaca up at their own 48. A long pass downfield drew a pass intereference call to move Ithaca into Alfred territory. Dempsey completed two passes to Boffoli on the drive, the last of which was an 18-yard touchdown completion with 12:57 left in the quarter.
The Saxons drove to midfield on their ensuing possession, but the drive was halted when
Chris Williams intercepted a pass and returned it into Alfred territory. The Bombers took advantage of the game's first turnover with a drive that ended with
Garrett Nicholson's 22-yard field goal to make the score 10-6 in Ithaca's favor.
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BUFFALO STATE 32, SALISBURY 28
Rich Pete rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns and Buffalo State (3-1/1-1) erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat visiting Salisbury (1-2/0-1), 32-28, in an Empire 8 contest today at Coyer Field.
Pete went over 100 yards for the fourth straight game to open the season, averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry, and scoring on runs of 9, 1, 20 and 2 yards.
Kyle Hoppy finished 18 of 30 for 253 yards with an interception, while
Mike Doherty totaled 80 yards receiving on four catches.
Shaq Frederick paced the Bengals' defense with 15 tackles, and
Marquis Artis had 12 and a forced fumble, while
Sherman Nelson had a pair of interceptions.
Salisbury quarterback John Dunbar was 4 of 14 for 101 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. J.D. Hook led the Sea Gulls' ground attack with 140 yards on 24 carries.
Salisbury led 28-17 and had a chance to put the game away with just over eight minutes remaining. After a Michael Landry interception near midfield, the Sea Gulls drove deep into Bengal territory, setting up a fourth-and-goal from the Buffalo State 1. Dunbar was stuffed at the line by
Trezz Bailey and
John Alessandra, turning the ball over on downs.
The Bengals then drove the ball 99 yards in just six plays and one minute, 58 seconds and scored on a 20-yard run by Pete. A quarterback sneak by Hoppy led to a successful two-point conversion, and cut the deficit to 28-25 with 6:24 remaining.
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ST. JOHN FISHER 48, FROSTBURG 7
The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College football team scored 21 points in the first quarter, cruising to a 48-7 over host Frostburg State University on Saturday. It was the final meeting between the squads in Empire 8 play as Frostburg State will play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) in 2015.
With the win, No. 7 Fisher improves to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in Empire 8 play, while Frostburg falls to 2-2, 0-2 respectively.
Chris Smith was extremely efficient on the day, scoring three rushing touchdowns on just nine carries. Quarterback, Tyler Fenti was equally impressive going 15-for-23, throwing for 204 yards and three scores. The senior quarterback connected with Nathan Nigolian for a touchdown in each half as he ended the day with six catches for 78 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball Fisher surrendered 194 yards on the day, including just 36 rushing yards.
Fisher found the end zone first after the defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive. Nigolian put the Cardinals in great field position after taking the punt return 38 yards to the Frostburg 16 yard line. The key play of the drive came on third and eight when Fenti connected with Nigolian for a 13-yard reception down to the one yard line. On the very next play, Smith scored his second touchdown of the season.
The Fisher defense came up big again on the very next drive halting Frostburg on a fourth and one on the Cardinals 46. Tony Fusco picked up where he left off last weekend starting off the possession with a 29-yard run to put Fisher into scoring territory. Just four plays later Fenti connected with Nigolian for a 20-yard score on a lofted pass into the end zone, for a 14-0 advantage midway through the first quarter. FULL STORY
UTICA 42, BROCKPORT 28
Utica, NY (September 27, 2014) – The Utica College football team racked up a season-high 472 yards of total offense on its way to a 42-28 victory over visiting SUNY Brockport in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday night on the turf at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The Pioneers improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play for the first time in in the program's 14-year history.
UC senior running back
Jesse Baldassare rushed the ball 24 times for 147 yards and three scores, while classmate
Anthony Acevedo made a season-high 12 catches for 199 yards. Acevedo's 12 catches helped him break the College's all-time record for receptions in a career, as he now has 197 catches over the course of four seasons. Senior quarterback
Connor Butkiewicz got his first start of the season under center and did not disappoint, completing 15-of-28 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown throw.
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