FROSTBURG, Md.—Buffalo State (4-1/2-1) allowed just 288 yards of total offense, including 117 through the air and Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) had his fifth-consecutive 100-yard rushing game to help the Bengals pull away from host Frostburg State (2-3/0-3) for a 31-14 victory today in an Empire 8 contest.
Pete finished with 121 yards and a score on 18 carries. Kyle Hoppy (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) was just 7 of 15 for 225 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and Ryan Carney (Olean/Olean) had two catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals' offense averaged 8.0 yards-per-play, compared to just 3.9 by the Bobcats. Shaq Frederick (Brooklyn/Holy Cross) led Buffalo State's defense with 16 tackles, and John Alessandra (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) finished with 12 stops.
Frostburg quarterback Ken Emmons finished 8 of 23 for 117 yards with an interception. Marcus Smith was the Bobcats' leading rusher with 79 yards on 16 carries.
After Buffalo State went three-and-out to open the game, Frostburg jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a 3-yard touchdown run by Emmons, set up by a 64-yard scamper by Smith.
The Bengals scored the next 17 points, however. Pete took a 48-yard run to the house just three plays after the Frostburg score. Then, on the first play after a Bobcats punt, Hoppy hit Carney for a 92-yard touchdown catch and run to give the Bengals the lead. After a blocked punt credited to Matt Brutus (Elmont/Elmont) gave the Bengals the ball at the Bobcats' 5-yardline, Buffalo State could only produce an 18-yard field goal by Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe's) to push the score to 17-7.
The Bengals appeared poised to score again late in the first quarter when Andrew Cleveland (Rensselaer/Columbia) forced a fumble that was recovered by Trezz Bailey (Buffalo/Performing Arts) setting Buffalo State up at the Frostburg 25. The Bengals could not move the ball, however, and turned it over on downs.
Frostburg cut the deficit to 17-14 at halftime, scoring the only points of the second quarter midway through the frame with a13-yard run by Ben Sasu.
Buffalo State was marching on its first possession of the second half, but Josh Washington stepped in front of a wide receiver screen and made the interception, killing the drive at the Frostburg 16. The Bengals defense forced a quick punt that was shanked out of bounds, however, and Buffalo State found the end zone on the very next play, when Hoppy found Billy Joiner (Rochester/John Marshall) streaking wide open down the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown.
After another Frostburg punt, the Bengals looked to put more points on the board late in the third quarter, but a 46-yard Montana field goal attempt was blocked.
Frostburg threatened one more time after a poor punt out of the Bengals' end zone gave the Bobcats a short field, starting on Buffalo State's 17. The Bengals defense held once again, and the offense responded with a four-play, 97-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard scoring run by Tre Jones (Rochester/Greece-Athena) to put the game out of reach. The drive began with a 52-yard pass to Carney from Hoppy out of his own end zone.
Frostburg's final drive ended with Sherman Nelson's (Buffalo/O'Hara) fourth interception in just three games played this season.
At 4-1 overall, Buffalo State is off to its best start since 1999, the last time the Bengals went to the NCAA playoffs. Buffalo State will travel to nationally-ranked Ithaca next Saturday at 1 p.m.