PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester defense had a season-high five takeaways and made two key fourth down stops in a 12-6 victory over Buffalo State College on Saturday afternoon at Fauver Stadium.
The five turnovers caused, all interceptions, were the most by Rochester since November 6th last season in a win at Hartwick and ended one off the school record of six.
Two picks were made by Simon Weeren and Jack Yensel with Jordy Tawa securing the other interceptions. In addition, the Yellowjackets had seven pass break-ups, three QB hurries and a pair of sacks.
Offensively, Rochester running back Daniel Papantonis had 129 yards and a touchdown, toting the ball 23 times, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Papantonis, Division III's leading rusher, eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau on the day, becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach that mark. He now sits at 1,034 on the season.
On defense, Weeren and Yensel each had big days, with two interceptions and ten or more tackles. Weeren had a game-high 16 tackles, including eight solo stops and three break ups, with Yensel finishing at ten tackles, five of which were solo.
Braydon Bush added 12 tackles and a QB hurry, with Caden Cole, J.T. Monahan and Noah Braid in on sacks for the Yellowjacket defense.
It was a quick start on the opening drive of the game for Rochester, with Papantonis rushing for 15 yards around the left end on the games first play. Another first down on a pass from Ryan Rose to Trey Johnson got Rochester into Bengal territory after just two plays.
After a 1-yard run, Rose faked out nearly everyone on the field with a handoff and scampered up the left side for 19 yards, reaching the Buffalo State 22. The Bengals made the stop and forced a field goal attempt from Jordan Laudani.
Laudani's kick was good from 38 yards, despite the swirling and heavy winds in Fauver Stadium, putting Rochester up 3-0.
On the ensuing Buffalo State drive, the Bengals whittled their way down the field, using 13 plays and eating up seven minutes of game time, but came away with no points after a big 4th down stop by the Yellowjackets.
Running out of the wildcat formation, Phaybian Livingston was stuffed up the middle by Bush and Nolan Ragland for a one-yard loss from the 2-yard line, giving the ball back to the Yellowjackets.
After four straight punts, two from each team, Rochester regained possession with 8:13 left in the first half. The Yellowjackets converted a 3rd-and-11 play with a screen pass to Papantonis for 14 yards, keeping the drive alive. A big gain over the middle to Jackson Kane from Rose gave UR another first down and Papantonis found a hole up the left side for 27 yards to reach the Buffalo State 7-yard line.
Two carries later, Papantonis plowed into the end zone for his eighth touchdown of the 2022 campaign. The PAT was blocked and Rochester led 9-0.
Yensel picked off quarterback Cam Sionko on Buffalo State's next drive, giving the Yellowjackets a chance to score late.
The Yellowjackets reached the red zone, but stalled out, forcing another Laudani field goal attempt. The wind got to the kick this time, sending the ball sailing wide right, keeping the lead at nine heading into halftime.
On Buffalo State's opening drive of the third quarter, the Yellowjackets made another stop on 4th-and-2 in UR territory, this time with Ragland and Monahan stuffing Livingston on a rushing play.
Rochester punted on its next drive, but regained the ball quickly after Tawa jumped an out route along the right sideline and intercepted Sionko for UR's second pick of the day. The first-year corner grabbed the ball and returned it 27 yards to the Buffalo State 33-yard line, setting up Rochester in good scoring territory.
UR used that momentum to earned another field goal attempt from Laudani into the wind. The sophomore kicker connected this time from 30 yards, boosting the Yellowjacket lead to 12-0.
Three plays after the kickoff, Buffalo State's Tom Delgado was intercepted by Yensel on a long bomb up the middle of the field.
Rose returned the favor though, tossing his lone interception of the game on a double-tipped ball which went off the hands of a pair of Yellowjacket receivers on the same play.
Early in the fourth, Buffalo State marched down inside the Yellowjackets 30 once again, but were stopped with another interception, this one by Weeren at the 16-yard line.
Rochester went 3-and-out and punted back to the Bengals with under 13 minutes left on the clock.
Buffalo State used a 12-play, 66-yard drive to reach the red zone, but Weeren came up with another huge play for the Yellowjacket defense, picking off another Delgado pass in the end zone, keeping the shutout alive. On the return, Weeren made it out to the 18-yard line, with a Bengal personal foul tacking on an additional 15 yards.
After another Yellowjacket punt, Buffalo State gained possession with under six minutes to play at their own 35. Delgado went pass happy on this drive, connecting multiple times with Noah Kimble, Livingston and Tariq Nelson for chunk yardage. The Bengals finished off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown plunge from Ali Wilson, cutting the lead to 12-6 after the extra point was missed.
Buffalo State tried an onside kick with just over two minutes left, but the kick did not travel 10 yards, and Rochester recovered easily to maintain possession. UR then successfully ran out the clock, converting a key 4th-and-2 with a 12-yard Papantonis run to seal the victory.
Nelson was Buffalo Stats big offensive weapon, catching 13 passes for 157 yards. Delgado and Sionko combined for 297 yards passing, while Wilson was the leading rusher with 40 yards. Ethan Biscaro led the Bengals defense with eight tackles and the interception.
Up next for the Yellowjackets is a road trip to Union College next Saturday. Buffalo State returns home for a matchup with Ithaca.