BUFFALO, NY— Alfred University (3-0/1-0) forced three Buffalo State (2-1/0-1) turnovers and possessed the ball for more than 40 minutes as it held on for a 29-21 victory in today's Empire 8 season-opener on a wind-swept Coyer Field.
Alfred quarterback Tyler Johnson (E. Syracuse/E. Syracuse-Minoa) ran 25 times for 111 yards and a touchdown and threw for two more scores, finishing 17 of 27 for 163 yards with a pair of interceptions. Isiah Young (Groton/Groton) was his favorite target, pulling in seven receptions for 65 yards. Justin Liberta (Hamburg/Frontier) and Davis Turner (S. Glens Falls/S. Glens Falls) lead a swarming Saxons defense. Liberta finished with seven tackles, a forced fumble and an interception, while Turner had six stops, including three for loss.
Buffalo State quarterback Kyle Hoppy (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, running six times for 34 yards, but struggled to throw the ball accurately in the wind, finishing 8 of 27 for 138 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Senior running back Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) went over 100 yards for the third-consecutive game to start the season, with 116 yards on 22 carries. Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) was the leading receiver with four catches for 64 yards. Five Bengal defenders finished with double-digit tackles, led by Shaq Frederick (Brooklyn/Holy Cross) with 12. Marquis Artis (Amherst/Amherst) and Trezz Bailey (Buffalo/Performing Arts) had 11 stops each.
Alfred finished with 296 total yards, compared to 288 by Buffalo State, but the Saxons ran 16 additional offensive plays, and had the ball for 40:23, compared to 19:37 by the Bengals. Alfred was also 9 of 19 on third downs and 2 of 2 on fourth down conversions.
Alfred received the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 15 plays, using 9:20 and put the first points of the game on the board with a 13-yard touchdown catch by Brendan Buisch (Hornell/Hornell) from Johnson. A bad snap on the extra point attempt led to a failed conversion try.
Buffalo State had an answer on its first possession, when Hoppy appeared wrapped up for a sack on a third down, but broke free and ran through another tackle en route to a 37-yard touchdown scamper, to give the Bengals a 7-6 lead.
After three straight punts to open the second quarter, Alfred regained the lead on a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown by Zack Bacon (Hornell/Hornell) who ran under a pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage by Zach Brinkley (Brockway, PA/Brockway Area) and ran untouched into the end zone.
Liberta picked off another Hoppy pass on the next possession and returned it 26 yards into Bengals territory to give the Saxons another scoring chance. Mitch Thomas (Buffalo/Sweet Home) thwarted the Alfred threat with an interception for Bengals, but a quick three-and-out, forced a punt out of Buffalo State's end zone. A partial block by Wes Sanders (Danby/Ithaca) gave the Saxons the ball at the Buffalo State 15 with 1:14 remaining in the first half. A late 38-yard field goal by Trevor Monk (Liverpool/Liverpool) completed the first-half scoring with Alfred ahead, 16-7.
Buffalo State received the second half kickoff and quickly moved the ball into Saxon territory, but Liberta forced a Pete fumble that was recovered by Andy Miller (Hilton/Hilton). Alfred struck eight plays later, when Johnson broke a 41-yard run to the house. After a three-and-out by the Bengals, the Saxons assembled another long drive that ended with Buisch's second touchdown grab of the game in the back of the end zone, from 11 yards. The Saxons missed the ensuing extra point and led 29-7 entering the fourth quarter.
The Bengals mounted a comeback, driving 75 yards in nine plays, ending with a 5-yard touchdown run by Hoppy. Then a Sherman Nelson (Buffalo/O'Hara) interception set Buffalo State up again, and Hoppy found Ryan Carney (Olean/Olean) with a 34-yard strike, cutting the deficit to 29-21 with 7:57 remaining.
Buffalo State's defense forced a pair of Alfred three-and-outs, but the Bengals' offense was unable to move the ball either opportunity, allowing the Saxons one final possession to run out the clock.
Buffalo State will host another league contest next Saturday against Salisbury at noon.