BUFFALO, N.Y. – Rochester secured its first Liberty League football win of the 2021 season by riding an epic defensive performance to a 14-7 victory over Buffalo State College on Saturday afternoon at Coyer Field on the BSC campus.
Offensive production as a whole was in short supply both ways. The Bengals produced 22 net yards on 32 rushing attempts (UR had six sacks) while Rochester managed 136 yards on 51 carries. (Buffalo State had five sacks). In terms of total offense, Rochester finished with 284, BSC had 110.
The win gives Rochester a 2-4 overall record, 1-2 in the Liberty League. LL leader Union College comes to the Brian Prince Athletic Complex next Saturday for a noon kickoff. Buffalo State is 0-6 overall, 0-3 in the league. Two years ago – on the same field – Buffalo State defeated Rochester, 13-7, for its sole win of the campaign. The Bengals will go to Ithaca next Saturday.
Jack D'Ippolito had 2.5 sacks for 13 yards in losses for Rochester. Nicholas Petruzziello had two sacks for five yards in losses and one hurry. In all, Rochester had nine tackles behind the line totaling 45 yards in losses. BSC had five sacks and 10.5 tackles for losses overall.
Rochester scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory. The tying touchdown came after a mis-played flea flicker by the home team. It was 1st-and-10 for BSC on its own 35, Ale Wilson rushed forward but as he tried to pitch the ball back to quarterback Cam Sionko, it bounced off the QB's hands and Joe DeBonis fell on it for the Yellowjackets. A penalty pushed Rochester back to the Bengal 42, first and 10.
Quarterback Ryan Rose rushed twice for 13 net yards, then threw a pair of passes to Ryan Pasquali. Those passes marched UR down to the 12, 1st-and-10. Will Varney rushed for seven yards and a Rose keeper gained two more. Facing fourth and inches on the three, Rose kept for the first down. BSC was penalized for a face mask grab which set up Rochester on the one, first and goal. Varney bulled into the end zone and Shane Bombace kicked the tying PAT.
The teams exchanged three-and-outs. When Rochester punted, Alex Wing's punt was downed inside the one-yard line. The bengals ran twice, then threw incomplete. The ensuing punt reached the BSC 30. A holding penalty against the hosts set up Rochester on the Bengal 20 with 6:03 left.
Daniel Papantonis ran for three yards and a nine-yard pass to Ethan Herbold set up the Yellowjackets on the Bengal eight. Buffalo State sacked Rose for a four-yard loss. Rose's pass in the left flat was tipped and nearly intercepted, but fell incomplete. On third and goal, Rose threw a short screen to Papantonis and he carried it into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown (PAT by Bombace).
On Rochester's first possession of the second half, Papantonis was denied a touchdown on a weaving run from the 22. Rose drove the Yellowjackets from their own 29 to the BSC 34. On 4th-and-7, he threw a slant pass to Herbold for 12 yards that put the ball on the 22. Papantonis weaved his way through the defense to score. Officials caught a hold on Rochester at the nine-yard line. The ball was matched back to the 19, setting up 1st-and-15. Papantonis simply ran 15 yards for a first down. Two runs into the line and an incomplete pass brought on a field goal try which was off target.
That defensive stand (BSC did it twice in the game) inspired the home team. A fortunate bounce helped. On first-and-10 from the BS20, Ale Wilson fumbled. In the mad dash for the loose all, BSC's Kenneth Mosely recovered at his own 18. Sionko threw a flat pass to Tariq Nelson who evaded the first tackler, then sped down the field for 42 yards, putting the ball on the Rochester 40. Sionko tried to throw deep to Nelson, but Rochester was flagged for pass interference. That moved the ball to the 25. Wilson rushed for six yards. After an incompletion meant for Praise Prawl, Sionko scrambled to his right, then broke back to the middle and veered left, running 19 yards for a touchdown that broke the scoreless tie. Nick Sciandra made the PAT.
Between them, Pasquali (4 catches, 38 yards) and Herbold (three catches, 37 yards) totaled 75 yards receiving. Rose, who played one series in the first quarter, then the entire second half was 8-14 for 76 yards and one TD. He was sacked twice. Sean Casey was 6-12 and 72 yards. He was intercepted once. Papantonis led the UR ground gainers with a net of 66 yards on 18 tries. Varney was 12-38, and Rose gained a net of 24 on 11 carries.
Sionko threw for 89 yards against Rochester, hitting 8 of 17. Nelson caught half of those for 44 yards,