PITTSFORD, NY— Buffalo State (5-3/3-3) could not overcome 583 yards of total offense by host St. John Fisher (7-1/5-1) and the nationally-No. 15 ranked Cardinals dealt the Bengals a 35-25 defeat in an Empire 8 game today at Growney Stadium.
Buffalo State junior quarterback Dan Serignese (Port Jefferson/Vandermuelen) finished 10 of 28 for 246 yards and a touchdown and also had a rushing score in his first collegiate start. Ryan Carney (Olean/Olean) had four catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, and Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) had four grabs for 87 yards. John Alessandra (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) led the Bengals' defense with a career-high 17 tackles, and Marquis Artis (Amherst/Amherst) had 11 tackles, including a sack and a fumble recovery.
St. John Fisher quarterback Tyler Fenti finished 21 of 30 for 318 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and also had 52 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Tony Fusco ran for 158 yards on 29 carries and had a touchdown, while Mike Collichio had eight catches for 174 yards and two scores.
The Cardinals outrushed the Bengals 265-87, and outgained Buffalo State by 250 total yards.
Buffalo State took the early 7-0 lead on a 6-yard scoring run on the option by Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor). The Bengals defense forced a turnover on downs and a 46-yard flea flicker from Serignese to Carney set up the shot score.
The Cardinals would answer with an 11-play, 71-yard, penalty-filled drive and knotted the score at 7-7 with a 5-yard keeper by Fenti.
After a 45-yard field goal by Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe's) reclaimed the lead for the Bengals, each team traded big plays to leave the score 17-14 in Buffalo State's favor to end the first quarter. After a 54-yard scoring run by Fusco for the Cardinals, Buffalo State answered just two plays later with a 73-yard scoring strike from Serignese to Carney.
Fisher found the end zone again, taking a lead it would not relinquish. Collichio reeled in a 33-yard touchdown toss from Fenti, to put the Cardinals ahead, 21-17. Fisher would assemble a 90-yard drive late in the half, but Buffalo State stuffed a fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1-yard line, keeping the deficit at four at halftime.
The Cardinals put together another long drive on its first possession of the second half, and this time capped the 11-play, 86-yard march with a 3-yard scoring run by Fenti.
After Rob Riggio blocked a Bengals' punt on the ensuing possession, Fisher took full momentum of the game, but an Ish Height (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) interception in the end zone on the very next play gave Buffalo State a new life.
Two possessions later, Buffalo State cut the deficit to 28-25 just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter. After Serginese scored on a 5-yard bootleg, Pete converted on the two-point conversion, scooping an errant option pitch off the turf and running it into the end zone.
James Chambers answered the Bengals' score with a 43-yard kick return, and the Cardinals needed just four plays to go the remaining 48 yards, pushing the advantage to 35-25 with another 33-yard pass from Fenti to Collichio.
Buffalo State would threaten once more, but could not score on a first and goal and turned the ball over on downs after two cracks from the 1-yard line, before the Cardinals were able to run off the final four minutes and 35 seconds.
Buffalo State will host Hartwick at noon next Saturday for its regular season home finale.