Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
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Turnovers
Time of Poss.
ALFRED, NY—Buffalo State (2-3/0-2) erased a 20-point deficit and after a wild play was an extra point away from winning in overtime, but the Bengals could not convert the kick and Alfred (3-1/1-0) escaped with a 39-33 victory in double-overtime in an Empire 8 game today at Merrill Field.
After Alfred scored on a 1-yard run by Austin Dwyer in the first overtime, Buffalo State appeared to lose the game when Alfred's Seiji Hinton came up with an interception in the end zone. Hinton did not down the ball however, and as he ran out of the end zone to celebrate, he dropped the ball. An alert Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) recovered the fumble in the end zone, and set the Bengals up to win the game with the extra point. For the second time in as many tries, however, the Bengals had the kicked blocked, and the game continued to a second overtime.
After Buffalo State turned the ball over on downs in the second overtime, the Saxons finished the game with Dwyer's fourth touchdown of the game from 4 yards out.
Buffalo State quarterback Casey Kacz (Amherst/Sweet Home) finished 19 of 38 for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. Pete had 23 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) was the leading receiver with six grabs for 155 yards. Scott Koen (Oxnard, CA/Santa Clara) led the defense with 10 tackles, including three for loss, and Chris Hall (Pasadena, CA/St. Francis) had a pair of interceptions.
Alfred quarterback Tyler Johnson was 22 of 39 for 201 yards and two scores, but also threw three interceptions. David Lee Tack had six catches for 60 yards and touchdown.
Alfred looked like it was going to run away with the game in the early going, jumping out to a 20-0 lead with three touchdowns in the first quarter, a 1-yard run by Dwyer, a 16-yard catch by Chuck Beckwith, and a 4-yard reception by Tack.
The Bengals finally answered with a 38-yard touchdown reception by Ryan Carney (Olean/Olean) with just 24 seconds remaining in the first half.
Buffalo State cut the deficit to 20-14 with a 6-yard quarterback keeper by Kacz on the first possession of the second half. Alfred pushed the lead to 27-14 later in the quarter, however, on a 10-yard run by Austin.
Buffalo State answered again, scoring on each of its next two possessions, finding the end zone on a 2-yard run by Pete and a 2-yard pass from Kacz to Carney with 6:09 remaining in regulation. The Bengals had a chance to take their first lead of the game after the Carney score, but had the extra point blocked, leaving the score knotted at 27-27, and setting up overtime.
Buffalo State will travel to Salisbury next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.