Game Leaders
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Time of Poss.
BROCKPORT, NY—Senior running back Rich Pete (Utica/TR Proctor) had 180 all-purpose yards and found the end zone three times to break the Buffalo State (7-3/5-3) career record for touchdowns as the Bengals rolled over host Brockport (5-5/3-5) 55-21 to claim the I-90 Bowl for the second-consecutive season today at Kennedy Shriver Stadium. The victory gives the Bengals their first seven-win season since 2000 and puts them in contention for an ECAC Bowl bid.
Pete finished with 72 rushing yards on just 12 carries and became the first Buffalo State back to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in a season since 2003, bringing his season total to 1,005. He scored on runs of 6, 3 and 14 yards, giving him 42 career touchdowns, breaking the previous record of 40 which has stood since 1996, and Pete also had four catches for 108 yards.
Buffalo State's Kyle Hoppy (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) posted his second 300-yard game, finishing 13 of 22 for 324 yards with two touchdowns. Ryan Carney (Olean/Olean) had four catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a 16-yard run. Tre Jones (Rochester/Greece-Athena) had 17 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Buffalo State piled up 537 total yards, compared to 359 by Brockport. Marquis Artis (Amherst/Amherst) and Shaq Frederick (Brooklyn/Holy Cross) had 14 tackles and an interception apiece, and John Alessandra (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) added 13 stops.
Running back Dan Andrews rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries for Brockport. Chase Venuto finished 17 of 38 for 200 yards with two scores and three interceptions. Nate Wilkinson caught just two passes for 88 yards, but scored on both.
Pete scored on a 6-yard run on the Bengals first possession and a successful two-point conversion gave the Bengals a lead they would never relinquish. Brockport cut the deficit to 8-7 on a 27-yard run by Andrews after Buffalo State fumbled on a punt return, but the Bengals took over from there.
After a 40-yard field goal by Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe's), Carney scored back-to-back touchdowns on a 40-yard reception and a 16-yard run to put the Bengals up 24-7 after the first quarter.
The Bengals continued rolling in the second quarter, finding the end zone on a 3-yard run by Pete, a 33-yard reception by Mike Doherty (Tonawanda/Kenmore East), and a 23-yard run by Jones. Nate Wilkinson added 42-yard catch and run for Brockport, but Buffalo State took a 45-14 lead into the intermission.
Buffalo State pushed the lead to 55-14 with a pair of third quarter scores, first on a 14-yard by Pete, and then a 22-yard field goal by Montana. Brockport produced the only points of the final quarter on Wilkinson's second score of the day, covering 46 yards.
Buffalo State will await the ECAC Bowl bid announcements on Monday to see if it will make its first postseason appearance since 2000.