Buffalo State finished with 474 yards of total offense, compared to 394 by the Mustangs, and produced a pair of key turnovers. Buffalo State needed just three plays to open the scoring with a 17-yard run by Stewart which was set up by a 57-yard pass from Ertel to Johnson.
The Bengals pushed the advantage to 10-0 on a 30-yard field goal by Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe’s) on the first possession of the second quarter. After another Morrisville punt, Buffalo State scored on its first play of the ensuing possession with a 66-yard strike from Ertel to Johnson down the left sideline. Montana added a 22-yard field goal to push the lead to 20-0 1:57 remaining in the half, before Morrisville scored the final points of the opening half on a 28-yard field goal by Jeff Groth that was partially blocked as time expired.
After a pair of punts to open the second half, Ish Height (Brooklyn/Grand St. Campus) extended the Bengals’ lead to 27-3 when he intercepted a Cory Benedetto pass and returned it 46 yards for the score.
After a quarterback change, Morrisville answered with 21-unanswered points with Brandon Gwinner under center, however, to cut the deficit to just three. Nick Edmund got the rally started with a 29-yard scoring run. After a blocked field goal, Morrisville drove back down the field and found the end zone again with a 3-yard run by Edmond on the final play of the third quarter.
Then, with 8:47 remaining, scored again on a 27-yard pass from Gwinner to Joseph Faniel. Buffalo State assembled an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive capped by a Nick Jones (Buffalo/W. Seneca West) 9-yard reception in the back of the end zone to restore the two-score lead. Brett Ellers (Wantagh/MacArthur) picked off Gwinner on the ensuing possession and returned it deep into Morrisville territory to seal the win for the Bengals. Antoine Holloman (Brooklyn/Abraham Lincoln) completed the scoring with a 1-yard plunge with 1:17 remaining.
Buffalo State will play its first road game of the season next Saturday at St. John Fisher. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
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