BUFFALO STATE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Matchup…Buffalo State will return to action after a bye last week looking for its first victory of the season. The Bengals (0-2) have allowed 86 points through two games, conceding a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard receiver in successive games. RPI is 3-0 and ranked 20th in this week’s D3Football.com national poll. The Engineers defeated Utica 23-20 in triple overtime last week and also have wins over Allegheny and WPI. This is the third meeting between these two programs with each team winning one of the prior meetings, including a 33-21 win by the Bengals last year at Coyer Field.
The Bengals’ Last Game…Senior wide receiver Jerron McGaw set an Adrian College record with 256 receiving yards on 13 catches, including five touchdowns, to lead the Bulldogs to a 56-27 victory over visiting Buffalo State in he Bengals’ last outing on Sept. 8.
Adrian jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back en route to the 29-point win.
Kevin Torrillo finished 29 of 50 for 277 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bengals. Jamar Rutledge caught 11 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, and Jordan Evert had seven catches for 77 yards and a score.
Oh captain, my captains…Buffalo State will rely on the leadership of four captains this season. On the offensive side, the Bengals will be led by junior lineman Dave Lauer and senior quarterback Kevin Torrillo, and the defense will be led by senior end Cliff Brown.
With honors…Senior wide receiver Jamar Rutledge is the lone returning all-conference performer from a season ago. Rutledge was named first teamm All-Empire 8 as a return specialist. He led the league averaging 23.5 yards-per-kick return on 25 attempts, which included a 96-yard touchdown return at Morrisville State. He was also second in the league, averaging 10.3 yards-per-punt return.
The Signal caller…Senior Kevin Torrillo enters the season as the starting quarterback this season after sitting behind four-year starter Kyle Hoppy. Torrillo took his first varsity snaps when he started in place of an injured Hoppy vs. Cortland on Oct. 7, 2017. Torrillo finished 21 of 44 for 304 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in that game. He finished 2017 with four appearances and was 30 of 60 for 366 yards with two TDs and three interceptions.
Breaking Out…Junior receiver Jordan Evert entered the season with 16 catches for 213 yards. In his first game of the season at Bridgewater, he finished with five catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Through two games, he has 12 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Century Mark…Senior receiver Jamar Rutledge became the second Bengals’ receiver in as many games to surpass the 100-yard mark, finishing with 106 yards on 11 catches with a touchdown in Buffalo State’s loss at Adrian.
Slow Start…Buffalo State s 0-2 for the first time since 2011 and has not started 0-3 since 2010. The Bengals have finished .500 or better in each of the past seven seasons.
On the Move…Buffalo State has officially announced it will leave the Empire 8 following the 2018 season to join the Liberty League in 2019. The move will stabilize both leagues, creating a pair of seven-team conferences that will collaborate for both non-conference scheduling and a postseason bowl game. Buffalo State will compete with Hobart, Ithaca, RPI, Rochester, St. Lawrence and Union in the Liberty League.
Return to the “Glory Days”…Buffalo State has posted a .500 record or better in each of the past seven seasons. The Bengals made seven NCAA playoff appearances and won three other ECAC Bowl Championships, all from 1991-2000. The Bengals advanced to the NCAA playoffs in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999, and won ECAC Bowl games in 1991, 1997 and 2000. During that 10-year span, the Bengals went a combined 78-28 (.736).
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