BUFFALO STATE ATHLETICS


Watkins
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Matchup…Buffalo State is in search of its first victory of the season in its first home contest against Hartwick.  The Bengals are 0-3 for the first time since 2010 and have been outscored 130-70.  Buffalo State is 6-1 all-time against Hartwick, including a 24-20 win in Oneonta last year.  Hartwick is coming off a bye with a 2-1 record entering the Empire 8 opener.  The Hawks defeated Wilkes and Alfred State, but dropped a 65-48 decision against King’s last time out.

The Bengals’ Last Game…No. 19/20 RPI piled up 501 yards of total offense, including 343 on the ground in a 44-14 victory over visiting Buffalo State last Saturday.   

RPI limited Buffalo State to just 29 offensive yards on three possessions in the first quarter while jumping out to a 10-0 lead.  The Engineers led 30-7 at halftime and rolled in the second half, limiting the Bengals to just 256 total yards, including 67 rushing.  

Senior quarterback Kevin Torrillo finished 16 of 28 for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.  Freshman Tony Maple came on in relief and was 8 of 9 for 71 yards with a touchdown in his first collegiate action. Jordan Evert finished with five catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns.  Jamar Rutledge caught nine passes for 43 yards. Gino Bonagura had a team-high nine tackles.

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.
Coach to Cure MD…Buffalo State and Hartwick are among more than 500 colleges across the country joining forces today to support the Coach to Cure MD program. The coaches will be wearing patches on their sleeves to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Fans can donate $10 to Coach to Cure MD by texting the word “CURE” to 50555. You can also visit coachtocuremd.org to make a donation. #TACKLEDUCHENNE 

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 three games, he has 17 catches for 297 yards and four 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.  He lead the team with 28 catches for 217 yards and has three touchdowns.

Rookie Under Center…Freshman quarterback Tony Maple saw his first action in the loss at RPI, going 8 of 9 for 71 yards and a touchdown.  He also had six rushes for 20 yards.

Slow Start…Buffalo State s 0-3 for the first time since 2010.  The Bengals have finished .500 or better in each of the past seven seasons.

Ground and Pound…Through three games, Buffalo State has been outgained in the rushing attack by a margin of 724-236.

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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