BOX SCORE

The No. 25 St. John Fisher College football team fell 17-9 to Buffalo State College on Saturday afternoon at Growney Stadium.  It was the first time the two teams met in Empire 8 Conference play and also the first time the Bengals have beat the Cardinals since 2000. Fisher had won five straight non-conference games against Buffalo State from 2007-2011. With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the conference while the Bengals improve to 6-4, 4-3.

Fisher got on the board first with 52 second remaining in the opening quarter when Alex Stacy scored from four yards out on a rush to cap an 8-play, 42 yard drive that consumed 2:59 off the clock. The extra point sailed wide right, giving the Cardinals a 6-0 advantage.

Ryan Sweet then gave Fisher more of a lead when he knocked home a 36-yard field goal, pushing the margin to 9-0. The field goal came after a 10-play drive that last 5:35 but only collected 24 yards.

Buffalo State cut the lead to two before the half ended, scoring on a four-yard pass from Casey Kacz to Caesarae Lewis. The drive went 72 yards on 11 play calls and a time of possession of 6:28.

The Bengals came out and stifled the Cardinals in the second half, allowing no points despite a late drive for Fisher. Buffalo State scored on its first drive after the half, taking 3:39 off the clock and scoring on a 25-yard pass to Beers from Kacz to take its first lead of the game, 14-9.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Bengals tacked on some insurance points with a 34-yard field goal from Nate Benoit, pushing their advantage to 17-9.

Fisher still had an opportunity being down one score late in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals got the ball at their own 13-yard line but Cody Miller took the first handoff 25 yards for a first down. Miller than tacked on another six yards before Ryan Kramer found Matt Monacelli for five yards and another first down at the Fisher 49-yard line.

Miller was not done, scampering for 11 yards and one more Cardinals' first down. Three plays later, Kramer found Kevin Francis cutting across the middle for 12 yards and a Buffalo State personal foul got Fisher down to the Bengals' 13-yard line.

That was the Cardinals last play for positive yardage, as their next four plays were a rush for a loss, two incomplete passes and an interception in the end zone with 1:55 remaining in the game. Buffalo State picked up one first down on its final drive and knelt twice to run out the clock.

Miller finished with over 100 yards again for Fisher, rushing 28 times for 113 yards. Rich Pete of Buffalo State led all rushers for the game, having 31 attempts and 165 yards.

Kramer finished 14-for-27 with one interception, throwing for 118 yards and being sacked twice. Francis led all receivers with 46 yards while Monacelli led the same group with four receptions.

Mason Judd led the defense with 11 tackles, four for a loss, and a half sack. Sean Preish finished with nine tackles and a sack, while Mike Belluco had a sack and Zach Hildebrand adding a half sack.

Both Fisher corner backs finished with interceptions, with Troy Sant picking off a pass in the first quarter and Adam Burdick took one away in the second quarter.
 
  Fisher will return to action at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Utica College.