BUFFALO, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College football team got back to work for the first time in 658 days on Saturday evening, as they held off Buffalo State in a 21-14 road victory at Coyer Field. The Cardinals enjoy a 1-0 start to the 2021 season while the Bengals fell to 0-1 with the loss.
 
Dahmir Pross had his name plastered all over the Cardinals' first two offensive drives of the game. Following quarterback, Hunter Walsh's, first snap of the game, Pross rushed to the right for nearly 30 yards, followed by another in the opposite direction for 10 more yards. Although Fisher faced a turnover on downs, the offense got the ball right back as Justin Rodriguez snatched a pass cleanly out of the air for his first career interception.
 
Walsh looked right back to Pross in the following drive, but this time through the air – once for a 10-yard gain and again for 22 yards, setting up Alex Shudt to punch it home for the Cardinals' first six of the game and a Joe Dotterweich extra point conversion.
 
The first interception was just a warm up for Rodriguez, as after 17 plays in the next defensive go, the Bengals signal-caller, who was just yards outside the end zone, dropped a pass right into the freshman defensive back's gloves for his second interception in just the first quarter.
 
The following frame brought a turnover on downs and a punt for the Cardnials' offense after totaling just 14 plays and just over four minutes of possession in both drives, while the Fisher defense saw Buffalo State even the score at seven following a 65-yard, 17-play drive heading into the intermission.
 
Although the Bengals received the second half kickoff, the Cardinals pushed them off the field as Jason Rodriguez and Anthony Manna teamed up for a four-yard tackle-for-loss on fourth down. The turnover fueled the offense as Walsh completed a pass down the middle of the field to Pat Galer for a 24-yard completion before looking to his left two plays later to hit TySean Sizer for a 16 more yards through the air. The passes set Fisher up for a red zone attempt in which Pross used two carries for 14 yards and Walsh used his legs for six, setting his running back up for a one-yard carry into the end zone, bringing the score to 14-7 in favor of the visitors.
 
Following kickoff, the Bengals used their first pass play to air it out for a 65-yard score, but Fisher retaliated with a 7-play drive of their own, where Walsh dropped two passes into the hands of Johnathan Letta – one for a 13-yard add and the second for a 22-yard toe-tap touchdown, which extended the lead to 14.
 
A trio of three-and-out possessions later, Buffalo Sate began stringing together a series of big yardage plays to put themselves within striking distance. With the home team threatening at the Cardinals' 9-yard line, Evan Strassberger and Dan Purcell baited the Bengals into a turnover on downs at 4th down and 1, a result that would be repeated just one defensive possession later.
 
The last two instances wouldn't be the last stops for the defense, as the Bengals made a final push towards the Cardinals' end zone, fueled by a 40-yard completion, which set them up just outside the red zone. However, three straight incomplete passes and a critical pass break-up by Vince DiMonte on fourth down sealed Fisher's first victory of the year.
 
The Cardinals squeezed out of Buffalo with the win, after running 63 plays for 257 yards and just under 25 minutes of possession, which was significantly less than their opponent's 84 plays for 382 yards in just over 35 possession minutes.
 
Walsh went 17 for 25 under center with 195 yards and two passing touchdowns. His preferred receiver and rusher of the night, Pross, totaled 139 yards on the ground and through the air, including a rushing touchdown. Senior tight end Matt Mackinder pulled down four receptions for 36 yards. Letta grabbed two completions for 35 yards and a touchdown while fellow receivers Sizer and Galer combined for four catches and 59 yards.
 
On defense, DiMonte led the charge as his 11 total tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss were the most amongst the group. Max Bates also pulled down 11 rushers while Kyle Vachon and Mark Crisfield each had nine. The Rodriguez brothers combined to force four of the Cardinals' six pass break ups while Julian Andreola forced a fumble.
 
Fisher hosts its home opener next Saturday, September 4th at Growney Stadium when the Framingham State University Rams come to Pittsford for a 12 P.M. non-conference tilt.