Bengals lose on the road, 34-27

Buffalo State's game on Saturday did not end favorably, as the team lost to the Cougars on the road by a score of 34-27.

The Bengals built a 27-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but let the lead get away by allowing the Cougars to score 17 unanswered points.

On the surface, the Bengals had played well offensively racking up a total of 331 yards. But the team scored the majority of their points in the third quarter, and converted on third down just four times in 13 chances.

"Our execution in the second half could have been a lot better," sophomore center Kyle Shreve said. "We just needed to finish a little stronger to win the game."

Head coach Jerry Boyes agreed.

"Whether it's special teams, defense or offense, it comes down to players being where they're supposed to be and then making the play," he said. "That has nothing to do with the type of plays or anything like that. It's about being fundamentally sound and the kids understanding the concepts."

The Bengals' misfortunes in the fourth quarter began when the team allowed a passing touchdown with 8:13 remaining. After punting the ball back to the Cougars following a three-and-out, Kean tied the game with a 44-yard field goal with 4:18 left.

Following the kickoff, the Bengals weren't able to muster any momentum, turning the ball over to the Cougars on an interception thrown by junior quarterback Casey Kacz.

The Cougars, energized by the sudden swing of events, drove down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown on an 18-yard run. Once the Bengals regained possession of the ball, they could not punch it in, stalling out when a pass by Kacz to freshman wide receiver Justin Medley fell incomplete.

Sophomore wide receiver Caesarae Lewis had a career day and was named Buffalo State Athlete of the Week, making six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns and an 83-yard kick return for a score. Kacz had 187 passing yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore running back Ismail Brooks added 87 rushing yards and a score.

After reviewing film on Monday, the team will be ready to forge ahead and prepare for their next opponent, Boyes said.

"We'll learn from (the loss), and we'll move on," he said. "And, quite frankly, we won't even talk about it. That's the approach you have to have."

"You can't be too low because you went through adversity and you can't be too high because of wins," Boyes continued. "There's a constant, and that's what we're trying to establish here."

Despite sporting a 5-1 record, next week's opponent, the College of New Jersey is one that the Bengals say they believe they can beat.

"I think up front and in our skill positions, we can match up against anyone on our schedule," assistant coach Matt Hanhold said.

"We played well for three quarters on Saturday, but three quarters do not win football games," Hanhold continued. "This weekend the challenges are the same. If we play for four quarters and not make the mistakes that we made last week, the reward will be great."

Tony Fiorello can be reached at fiorello.record@live.com.