Buffalo State (0-6) at Montclair State (3-3) - Saturday, October 26, 2002 - 1:00 p.m. - Coyer Field (Buffalo, NY)

Series Record

Buffalo State is 1-2 all-time against Montclair State. The teams first met in the NCAA Playoffs in 1999. Montclair pulled ahead in the series with Buffalo State last season, when it earned a 38-27 victory. Ed Collins passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns and Elijah Freer ran for 119 yards for the Red Hawks. Jamie Casullo led the Bengals with three catches for 74 yards.

Radio Coverage

91.3 FM - WBNY

About the Coaches

Buffalo State is led by second-year head coach Bob Swank who became the Bengals' third head coach since the program's inception in 1981. After a late hire last season, Swank brings his first recruiting class into the mix this season as he and his staff will look to return the program to the postseason for the 11th time in 12 years. Swank came to Buffalo State after spending six seasons as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Methodist College in Fayetteville, NC. Prior to Methodist, Swank was the defensive backs coach at Midwestern State, and played quarterback and defensive back at Widener University.

Rick Giancola is in his 20th season with the Red Hawks and is Montclair State?s all-time leader in coaching victories. His 137 victories are more than double that of his predecessor Fred Hill. During his tenure, Giancola has led Montclair State to seven New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and six appearances in the NCAA playoffs, including three straight.

The Matchup?

Buffalo State is off to a 0-6 start, most recently falling 28-7 against Rowan. The Bengals had a bye week last Saturday. Montclair State is 3-3 after winning its last two games by a combined score of 77-7. The Red Hawks dominated William Patterson last week 35-0.

The Bengals' Last Game?

Buffalo State struck first against the #3 ranked team in the nation, but Rowan stormed back with 28 unanswered points to improve to 6-0 on a 28-7 victory. The Bengals fell to 0-6 on the season.

Buffalo State forced the Profs to punt on the opening series, and then drove the ball 77 yards on 14 plays, using 7:55, capped off by a Jeff Shostak (E. Smethport, PA/Smethport) 10-yard touchdown run. Eric Buchanan's (Hamburg/Frontier) extra point gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead. Rowan found the endzone for the first time at 6:14 of the second quarter when Patrick Thompson's 32-yard run set up a Creg Bethea 20-yard scoring scamper. After a missed point-after-attempt, the score was 7-6 in favor of Buffalo State. Rowan took the lead for good on its next possession when Jon Berry reeled in a 21-yard pass in the endzone from Tony Racioppi, giving Rowan a 13-7 lead.

The Profs turned the tables on the Bengals in the second half, forcing Buffalo State to punt on its first possession, and drove 84 yards on six plays to put seven more points on the board. Racioppi hit Michael Osborne on an 18-yard touchdown strike, and a Racioppi rush for the two-point conversion made the score 21-7. Tyree Jackson added a score a two-yard reception from Racioppi on the final play of the third quarter, and Nick Frade's extra-point made the score 28-7. Both teams struggled to move the ball in the final stanza as the game would finish with posting a 21-point victory.

Racioppi led the Profs throwing 20-for-30 for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Berry had three catches for 80 yards, Osborne had seven grabs for 77 yards, and Joe D'Imperio caught four passes for 63 yards. Nick Lopez led the Rowan defense with nine tackles including six solo stops.

Curtis Hathcock (Buffalo/Bennett) led the Bengals offensive attack with 147 yards on 22 carries in his first start at tailback, and added 80 yards on three kick returns. Sterling Anderson (Detroit, MI/MLK) added 58 yards on 15 carries, and Nick Warren (Cheektowaga/West Seneca East) led the Bengals' defense with 12 tackles including two for loss.

Parker?s Impact...

Buffalo State senior safety Tyree Parker is leading the Bengals with 55 tackles. He also has a team-high two interceptions.

Strong Starter...

Bengals running back Curtis Hathcock made the most of his first start at tailback, as he ran for 138 yards on 27 carries against #3 Rowan.

Offensive Output...

Montclair State has gained 2,179 yards in six games this season. The Red Hawks are averaging 363.2 yards-per-game, compared to 175.2 yards averaged by the Bengals.

Previous Meetings...

2001 - Montclair St. 38, Buffalo St. 27

2000 - Buffalo St. 40, Montclair St. 34 (2OT)

* 1999 - Montclair St. 37, Buffalo St. 34

* - Denotes NCAA Playoffs