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Rowan rolled up 302 yards on the ground and 175 yards through the air, winning the time of possession 34:55 to 25:05. The Prof defense held Buffalo State to 161 yards, leading to a 24-7 victory.

With Sr. Tim Hagerty back at the reins Rowan started getting back on track offensively.  RB Steve Hevalow carried the ball 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tim Hagerty threw for 175 yards with 12 completions in 19 attempts. He ran for 127 yards on 16 touches. Wide receiver Justin Long made five catches for 48 yards. He also had a 10 yard touchdown run. Tight end Kevin DelleDonne had three grabs for 44 yards. Wideout Marcus Lee  hauled in two passes for 75 yards.

Linebacker Dean Hammel registered nine tackles and one sack. Linebacker Steve Hague followed with eight stops, one tackle for a loss and one forced fumble. Defensive end Matt Hoffman  compiled seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. Defensive tackle Matt Sees and linebacker Jerome Gordon had five tackles and two tackles for a loss. Sees posted one sack, while Gordon recovered a fumble. Safety Eric Sharkey  intercepted a pass.

It was a nice step forward for Rowan last Saturday, as they hit a critical point in their schedule the next two weeks against Kean and then Cortland two weeks from now.  If it wasn’t for mistakes and penalties, the Profs had at least another three scores nullified on Saturday. Going forward Rowan needs to convert those opportunities.  Last  Saturday  performance against Bengals showed that the Profs are capable of much more.

This is the 16th meeting between Rowan University and Buffalo State College. The Profs lead the series, 14-1 and have a seven game win streak. Last year, Rowan defeated Buffalo State, 57-7 at home.

Last season, Rowan had a 57-7 victory over Buffalo State. Running back Ryan Leafey led the Profs with 62 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Quarterback Frank Wilczynski added 58 yards and one TD on seven rushes. He also threw for 119 yards and one touchdown with nine completions in 16 attempts. Running back Jon Downes compiled 53 yards and two TDs on 10 attempts. Quarterback Tim Hagerty and running back Tariq Gaines added one rushing touchdown apiece.

Last Saturday, Buffalo State lost to Kean University, 33-29 in its Homecoming game. Running back Gibran Johnson totaled 89 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Running back Greg Spears scored two rushing TDs. Quarterback Ryan Lehotsky threw for 106 yards and one touchdown with five completions in 12 attempts. Wide receiver Rob Smith hauled in four balls for 106 yards and one TD. Weak side Brandon Hodgins and linebacker Matthew Krumm both recorded eight tackles and one tackle for a loss. Cornerback Joe Schriever and defensive end Don Myers both forced a fumble, while cornerbacks Jaleel Harris and Josh Mims each recovered one. Mims also had one interception.

The Bengals are second in the NJAC in pass efficiency (138.3). Buffalo State ranks third in pass offense (208.7). The Bengals are fifth in scoring offense (20.7) and kickoff returns (18.3).

Rowan is first in the NJAC in field goal percentage (75.0). The Profs are second in sacks (8) and fourth in scoring defense (16.7), rushing offense (184.0), rushing defense (108.7), pass efficiency defense (98.9) and kickoff returns (19.9). Rowan ranks fifth in total offense (294.7), total defense (263.0), pass defense (154.3), punt returns (5.9) and punting (30.3).

The Bengals are not a bad club having opened up at 0-3 losing to three good teams.  The Profs need to continue improving on offense with Hagerty back at the helm.  He was able to move the team better than the rookie Kenny Brock.  Rowan needs move the ball and win the field position battle to win in Buffalo.