Orange and Deacons Clash on Saturday

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse football team resumes Atlantic Coast Conference competition on Saturday night when it takes on Wake Forest on the road. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Syracuse is coming off a 50-33 loss against Notre Dame on Oct. 1 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. For the fifth straight game, redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark, setting a new program standard. Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey was responsible for all five touchdowns against the Fighting Irish, as well.

"I think the process is working," head coach Dino Babers said in his weekly news conference on Monday morning. "There are certain things that are not there yet, but those things we will either develop or be brought in. I think when it's all said and done, you guys will like the cake that we're baking. Right now is not the time to eat the batter. Wait for us to bake the cake."

Wake Forest enters Saturday night's contest with a 4-1 overall record. The Demon Deacons are coming off their first setback of the 2016 campaign, losing at NC State on Oct. 8. Prior to its loss against the Wolfpack, Wake Forest was off to its best start since 2006.

"They're a confident team based off of their record," added Babers. "They haven't had a lot of injuries, so they're playing with the same personnel that they started the season with. They're able to work their entire package, the same package since two-a-days. They're a good unit and it's going to be a really tough game."

Saturday's game features two former Bowling Green head coaches in Babers and Wake Forest's Dave Clawson. Clawson coached the Falcons from 2009-13, while Babers followed the next two seasons.

Babers and the Orange will take on the Demon Deacons on the Regional Sports Networks. For a complete listing of regional affiliates, click here.

Tickets for SU's remaining home games against Virginia Tech (Oct. 15), NC State (Nov. 12), and Florida State (Nov. 19), are available online, by phone (888-DOMETIX), at Destiny USA kiosks and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).

Morrisville State withstands Hartwick comeback attempt, tops Hawks 31-28

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Visiting Morrisville State College football withstood a third quarter rally and fourth quarter comeback attempt by host Hartwick College Saturday afternoon, claiming the 31-28 Empire 8 victory on Wright Field in Oneonta.

The win is the second straight over the Hawks, as Morrisville State pulls their record even at 3-3, 2-3 in conference action. Hartwick drops to 2-4, and has yet to notch one in the conference win column, falling to 0-4.

Morrisville State generated 423 yards total offense on the day, including 225 yards passing as Cory Benedetto (Rochester, N.Y.) completed 13-of-31 passes for three touchdowns. Benedetto connected with senior Anthony Gray (Smallwood, N.Y.) twice for 70 yards and a score, as fellow senior Anthony Mella (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added three receptions for a total 63 yards on the day.

Cristian Pena (Ridgewood, N.Y.) led all ball carriers on the afternoon, netting a total 115 on 23

Football Brings No. 25 Villanova To Albany For First Time On Saturday

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Battling a slew of injuries, the University at Albany football team looks to get back on the winning track when the Great Danes host No. 25 Villanova Saturday at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the American Sports Network.

UALBANY, VILLANOVA SERIESSaturday’s meeting will mark just the second between UAlbany and Villanova. The Wildcats own a 1-0 lead in the series, winning 2014’s Nov. 15^th meeting, 48-31, on their home field. Villanova was ranked No. 6 in the nation at the time.

SCOUTING VILLANOVAThe No. 25 ranked Wildcats enter the weekend with a 2-3 overall record and 1-1 mark in the CAA.

Fisher posts thrilling last second score, tops Morrisville State 34-29

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – Visiting St. John Fisher College's Matt Naton connected with Nathan Nigolian on a nine-yard slant with 11 seconds remaining in the contest to post the thrilling 34-29 Empire 8 victory over host Morrisville State College Saturday afternoon in Morrisville.

The loss drops the hosts to 2-3 overall, 1-3 in conference play, while Fisher moves to 2-3 overall, 2-2 in Empire 8 action.

Morrisville State outgained the Cardinals 491 to 443 yards total offense on the day, 364 through the

Buffalo Football Turns Lights Off on St. John Fisher, 30-7

BUFFALO, New York — A campus-wide power outage just before kickoff could not slow Buffalo State as the Bengals raced out to a 23-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 30-7 homecoming victory over visiting St. John Fisher in an Empire 8 contest Saturday at Coyer Field.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 30, St. John Fisher - 7
LOCATION:  Coyer Field, Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS:  Buffalo State (2-2/1-2), St. John Fisher (1-3/1-2)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Junior quarterback Aaron Ertel (Depew/Depew) finished 21 of 35 for 223 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions in his first collegiate start.
• Tre Jones (Rochester/Greece-Athena) was the team's leading rusher with 63 yards on 15 carries, and added a 33-yard touchdown reception.
• Dale Stewart (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls) added 45 yards on just six carries, including a 37-yard scoring run.
• Isaiah Clarke (Brooklyn/Grand Street) was the leading receiver with seven catches for 50 yards.
• Marquis Artis (Amherst/Amherst) led a Bengals' defense that forced three critical turnovers, registering 10 tackles with a sack and a forced fumble.  John Alessandra (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) added nine stops.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Buffalo State dominated on both sides of the ball for most of the game, racing out to a 30-0 lead, before the Cardinals broke the shutout with just 47 seconds remaining. 
• The Bengals outgained Fisher, 384-185, with 75 of the Cardinals yards and three of their 10 first downs coming on their final drive.  Buffalo State also finished 5 of 7 on fourth-down conversions.
• After an early Fisher fumble, the Bengals capitalized on the short field and opened the scoring with a 16-yard strike from Ertel to Had Bryant (Bronx/Cardinal Hayes) for a 6-0 lead.
• Tiquan Simpkins (Syracuse/Henninger) intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards on the ensuing possession, giving Buffalo State another favorable drive start, which it converted into a 30-yard field goal by Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe's).
• The Bengals pushed the advantage to 17-0 early in the second quarter with a 37-yard run by Stewart.
• After an interception by Mike Bryan (Staatsburg/FDR), Buffalo State struck again in the final minute of the first half, when Jones caught a slant and took it 33 yards to the end zone on a fourth-and-9.
• Buffalo State opened the second half with a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 9-yard pass from Ertel to Stephen Johnson (Buffalo/McKinley) to push the lead to 30-0 and then slowed the pace the rest of the way. 
• The Bengals defense allowed just one first down on the Cardinals next three drives before finally conceding points on a 17-yard touchdown catch by Nathan Nigolian from Matt Naton on Fisher's final possession of the game.

FOR THE FOES

• Naton finished 11 of 23 for 120 yards with a touchdown and a pick after reliving injured starter Danny Caton, who was 2 for 3 for 33 yards with an interception.
• Nicolian was the leading receiver with seven grabs for 95 yards.
• The Cardinals were limited to just 32 yards rushing on 23 attempts.
• David Carroll led Fisher with 10 tackles, and Brandon Miller had nine stops and a sack.

NOTEWORTHY

• The power went out on campus just seconds before the opening kickoff and the entire first half was played without a scoreboard, play clocks or a public address system.  When power was restored just before the second-half kickoff, the scoreboard read Buffalo State 23, St. John Fisher 0.

UP NEXT
Buffalo State will host Cortland next Saturday for another home Empire 8 contest at noon.

Estime Named ECAC Special Teams Player of the Week

Junior tallied a career-best 261 all-purpose yards against LSU

DANBURY, Connecticut – Junior wide receiver and return man Brisly Estime was named the ECAC Special Teams Player of the Week in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) on Wednesday, Sept. 30 for his performance against No. 8 LSU.

Estime recorded 202 return yards against the Tigers last Saturday, setting career highs for number of kickoff returns (6) and kickoff return yards (158). He also returned two punts for 44 yards, added 50 receiving yards on two catches with one touchdown, and rushed for nine yards to finish the day with a career-best 261 all-purpose yards.

Estime's 158 kickoff return yards tied for 10th on the SU single-game record list. His LSU all-purpose yardage total is the second highest by an Atlantic Coast Conference player in a game this season. Estime currently leads the ACC in punt return average at 21.1 yards per return.

Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds and Boston College linebacker Connor Strachan were named the ECAC FBS Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. Drue Harris of Army West Point earned ECAC FBS Rookie of the Week recognition.

Syracuse owns a 3-1 overall record and has a bye this weekend. The Orange returns to action on Oct. 10 at USF. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Fla. The game will air live on the CBS Sports Network.

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Football To Take On Holy Cross Saturday

ALBANY, New York -- For the second straight week, the University at Albany football team will take on a non-conference foe, traveling to face Holy Cross Saturday at 1 p.m. The game can be viewed live online through the Patriot League Network.

UALBANY, HOLY CROSS SERIES
UAlbany owns a 1-0 lead in the all-time series with the Crusaders. With 44 seconds remaining in the 2014 season-opener (Aug. 30), Neil Morrison returned a 79-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and kicker Patrick Toole’s point-after gave the UAlbany football program a 14-13 victory over the visiting Holy Cross Crusaders. The win marked the first in the Greg Gattuso era, as well as the program’s first at Bob Ford Field.

SCOUTING HOLY CROSS