HAMBURG, NY — Hilbert College Football took on local Liberty League foe Buffalo State this afternoon in a tight defensive battle at St. Francis High School. The Hawks opened the scoring on the team's first drive of the afternoon but ultimately fell 15-8 to the Bengals.

After forcing a Buff State opening-drive punt, the Hilbert offense struck first in impressive fashion, marching 92 yards on 13 plays for the game's opening score. Joseph Edick capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run on 4th down, the first of his career, and Clifford Zeigler converted the two-point try to give Hilbert an 8-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Christian Hamilton Jr and Mike Hanlon each ripped off long gains on the ground on a drive that saw the hosts produce 87 rushing yards.

Hilbert's defense came up big in the second quarter to maintain the lead as Xavier Johnson recovered a fumble inside the red zone to halt a Buffalo State drive. The Bengals, however, capitalized on a late interception and tied the game with a 9-yard touchdown pass just 30 seconds before halftime.

Buffalo State took its first lead in the third quarter on a short touchdown pass following a blocked punt, making it 15-8. The Hawks responded with a long 14-play, 57-yard march down the field early in the fourth, but a missed 37-yard field goal kept Hilbert down by seven.

Following the missed field goal the Bengals moved the ball down the field looking to ice the game, but Neven Dermady halted the drive with a forced fumble to give the offense the ball back.

Hilbert's final possession reached the Buffalo State nine-yard line thanks to 50 total yards from Hanlon, but a late interception ended the comeback attempt with two seconds on the clock.

The Hawks' rushing attack controlled much of the game, piling up 246 yards on the ground. Hanlon led the way with 137 yards on 27 carries, while Hamilton Jr. added 52 yards and Edick finished with 45 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Hilbert recovered two fumbles and recorded four tackles for loss and a sack. Scotty Winchell paced the unit with eight tackles, while Kaden Beckerink added seven stops and a pass breakup. Johnson also notched the Hawks' lone sack along with his fumble recovery.

Hilbert outgained Buffalo State 274-261 and earned more first downs (20-15) in the contest despite a Bengal advantage in time of possession (32:53-27:07)

UP NEXT:
The Hawks head to Canton, NY next week to take on St. Lawrence University in more Liberty League action on Saturday, October 4^th at 1 pm.