Down 7–0, junior quarterback Dan Aquilio and the Buffalo State offense marched out on the field for their first drive. Pinned on the 15-yard line, tailback James Perkins botched the handoff on an end-around, Ithaca sophomore linebacker John Scanlon recovered the loose ball, and the Bengals’ offense trudged off the field.

But the site of dejected players in orange jerseys would become a familiar scene, as the South Hill squad cruised to a 45–7 victory today at Butterfield Stadium.

With the win, the Blue and Gold raised their record to 2–0, the eighth consecutive season in which they have won their first two games. The defense, which struggled last year, forced two fumbles and limited the Bengals to 284 yards of total offense.

“They are playing well together,” Head Coach Mike Welch said. “They are providing us with very good field position, so our defense is really stepping up.”

Sophomore quarterback Dan Juvan was not as sharp as he was during his 303-yard performance against Huntingdon College, completing only 11 of 24 passes for 126 yards.

“He got a little bit out of his rhythm, made some poor choices, but we’ll get it on film and see what it’s all about,” Welch said.

Bengals defenders bailed him out by dropping a couple of sure interceptions, something Buffalo State Head Coach Paul Shaffner said had a dramatic impact on the contest.

“Whenever you’re playing a good football team like Ithaca, you have to capitalize on the opportunities that are given to you,” Shaffner said. “We dropped way too many footballs offensively. We dropped a couple interceptions, and we did not capitalize on the turnovers that defense did give us.”

Juvan had plenty of help with a defense that forced three turnovers and a sterling running attack led by senior running backs Jamie Donovan and Alex Baez. Donovan, who ran for 72 yards on 13 carries, started off the scoring for the South Hill squad on a two-yard run. The touchdown was the 23rd of his career, tying Donovan for fourth on the all-time list with Doug Campbell ’71.

After opening a 21–0 lead by halftime, the Blue and Gold gave Buffalo State some hope in the second half. With a 28–7 lead late in the third quarter, senior Kelly Gordon muffed a punt return, giving the Bengals field position on the Bombers 10-yard line and the opportunity to cut the lead to 14.

After a successful goal-line stand, the South Hill squad was pinned on its 2-yard line. For Alex Baez, it was an ideal situation. On the first play of the drive, the Medford, N.Y., native bounced to the right side, turned the corner, and saw nothing but daylight as he sprinted up the sideline. When Baez entered the end zone, he also entered the Bombers’ record book, as the 98-yard run broke the 34-year-old record for longest run, previously held by Tom Bryant ’73. After the game, Baez was still in shock.

“Once I got the defense, I was just thinking, ‘Don’t get caught from behind,’” Baez said. “I have to recognize the people who made the blocks. I didn’t get touched. I didn’t do the work. Everybody else made the blocks.”

With seven consecutive wins against Buffalo State dating back to 1999, the South Hill squad will stay at home to face Hartwick College next Saturday. With five consecutive victories against the Hawks, the Bombers will look to keep another streak alive.