Buffalo State’s offense took a big blow today with the news that starting quarterback Kyle Hoppy will miss the remainder of the  season with a torn ACL.

Hoppy got back “semi results” Wednesday indicating the ACL tear, but the severity is still unknown.

“I’m the kind of person that just takes things on as they come and it sucks that it happened so early on in the season,” Hoppy said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “Now I can’t be on the field for the guys, but I’m not going to completely stop my role on the team. I’m still going to be at everything and I’m still going to be a part of the team just not playing with them.”

Hoppy noted that this is the first serious injury of his career.

Hoppy, a 23-year-old former minor league baseball player, is academically a junior and also has two years of football eligibility left. Hoppy mentioned that he does have the option of saving this season with a medical redshirt.

As far as surgery goes, Hoppy said that he will begin rehabbing to get full range of motion back in his knee before getting surgery.

“From what I’ve heard about from guys that have had this injury and had to have surgery is that the pre-hab, the part before the you actually go under the knife, is just as important…The doctor said the best time to have the surgery is when your knee is feeling perfectly fine again.”

Hoppy threw for 2,258 yards and 22 touchdowns last season.

Hoppy led the Bengals to a 29-0 win over Otterbein University in the season opener and had his team leading 26-14 in the fourth quarter against Alfred University before suffering the injury.

Senior Dan Serignese will likely step up and replace Hoppy at the helm of the Bengals’ offense. Serignese has significant game experience in the Buffalo State offense and will look to pick up right where Hoppy left off.

“Dan’s a very capable guy,” Hoppy said. “I’m going to be there everyday to try and make sure I can help him out in anyway that I can…Just looking at how his mindset now, I feel good about him.”

Serignese appeared in six games for Buffalo State last season, going 32 of 63 for 586 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Serignese said. Hoppy “had a really good game against Alfred. I’m sad to see him go down…It’s definitely a different mindset for me now. Now I know I have to go out there and be a leader and be the main guy. I have to step up my game that much more in the classroom and on the field.”

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