MATT HAACK

San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke says he didn’t know star punter Matt Arazia had been accused of participating in the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at an off-campus party in October until a civil lawsuit was filed last week.

In Buffalo, the focus shifts to why the Bills weren’t aware of the allegations against Araiza when they first selected the San Diego State player.

In the face of a major public backlash and internal questions over the decision to award Matt Araiza the punting job, the Buffalo Bills reversed course by cutting the rookie on Saturday, two days after a lawsuit was filed alleging the player and two college teammates gang-raped a teenager last fall.

In the face of a major public backlash and internal questions over the decision to award Matt Araiza the punting job, the Buffalo Bills reversed course by cutting the rookie on Saturday, two days after a lawsuit was filed alleging the player and two college teammates gang-raped a teenager last fall. The decision to cut ties with their sixth-round draft pick out of San Diego State comes after Buffalo cleared the way for Araiza to take over the punting duties by releasing returning veteran Matt Haack on Monday. The Bills opted then to keep Araiza even while being aware of the allegations made against him since late July.

The attorney for a California teenager who has accused a Buffalo Bills rookie and two of his former college teammates of gang rape says the NFL team has not contacted him despite saying it had conducted a “thorough investigation.”.

With a nickname like “Punt God,” Matt Araiza has all but assured himself a spot on the Buffalo Bills' roster. The Bills cleared the way for the rookie sixth-round pick with the booming left leg out of San Diego State to take over the punting duties this season after releasing returning veteran Matt Haack on Monday. Buffalo also cut veteran receiver Tavon Austin, who has failed to meet expectations since being selected by the Rams in the first round of the 2013 draft.

Arriving in Buffalo for the Bills' rookie minicamp, Matt Araiza was unhappy with the weather. “It’s funny because everyone was telling me how cold it was going to be here, how windy it was going to be here,” Araiza said Friday with a laugh. Araiza noting the near-perfect conditions traces to a desire to get accustomed to the winter chill and swirling winds that make the Bills’ home one of the NFL’s more challenging places for punters.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ new-look offense overcame a slow start, Ulysees Gilbert returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a touchdown and Pittsburgh rallied to a season-opening 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.