Tag it:

?

MIAMI 41, BUFFALO 13 --- Senior Tyrone Jones (below) got his first career touchdown, while quarterback Zac Dysert tied a school record with five passing TDs. MRO file photos by Mike Smith.

The Bulls had rallied from a 31-10 deficit with three fourth quarter TDs to nearly upset Northern Illinois one week earlier. That, however, was at home. Life on the road has been a tougher assignment. Buffalo, slipped to 2-6 overall (1-4 MAC), has now lost all six road games, including the last two by a combined 75-13 total.

It might not have helped that they met a Miami team, still smarting from a 49-28 shellacking at Toledo, on homecoming.

“We took that personally, and this week in practice we said, ‘Enough is enough,’” MU defensive lineman C. J. Marck said.

“We had a really good week of practice," Miami coach Don Treadwell said. “We’ve had some good weeks before, but our kids really brought a little extra juice. … You could see the momentum (build).”

The defending MAC champions entered Saturday with their backs against the wall in the MAC East. After earning a victory, they are still against the wall, but they also have their fate in their own hands.

With Kent State’s win over Bowling Green, Miami (2-2 MAC, 3-5 overall) is one of three teams atop the MAC East with two losses. The RedHawks must play the other two – Temple and Ohio – on the road, but the games are there for the winning – or not.

“We have to have a playoff mentality right now. It’s do or die for us,” Miami running back Tyrone Jones said.

If the RedHawks could continue to play as they did against the Bulls, their chances of making a second consecutive a MAC Championship game appearance would improve. It was, perhaps, Miami’s best overall performance of the year in some respects.

The 41 points was a season high, eclipsing 35 scored against Army three weeks early. Other than a windy 9-3 victory Oct. 15 at Kent State, it was also the lowest points allowed by the 2011 RedHawks.

“We were playing like we were playing last year, and it felt great being out there doing what we know how to do,” Marck said. “We just need to carry it the rest of the way. … We’re back in this thing.”

Early on, it looked like offenses would rule the day. Five straight possessions between the two teams resulted in five touchdowns.

Miami drew first blood, scoring on the second play from scrimmage as Dysert found Dawan Scott wide open over the middle for a 71-yard TD play. The freshman, still learning how to play receiver after a high school career at running back, totaled 141 yards on just three catches. It was his second straight game with over 100 receiving yards.

Buffalo went six plays into its following drive when Chazz Anderson hit Alex Neutz in stride along the left sideline for a 60-yard score. Neutz led Buffalo receving on the day with four catches for 110 yards and the one touchdown.

Miami came right back with a 10-play, 74-yard drive for another score. Dysert completed four passes along the way, with the final aerial going to Andy Cruse, standing in the back of the end zone.

Buffalo mounted an 11-play scoring drive on its next possession. Anderson, who completed five passes along the way, went in on a one-yard quarterback sneak to cap the drive. Peter Fardon came in for the PAT, but it was wide right.
Few could have guessed that the Bulls’ offense would not find the end zone again. Two possessions had resulted in two touchdowns.

Miami, on the other hand, was far from done. Dysert hit Scott on a 40-yard pass play to open the RedHawks next drive. With a personal foul penalty added on, Miami took its next snap from the UB 18. Two plays later, Dysert drilled a pass to Givens on a quick slant, and the senior held on, despite a big hit, for the seven-yard score. Mason Krysinski’s PAT gave Miami a 21-13 lead.

After MU’s defense forced the game’s first punt, Austin Boucher took over for Dysert. Two rushes and an incompletion later, the RedHawks punted.

“We were going to get him in there the third or fourth series and let him run a series," Treadwell said of Boucher. “He’s been doing a good job. We wanted to let him get in there and get his feet wet when the game was on the line. “

Dysert was back on the next series and completed two passes to run his game-opening string to 11-for-11. After two incompletions, he connected on three more in an eight-play, 79- yard scoring drive. The final six yards came via a six-yard Dysert-to-Justin Semmes pass at 5:50.

“Our O-line just did a great job giving me a lot of time. They made me feel very comfortable back there, and my receivers were making plays,” Dysert said.

The Ada, Ohio product was 20-of-25 for 313 yards, with five TDs and one interception.  The five passing touchdowns tied a school mark reached on three previous occasions (Ben Roethlisberger twice and Sam Ricketts).

Down 28-13 at intermission, the Bulls had plenty of reason to believe they could mount a comeback.

A roughing the punter penalty on MU eight plays into Buffalo’s first drive of the second half encouraged the Bulls to try a fourth-down-and two conversion,  but Dayonne Nunley and C.J. Marck stopped Oliver two yards short of the first down stripe at the Miami 33. Two drives later, the RedHawks stretched their lead to 35-14 with a four-play, 51-yard drive.

Dysert’s 23-yard scramble got the trip started. After an incompletion, he rolled right and threw on the run to David Frazier near the right pylon. The freshman registered just one catch in the game, but he had the look of a veteran receiver as he managed to keep his toes just inside the boundary before stepping out at the one. Senior running back Tyrone Jones finished the drive from one-yard out to record his first career touchdown.

"It was a great feeling – something I had dreamed about for a while, and just to finally do it felt great to me.  All the credit goes to the O-line. All I had to do was see the hole and hit it."

Jones had 58 net rushing yards as the RedHawks picked up 128 yards on the ground. Added to 313 passing yards, MU logged 441 yards of total offense. Buffalo posted 358 yards of total offense.

Brandon Oliver’s fumble on the Buffalo’s next play from scrimmage was recovered by Anthony Kokal at the Bulls 31. Seven plays later, Dysert hit Givens with a five-yard TD pass. Krysinski’s PAT was wide left.

Trailing 41-13 with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter, Buffalo needed to score. But after picking up a first down at the MU 15-yard line, Buffalo backed its way to the 33. Anderson’s 3rd-and-28 pass under pressure was intercepted by Kokal in the end zone.

The visitors got one more golden chance for a score one play into the fourth quarter when Issac Baugh picked up a Miami fumble and returned it inside the RedHawks one before being tripped up by Dysert. Three rushes, however, failed to produce a score. When Anderson threw into the end zone on fourth down, Dayone Nunley came down with an interception.

Anderson, fresh off setting multiple school records and earning MAC East Player of the Week honors for his performance against Northern Illinois, completed 24-of-41 for 281 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions against the RedHawks. He was sacked three times and hurried on a number of occasions.

“Even when he didn’t get sacked, we had enough hits where it would affect the throw. …We got after him today, which is what we needed to do,” Marck said.

“We missed way too many tackles against Toledo. So that was a big focus this week, to wrap up and get all 11 hats to the ball," Marck said of the RedHawks defense.

They also had enough left to defend the run. Buffalo netted 77 yards on the ground. Oliver, who had 112 yards a week earlier, picked up 47 yards on 24 carries (2.0 ypc) to lead UB on the ground.

Kokal registered eight stops (five solo) to lead Miami. C.J. Marck (seven stops, 2.0 TFL) and Jason Semmes (seven tackles (2.5 TFL, one sack, one forced fumble) were also among the MU defensive leaders. The Bulls Fred Branch led all defenders with 10 tackles (eight solo).

Miami returns to action Thursday when it hosts Akron. Buffalo is off until Nov. 12, when it travels to Ypsilanti for a game against Eastern Michigan.