After winning back-to-back weeks in multiple overtime games, the Bulls saw a late rally fall inches short of the goal line in a 24-21 loss to visiting Kent State before 13,754 fans at UB Stadium.

 

In a game that featured four lead changes in the second half, the Bulls saw a potential game-winning drive end in the Kent end zone as receiver Brett Hamlin fumbled just a few feet shy of putting Buffalo ahead with 1:46 to go in the game.

 

Kent quarterback Julian Edelman rushed for 167 yards and threw for 114 to help the Golden Flashes to the victory.

Buffalo, while disappointed in the loss, still moves into the Mid-American Conference championship game next week as the East Division champion (7-5, 5-3 in the MAC). The Bulls will face unbeaten Ball State (12-0) the West Division champion at 8 pm on Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. The Bulls are also guaranteed a bowl berth to be determined after next weeks title game.

 

Im still proud of our football team, said head coach Turner Gill. We definitely came up short, didnt play the best game we played all year long. I still love the way they have the heart and desire to continue to play the game of football whether its the first play or the last play. We had our opportunity to make plays and unfortunately Kent State made more plays than we did and thats what the ball game is all about. Our guys will be resilient, theyre going to come back ready to play next week and well be ready against Ball State.

 

Despite the loss, two juniors rewrote the single-season record book in the game. Tailback James Starks had 24 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown to become the schools single season leader in rushing. Starks now has 1,226 yards to pass the former mark of 1,189 by O.D. Underwood in 1986. In addition, wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt became the single-season leader in both receptions and receiving yards in the game, breaking the records of all-time great Drew Haddad.

 

Roosevelt finished with eight receptions for 124 yards his fourth straight game over 100 yards receiving and for the year now has 86 receptions and 1,196 yards, better Haddads marks of 85 (in 1999) and 1,158 in 1997.

 

Roosevelt broke the single-season mark for catches on a spectacular 23-yard touchdown catch from quaterback Drew Willy in which he dragged his defender the final three yards for the score. That touchdown put Buffalo up 21-17 with 9:11 remaining in the game. Willy completed 21-of-31 passes for 240 yards with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown.

 

However, Kent, resilient as they were all day, drove 80 yards in eight eight plays capped by a 25-yard pass from Edelman to Jonathan Simpson with 5:57 remaining to regain the lead, 24-21, which ended up the final tally.

 

The Bulls opened the game in impressive fashion after taking the opening kickoff. For the sixth time this season, Buffalo marched down the field for a score on its opening possession. A 55-yard run by Starks set the Bulls up inside the Kent State 10, where Willy eventually snuck in on a fourth down and inches just outside the goal line.

 

The Golden Flashes, however, were not going to go away easily in this one. All-MAC tailback Eugene Jarvis burst up the middle for 50 yards and a score on Kents third play from scrimmage to tie the game at 7-7 with 10:12 remaining in the first quarter.

 

Neither team could score again in the first half, despite moving inside the opposing teams 40-yard line. Kent moved to the Buffalo 16-yard line late in the first quarter, but an offsides and a holding penalty pushed the Flashes back to the 24-yard line and they eventually missed a 41-yard field goal.

 

Kent was able to take the lead into halftime as kicker Nate Reed hit a 40-yard field goal on the first halfs final play to give the Golden Flashes a 10-7 advantage at intermission.

 

Buffalo started the third quarter with a big defensive stop. On a third-and-three play, linebackers Justin Winters and Raphael Akobundu stopped Jarvis for a two-yard loss.

 

The UB defense stood tall in the third quarter, allowing the Bulls to rally to take the lead. The Bulls grabbed the lead on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that took up a good portion of the third quarter. Roosevelt was the star of the drive, rushing once for 10 yards and catching three passes for 53 yards.

 

Defensively, the Bulls were led by Winters, who had 11 tackles, including two pass breakups. Mike Newton added nine tackles.

Courtesy UB Athletic Communications