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SYRACUSE, NY - The University at Buffalo ran into an Orange buzzsaw Saturday night and could never slow it down. The result was a 63-7 loss in front of 40,634 fans at the Carrier Dome on a muggy evening that saw the Bulls wilt from the pressure of a talented Orange team and their own miscues.

The Bulls (0-1) turned the ball over five times and had two kicks blocked (one returned for a touchdown) as Syracuse came at Buffalo in waves. Syracuse (1-0) rushed for 304 yards on the ground and took advantage of every Buffalo mistake. UB's five turnovers and two blocked kicks were turned into 35 points.

The Bulls got the ball to start the game and picked up pair of first downs before a costly turnover swung the momentum early. On a second down play linebacker Dwight Freeney stripped UB quarterback Joe Freedy on a blitz with the ball recovered by Christian Ferrara at the Bulls' 35 with 13:34 left in the first quarter.

Five plays later the Orangemen struck first on a one yard run by Chris Davis. After the Bulls were stopped on their next possession, the Orange moved 62 yards in eight plays to score again. This time Davis scored from two yards out. The extra point try was wide left after an illegal formation penalty on Syracuse.

The Bulls got their first big break when senior linebacker Noah Burroughs (Hempstead, NY/Hempstead) blocked a Syracuse punt and the ball was recovered by Duane Williams (Detroit, MI/Denby) at the Syracuse 16. After moving to the SU nine-yard line, senior Scott Keller (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central) had his 26-yard attempt blocked.

The Orange used that momentum-changing play to drive 80 yards for another touchdown, this time with Johnson scoring from four yards out. Tailback Dee Brown accumulated 59 yards on that drive alone.

Syracuse struck again midway through the second quarter when cornerback LaTroy Oliver forced a fumble by Dahnel Singfield (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) with the Orange recovering at the UB 29. Once again the Orange converted on a UB miscue as quarterback Troy Nunes hit Dee Brown open in the left corner of the end zone from three yards out.

The Orange put the game away with 5:15 left in the first half on the ultimate momentum changer after a 72-yard run by sophomore Bam McDonald (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) set the Bulls up first and goal inside the Orange five. On third and goal from the one, Freedy was stripped of the ball and Syracuse's Quentin Harris scooped it up and ran 91 yards for the touchdown that was a 14-point swing and put SU up 35-0. The rout was on from there.

Buffalo got their only score of the game late in the fourth quarter when Freedy hit junior flanker Dahnel Singfield (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) on a pretty 34-yard touchdown pass. Singfield set career highs with six catches for 121 yards. On the ground, McDonald led the Bulls with eight carries for 76 yards.

Defensively, senior Tory Smith (Centereach, NY/Half Hollow Hills) led the way with a career-best 10 tackles, a pass breakup and his first career interception. Duane Williams and Chris Gray (Frewsburg, NY/Frewsburg) had eight tackles each, as did sophomore Youdlain Marcellus (Montreal, Quebec/Vanier), a career high. Sophomore Steve Fleming (Rochester, NY/Greece-Olympia) had 1¹/₂ sacks and four stops.