FOOTBALL

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The University of Minnesota gave Buffalo an example of Big 10 power football on Saturday afternoon at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome before 34,294 Maroon and Gold clad fans.

The Golden Gophers piled up 299 yards on the ground and improved their overall record to 4-0 on the season with a 41-17 victory over the Bulls (1-3). It was the Bulls first game against a Big 10 opponent since 1901.

Buffalo, which trailed at one point 31-0, never gave in, however, and made the game much closer than the final score suggested. That fact wasn't lost on head coach Jim Hofher.

"We faced a very good football team today," said Hofher. "A very strong, powerful Big Ten team that had a lot of things going their way against us early in the game. Shame on us if we stop playing with every ounce of energy we have, but we have nothing to be ashamed of because we didn't stop playing hard. The effort we gave today if sustained will be good enough to gain us victories down the road."

The Golden Gophers took control early, taking the opening kickoff and driving 62 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead just 2:34 into the game. Buffalo looked as though they had Minnesota stopped when senior cornerback Mike Lambert (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) broke up a pass at the goal line on third and goal. However, the Gophers faked a 20-yard field goal and holder Preston Gruening ran three yards over the right side for the opening score.

On UB's first possession, a first down throw was wiped out by offensive pass interference and UB was forced to punt. The Gophers again drove to a first-and-goal at the three, but on first down freshman linebacker Bryan Cummings (Cincinnati, OH/Madeira) , who had a career-best eight tackles, dropped Minnesota quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq for a 16-yard loss for his first career sack. The Gophers eventually settled for a 33-yard field goal by Dan Nystrom to make it 10-0.

Minnesota opened the lead to 17-0 when Abdul-Khaliq scrambled and hit Jarred Ellerson for a 25-yard touchdown toss to continue Minnesota's first quarter domination. Buffalo was outgained by a 159-18 margin in the first quarter and held the ball for just 3:49 of the opening stanza.

The Bulls, however, didn't stop playing in the face of adversity.

The Bulls got on the board with 5:27 remaining in the second quarter behind the legs of freshman tailback Aaron Leeper (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) and the arm of quarterback Randall Secky (Bemus Point, NY/Maple Grove). Secky led the Bulls on a drive of 66 yards in seven plays capped by a seven-yard run by Leeper, his third touchdown of the season. Leeper had 30 yards rushing on the drive while Secky hit two-of-three passes for 36 yards.

The Bulls cut further into the Gophers lead with a textbook hurry-up offensive drill late in the first half. Buffalo drove 63 yards in 13 plays capped by a six-yard touchdown pass from Secky to senior flanker

Andre Forde

Andre Forde (Penfield, NY/Penfield). It was Forde's fifth touchdown catch of the season and came on a third and goal play. Secky hit 4-of-7 passes on the drive, including a 15-yard hookup with senior tight end Chad Bartoszek (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) on third-and-10 at the Minnesota 20.

The Gophers extended the lead to 34-14 in the third quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Nystrom after Buffalo failed to make a first down on its first two second half possessions.

The Bulls got as close as 34-17 on a 41-yard field goal by Dallas Pelz (Holland, NY/St. Francis) to cap a 12-play drive, but the Gophers put the game away on a 48-yard catch-and-run play from Abdul-Khaliq to Thomas Tapeh.

Secky finished 20-of-35 for 190 yards and a touchdown while Forde was the game's leading receiver with seven catches for 74 yards. Bartoszek had four catches for 40 yards and Leeper had 20 carries for 73 yards.

Defensively, the Bulls were led by sophomore J.J. Gibson (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) who had a season-high 10 tackles, one for loss. Redshirt freshman Gemara Williams (Oak Park, MI/Brother Rice) came off the bench for the injured Mark Graham, and had a

Gemara Williams

career-best nine tackles, two for losses, and a sack. Sophomore Anthony Andriano (Howard Beach, NY/Christ The King) had another strong game, with seven tackles and a half-sack.

BULL-ETINS: Andre Forde moved further up several career lists in the game. His touchdown catch in the second quarter tied him with Doc Smith for eighth all-time with 12 and gave him 78 career points, tieing him for 21st all-time with Dick Ashley. Forde also now ranks sixth all-time in career all-purpose yardage (2,823), second in career kickoff returns (58) and yardage (1,186) and eighth in career receptions (91) and yardage (1,306)...guard Mike Schifano (Webster, NY/Webster) saw the first action of his career after recovering from a sprained knee late in pre-season drills...free safety Mark Graham (Monroe, MI/Monroe) left the game in the second quarter with a hip pointer while offensive guard Dan Minocchi (Canton, OH/Central Catholic) left in the first half with a leg contusion...redshirt freshman free safety Gemara Williams replaced Mark Graham and recorded his first career sack early in the third quarter and recorded a career-best nine tackles...junior kicker Dallas Pelz moved into 19th place in career scoring (79 points) with two extra points and a 41-yard field goal. Pelz is now six-of-eight on the season in field goals. His only two misses (37 and 50 yards) were blocked...after forcing six turnovers in the first two games, Buffalo has gone without forcing one in the last two outings...punter Scott McMahan (Huntington Beach, CA/Oceanview) continues to kick well. McMahan had nine punts for an average of 44.8 on Saturday with one downed inside the 20...the Bulls were credited with three sacks in the game. Anthony Andriano leads the Bulls with 2¹/₂ sacks on the season...the game was the first against a Big Ten opponent since 1901, but it won't be the last. Buffalo will travel to Iowa next season for a matchup with the Hawkeyes...the Bulls begin Mid-American Conference play next weekend when they travel to Ohio University.