BUFFALO, NY - It wasn't pretty, but boy was it sweet.

That summed it up for the University at Buffalo football team on Saturday night. The Bulls overcame three turnovers and a second-half deficit when redshirt freshman Marquis Dwarte (Baltimore, MD/Perry Hall) raced in from 27 yards out with 1:27 remaining as UB claimed a 20-17 victory over Mid-American Conference rival Bowling Green. The win was historic in many ways for Buffalo:

·It was the first-ever Mid-American Conference win for the Bulls in their second season in the MAC.

·It snapped an 18-game losing streak dating back to 1998 when UB beat Canisius, 47-0.

·It was the first win over a Division I-A opponent since the Bulls beat Holy Cross, 13-0, on October 31, 1970.

·The final score was UB's first rushing touchdown in 19 quarters.

"I didn't care how we got in there as long as we scored," said head coach Craig Cirbus afterwards. "There's no explanation (for that last drive). It is just the belief system and the faith of our kids. That's exactly what got it - they believed."

"There's a lot of joy, a lot of happiness and a lot of affirmation on all that hard work," continued Cirbus. "It allows them to see some evidence of their hard work."

To win, the Bulls (1-3, 1-0 in the MAC) relied on a defense that allowed just 175 total yards, including just 75 after intermission. Then the Bulls' offense had to make a game-winning 80-yard drive with under four minutes to go in regulation. Quarterback Joe Freedy (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) who completed 24-of-38 passes for 183 yards and was sacked three times, saved his best for last. He connected on all four of his passes on that drive, none bigger than a third-and-seven hookup with senior tight end Brandon Shaughnessy (Stafford, NY/LeRoy) from the UB 36-yard line.

After an 11-yard pass to junior Dahnel Singfield (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) , it was left to Dwarte, who was subbing for injured starter Bam McDonald (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) to steal the show. Dwarte took a pitch left, made one cut and than broke two arm tackles to race 27 yards for the go-ahead score.

Bowling Green had one last chance, but senior linebacker Marcus Cole (Buffalo, NY/Turner-Carroll) sacked backup quarterback Ricky Schneider on second-and-10, forcing a fumble that the Falcons (0-4, 0-1) fell on at their own 11. On 4^th-and-28, UB's Duane Williams (Detroit, MI/Denby) sealed the game with his third sack of the game. Cole finished with nine tackles, two sacks, a pass breakup and three tackles for loss while another senior - Chris Gray (Frewsburg, NY/Frewsburg) - led UB with 11 tackles, including five solo stops.

In all, the UB defense allowed just 2.5 yards per play and sacked Bowling Green quarterbacks six times, knocking starter Andy Sahm out of the game in the first half with a concussion.

The Bulls struck first in the game with Freedy leading a 12-play, 80-yard drive on UB's second possession, capped by a two-yard touchdown toss to sophomore Chad Bartoszek (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca). Bowling Green rebounded with two straight scores in the second quarter, a two-yard plunge by John Gibson and a one-yard sneak by Sahm to take a 14-7 lead.

The Bulls put together another long scoring drive (10 plays, 70 yard) late in the second quarter. Once again Freedy found the end zone, this time connecting with sophomore Andre Forde (Penfield, NY/Penfield) from three yards out. However, the PAT was missed and the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at intermission.

Bowling Green would add to their lead in the second half when Mike Knapp kicked a 32-yard field goal with 13:22 remaining, and things looked dismal for the Bulls as a driving rainstorm started late in the third quarter. However, the UB defense wouldn't be denied on this night.

The defense would stop the Falcons on fourth down once in the second half and in Bulls' territory four times in the second half while surrendering only a field goal. In the end they held on long enough to give the offense one more chance.

"We finally did it," said Chris Gray after the win. "We knew that Joe Freedy and the offense could get the job done. Our defense's goal was to keep us in the game and that's what we did."

Said Freedy of the final drive: "We didn't make any changes, we just executed better. Everything clicked on that last drive. I give all the credit in the world to the defense on this one. They gave us a chance."

Of the final TD run, Dwarte said: "I got a good kick out block and once I got past that block I just turned it on and headed for the end zone."

And into UB football history.