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Bulls Fall Short in Upset Bid of Toledo

Drew Willy

Buffalo led for a stretch in the second quarter and had a chance to cut the lead to one score in the final five minutes before the Rockets scored a late touchdown.

“We faced a heavyweight team tonight and I give our kids credit for going 15 rounds with a recognized heavyweight in Toledo,” said Buffalo head coach Jim Hofher. “I think they have a really fine football team, but frankly, I’m very proud of how our guys hung in there the entire time and kept slugging away.”

“I’m proud to see our guys playing as hard as they’re playing, trying to make the plays they are playing, being really tough and being committed to each other,” Hofher said. “There’s nothing more we can ask.”

The Bulls were a victim of a tough break as the Rockets jumped out in front in the first five minutes of the game. After stopping the Rockets on three plays on the opening possession of the game, senior punt returner Dave Dawson (Camp Hill, PA/Bishop McDevitt) muffed a punt by Brett Kern with UT recovering at the Buffalo 37. Dawson was bumped into by one of his teammates engaged with a Toledo player.

The Rockets took quick advantage, scoring in four plays on a one-yard pass from senior quarterback Bruce Gradkowski to John Allen to give UT a 7-0 lead. The quick start was nothing new for the Rockets, as they had outscored opponents 71-7 in the first quarter coming into the game.

After stopping the Bulls, after a pair of first downs, on UB’s first possession, the Rockets drove all the way to the Buffalo one before the Bulls’ defense rose up and forced a field goal. Senior defensive end Aaron Sanders (Clarence, NY/St. Joseph’s) threw Jalen Parmele for a one-yard loss to force a 19-yard field goal by Jason Robbins.

The Bulls had one of their most impressive drives of the season late in the first quarter. Overcoming a pair of unsportsmanlike penalties, UB drove 80 yards on 14 plays in 5:40 to cut the lead to 10-7. Freshman quarterback Drew Willy (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) made numerous big plays on the drive, converting four times on third down, including a third-and-22 completion for 33 yards to Evan Wallace (Santa Clara, CA/Santa Clara) and a third-and-17 completion of 18 yards to Brett Hamlin (Jupiter, FL/William T. Dwyer). The payoff was a six-yard touchdown toss to tight end Chad Upshaw (Southport, CT/St. Joseph’s), again on third down.

The Bulls kept up the momentum on the following possession. After a holding penalty, senior tackle Rob Schroeder (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) recorded a sack, before sophomore Andrae Smith (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield) made the biggest play of his young career. Smith pulled down Gradkowski for a sack in the end zone for the first Bulls’ safety this season to cut the lead to 10-9.

Junior flanker Evan Wallace returned the free kick 20 yards to the UT 41-yard line, setting Buffalo up in great field position. The Bulls capitalized by taking the lead on a 23-yard field goal by redshirt frosh Gerry McGroarty (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Bishop Hoban). It was McGroarty’s first field goal attempt and make of his career.

Bryan Cummings

Buffalo then got another huge defensive play on the Rockets’ next drive. After a questionable late hit call gave Toledo a first-and-10 on the UB 26-yard line, senior linebacker Bryan Cummings (Cincinnati, OH/Madeira) made a huge play, intercepting Gradkowski and returning the ball 16 yards to thwart the drive.

Buffalo, however, was not able to convert the turnover into points, and the Rockets ended up retaking the lead late in the half on a 13-yard pass from Gradkowski to Steve Odom. The Rockets, the defending MAC champions, went to intermission with just a 17-12 lead.

The Bulls again drove into scoring territory to open the second half, but came away empty when McGroarty’s 47-yard attempt failed. The Rockets were quick to regain momentum as Gradkowski hit Andrew Hawkins with a 70-yard bomb for a score on UT’s first play of the half and the Rockets led the rest of the way.

The Bulls were able to tack a field goal on, a 46-yarder by McGroarty to cut the lead to 24-15 late in the third quarter. Toledo increased the lead to 31-15 ona 10-yard run by Quinton Broussard, but the Bulls still had life trailing by two scores into the fourth quarter.

Buffalo looked ready to cut into the lead as Willy went 4-for-4 on the drive to take the ball to the Toledo 10-yard line. However, on a second and short play, the Bulls fumbled and Toledo’s recovery ended the Bulls’ upset hopes.

Defensively, the Bulls were led by sophomore free safety Kareem Byrom (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick), who had a career-best 12 tackles and his second interception of the season. Cummings added eight tackles and an interception, while Rob Schroeder (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) had a pair of tackles for loss.

Gerry McGroarty

Offensively, Willy finished 18-of-33 for 241 yards and a touchdown. It was the second straight road start that Willy has thrown for over 200 yards. Freshman flanker Brett Hamlin had five catches for a career-best 84 yards. Upshaw tied a career-best with five catches for 46 yards and a score, his second of the season.

Running back, Steven King (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale) had a career-high 22 carries (the most by a UB player this season) for a season-best 67 yards. Freshman Philip Warren (Brunswick, ME/Brunswick) finished with 10 carries for 48 yards before leaving the game with an ankle injury.

BULL-etins: Gerry McGroarty’s second field goal of the game, a career-best 46-yard, was the first time since a win over Central Florida last season that a UB kicker has had two made field goals in a game…it was the second straight game that the Bulls had a pair of interceptions off of an All-MAC quarterback…the Bulls’ safety was their first since a win over Central Michigan last season…senior defensive end Aaron Sanders recorded another tackle for loss. He and Rob Schroeder are tied for the team lead with 8.5 on the season.