Getsy Guns Akron Past Buffalo

Senior signalcaller has four touchdowns in Zips 31-15 win over Bulls

Naaman Roosevelt

BUFFALO, NY – Akron quarterback Luke Getsy, the hero of last year’s MAC Championship game victory, threw four touchdown passes to lead the Zips to a 31-16 win over Buffalo on Thursday night.

Getsy’s final score, a 77-yard pass to David Harvey with just over nine minutes remaining, put the game away for the Zips after neither team had scored in the second half.

“I tip my hat to Coach Brookhart and Akron they did a fantastic job of playing four quarters,” said Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. “They executed plays early in the ballgame and got ahead of us so we were always fighting back and trying to make something happen. They're a good football team, their defensive line is the strength of their team and they did a great job of preventing us from getting the running game going and Getsy did a great job early on of making plays.”

The Zips started strongly after taking advantage of a miscue on Buffalo’s first possession. On UB’s second play from scrimmage tailback James Starks (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) fumbled with Akron’s John Mackey recovering at the Bulls’ 21-yard line.

Akron converted when Luke Getsy hit Jermaine Lindsay on a nine-yard touchdown pass with 11:31 remaining in the first quarter. Akron led 7-0 after the PAT.

The Bulls responded, however, with a drive of their own, moving 67 yards in 10 plays behind the legs of Starks to get on the scoreboard. Starks had four carries for 35 yards – and sophomore tight end Robert Yealu (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) had a 22-yard catch – on the drive which culminated in a 25-yard field goal by senior Adam Tanalski (Bellerose Village, NY/St. Francis Prep). It was Tanalski’s fifth straight made field goal.

The Zips, however, came right back to stretch the lead to 14-3, needing just four plays to travel 69 yards. Getsy connected this time with Merce Poindexter for a 20-yard score with 5:03 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bulls then drove down to the Akron 31-yard line, but quarterback Tony Paoli (Fort Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) was stopped short of a first down by a yard on a fourth down play. The Zips converted by driving 73 yards on eight plays with Getsy throwing his third touchdown of the night to flanker David Harvey from 30 yards out.

The Bulls got back into the game on a huge turnover forced by the Bulls’ defense. Junior Kareem Byrom (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick) stripped the ball loose from tailback Dennis Kennedy with linebacker Jeff Bublavi (Norwood, PA/Interboro) recovering at the Zips’ 19-yard line.

Five plays later, senior Steven King (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale) burst in from one-yard out. After Tanalski’s PAT the Bulls trailed 21-10 with just over five minutes left in the first half.

A huge turn of events changed things late in the first half. After the Bulls survived a long drive by Akron inside the Buffalo 10-yard line, the Bulls held when kicker Jon McClain missed a 24-yard field goal with 1:59 left in the half. However, the Bulls surrendered the momentum when Paoli was intercepted by safety Brandon Anderson at the Zips’ 48-yard line. Akron took advantage, but not after the Bulls’ defense stopped Akron five times inside the 10-yard line. Eventually, McClain kicked an 17-yard field goal to make the halftime score, 24-10 in favor of the Zips.

Starks finished the night with 77 yards rushing on 23 carries. Freshman flanker Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s) led the Bulls’ receivers by tying his career-high with seven receptions for 53 yards. Paoli finished 15-of-24 passing for 150 yards.

Jeff Bublavi

Junior safety Jesse Imes (Cincinnati, OH/Kings Mill) led the Bulls’ defense with 12 tackles, joining senior linebacker Jeff Bublavi with that figure. Redshirt frosh Kendric Hawkins (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) had another strong game with nine tackles, one for loss, and a pass breakup.

BULL-etins: Buffalo wore their blue pants with white jerseys for the first time this season...the game, televised by ESPNU, was the first by a Buffalo football team on the ESPN family of networks...senior tight end Chad Upshaw (Southport, CT/St. Josephs) extended his streak to 20 straight games with at least one reception...junior punter Ben Woods (Hermitage, PA/Hickory) had a punt downed inside the 10-yard line for the second straight week, pinning Akron back at is own seven in the second quarter...with his third forced fumble of the season, Kareem Byrom moved into a tie for sixth in a single season with six other players. The school record is six by Anthony Scott in 1996...senior Steven King matched a career-high with two touchdowns and moved into a tie for sixth place on the all-time rushing touchdowns list with 17. He is now tied with Joe Zelmanski (1968-70) and Pat Whitehead (1980-82)...sophomore defensive tackle Ronald Hilaire (Laval, Quebec/Vieux) recorded his first career sack in the third quarter.

11/09/2006