A Dominating Defensive Effort Helps Bulls Win First MAC Road Game

Buffalo Downs Kent State, 10-6, at Dix Stadium

Rob Schroeder

KENT, OH – The University at Buffalo football team made history at Dix Stadium on Saturday behind a stellar defensive effort.

The Bulls, buoyed by a defense that broke a Division I-A record by limiting Kent State to minus-37 yards of rushing offense and just 138 total yards, won their first Mid-American Conference road game in their seven-year association with the MAC, by posting a 10-6 win over the Golden Flashes.

Buffalo set season highs with six sacks and four forced turnovers, as the Bulls limited a Kent State offense averaging nearly 320 yards per game to a pair of field goals.

“Defensively, I thought our kids really did a terrific job,” head coach Jim Hofher said. “I’m so proud of them and proud of our coaches and really happy for our seniors.”

The Bulls’ defense was particularly dominant in the second half as the Bulls’ nursed a 10-0 lead after scoring early in the third quarter. Kent State’s average drive start in the second half was its own 46-yard line, yet Buffalo limited the Flashes to 38 yards and just six points.

On the last play of the game, senior defensive tackle Rob Schroeder (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) flushed Kent State quarterback Mike Machen to the sidelines and an incompletion that clinched the win. Schroeder had a sack, a pass breakup and a huge fumble recovery in the win.

The Bulls’ led the game 3-0 at halftime, although it could have been much more as UB did not convert on a number of drives deep in Kent State territory.

A first quarter opportunity for the Bulls to score ended on a fourth and one at the Kent State 15-yard line. The Bulls had kept a drive alive when senior safety Stephen Thomas (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech) took a fake punt attempt 27 yards for a first down. The Bulls had gotten the ball at their own 30-yard line after a punt by Kent State, which was forced by the second sack of the season by sophomore Andrae Smith (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield).

The drive ended when freshman quarterback Drew Willy (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) threw incomplete in the end zone to tight end Chad Upshaw (Southport, CT/St. Joseph’s).

Buffalo ended a threat by Kent State early in the second quarter when sophomore safety Kareem Byrom (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick) intercepted his team-leading third pass of the season at the Bulls’ six-yard line. The interception was Kent State quarterback Mike Machen’s first incompletion of the afternoon.

Byrom ended another Kent State drive in the second quarter when Machen threw the ball backwards from the Buffalo 25, and the free safety fell on the live ball at the UB 31-yard line. The call was overturned by video review after it was initially called an incomplete pass.

Jared Patterson

The Bulls converted that turnover into a score, when senior Michael Baker (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) connected on a field goal from 20 yards out to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive. Key plays on the drive included a 17-yard run by tailback Jared Patterson (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) and a nine-yard hookup from Willy to Brian Watson (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) on third-and-eight.

The Bulls forced their third turnover of the half on Kent State’s next drive. Junior safety Ramon Guzman (Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton) snared the first interception of his career and returned it 10 yards. The Bulls, however, failed to capitalize as Gerry McGroarty (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Bishop Hoban) missed a 37-yard field goal with :10 left in the half.

The Bulls’ defensive turnover flurry continued immediately in the second half, as Schroeder recovered a fumble at the Kent State 12-yard line on the second play of the third quarter. Linebacker Jeff Bublavi (Norwood, PA/Interboro) had started the half with a 14-yard sack of backup quarterback Jon Brown.

This time the Bulls converted as Patterson burst in from four yards out on third down to extend UB’s lead to 10-0 with 12:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Kent State responded on the following drive, aided by a pair of personal foul calls on the Bulls, including a questionable roughing the passer call on fourth-and-13 that erased an interception by Gerald Jackson (Alexandria, VA/DeMatha Catholic) in the end zone. Kent State eventually took advantage on a 29-yard field goal by Travis Mayle, cutting the lead to 10-3.

After a short Buffalo punt that gave Kent State the ball at the UB 28-yard line, Buffalo’s defense came up big. On third down, senior linebacker Bryan Cummings (Cincinnati, OH/Madeira) sacked Brown for a 12-yard loss, taking the Flashes out of field goal range and forcing a punt.

However, UB was stopped on downs and Kent State’s Derrick Bush returned a short punt 35 yards to the Buffalo 11-yard line. The Flashes were able to capitalize on the field position, although the Bulls would keep them out of the end zone. A sack by Guzman and a pass breakup by Bublavi forced Mayle into a 34-yard field goal which he converted to cut the lead to 10-6.

The Flashes had another chance, taking the ball at their own 44 with 3:37 to go. After reaching the UB 23, the Buffalo defense stiffened as freshman Gary Rice (Hamilton, OH/Hamilton) broke up a pass before two incompletions by Machen.

Bryan Cummings

The Bulls’ defense was led by Cummings with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Andrae Smith had a career-high five tackles. Guzman had four tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Bublavi finished with a sack and a pass breakup.

Offensively, Willy completed 16-of-22 passes for 97 yards, but did not turn the ball over in the game. Patterson led the running game with 37 yards on eight carries and his second touchdown of the season.

The Bulls host Eastern Michigan at 1:30 pm next Saturday in the season finale.

BULL-etins: Flanker Brian Watson matched his career-high with four receptions for 36 yards to lead the Bulls receiving corps…flanker Jeff Green (Fairport, NY/Fairport) had the first catch of his career in the first half…senior cornerback Gemara Williams (Oak Park, MI/Brother Rice) had another pass defended, raising his UB record to 39 on his career. Williams also had three solo tackles to bring his career total to 171…Cummings’ two solo tackles moved him into sixth place all-time with 155…Baker’s four points (field goal, PAT) moved him into sixth place in career kicking points with 79.

11/12/2005