CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The University at Buffalo football team may have lost a football game on Saturday, but they gained confidence and a lot of respect in a 50-21 loss at Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia before 40,100 at Scott Stadium.

The Bulls, who came into the game as 49-point underdogs, weren't out of the game until midway through the fourth quarter and proved a point to the oddsmakers with a gritty and valiant effort. The Bulls trailed by only 10 points at halftime and, were it not for a goal line stand by the Cavalier defense late in the third quarter, may have made it even more interesting than the final score.

"As competitors we will never be comfortable with losing at the University at Buffalo," said head coach Craig Cirbus afterwards, "but as a head coach I ] couldn't be more proud of the effort of this football team. It was exciting for this football program that at halftime we were talking about how we could win this football game, not about playing for respect.

"This team earned respect from Virginia today. I've always respected them, but today was about proving that they could play against this level of competition," said Cirbus.

Virginia struck first when quarterback Dan Ellis hit Kevin Coffey from 28 yards out with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter. That capped a six play, 87-yard drive after the Bulls had moved to a first down on their first possession. The Cavaliers would extend the lead to 17-0 before Buffalo would answer.

The Bulls cut the lead to 17-7 with 8:00 remaining in the first half when Josh Roth (Conewango Valley, NY/Pine Valley) scored from eight yards out to cap a drive full of trick plays. On fourth-and-one at the Buffalo 40, backup quarterback Erik Rusin (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central) threw an 18-yard completion to sophomore Dahnel Singfield (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar). Than on third-and-eight at the Virginia 40, Drew Haddad (Westlake, OH/St. Ignatius) took a lateral and completed a 21-yard pass to Singfield. Haddad then caught a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Freedy (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) to set up Roth's score.

Virginia would then extend the lead to 24-7 on an eight-yard touchdown toss from Ellis to Billy McMullen before Haddad would send shockwaves through the Virginia crowd with a spectacular 67-yard catch and run after a pass from Freedy.

Virginia (6-4) would take control of the game in the third quarter with a pair of scoring drives on their first two possessions as quarterback Dan Ellis would throw for his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the game.

The Bulls last chance to get back in the game ended when they failed to score on a 20-play drive that ended at the Cavaliers' seven-yard line when Freedy threw incomplete for Haddad. Haddad had previously caught a nine-yard reception on a fourth down play to keep the drive alive.

Two plays later, Ellis would break Virginia's school record with his sixth touchdown throw of the day as Heisman Trophy candidate Thomas Jones would break two tackles and go 84 yards for the clinching score.

Jones, who came into the game averaging over 165 yards rushing per game finished with 32 carries for 221 yards against a game Bulls' defense. Until the final series he played, Jones was held to 168 yards rushing on 28 carries.

The Bulls rolled up 398 yards of total offense against the Cavaliers led by its senior-dominated offensive line and the play of Roth, Haddad and Freedy. Roth went over 100 yards for the second straight week with 114 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. Haddad broke his own single-season reception record with eight catches for 141 yards, giving him 75 receptions for the season and 1,058 yards. The 1,058 yards tied his own school record set in 1997.

Haddad also went over 100 yards receiving in a game for the seventh time this season and the 17th time of his career. Freedy, meanwhile hit 16-of-31 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

The defense was led by junior cornerback Tory Smith (Patchogue, NY/Half Hollow Hills) who had a career-high eight tackles (six solos). Safety Jeff Lawrence (Austintown, OH/Austintown-Fitch) added seven tackles.

The Bulls close the regular season at Mid-American Conference foe Miami, OH next Saturday.