Bulls Stun Cardinals To Claim MAC Football Championship

Newton leads incredible defensive effort that forces five Ball State turnovers in 42-24 Buffalo win

2008 MAC Champs!

DETROIT, MI - Perhaps no one nationally thought the University at Buffalo could defeat unbeaten and #12 ranked Ball State in the Mid-American Championship at Ford Field on Friday night.

But somebody forgot to tell the Bulls.

Buffalo rode a pair of third-quarter fumble recoveries for touchdowns to a stunning 42-24 victory over Ball State before 12,871 fans - and an army of delirious Bulls fanatics. The championship was Buffalo's first-ever conference title at the Division I level and finished an incredible three-year transformation that has seen the Bulls go from worst to first. Shortly after the game, the Bulls were offered and accepted an invitation to the International Bowl in Toronto on January 3. The Bulls will face a Big East team to be announced.

The win was Buffalo's first-ever over a Top 25 program and assured a winning season as Buffalo improved to 8-5 overall. The Bulls have won five of their last six games and beat a team in Ball State that had outscored its opponents this year by a two-to-one margin.

"Nobody probably outside of our locker room, our administration and our fans thought we could do this," said Buffalo senior quarterback Drew Willy. "It just feels awesome to know that we are MAC champions."

Drew Willy

Willy completed 19-of-28 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns to pace a steady Buffalo offense. The real star of this game, however, was the Buffalo defense, who turned the game around with an NCAA record-tying two fumble returns for touchdowns and five turnovers in all. Ball State, which had lost four fumbles all season, lost four in the game.

The defense was paced by game MVP Mike Newton. Newton had nine tackles (eight solos), two tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a game-changing 92-yard fumble return midway through the third quarter. He had plenty of help, as Davonte Shannon had nine solo tackles and a quarterback hurry, and senior Adekunle Akingba had eight tackles, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

"All season long this team has played every play with great effort and tonight was another great example of that," said head coach Turner Gill. "I am so proud to be a part of this team and this University. These players have accomplished something very special for themselves and this University."

Naaman Roosevelt

The game turned in a wild third quarter. First, the Bulls retook the lead on a 39-yard completion from Willy to junior Naaman Roosevelt on Buffaloâs first second-half possession. Roosevelt finished with 10 catches for 116 yards and a career-best three touchdowns. Ball State retook the lead on a one-yard MiQuale Lewis run with 8:07 left and appeared to be driving towards another score when UBâs defense changed destiny's darling.

On a third-and-goal at the Buffalo three - after Newton had thrown Lewis for a two-yard loss - Ball State first-team All-MAC quarterback Nate Davis took off towards the goal line. There to meet him were three Bulls, Shannon, Newton and sophomore cornerback Josh Thomas. Davis helicoptered through the air, fumbled and Newton scooped it up and ran 92 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The Bulls would never trail again.

On Ball State's next possession, lightning struck again. After driving to the Buffalo 15-yard line, Davis bobbled a shotgun snap, the ball was kicked backwards and sophomore Sherrod Lott picked it up and ran 74 yards to send the eight buses of Bulls' fans at the game into hysterics.

The Bulls then closed the game out in championship form, The Bulls stopped Davis on a fourth-and-one, forcing another fumble that was forced and recovered by Akingba. Buffalo finished that drive with a pretty eight-yard TD pass from Willy to Roosevelt - their third of the game. The capper was a 1-yard touchdown run by tailback James Starks after recovering a Ball State onside kick.

After that, there was nothing left to do but soak in one of college footballâs biggest upsets of the year and the Bulls' first MAC football title.

The first half was an unexpected low-scoring affair between two of the MAC's most explosive offenses.

After each team traded a pair of punts to open the game, the Bulls capitalized on a Ball State miscue to score the first points of the game. Raphael Akobundu pounced on a botched snap by Davis, giving the Bulls the ball on the Cardinals' 25-yard line. After a 19-yard strike from Willy to Roosevelt put the ball on the 2-yard line. On the next play, Willy found Roosevelt again on a fade pattern in the corner of the endzone to give the Bulls a 7-0 lead with 1:58 left in the first quarter.

Ball State answered in the second quarter when MiQuale Lewis scored on a 4-yard run. The play capped a nine play, 80-yard drive.

"The Fumble"

In the closing minutes of the first half the Cardinals' were able to capitalize on a Buffalo miscue as they recovered a Starks' fumble at the Buffalo 47-yard line. Ian McGarvey hit a career-long 47-yard field goal at the gun to give Ball State a 10-7 lead at the half.

The Bulls stormed out of the gates in the second half and drove 80 yards on seven plays, capped by a Willy to Roosevelt screen that went 39 yards for a touchdown. That set up a crazy third quarter exchange that Bulls' players, coaches and fans will talk about for decades to come.

BULL-etins: Buffalo beat the most fumble returned for a touchdown in the MAC Championship history with 2 beating Marshall in 1998 and 2002...The two fumble returns for touchdown tie an NCAA record for fumbles returned for touchdown in a single game...The last time it was done was Southern Cal vs. UCLA on Nov. 22, 2003...Buffalo beats the return yards for a touchdown with 166 yards once held by Marshall with 21 in 1998, 10 years ago...The Bulls went the final 7:13 of the third quarter without running an offensive play, scoring 14 points on two fumble returns for touchdown...Buffalo scored the most points against Ball State this year (42 points) beating Akron and Central Michigan scoring 24 points against Ball State...Buffalo has won their first ever MAC Championship in their 10th year in the league...This is the first time in Buffalo school history has beaten a Top 25 ranked team...Buffalo is going to the International Bowl, 50 years after the 1958 Buffalo team claimed the ECACâs Lambert Cup as the best small school in the east...Willy became the first UB quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season...Roosevelt scored a career-high three touchdowns...the 2-yard touchdown reception by Roosevelt in the first quarter was his 11th of the season, putting him in first place in school history for touchdown receptions in a season...the 57-yard punt by Peter Fardon is the longest of his career...The 100-yard receiving game by Roosevelt is his seventh of the season and his fifth in a row...With his 25th passing attempt of the game, Willy became UBâs leader in single-season passing attempts at 422, surpassing Randall Secky (2002)...The 92-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown was the longest in school history...The fumble recovery for touchdown was the first since Oct. 15, 2006 when James Judges ran a 5-yard fumble back against Miami..The 74-yard fumble return by Sherrod Lott was the first of his career...The sack by Dane Robinson was his second of the season.