Shipp Sinks Bulls In Offensive Shootout

Umass running back runs for 230 yards in 51-27 victory
Marcel Shipp ran for a career-high 230 yards and the University at Buffalo had four crucial turnovers in dropping a 51-27 decision to the University of Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon at McQuirk Stadium. The Bulls dropped to 2-2 on the season with the loss.

Buffalo racked up a season-high 529 yards in the loss but watched the Minutemen turn four turnovers into 24 points. Shipp led a UMass (2-1) rushing attack that accumulated 339 yards. The Bulls limited Massachusetts quarterback Todd Bankhead who had thrown for more than 700 yards in his first two games to 13-of-30 passing for 192 yards.

The Bulls trailed 14-0 in the first quarter before their offense came to life. Senior wide receiver Kali Watkins (Rochester, NY/W. Irondequoit) caught a 12-yard touchdown strike from senior Chad Salisbury (Newell, PA/Frazier) with 1:45 left in the opening stanza. Watkins finished the game with seven catches for 114 yards while Salisbury was 27-of-40 for 375 yards.

The Bulls tied the game at 14-14 when freshman Derrick Gordon (New York, NY/August Martin) scored from 12 yards out with 12:27 to go in the first half and Drew Haddad (Westlake, OH/St. Ignatius) caught the two-point conversion from Salisbury. Haddad tied his career-high with 11 receptions for 173 yards.

The Minutemen went back in front, 21-14 after Josh Roth (Conewango Valley, NY/Pine Valley) fumbled at the UMass 29-yard line. One play later, flanker Eddie Bowman connected with Jimmy Moore for a 60-yard touchdown pass on a flea flicker to give the Minutemen the lead for good. The Bulls came right back on a 29-yard TD hookup from Salisbury to Haddad, but UMass struck twice late in the half to go to halftime with a 35-20 lead.

In the second half, Todd Bankhead extended the UMass lead to 41-20 one play after Gordon fumbled inside the UB 10-yard line. UB again responded when Roth scored his seventh touchdown of the season from one-yard out capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Tailback David Schmidli (Ransomville, NY/Wilson) had 35 yards rushing and receiving on that drive to cut the lead to 41-27.

UMass put the game away when Jeremy Robinson stepped in front of a Salisbury pass and returned it to the Buffalo three-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Kevin Quinlan scored from two yards out three plays later to put the Minutemen up 48-27.

Roth led the UB ground game with 64 yards on 12 carries, while Schmidli had 41 yards on seven carries. Tight end Gabe Kogler (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) had a career-high three catches for 39 yards.

Defensively, freshman Chris Shelly (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) led the way with nine tackles, including three for losses. Another freshman linebacker Brandon Jordan (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) added eight tackles and a sack. Cornerback Tory Smith (East Patchogue, NY/Half Hollow Hills) added eight tackles, a blocked field goal and a pass breakup for the Bulls who travel to Ithaca, NY next weekend for a 12 noon kickoff with Cornell University. That game will be televised on the Empire Sports Network.

09/26/1998