Buffalo Collapses, Loses to Kent on walk off field goal

This Weeks contest was important for Buffalo’s bowl hopes, but it was an absolute must win for Kent State. UB needed the win for their sixth of the year and Kent needed to avoid picking up their seventh loss.

Buffalo came out focused and with a solid game plan. Their offense was efficent, the defense was smothering, and for three quarters they were playing about their best game of the season.

But with about 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter a special team mistake and bad defensive series started an avalanche that ended up burring Buffalo in 24 4th quarter points.

First Half

Kent won the toss and kicked to UB, and the Bulls quickly made them pay.

Ron Cook took the opening kickoff all the way up to the Buffalo 43 yard line and then Jaret Patterson’s legs took UB to the 25 yard line. After a false start against the Bulls Kyle VanTrease connected with Daniel Lee for a 30 yard touchdown.

With a seven to nothing lead the Bulls and Flashes traded punts for three series. Kent’s first two offensive series went for a total of eight yards. pushing the field position game squarly in UB’s favor.

The Bulls third series started at the 50 and once again it was Patterson doing the bulk of the work.

Patterson and Ron Cook Jr carried the Bulls to the eight yard line before back to back runs by VanTrease scored UB’s second touchdown.

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With Kent’s offense and defense struggling Jamal Parker and the special teams tried to get things going for the Flashes. He too the ensuing kickoff and returned it for 53 yards to the UB 40 yard line.

Dustin Crum and the flashes drove to the 18 yard line before Crum lost Joey Banks in the defense and thre a pass over the middle which Banks stepped in front of returning it for 18 yards.

Buffalo took the gift 60 yards and when the drive stalled Alex McNulty hit a 31 yard field goal to put UB up 17-0.

Kent finally put together a drive on their next series, going sixty yards before Matthew Trickett booted a 23 yard field goal to get kent on the scoreboard.

At 17-3 the teams traded short drives with punts, twice, until Ron Cook Jr. muffed a Kent punt, handing the flashes the ball at the 33. With 16 second left on the Clock kent used a draw to get the ball to the 18 yard line where they hit another field goal to make the score 17-6.

Second Half

Kent took the second half and did nothing with it, but their punt put UB at their own seven yard line.

The Bulls methodically walked down the field in 19 plays, eating more than nine minutes off the clock. Kevin Marks capped the drive with a two yard run.

The defense once again shut Kent State down and after a three play drive they gave the ball Back to Buffalo.

The Bulls took the ball 49 yards and kicked another field goal.

At this point it’s 27-6 Buffalo, the Bulls have dominated and there are eleven minutes left in the game.

If you went to bed now, you had a great night...

Kent’s offense finally put it all together on their next possession . They took three minutes to run 11 plays and get into the endzone for the first time, pulling to within two scores.

On the ensuing kickoff Kent’s special teams caught UB napping with a thinly disguised on side kick.

This time Kent needed just twenty two seconds to cash in. Xavier Williams got around the edge and sprinted 41 yards to make it a one score game.

With the defense reeling the offense took the ball hoping to eat clock and maybe get the score which would be back breaker.

But the offense did nothing with it, and to make things worse Buffalo completely whiffed on the punt protection leading to a block which gave Kent the ball at the UB 4 yard line

The defense stood tall for three plays but on fourth down Crum hit Mike Carrigan fora five yard score to tie the game.

Buffalo took the next drive into Kent Territory but when the drive stalled at the 45 Lance Leipold opted to shoot for overtime, punting to pin Kent State at the 30 yard line.

Crum’s arm took Kent to the UB 27 yard line where the Flashes managed to get a time out with one second left on the clock. They sent in Trickett who drilled the 44 yard game winner as the clock expired.