Game Stats
Game Notes
BUFFALO, N.Y. - In a game that was not going Western Michigan's way for the first 46
minutes, the Broncos found a way to delete a two-touchdown deficit,
scoring with 4:08 remaining and again with five ticks left in
regulation to force overtime and take a 34-28 victory from Buffalo in
front of a stunned 15,025 crowd at UB Stadium.
After Brandon Thermilus scored from a yard out to put Buffalo up 28-14 with five minutes to go, WMU and more importantly, WMU's offense, came to life. WMU drove 40 yards in four plays thanks to a 43-yard Brandon West kick return for a score, Tim Hiller to Schneider Julien. WMU's defense forced a punt and took 10 plays, and most of the clock in regulation, to score the game-tying score with five seconds left when Hiller found Jamarko Simmons on a fade, forcing the first overtime game for WMU since Oct. 8, 2005 against Ball State.
Hiller set school records for attempts (63) and completions (42) en route to 345 yards and four touchdowns. Julien had a career day as well with 12 cathces for 112 yards and Simmons did what he always does, producing 103 yards on 10 catches.
This was not five overtimes and this is not 2005. On first down from the 11-yard line, Louis Delmas picked off a Drew Willy pass to give WMU the ball back. It was a heavy dose of West, running the ball four times before Hiller completed a two-yard pass to Branden Ledbetter for the win.
Buffalo was unable to manage a first down on its first two drives and on the Bulls second punt of the first quarter, Dervon Wallace came off the edge for his first career punt and the Broncos' first blocked punt since Seth Quivey accomplished the feat at Temple on Sept. 24, 2005.
The Bronco offense received the ball on the Bulls' nine-yard line but WMU came away empty after Simmons had a touchdown taken away due to offensive pass interference and Hiller was intercepted in the back of the end zone on a pass intended for Ledbetter.
UB took advantage of the good fortune, working 7:02 of game time to move 80 yards in 16 plays for a James Starks six-yard touchdown run. Despite not being able to gain a first down in its first two possessions, Buffalo converted on third down four times during the drive with Bulls signal caller Drew Willy hitting Brett Hamlin for a pair of first down completions.
Western Michigan was forced to punt on its next possession but UB could not convert a 45-yard field goal attempt, giving the Broncos the ball back at their own 19-yard line at the 12:22 mark of the second quarter. WMU worked 70 yards down the field on a season-long 16 plays, taking up 8:26 of game (also a season long) before coming away with a 20-yard John Potter field goal.
It could have been more but for the second time in as many red zone tries, Western Michigan could not find the end zone. The Broncos amassed five first downs on the drive (three coming on second down and two on third down) but with the ball resting on Buffalo's one-yard line on third-and-goal, Hiller bobbled the snap and lost a yard. During the drive Ledbetter passed Tony Scheffler for third on the all-time list for career receptions by a tight end at WMU and Simmons' reception at the 11:01 mark made him just the third Bronco to compile at least 200 receptions in a career.
Buffalo made WMU's inability to punch it in to tie the score sting even more when on its ensuing drive, Starks took the ball up the left sideline for a 66-yard touchdown to give UB a 14-3 lead at halftime. Starks had 101 yards on 14 carries after two quarters. The Bulls, a team that came into the game averaging 120.8 yards on the ground per game had 131 yards on 19 carries in the first half.
Western Michigan's offense took the field to start the second half but after one first down, the drive stalled when a Hiller to Simmons completion for 10 yards came up two yards shy, forcing the Broncos to punt for the fourth time in the game.
WMU's defense came up big on the Bulls' next drive as E.J. Biggers forced Starks out of bounds on the drive's first play for a loss of two yards. The next play was a completed pass but again Biggers (along with Austin Pritchard) was there for the stop. On third-and-11, Zach Davidson and Greg Marshall flushed Willy out of the pocket and sacked the senior for a loss of 12 yards, forcing a punt.
Schneider Julien's 19-yard punt return set up the Bronco offense at Buffalo's 33-yard line. After a pair of completions, a false start on third-and-three and two incomplete passes (including one on fourth down at UB's 29-yard line), WMU's drive stalled, giving the ball back to Buffalo.
UB's Starks rushed for his third touchdown of the day on Buffalo's next drive, one that was kept alive by key third-down conversions and a pair of defensive pass interference calls, giving the Bulls a 21-3 lead at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter.
Buffalo squib kicked to Matt Stevens who returned his second-career kick off return 25 yards, but as had been the case for the entire game, the Broncos settled for a red zone field goal instead of a red zone touchdown. Potter's second field goal of the day, another 20-yard make, cut the deficit to 15 points, 21-6 with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter.
The Brown & Gold forced a stop on UB's ensuing drive but a fumble by Ledbetter near midfield gave the hometown Bulls the ball back with excellent field position. The Bronco defense forced a critical three-and-out thanks in part to a Londen Fryar pass break up on a deep ball intended for Ernest Jackson.
Western Michigan took over at its own 21 thanks to a 19-yard punt return from Julien. Julien kept things going on offense hauling in a pair of passes, for four and 22 yards, respectively. A nine-yard completion to West and a roughing the passer call gave WMU the ball at UB's 29-yard line. Two incomplete passes led to a four-and-two at Buffalo's 21-yard line. Hiller connected with Julien again (for four yards) and a first down to keep the drive alive.
On third-and-10, Hiller found Simmons for just the sixth time in the game but the completion gave WMU a first-and-goal at the six-yard line. The Broncos wasted no time, scoring on the next play ? Hiller to Juan Nunez. Hiller then found Simmons, with three defenders in his face, in the middle of the end zone for the two-point conversion, pulling the Broncos to within one score, 21-14.
After the defense forced another Buffalo three-and-out and trailing by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Western Michigan had an opportunity to drive for a game-tying score but on the drive's first play an option pitch was mishandled and the Bulls recovered at the six-yard line, punching it in five plays later to give Buffalo a 28-14 lead with 5:14 remaining.
