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Western Michigan University Athletics

franklin
GS Photo
71
Winner Western Michigan WMU 4-2 , 2-0
68
Buffalo UB 3-3 , 1-1
Winner
Western Michigan WMU
4-2 , 2-0
71
Final
68
Buffalo UB
3-3 , 1-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT OT OT OT OT OT OT F
WMU Western Michigan 10 7 7 7 7 7 0 8 6 6 6 71
UB Buffalo 14 0 0 17 7 7 0 8 6 6 3 68

Game Recap: Football |

Broncos Beat Bulls in Seven OT Thriller

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Senior running back Jarvion Franklin ran in from the 12 to give defending Mid-American Conference champion Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0 MAC) a 71-68 victory over Buffalo Saturday in an FBS record-tying seven overtimes with a record-breaking 139 total points.

Buffalo had just converted on a 25-yard field goal to open the door for the Broncos who scored in just four plays. It was the fourth game in FBS history to go into seven overtimes. The Syracuse-Pittsburgh game (Nov. 26, 2016) had a total of 137 points. Western Michigan scored 10 touchdowns overall on the night.

Missed, made and blocked field goals made the difference in the game, as both offenses grew stronger as the contest wore on. Buffalo's Adam Mitcheson nailed a 34-yarder to tie the score at 31 with 34 seconds left in regulation. Western Michigan freshman kicker Josh Grant attempted a 52-yarder as time expired but UB's Jarrett Franklin tipped the kick to deny a chance at a regulation win.

Each side also had missed opportunities over the seven overtime periods, as each converted just one two-point conversion.

In the third overtime, WMU junior Steven Clark recovered a Buffalo fumble giving the Broncos another chance to win off a field goal, but the 29-yard attempt was off the mark.

Down the stretch, Buffalo was able to score on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Anderson and then booted a 25-yard field goal to pull the Bulls ahead, 68-65, in the seventh overtime.

Western Michigan got the ball back and after a 13-yard first down run by quarterback Jon Wassink, Franklin followed up two plays later with the game-winning TD run from 12 yards out.

Franklin had just four rushing yards at halftime, but finished with 176 yards in the game, becoming the third running back in school history to eclipse 4,000 career yards rushing along the way. He had a 20-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter and added three rushing touchdowns in the overtime play. Franklin's four touchdowns in the game gave him 51 overall career touchdowns.

WMU had two 100-yard rushers, LeVante Bellamy started off the afternoon with a 66-yard touchdown run just a minute and 16 seconds into the game. Bellamy carried the workload in the first half and finished with a career-high 131 yards.

Wassink threw for career highs of 256 yards on 23-of-26 passing and five touchdowns, as well as caught his second TD in the win. For the second time this season, WMU pulled off a pitch to a receiver, back to the quarterback throw. Keishawn Watson found Wassink for a 13-yard pass to give WMU a 45-38 lead.

Buffalo burnt WMU deep on its first possession of the matchup, but a 72-yard UB pass headed for the end zone was stripped away at the 7-yard line by WMU's Samuel Beal and the fumble was returned for 53 yards by Stefan Claiborne, setting up a field goal to give WMU an early 10-0 lead.

Buffalo responded with two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Broncos held a 17-14 lead at halftime. WMU went up 24-14 in the third quarter, but Buffalo out-scored the Broncos 17-7 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Western Michigan had six different players score touchdowns for the second straight game after defeating Ball State 55-3 last week in the Broncos' MAC opener.

Tight end Donnie Ernsberger had two TDs, including one to tie the game in the first overtime at 38-38. D'Wayne Eskridge hauled in a 48-yard TD in the second quarter and Watson caught a 5-yard TD to give WMU a 65-59 advantage.

Western Michigan totaled 388 yards on the ground and finished with 645 yards of total offense.

Anderson threw for a MAC record 597 yards for Buffalo Buffalo (3-3, 1-1 MAC), with seven TD passes and a touchdown run. The Bulls set the FBS record for the most points in a losing effort abd had 683 yards off total offense.

Western Michigan returns home to host Akron on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 3:30 for the Broncos' annual Homecoming game.

 

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