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The epic showdown between the Buffalo Bulls and Miami RedHawks lived up to the hype as UB outlasted Miami 51-42 in a game where the offenses pretty much had their way. Did Buffalo assert itself as the best team in the MAC and will Miami ever get over the hump? Let’s find out.
Buffalo is the Real Deal
Miami just had no answers for the tandem of Tyree Jackson and Anthony Johnson last night as Jackson accounted for six total touchdowns and Johnson had himself a night with eight receptions for 238 yards and three scores. With Jaret Patterson providing 96 yards and a score on the ground, UB’s offense is nearly unstoppable in MAC play, as the RedHawks found out on Tuesday.
Gus the Gamer
Gus Ragland willed the Miami offense up and down the field to keep pace with Buffalo in the contest as he tossed for 313 yards and a score while adding 53 yards and a trio of touchdowns on the ground. Jack Sorenson and Kenny Young had themselves a night with 189 yard between them and a big score from Young. The offense showed that it can hang with the best that the MAC has to offer on Tuesday, despite the final score.
Kicker Duel
In a game that was defined mostly by offense, special teams were huge factors in the outcome of the game. Miami caught some breaks with a blocked punt and an onside kick recovery, but a 50-yard missed field goal by Sam Sloman proved to be crucial later on as UB’s Adam Mitcheson became the program’s most prolific kicker in history with a made field goal to make it a two-score game in the fourth quarter. You have to have sound special teams in order to win these shootouts, and Buffalo made less negative plays in this phase than Miami did.
Meandering Miami
With the loss, Miami now sits at 3-6 (3-2 MAC) on the season and dreams of a MAC East title were likely dashed on Tuesday night. Things don’t look much better the rest of the way as the ‘Hawks host an Ohio team that has division title hopes, hit the road to take on the best team in the MAC West in NIU, and host a Ball State squad that would love to get its first win in the Redbird Rivalry. Miami has to buckle down the next few weeks if they don’t want to end up with a 4-8 record.
Bull-dozing Their Way to Detroit
Meanwhile, Buffalo has a pretty favorable three-game stretch to close the season with games versus Kent State, at Ohio, and at Bowling Green. They certainly have the ability to win out and represent the MAC East in Detroit, but we’ll have to see what Ohio does down the stretch to get ready for that game.