2022 MAC Football Week 4 Game Recap: Buffalo Bulls 50, Eastern Michigan Eagles 31

It was a game which looked like it might be a donnybrook at the start, but by the end of the proceedings, it turned into an absolute shellacking, as the Buffalo Bulls (1-3, 1-0 MAC East) took down the Eastern Michigan Eagles on the road (2-2, 0-1 MAC West) by a final score of 50-31.

The Bulls opened the scoring with a 75-yard drive that was capped off by a one-yard run by Rutgers transfer quarterback Cole Snyder. The Eagles returned the favor immediately via an 89-yard Jaylon Jackson kickoff return touchdown to bring the game to all sevens.

Buffalo would put another notch on the scoreboard after another 75-yard drive that was topped by the 13-yard pass from Cole Snyder to former Eagle Quian Williams— but the Eagles would strike next with a 10-yard pass from Austin Smith to Tanner Knue to knot the game right back up at 14.

Buffalo opened the second quarter with— you guessed it— another 75-yard drive that was finished by a two-yard run from Mike Washington. The extra point was missed, however, giving Buffalo only a 20-14 lead.

Eastern Michigan pulled the game within three with a Jesus Gomez field goal, putting the score at 20-17, but yet another Bull 75-yard drive ending in a short Mike Washington touchdown run made the score 27-17.

The Eagles had no choice but to come back and answer in spades, striking again with an 83-yard drive culminating in a one-yard run by Austin Smith. Buffalo finished the half with a 41-yard field goal form Alex McNulty to make the score 30-24.

Eastern Michigan took a one point lead after a nice 69-yard drive, capped off a one-yard Darius Boone run to put the score at 31-30.

It’s as close as the Eagles would ultimately get, however, as EMU would punt once, turn the ball over on down three times and toss a last-drive interception on the next five drives, while Buffalo got the next four scores, with Jamari Gassett (65-yard reception), Cole Snyder (two-yard rush) and Alrx McNulty (two field goals) all contributing to the box score to place the final tally at 50-31.

Buffalo quarterback Cole Snyder was 20-of 29 for 297 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Eagles’ Austin Smith was 12-of-19 for 190 yards in the air with one touchdown and one interception. He also managed to rack up 74 yards on the ground to be Eastern Michigan’s leading rusher. Ron Cook for the Bulls gained 92 yards on the ground to lead the Bull rush, while Mike Washington had two touchdowns on the ground. Quian Williams was a yard short of 100 in his return to Rynearson Stadium as an opponent, with an early touchdown.

Eastern Michigan will return to Rynearson Stadium to face UMass in their last non-conference contest. The Bulls return to Buffalo, where they will face the Miami RedHawks fresh off an upset win against Northwestern.