The game started off sloppy and ugly, but by the end of it Buffalo did what it's been doing, and dismantled the UMass Minutemen 32-3. The game was relatively close at halftime, with Buffalo leading by 10, but the Bulls came out firing in the second half on the legs of senior running back Brandon Oliver.
Oliver had a huge day, breaking two school records. He passed James Starks for the Bulls' career rushing leader, and broke the school's single game carries record by running the ball 43 times in the victory. He finished the day with 216 yards and a score.
Bulls' sophomore quarterback Joe Licata bounced back from a rough first half, finishing the day 18 of 27 for 167 yards and a score. But the biggest star of the game was the Buffalo defense. The unit, minus Colby Way for most of the game, terrorized UMass' offense, outscoring the Minutemen 9-3. Khalil Mack picked off A.J. Doyle in the first half, running it back 32-yards for a score, and the Bulls forced a safety late in the third quarter to give the team its second straight game of holding a team without a touchdown.
For the Minutemen, it was a rough day all around. The defense showed more holes than cheese cloth, and the offense sputtered all afternoon. Doyle went 14 of 28 for 162 yards and the pick six, and the team as a whole managed just 85 rushing yards on 33 carries.
The win moves Buffalo into a tie for first place with Bowling Green in the MAC East standings, and keeps UMass on the bottom of the standings.