UMass’ defense kept the Minutemen in the game all day. Until it didn’t.
After missing two field goals earlier in the game, Derek Morris made a 53-yarder, which appeared like it was going to be the game-winner. But it wasn’t.
Buffalo drove 63 yards in the final 1:57 to force overtime on Oliver Hautanen’s 29-yard field goal with two seconds left, then scored on the first possession of overtime to beat UMass, 25-18, on Saturday at Broadview Stadium.
Buffalo quarterback Jason Wright found tight end Clint Walker for a 15-yard touchdown in overtime and UMass’s answering possession fell apart.
Third-string UMass quarterback Logan Inagawa took a 13-yard sack on 3rd and 12 and his Hail Mary on 4th down was broken up on the game’s final play.
The Minutemen (4-3, 1-3 MAC) lost their third straight and dropped the Flagship Cup for the second straight year. The Bulls (4-3, 2-1) beat UMass for the 11th time in 17 meetings.
Inagawa, starting with Pop Watson and Aedan McCarthy both out with injuries, finished 14 of 25 for 168 yards with an interception and ran 19 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Faulkner carried 23 times for 84 yards and a score as UMass ran for 171 yards and finished with 339 total yards to the Bulls’ 351.
Buffalo running back Messiah Burch carried 28 times for 172 yards, his fourth straight 100-yard game. The Minutemen held him to 47 yards on 13 carries in the first half, but he broke a 46-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter and wore the defense down late. Wright went 16 of 35 for 134 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, both scores to Walker, who caught seven passes for 45 yards.
The teams were even in turnovers, two apiece, with both UMass takeaways belonging to cornerback TJ Magee.
UMass opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by Inagawa’s 20-yard touchdown run. Buffalo answered with Hautanen’s 26-yard field goal to make it 7-3 after one quarter.
The second quarter turned on special teams.
Inagawa was sacked in the end zone by Sedrick Vessah for a safety, and after Drew Alsup muffed a punt at the UMass 15, Buffalo settled for Hautanen’s 33-yard field goal and an 8-7 lead.
UMass got the favor back three minutes later when Miles Greer muffed a punt and Magee recovered at the Buffalo 3. Faulkner scored from two yards out and Inagawa hit Lewis for the two-point conversion and a 15-8 lead.
Magee struck again on Buffalo’s ensuing possession, intercepting Wright at midfield and returning it to the Buffalo 35, but Morris missed a 55-yard field goal, got a second chance when Buffalo ran into him, and missed the 50-yarder too. The Minutemen led 15-8 at the half.
Buffalo tied it on the first drive of the third quarter, going 75 yards and scoring on Wright’s 2-yard pass to Walker. Kobi Blackwell intercepted Inagawa at the Buffalo 38 later in the quarter to kill a UMass drive that had started at its own 7.
Burch’s 46-yard run to open the fourth gave Buffalo the ball at the UMass 34, but the defense held and forced a punt.
UMass then drove 65 yards from its own 8, only to watch Morris miss from 45 yards. After another defensive stop, Inagawa and Faulkner moved the Minutemen from their own 37 to the Buffalo 35, and Morris drilled a 53-yard field goal with 1:57 left for an 18-15 lead.
Wright answered with completions of 17 yards to Jaylen Andrews and 8 yards to Walker in the final minute, and Hautanen’s 29-yard field goal at the two-second mark sent the game to overtime.
Buffalo needed four plays to score in overtime, with Wright hitting Walker from 15 yards. Hautanen’s first extra point missed, but UMass was offside and he made the retry. UMass reached the Buffalo 14 on its possession before the two Inagawa fumbles and the final incompletion ended it.
UMass returns to action Friday night at UConn.
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Christian, can you explain to me that when the ball is in the air, why aren't the Umass cb's not locating the ball. Isn't that CB 101? Keep up the great work.