Starting off 0-1 in Mid-American Conference play was something the Buffalo Bulls wanted to avoid.
After 59 minutes of play into their conference opener with the Temple Owls, a loss seemed certain when Owl receiver Bruce Francis crossed the goal line to give Temple (1-2, 0-1 MAC) a four-point lead with 38 seconds remaining in the game.
Many of the 18,333 spectators headed for the exits, disappointed.
They would become even more disappointed once they discovered what they missed.
Junior wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt, with three Temple defenders draped all over him, hauled in a 35-yard Hail Mary pass from senior quarterback Drew Willy as time expired.
The catch, upheld after review, granted the Bulls (2-1, 1-0 MAC) a miraculous 30-28 victory and will be regarded as one of the greatest plays in school history.
"Thank the Lord," Bulls head coach Turner Gill said after the Willy prayer was answered by Roosevelt. "...This is great for our program ... This one play is really going to sum up our whole program for years to come."
Gill made sure his team never gave up after the late Owl score and reinforced the messages the coaching staff has been giving their players all season to keep their hopes alive.
"Our theme is 'Relentless to Finish.' And this is a classic example on how to finish," he said. "You practice that play every week, and you know once or twice in a season that you will have the opportunity for that. Our guys never panicked."
Sophomore linebacker Justin Winters, who finished 12 tackles, was confident in the offense and knew they could bail the defense out.
"When the ball went in the air, I was wondering when it was going to come down," Winters said. "When [Roosevelt] caught the ball I just ran on the field; it's the only thing I thought of doing."
The chance to make history was set up by a couple of Temple mistakes. Following the go-ahead touchdown, Temple kicker Jeff Wathne sent the kickoff out-of-bounds, setting Buffalo up with great field position at their 40-yard line.
After an incomplete pass by Willy, John Haley of Temple was called for defensive holding, moving the Bulls 10 yards closer and giving them a fresh set of downs. The Bulls would take advantage, finishing off the drive with the miracle catch the sent the Owls into a state of disbelief.
"That's how you lose games," Temple head coach Al Golden said. "They moved the ball without using any of the clock."
As Temple players attempted to comprehend what just happened, players and fans joined Winters in the celebration on the field. Not only did Roosevelt's catch give the Bulls an unforgettable victory, but it came against a MAC-East rival in a game billed as the most important one on the schedule.
"All week, [Gill] said it was the most important game," Winters said. "Regardless of playing a big school like Pitt, this was a MAC game and we needed to come and play. Temple did a good job, but we finished."
The catch capped what was already an exciting game that featured three lead changes in the final three minutes. Neither team was able to build a lead of more than seven points.
Temple outplayed the Bulls in the first half, out-gaining Buffalo 257 to 164. The Buffalo defense came out strong in the second half, holding the Owls to only seven points in the half and giving the offense a chance to capture the victory.
Willy threw for a career-high 348 yards and three touchdowns while Roosevelt had eight catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. Junior tight end Jesse Rack had a great second half and established career-highs with both six catches and 75 yards.
The way the game was won gives the Bulls a shot in the arm heading into the next nine games on their schedule.
"It's huge momentum-wise," said Willy. "We're going to head down to Missouri and try to be successful. Every game is big, and now the next game is our biggest game. We're going to try to win them all."
The Bulls look to continue their winning ways when they head to Missouri, ranked sixth in the nation by the Associated Press. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
