Homecoming Weekend

???Following three consecutive losses, the last two coming down to the last play of the game, it would have been easy for the Bulls to roll over in their Homecoming matchup against Army on Saturday.

???As Army fullback Collin Mooney broke through up the middle untouched for an 81-yard touchdown to close out the third quarter, putting Army up 24-10, the Bulls looked like they were on their way to a fourth-straight defeat.

???However, the Bulls (3-4, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) showed resilience and determination, rallying to steal a 27-24 victory in overtime.

???"We had a Winston Churchill quote that I gave to them this week, 'Never give in. Never surrender,' " said Bulls head coach Turner Gill. "And that's what happened in this ball game. We never gave in and we never surrendered."

???Senior quarterback Drew Willy led the way for the Bulls in the second half, finishing with 279 yards passing and two touchdowns.

???"I think it shows the character that this team has," Willy said. "We've had tough losses like the two before this and to come back and get this win is just a total team effort."

???In overtime, the Bulls capitalized on their possession with a 34-yard field goal from sophomore kicker A.J. Principe.

???Army (2-5) took two devastating penalties on their set of downs, one for a false start on their initial first down and then a delay of game penalty on third-and-13. On fourth down, kicker Matthew Campbell missed a 51-yard field to give the Bulls the win.

???The Bulls struggled in the first half offensively. Willy completed only six passes for 50 yards as Buffalo managed five first downs to Army's 11. He then discovered great chemistry with senior wide receiver Ernest Jackson.

???Jackson came up with some clutch grabs in the second half as he and Willy hooked up for back-to-back bombs of 32 and 42 yards.

???Jackson also hauled in a 15-yard catch off a tipped pass on third-and-eight late in the fourth quarter to keep the Bulls' chances of a rally alive.

???Following a turnover on downs on that drive, the Bulls were able to regain possession following a Mooney fumble. The ball was forced out of his hands by sophomore linebacker Justin Winters, recovered by junior cornerback Kendric Hawkins. Hawkins returned the ball back to the Army 16-yard line.

???"I saw the ball pop out and my eyes got big. I got the ball and started running," Hawkins said.

???The Bulls took advantage of the excellent field position and tied the game at 24 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Willy to Jackson.

???Jackson finished the game with a career-high 134 yards. Fellow receiver Naaman Roosevelt gained 75 yards and a touchdown on the day despite not having a catch in the first half.

???Army rushed the ball an astounding 54 times for 320 yards. Nine different players ran for positive yards with Mooney leading the way with 172 yards. Quarterback Chip Bowden rushed 13 times for 47 yards and completed four passes for 52 yards.

???Sophomore strong safety Davonte Shannon had a career-high 20 tackles in the contest.

???"He's a key guy at the safety position. [Against] this offense, he's going to have to make a lot of tackles," Gill said. "...He had an outstanding game and did a great job."

???Junior running back James Starks missed the game with a turf toe injury. Starks was unable to practice all week and Gill decided on Friday that he would not play in the game.

???Junior Mario Henry earned the start in his place but left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. Sophomore Brandon Thermilus carried the load from then on out, gaining 59 yards on 17 carries. Thermilus also added a touchdown.

???"We still need to get [the running game] improved," Gill said. "[Army] had a pretty good defensive front four, probably a little bit better than I anticipated."

???The Bulls face conference opponents for the rest of the season starting with a primetime match up in Ohio on Oct. 28. The Bulls return home on Election Night for an ESPN2-televised game against Miami (OH).

???Willy and the Bulls are ready for whatever the rest of the season throws at them.

???"With this season it's been all about the dramatics. We know anything can happen in a game," Willy said.

???With the season winding down, Gill hopes that his team can build off their victory against Army and continue to work their way towards bowl eligibility.

???"We've got a ways to go, but this is a big step. Hopefully we can respond in the right way for the next five ball games," Gill said.