With two-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Buffalo Bulls football team trailed the Connecticut Huskies by only 11 points. They were only five yards away from making it a five-point game. For the comeback kids, this seemed like the only way that the International Bowl was meant to finish.
Senior quarterback Drew Willy threw the ball to junior wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt in the end zone, typical of the team that had six games during the regular season decided on the final play.
Not this time.
After Huskies cornerback Jasper Howard knocked the ball out of Roosevelt's hands, linebacker Dahna Deleston intercepted the pass and took the ball 100-yards to seal the deal at the third annual International Bowl.
"I should have caught that; it was my fault," Roosevelt said.
The Connecticut Huskies (8-5) stole the show from the Buffalo Bulls (8-6), defeating Buffalo 38-20 after a miracle season. The Bulls earned their first winning season since 1996 and won the Mid-American Conference Championship after going 10-69 in seven seasons prior to head coach Turner Gill's arrival three years ago.
"Obviously, we didn't come out on the right end of it, but I'm still going to have a smile on my face. I'm so proud of this football team," Gill said. "This isn't going to be a one-year wonder. I do believe we're going to be vying for championships year after year."
The International Bowl, held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ont., had Buffalo's name written all over it. The city of Toronto, located only 90 miles north of Buffalo, was perfect for the 40,148 fans that made the trek across the border for the game. An estimated 30,000 or more fans were supporting the blue and white.
The Bulls gave those faithful fans a show that they will never forget.
After falling behind in the first half 10-3, Buffalo's magic on the field began to occur. A team that was one of the best in the nation concerning turnovers took full force on the field, allowing the Bulls to score on three straight possessions.
It all began when freshman punter Peter Fardon kicked a 54-yard punt that was touched by Jasper Howard. The ball bounced into Connecticut's end zone, where freshman linebacker Ray Anthony Long fell on it for his first career touchdown. The mishap by the Huskies allowed the Bulls to tie the score 10-10 with 11:36 left in the first half.
The following possession, Connecticut quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was sacked by sophomore defensive lineman Anel Montanez and senior defensive lineman Andrae Smith. The ball came loose and was recovered by sophomore linebacker Jerry Housey, which led to a 29-yard field goal by sophomore A.J. Principe.
On the kickoff following the field goal, sophomore linebacker Justin Winters hit Huskies returner Robbie Frey, which led to a fumbled ball recovered by freshman linebacker John Syty on the four-yard line. The following play resulted in a touchdown run by junior running back James Starks, which put the Bulls up 20-10 with 7:55 left in the second quarter.
The three turnovers led to an unprecedented 17 points in a mere 3:41, while only running a total of four offensive plays. Nonetheless, the Bulls were not out of the clear yet.
Meet Huskies running back Ronald Brown.
Brown, the nation's leading rusher, proved to the world on Saturday why he's among the nation's best. Buffalo's defense was very susceptible to Brown's running style, as he tore through the Bulls for 261 yards on 29 carries with one touchdown.
The performance was vital for Brown, who was playing in front of NFL scouts at the Rogers Centre. While he previously announced his intentions to return to Connecticut for his senior year, he sang a different tune after the victory.
"I'm not coming back," Brown said. "I'm going to pursue the NFL. I apologize for 'lying,' but I did it to protect my team. They mean the world to me, so I'm willing to put my neck on the line for them."
While Brown, the game's most valuable player, was successful for the Huskies offense, Buffalo's sharp offense looked beat up. Willy finished 29-for-43 with 213 yards and one costly interception that cost the Bulls the game.
"I wish we could have done more on offense," Willy said. "They're a good defense, I'll give it to them. But we left some plays on the field."
At the end of the day, Gill looks into the future as the Bulls prepare for the offseason as MAC Champions.
"We have quite a few guys coming back on defense," Gill said. "While we are losing Drew Willy, an outstanding quarterback, we have a lot of good talent. We've had great classes coming in the past two years, and like I've said before, this isn't a one-year deal."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
