The Buffalo Bulls (2-1, 1-0 MAC) pulled off a last-minute victory against the Kent State Golden Flashes (1-2, 0-1 MAC) Saturday afternoon in a wild Mid-American Conference battle with a final score of 31-28.
Kent State hit the ground running with two lightning-fast touchdown drives to secure an early 14-0 lead. Buffalo struggled with turnovers, including a costly fumble in the red zone, but showed resilience. Sixth-year quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson led a big drive before halftime, connecting on a 38-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Nik McMillan and following up with a field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10.
The third quarter saw Buffalo’s offense find a rhythm. Roberson hit junior wide receiver Chance Morrow for a 21-yard touchdown to take the lead for the first time, and senior running back Al-Jay Henderson added a 38-yard rushing touchdown to make it 24-14. Kent State responded with a 50 yard touchdown pass, keeping the game close at 24-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
Late in the game, Kent State mounted a long drive to take a 28-24 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Buffalo answered in dramatic fashion, as Roberson connected with junior wide receiver Victor Snow for a 22-yard touchdown with just over a minute left. The defense held firm on Kent State’s final possession to secure the win.
Roberson finished with 318 passing yards and three touchdowns. Henderson led the ground game with 75 yards and a touchdown, while McMillan and Morrow combined for 12 catches, 210 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, graduate student linebackers Mitchell Gonser and Red Murdock recorded 11 tackles and a sack, and 10 tackles, respectively.
Buffalo returns home next week to play the Troy Trojans (1-2, 0-0 SBC). The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on September 20 and can be watched on ESPN+.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
