Bulls Earn Emphatic 41-17 Win Over Ohio

Saturday, October 24

3:30 pm

3-4

Ohio

5-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

OHIO

Buffalo

Bulls Earn Emphatic 41-17 Win Over Ohio

10/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo, the State University of New York football team ending a three-game losing streak in emphatic fashion by defeating Ohio, 41-17, at UB Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The UB defense was up to its old tricks, forcing four turnovers and scoring two touchdowns.

The Basics

Score: Buffalo 41, Ohio 17
Records: Buffalo (3-4, 1-2 MAC), Ohio (5-3, 2-2 MAC)
Location: UB Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Attendance: 17,128
Weather: Showers, Cloudy, 55 degrees

How It Happened

Scoring Plays

Ohio took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards on 12 plays and scored the opening touchdown of the game on a 7-yard Daz Petterson run. (UB 0, OU 7, 9:46 1Q)
Ryan Williamson collected a tipped pass and ran in it from 15 yards out to tie the game (UB 7, OU 7, 8:31 1Q)
Jordan Johnson scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Bulls the lead for good. Joe Licata connected with Marcus McGill on a 24-yard pass on the previous play to set up the score. (UB 14, OU 7, 2:20 1Q)
Ohio kicker Josiah Yazdani made a 24-yard field goal to cut the UB lead to four. (UB 14, OU 10, 12:44 2Q)
A quarterback sneak by Licata capped an 11-play, 85-yard drive. (UB 21, OU 10, 7:22 2Q)
Okezie Alozie stepped in front of a Derrius Vick pass for an interception and took it 22 yards to the house. (UB 28, OU 10, 3:05 2Q)
The Bulls capitalized on Alozie's second interception of the game when Adam Mitcheson connected on a 24-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. (UB 31, OU 10, Half)
Ohio scored its final touchdown of the game on a Maleek Irons 1-yard touchdown run. (UB 31, OU 17, 3:58 3Q)
Mitcheson made his second field goal of the game, a 35-yarder, to extend the UB lead to 17. (UB 34, OU 17, 13:06 4Q)
Johnson put an exclamation point on the game with a career-long 39-yard touchdown run. (UB 41, OU 17, 1:58 4Q)

Inside the Numbers

The Bulls defense held Ohio to just 54 yards rushing – the fewest by a UB opponent since Duquesne rushed for 51 on Aug. 30, 2014.
Jordan Johnson made his first career start at running back and responded by rushing for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns.
Joe Licata finished 21-for-32 for 212 yards in the game.
Marcus McGill tied his career high with eight catches for 81 yards.
Matt Weiser had five catches for 54 yards.
Nick Gilbo had a career-high 15 tackles, including a sack.
Brandon Berry tied his career high with 13 tackles.
Ryan Williamson had a career-high nine tackles.
Houston Glass had his first career interception.
The Bulls defense had seven pass breakups and four interceptions in the game.
Tyler Grassman had a solid game for the Bulls. The senior punter averaged 44.6 yards on five punts. He also had five touchbacks on his seven kickoffs.
Adam Mitcheson was 2-for-3 on field goal attempts.

Key Stat

The Bulls had two pick sixes in the game for the first time in their FBS era (since 1999).

Game Changer

With the Bulls trailing, 7-0, and punting the ball right back to Ohio, Ryan Williamson's pick six on Ohio's first play of the drive tied the game at seven and set the tone for the defense.

Nota-BULLS:

The Bulls had four interceptions in a game for the first time since having four against Western Michigan on Nov. 10, 2012.
Boise Ross had two pass breakups in the game to bring his season total to 16 and tie the school record for passes defended in a season.
Joe Licata became just the second quarterback in school history to throw for 8,000 yards in a career (8,103).
Nick Gilbo was the first UB player with 15 or more tackles in a game since Lee Skinner had 16 tackles against Central Michigan on Oct. 25, 2014.
With 13 tackles, Brandon Berry became the first UB player to have double-digits in tackles in five straight games since J.J. Gibson in 2001.
Okezie Alozie was the first Bull to have two interceptions in a game since Najja Johnson had a pair of picks against Bowling Green in 2012.
The Bulls have now won six of the last eight meetings with Ohio at UB Stadium.
The Bulls have now forced 12 turnovers in their three victories on the season.
It was Licata's 19^th career 200-yard passing game, moving him past Cliff Scott for third in school history in career 200-yard passing games.

Quota-BULLS

Lance Leipold:

I'm very proud of our guys. Last week was not the way anyone wanted to feel. Losing three in a row, sometimes you get yourself against the wall and start going in a bunch of different directions. We talked to the guys about where we wanted to be and what kind of team we could be if we put things together. Again I'm happy with the way we responded. It was the type of game where we could win by this margin, but know we have a lot to improve on.

We're counting on the linebackers. They aren't rotating like other positions. They continue to gain confidence and solid performances.

Brandon Berry:

Coach always says if you are on a run and at the point of no return to go get the QB. It's amazing (6 defensive TD's); we work so hard for it. I'm happy.

Joe Licata:

We were clicking. I think it starts with two things. First, the defense got us fired up. Those guys were playing phenomenal football. I'm glad we don't have to play against them on Saturdays. Second thing is the o-line. I thought they did a good job all day. We finally burst one open on the second to last drive.

Okezie Alozie on Pick 6:

Obviously, it's a blessing. It's something I haven't done yet in my college career. I just want to give a lot of credit to the defensive line, linebackers and the defensive backs. They all worked as a unit. You don't always see everything on a play, but the defensive line provided pressure on that play. And that affects a quarterback the rest of the game.

Up Next

The Bulls will next travel to Miami (OH) to face the RedHawks. Miami is 1-7 overall, 0-4 in the MAC and is coming off a 35-13 loss at Western Michigan.