AMHERST, N.Y. — The stadium was silent.
Buffalo had just scored a touchdown to make the score 20-14 on its first drive of overtime at UB Stadium against Ohio, but Bulls kicker Jackson Baltar missed the extra point. The Bobcats searched for a pivotal play in the four quarters prior, but couldn’t find one.
So when Baltar’s extra point failed to split the uprights, the Bobcats bench jumped in jubilation, and then quarterback Nathan Rourke marched Ohio to the end zone.
Kicker Louie Zervos didn’t make the same mistake as his opponent. He converted the point after attempt and was swarmed by teammates eager for the Bobcats to snap their three-game losing streak in their 21-20 win over Buffalo — their first win at UB Stadium in 10 years — to begin Mid-American Conference play.
Ohio’s start to the fourth quarter couldn’t have been worse. Rourke took a blindside hit and fumbled the ball over to Buffalo on the first play of the quarter, and the Bulls connected on a 34-yard passing touchdown on their first play of the next drive to take a 14-7 lead.
The Bobcats responded quickly, however, with 48-yard drive that ended with running back O’Shaan Allison scoring his first rushing touchdown of his career.
In nonconference play, the fourth quarter was typically when Ohio’s defense played at its worst. It couldn’t make stops after the offense finished key scoring drives, and it never gave its big-play quarterback opportunities to see the field for a game-winning drive.
Ohio put a temporary halt to those problems Saturday. Its defense did just enough to put the game in control of Rourke, who finished 12-of-19 with 155 passing and 16 rushing yards, including a touchdown on 27 attempts.
Ultimately, though, it was two missed field goals and a botched extra point from Baltar that pushed the Bobcats to a win.
It was unconventional, but it didn’t matter. After a troublesome nonconference season full of questions on both sides of the ball, Ohio will take it.
