Ohio (8-4 overall, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) defeated Buffalo (5-7 overall, 4-4 MAC) 31-26 behind over 500 yards of offense. Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro had over 100 yards passing and rushing, plus three total touchdowns to lead the way in a big road win.
Ohio looked to make a statement early with a scoring drive, but a mishap on a handoff resulted in a fumble by Navarro. The Bobcats needed a response from their defense and got one, forcing a turnover on downs.
The next drive, redshirt senior running back Sieh Bangura powered Ohio down the field and into the red zone. The emphasis on the run drew extra defenders into the box, so Ohio head coach Brian Smith countered with some play-action. Navarro made this pay off by finding sophomore tight end Mason Williams in the flat, and he turned upfield and took the ball in the end zone from 11 yards out, giving Ohio the 7-0 lead.
After some punts, Ohio started deep in its own end, and Buffalo sent a lot of pressure on third down. It got to Navarro, who made an ill-advised throw to Williams that was intercepted and gave Buffalo the ball inside the red zone. The Bulls immediately took advantage as Roberson found his receiver in the back of the endzone for a 10-yard strike to tie the game at 7-7.
Ohio needed an answer, but could not muster a first down until it stunned Buffalo with a fake punt that resulted in a 48-yard run by senior tight end Jake Bruno to put them inside the 10. After a Navarro run got the Bobcats inside the one, Bangura punched it in, a crucial score after the turnover on the last drive, as Ohio retook the 14-7.
The Bobcats' defense forced another punt, and the offense took the field. Navarro kept the Buffalo defense guessing, continuing to evade defenders once he got out of the pocket and flashing past defenders to put Ohio in the red zone. It did not take long for the Bobcats to cash in as Navarro found junior wide receiver Chase Hendricks behind the Buffalo defenders for a 15-yard score, now up 21-7.
“He did a lot of really good things and some opportunities for him to make some plays, and he did that," Smith said of Hendricks' impact in the passing game. “That was a tough catch that he made, and there were some contested catches that he had an opportunity on that were pass interference balls as well.”
The Ohio defense capped off its great first half with a sack from redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jay Crable, giving the offense the ball back with just under two minutes to play. It only took one play to cross midfield as Navarro found Hendricks for 41 yards. The Bulls kept playing hard and forced a fumble by Bangura to get the ball back and head to the locker room only down 14.
The Bulls looked rejuvenated to start the second half as they stormed down the field. They relied heavily on the run game, handing it off on five of the six plays. The drive was capped off by a 23-yard run by running back Al-Jay Henderson. The score was 21-13 after a failed two-point conversion by the Bulls.
Ohio looked for a response and had a nice start to its drive with a 20-yard run for sophomore running back Duncan Brune to cross the 50. Ohio then went for a critical fourth down, but a simple pass to Hendricks helped Ohio move the chains. The Bobcats answered Buffalo’s opening score to half number two with one of their own on a six-yard run by Navarro to extend the lead to 28-13.
“I thought the (offensive) line played hard; they were pushing a plow, and we have a lot of respect for Buffalo,” Smith said. “The job they do on defense, and what they're really good at, is getting the ball out. So we emphasize the whole line, break down the football, pound the pile and push the pile to prevent that. I thought our guys embraced it and played hard, played physical.”
Ohio got the ball again in the middle of the third and was looking to stay hot on offense. Navarro kept rolling alongside Brune to move down the field. After a holding penalty, Ohio attempted a 35-yard field goal, but it was missed, and the lead remained 15.
The Bulls immediately made the miss crucial when Roberson found wide receiver Victor Snow for 58 yards. The red zone trip was smooth for Roberson and the Bulls, who made quick work and found the endzone with the quarterback’s legs. They tried to bring the game back inside of a score by going for two, but were once again stopped by the Bobcats.
After a great punt, the Ohio defense responded with pressure on Roberson, who missed his receiver over the middle, and instead found Ohio redshirt sophomore cornerback Kendall Banister for an interception. This put Ohio inside the 30-yard line as it hoped to ice the game.
The Bobcats added on with a 33-yard field goal to go up 31-19, and more importantly, ran another couple of minutes off the clock. Buffalo answered quickly with a five-play drive highlighted by a 29-yard touchdown grab by wide receiver Jasaiah Gathings, who sprinted past the Ohio defense to cut the lead to five with 3:47 to play.
Ohio drained the clock behind the run game that performed well all day with 359 yards to shut the door and win 31-26 against the pesky Buffalo squad. It finished the regular season on a high note, winning two straight and keeping its MAC title hopes alive.
