Events Calendar
In This Section
Flashes need bye week to recuperate from loss to Zips
Running game the difference in Zips' victory
Look beyond wins and losses in Akron/Kent game
Youngsters at helm trying to grab Wagon Wheel
MAC notebook: Miami in mood to sing after ending losing streak
Flashes getting closer to bowl game
KSU defensive line needs to keep pressure on
Most Read Stories
Unusual sports bar to be sold at auction
Motorcyclist killed, wife injured in Stark County crash
Family found dead in Ohio home
Man says he was punched, robbed by 3 people in parking lot
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Bank helps more save their homes
Circle K on Brown Street robbed
Woman says clinic refused to help her get pregnant because she's not married
Blogs:
Pets:
Cats are trainable — and that's not a punchline
The Heldenfiles:
Monday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Time for Kokinis, Browns to agree and part ways
Akron Zips:
Zips tip off tomorrow
Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – November 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Walsh Jesuit’s Caponi commits to Duquesne
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Abortion Analogies
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 02:34 p.m. EST, Nov 25, 2008
Somehow, it does not seem enough merely to say that the University at Buffalo won the championship of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.
Perhaps it is more appropriate to say that the Bulls earned the championship.
UB (7-4, 5-2) needed a total of six overtimes in the past two weeks to beat the two other legitimate contenders, the University of Akron and Bowling Green.
Local fans will long remember the four-overtime loss to Buffalo 43-40 on Nov. 13 in the Rubber Bowl finale. Bulls fans will long remember the fourth-quarter comeback and two-overtime triumph over the host Falcons 40-34 on Nov. 21 that clinched the title.
''Our guys have been relentless to the finish. That's what we have been all about,'' UB coach Turner Gill said. ''Our guys have been doing a great job of executing at the appropriate time when you need it the most.''
In the Bulls' first 11 games, the outcome was not decided until the final play in six of them. Four of the games went into overtime, which ties an NCAA mark for one team set by Northwestern in 2004.
In the Bowling Green game, Buffalo trailed the entire way until senior quarterback Drew Willy engineered a 20-point fourth quarter that tied the score at 27-27.
He threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brett Hamlin with 2:29 left to get his team to 27-20. Buffalo then recovered an on-sides kick, and Willy connected from 5 yards to Naaman Roosevelt with 32 seconds left to tie the score.
Both teams scored in the first overtime, but UB stopped BG in the second one. Junior tailback James Starks then scored from 25 yards on UB's first play to win it.
''Excitement, joy, proud,'' said Gill when asked about his emotions about the victory. ''It was a phenomenal game and, really, a phenomenal season.''
The title climaxed a resurgence for a Bulls team that was 12-79 overall and 8-56 in the MAC from 1999-2006.
''The word is 'belief.' We talked about it in a deep way to our players and our coaching staff,'' said Gill, whose squad was 5-7 in 2007. ''Our guys have believed. They have faith in each other.''
The Bulls will meet the West Division champion in the MAC title game Dec. 5 at Ford Field in Detroit. The Bulls also secured in one of the three MAC bowls berths: Motor City, GMAC or International.
In other MAC developments:
Toledo (3-8, 2-5) Tailback Morgan Williams, a Canton McKinley graduate, set a Rockets' single-game rushing record Friday in a 42-14 victory over Miami. Williams, a redshirt freshman, ran for 330 yards on 28 carries and scored three touchdowns. That broke the record of 304 yards set by Casey McBeth in 1994 against the University of Akron. He had runs of 86, 58, 30 and 25 yards. The yardage was a Glass Bowl record and was the sixth-best in MAC history. Williams now has rushed for 857 yards in 2008.
Central Michigan (8-3, 6-1) Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour moved into fifth place on the MAC career list in total offense on Nov. 16 in a 31-24 loss to Ball State. LeFevour had 420 yards (345 passing and 75 rushing) against the Cardinals. That gave him 11,004 for his career, moving him past Joshua Cribbs of Kent State (10,839) into fifth. The all-time leader is Byron Leftwich of Marshall (12,084).
Eastern Michigan (2-9, 1-6) Junior quarterback Andy Schmitt could be excused if he complains about a sore arm this week. In a 55-52 loss to Temple on Saturday, Schmitt set MAC records for pass attempts (76) and completions (50). He also set a school record for yards passing (484).
Temple (4-7, 3-4) The Owls, who joined the MAC in football in 2007, are ensured of having their 18th consecutive losing season. Temple was last above .500 with a 7-4 mark in 1990.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Somehow, it does not seem enough merely to say that the University at Buffalo won the championship of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.
Perhaps it is more appropriate to say that the Bulls earned the championship.
UB (7-4, 5-2) needed a total of six overtimes in the past two weeks to beat the two other legitimate contenders, the University of Akron and Bowling Green.
Local fans will long remember the four-overtime loss to Buffalo 43-40 on Nov. 13 in the Rubber Bowl finale. Bulls fans will long remember the fourth-quarter comeback and two-overtime triumph over the host Falcons 40-34 on Nov. 21 that clinched the title.
''Our guys have been relentless to the finish. That's what we have been all about,'' UB coach Turner Gill said. ''Our guys have been doing a great job of executing at the appropriate time when you need it the most.''
In the Bulls' first 11 games, the outcome was not decided until the final play in six of them. Four of the games went into overtime, which ties an NCAA mark for one team set by Northwestern in 2004.
In the Bowling Green game, Buffalo trailed the entire way until senior quarterback Drew Willy engineered a 20-point fourth quarter that tied the score at 27-27.
He threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brett Hamlin with 2:29 left to get his team to 27-20. Buffalo then recovered an on-sides kick, and Willy connected from 5 yards to Naaman Roosevelt with 32 seconds left to tie the score.
Both teams scored in the first overtime, but UB stopped BG in the second one. Junior tailback James Starks then scored from 25 yards on UB's first play to win it.
''Excitement, joy, proud,'' said Gill when asked about his emotions about the victory. ''It was a phenomenal game and, really, a phenomenal season.''
The title climaxed a resurgence for a Bulls team that was 12-79 overall and 8-56 in the MAC from 1999-2006.
''The word is 'belief.' We talked about it in a deep way to our players and our coaching staff,'' said Gill, whose squad was 5-7 in 2007. ''Our guys have believed. They have faith in each other.''
The Bulls will meet the West Division champion in the MAC title game Dec. 5 at Ford Field in Detroit. The Bulls also secured in one of the three MAC bowls berths: Motor City, GMAC or International.
In other MAC developments:
Toledo (3-8, 2-5) Tailback Morgan Williams, a Canton McKinley graduate, set a Rockets' single-game rushing record Friday in a 42-14 victory over Miami. Williams, a redshirt freshman, ran for 330 yards on 28 carries and scored three touchdowns. That broke the record of 304 yards set by Casey McBeth in 1994 against the University of Akron. He had runs of 86, 58, 30 and 25 yards. The yardage was a Glass Bowl record and was the sixth-best in MAC history. Williams now has rushed for 857 yards in 2008.
Central Michigan (8-3, 6-1) Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour moved into fifth place on the MAC career list in total offense on Nov. 16 in a 31-24 loss to Ball State. LeFevour had 420 yards (345 passing and 75 rushing) against the Cardinals. That gave him 11,004 for his career, moving him past Joshua Cribbs of Kent State (10,839) into fifth. The all-time leader is Byron Leftwich of Marshall (12,084).
Eastern Michigan (2-9, 1-6) Junior quarterback Andy Schmitt could be excused if he complains about a sore arm this week. In a 55-52 loss to Temple on Saturday, Schmitt set MAC records for pass attempts (76) and completions (50). He also set a school record for yards passing (484).
Temple (4-7, 3-4) The Owls, who joined the MAC in football in 2007, are ensured of having their 18th consecutive losing season. Temple was last above .500 with a 7-4 mark in 1990.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
