By: Brandon Wood
The University at Buffalo Bulls (2-6, 1-3) lost their first MAC game at home this season to Northern Illinois (5-3, 3-1) at UB Stadium on Saturday afternoon, 31-24. The Bulls kept it close in front of the hometown crowd of 13,370 throughout the first half, with the score being tied at 10 deep into the second quarter.
The Huskies would score the next 21 points of the game, but the Bulls would show some resilience at home. They put up 20 unanswered points on a career day by Chazz Anderson (35 completions, 401 yards). They had the opportunity to tie the game with 14 seconds remaining in the game, but Peter Fardon would miss the point after attempt. The Bulls lost many opportunities to score throughout the game as Anderson threw two interceptions, and the team lost three fumbles.
Click below to read all of the big plays and highlights from the game.
Buffalo has won the coin toss, and will receive the football first.
FIRST QUARTER:
13:15 NIU 0, UB 0- UB commits two penalties early, and they go three and out on their first drive. PUNT to the Northern Illinois 40 yard line.
12:03 NIU 0, UB 0- Northern Illinois unable to move the ball, they go three and out as well. PUNT to the Buffalo 17 yard line, FAIR CATCH by Ed Young is MUFFED, recovered by Northern Illinois at the Buffalo 19.
11:11 NIU 0, UB 0- Northern Illinois still unable to gain any ground on the Bulls, FIELD GOAL attempt BLOCKED by Colby Way to keep the game tied at zero.
7:27 – UB moves the ball into Northern Illinois territory, Branden Oliver FUMBLES. Recovered by NIU’s Nabal Jefferson. Second fumble of the game for the Bulls.
6:57 NIU 0, UB 0- NIU QB Chandler Harnish 30 yard completion to Nathan Palmer to the Buffalo 24 yard line and into UB territory.
5:26 NIU 3, UB 0 - NIU stalls at the Buffalo 24 yard line. 40 yard FIELD GOAL attempt by Mathew Sims is GOOD.
3:25 NIU 3, UB 0- UB moving the ball, 27 yard pass from Chazz Anderson to Alex Neutz to the Northern Illinois 14 yard line.
1:16 NIU 3, UB 3- Northern Illinois defense holds the Bulls in the red zone. 31 yard FIELD GOAL attempt by Peter Fardon is GOOD.
SECOND QUARTER:
13:10 NIU 3, UB 3- UB moving the ball well again, but unable to capitalize from within the red zone. 38 yard FIELD GOAL attempt by Peter Fardon is SHORT, score remains tied.
5:50 NIU 10, UB 3- Northern Illinois moves the ball down the field and is stopped at the Buffalo 1 yard line. Head coach Dave Doeren chooses to keep his offense on the field. Rush up the middle by Jasmin Hopkins for one yard TOUCHDOWN. Extra point by Mathew Sims is GOOD. NIU burned a lot of clock on that drive, as it was 18 plays for 79 yards and 7 minutes, 25 seconds.
5:25 NIU 10, UB 3- UB answers on their first play of the drive with a pass from Chazz Anderson to Alex Neutz for 27 yards and into Northern Illinois territory.
3:21 NIU 10, UB 10- Chazz Anderson 3 yard QB keeper into the end zone for a UB TOUCHDOWN. Extra point by Peter Fardon is GOOD. A quick response and a good sign for the Buffalo offense. They moved the ball 69 yards on 7 plays in only 2 minutes and 18 seconds to tie the game.
0:37 NIU 17, UB 10- Chandler Harnish runs the two minute offense well, and ends up in the end zone on a 6 yard keeper for a TOUCHDOWN. Extra point by Mathew Sims is GOOD. The field is opening up for both offenses before halftime, and that is a tough score to give up for UB after coming back to tie the game before halftime.
:00 NIU 17, UB 10- UB moves the ball well in their final drive of the half, but ran out of time. The final play of the half was a 23 yard pass from Chazz Anderson to Branden Oliver that ended up at the UNI 22 yard line as the clock expired. END OF THE HALF.
THIRD QUARTER:
14:45 NIU 17, UB 10- UNI comes out and throws on the first play of the half, as Chandler Harnish connects with Perez Ashford on a 39 yard hook up.
14:15 NIU 24, UB 10- Jasmin Hopkins walks into the end zone for his second TOUCHDOWN of the day on a 12 yard run. Extra point by Mathew Sims is GOOD. UB let them march down the field in just 42 seconds, this does not bode well for the Bulls as the second half begins.
12:08 NIU 24, UB 10- Chazz Anderson pass on 3rd and 1 is INTERCEPTED by Dechane Durante. Northern Illinois takes over at their own 20 yard line. Buffalo tried to get tricky and ran a flee-flicker, when they probably should have just ran the ball. A bad interception with NIU moving the ball like they have been.
11:17 NIU 24, UB 10- Two plays into the ensuing drive, veteran defensive lineman Steven Means gets injured (appeared to be a stinger) and stays down for nearly five minutes before walking off the field under his own power. Buffalo forces fourth down on the following play. He is having precautionary neck x-rays, return is doubtful.
10:53 NIU 24, UB 10- Northern Illinois PUNTS the ball to the Buffalo 40, ball is MUFFED by Cortney Lester, recovered by Northern Illinois at the 38. This is the third fumble lost by Buffalo on the day.
8:49 NIU 31, UB 10- The Huskies capitalize on yet another UB error just five plays later when Jasmin Hopkins got his second TOUCHDOWN of the day from the one yard line. Mathew Sims extra point is GOOD.
0:53 NIU 31, UB 10- Since the game began getting out of hand with the touchdown earlier, not a whole lot has happened. The defenses have stepped up, and neither team has been able to move the ball. UB’s third punt returner of the day, Devon Hughes, receives a punt at the 50 yard line to begin another Bulls drive.
FOURTH QUARTER:
14:49 NIU 31, UB 10- UB goes for it on fourth down. Chazz Anderson is pressured out of the pocket and COMPLETES a pass to Ed Young for 18 yards to the Northern Illinois 26 yard line. FIRST DOWN Bulls.
12:38 NIU 31, UB 17- UB once again went for it on fourth down from the 5 yard line, and this time Anderson found Alex Neutz in the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN to put Buffalo back in the game. Extra point by Peter Fardon is GOOD.
7:49 NIU 31, UB 17- UB head coach Jeff Quinn asks his team to go for it on fourth down for the third time this quarter. On fourth and about 1, Anderson scrambles up the middle from the shotgun for a gain of 7 yards, and UB once again converts on fourth down.
6:38 NIU 31, UB 17- Chazz Anderson pass INTERCEPTED by NIU’s Rashaan Melvin. Northern Illinois takes over at their own 17 yard line. This is Anderson’s second interception of the day.
5:13 NIU 31, UB 17- NIU goes three and out by UB, and PUNTS to the UB 45 yard line. FAIR CATCH by Devon Hughes.
4:14 NIU 31, UB 24- Anderson finds Marcus Rivers for a 15 yard TOUCHDOWN on a four play scoring drive. Extra point by Peter Fardon is GOOD to put the Bulls within one score.
2:49 NIU 31, UB 24- NIU is once again held to three and out. Ryan Neir PUNTS to the Buffalo 13 yard line, FAIR CATCH by Devon Hughes. It’s time for Buffalo to run the two minute drill to try and tie this game.
1:10 NIU 31, UB 24- Fourth down conversion time on 4th and 10, and once again UB does it. Anderson COMPLETES a pass to Neutz for a 16 yard gain to the NIU 28 yard line. This is the fourth time that UB has converted on fourth down this quarter. Chazz Anderson now has 401 yards passing on the day, only the second QB in Division I-A history to accomplish this feat.
0:14 NIU 31, UB 30- Chazz Anderson finds Ed Young for a three yard TOUCHDOWN on a fourteen play, 88 yard drive in 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Extra point by Peter Fardon is NO GOOD, he hooked it left.
0:13 NIU 31, UB 30- Onside kick RECOVERED by Northern Illinois. That will do it from UB Stadium in Buffalo.
