Kent State University
3-6 , 2-3
University at Buffalo
5-4 , 3-2
Team Stats
UB 6, KENT 0
UB - JOHNSON, Jordan 10 yd run (MITCHESON, Adam kickfailed), 9 plays, 52 yards, TOP 4:17
UB 6, KENT 7
KENT - MONDAY, D. 69 yd interception (HYNES, Shane kick)
UB 6, KENT 10
KENT - HYNES, Shane 38 yd field goal 14 plays, 64 yards, TOP 5:45
UB 6, KENT 17
KENT - CALHOUN, Ernest 31 yd pass from BOLLAS, George (HYNES, Shane kick) 6 plays, 84 yards, TOP 2:34
UB 12, KENT 17
UB - WILLOUGHBY, Ron 29 yd pass from LICATA, Joe (LICATA, Joe passfailed) 12 plays, 79 yards, TOP 5:05
UB 18, KENT 17
UB - WEISER, Matt 8 yd pass from LICATA, Joe (LICATA, Joe passfailed) 11 plays, 54 yards, TOP 3:28
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Bulls come from behind to beat Flashes 18-17
11/5/2015 10:43:00โฏPM | Football
KENT โ Buffalo scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including the game winner with less than a minute to play, to claim an 18-17 come-from-behind victory over Kent State on Thursday night at Dix Stadium.
KSU watched its 17-6 lead slip away as Bulls quarterback Joe Licata tossed touchdown passes of 29 yards to Ron Willoughby with 11:21 remaining and 8 yards to Matt Weiser with just 58 seconds on the clock.ย
A Kent State defense that had dominated through three quarters couldn't get off the field on third or fourth down during the deciding drive. Buffalo moved the chains on a desperation fourth-and-19 throw down the left sideline thanks to a pass-interference call with just inside three minutes to play. The Bulls then converted a third-and-10 from the KSU 35 when Licata hit Weisner on a 20-yard strike over the middle.
"It's a tough one to swallow," said Kent State head coach Paul Haynes, whose Golden Flashes (3-6, 2-3) began the day tied with Buffalo (5-4, 3-2) in the Mid-American Conference East Division. "We played well enough to win the game and didn't win the game.
"We were in a prevent defense and a young kid made a young mistake (on the pass interference). He let a guy get behind him and then couldn't get into position to make a play. It's something we have to learn fromโฆAnd I don't want to put it on one play. We had chances to put them away and we didn't. It's a tough one."
The defense provided a jump start for Kent State with 9:40 to play the second quarter as Demetrius Monday intercepted his sixth pass of the season and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown to give the Flashes a 7-6 lead.ย
Shane Hynes extended that advantage to 10-6 at halftime with a 38-yard field goal at the 1:49 mark of the second quarter.
The Flashes built their 17-6 lead with 1:32 on the third-quarter clock when George Bollas lofted a 31-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Calhoun in the left corner of the end zone.ย
By the end of the third quarter, Kent State had out-gained Buffalo 252-to-189. That number flipped to a 306-to-261-yard Buffalo advantage by game's end.
"I think we played great for three quarters and then let up in the fourth quarter," said Kent State defensive lineman Nate Terhune. "That's not good enough to get it done. We have to keep working."
Buffalo scored first on a Jordan Johnson 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Adam Mitchner missed the extra point. The Bulls failed to convert a point-after on all three of their touchdowns.
Licata finished with 190 yards on 25-for-39 passing, including the two touchdowns and Monday's interception. The Bulls out-gained the Flashes on the ground 116-to-106 behind 64 yards by Anthone Taylor.
Bollas completed 13-of-21 passes for 107 yards on an interception-free night for Kent State, while Trayion Durham led the KSU running game with 38 yards on nine carries. Antwan Dixon caught six passes for 72 yards.
"We needed a couple of plays and didn't get it done," said Haynes. "We have got to put the pedal to the metal and put games away when we have opportunities toโฆHow we deal with this will tell a lot about this football team. We don't have a lot of time to do that. We play in just (a few) days."
The Flashes return to action on Tuesday at Ohio University in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Postgame Press Conference
Postgame Notes
- Sophomore Demetrius Monday had his sixth interception of the season, scoring his second touchdown of the year.ย His first TD came on an 80-yard fumble return at Minnesota.ย Monday entered the week fifth in the nation in total interceptions.
- Junior Ernest Calhoun made his third touchdown catch of the season.ย Two of his scores this year are over 30 years.
- Junior tight end Brice Fackler made a career-high three catches.
- Statistically, Kent State has four defensive touchdowns this year: Monday (2), Terhune, Seibert.
- Redshirt freshman Shane Hynes made a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter.ย Hynes has made seven of his last nine field goals.
- Freshman Antwan Dixon matched his career-high of six catches.
- Freshman Theo Eboigbe recorded his first career sack.
- Junior Nate Holley led the Flashes in tackles (12) for the fifth time in the last six games.
- Senior Matt Dellinger broke up three passes.
Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold on quarterback Joe Licata:
I don't know what the numbers say and all that.ย He just never gives up, he never stops battling.ย He stayed in the pocket and then makes a little bit of a scramble, I didn't know if he was over the line of scrimmage or not.ย Joe just keeps competing and making plays
Leipold on Final Touchdown
It was Joe's presence of mind to recognize where he was and make that shuffle pass.
When you watch Joe play and see his whole awareness of the pocket and getting rid of balls early to give a guy a chance to make a play, it has always impressed me.ย It has been something that makes him special for our program.
