BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Senior running back Jarvion Franklin ran in from the 12 to give defending Mid-American Conference champion Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0 MAC) a 71-68 victory over Buffalo Saturday in an FBS record-tying seven overtimes with a record-breaking 139 total points.
Buffalo (3-3, 1-1 MAC) had just . . .
Buffalo (3-3, 1-1 MAC) had just . . .
. . . converted on a 25-yard field goal to open the seventh overtime. That opened the door for the Broncos, who scored the decisive touchdown in just four plays.
It was the fourth game in FBS history to go into seven overtimes. The Syracuse-Pittsburgh game (Nov. 26, 2016) had a total of 137 points. Western Michigan scored 10 touchdowns overall on the night.
Missed, made and blocked field goals made the difference in the game, as both offenses grew stronger as the contest wore on.
Buffalo's Adam Mitcheson nailed a 34-yarder to tie the score at 31 with 34 seconds left in regulation. Western Michigan freshman kicker Josh Grant attempted a 52-yarder as time expired but UB's Jarrett Franklin tipped the kick to deny a chance at a regulation win.
Each side also had missed opportunities over the seven overtime periods, as each converted just one two-point conversion.
In the third overtime, WMU junior Steven Clark recovered a Buffalo fumble giving the Broncos another chance to win off a field goal, but the 29-yard attempt was off the mark.
Down the stretch, Buffalo was able to score on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Anderson and then booted a 25-yard field goal to pull the Bulls ahead, 68-65, in the seventh overtime.
Western Michigan got the ball back and after a 13-yard first down run by quarterback Jon Wassink, Franklin followed up two plays later with the game-winning TD run from 12 yards out.
Franklin had just four rushing yards at halftime, but finished with 176 yards in the game. He had a 20-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter and added three rushing touchdowns in the overtime play.
Franklin's four touchdowns in the game gave him 51 overall career touchdowns, tying last year's No. 5 overall NFL draft pick Corey Davis for the school record (51) of overall career TDs.
WMU had two 100-yard rushers, LeVante Bellamy started off the afternoon with a 66-yard touchdown run just a minute and 16 seconds into the game. Bellamy carried the workload in the first half and finished with a career-high 131 yards.
Wassink threw for career highs of 256 yards on 23-of-26 passing and five touchdowns, as well as caught his second TD in the win. For the second time this season, WMU pulled off a “pitch to a receiver, throw back to the quarterback” play. Keishawn Watson found Wassink for a 13-yard pass to give WMU a 45-38 lead.
Buffalo burned WMU deep on its first possession of the matchup, but a 72-yard UB pass headed for the end zone was stripped away at the 7-yard line by WMU's Samuel Beal and the fumble was returned for 53 yards by Stefan Claiborne, setting up a field goal to give WMU an early 10-0 lead.
Buffalo responded with two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Broncos held a 17-14 lead at halftime. WMU went up 24-14 in the third quarter, but Buffalo out-scored the Broncos 17-7 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Western Michigan had six different players score touchdowns for the second straight game after defeating Ball State 55-3 last week in the Broncos' MAC opener.
Tight end Donnie Ernsberger had two TDs, including one to tie the game in the first overtime at 38-38. D'Wayne Eskridge hauled in a 48-yard TD in the second quarter and Watson caught a 5-yard TD to give WMU a 65-59 advantage.
Western Michigan totaled 388 yards on the ground and finished with 645 yards of total offense.
The Bulls had just 86 yards rushing, but UB rode the arm of Anderson, who previously had seen action in just two games, totaling 18 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Against the Broncos, he
threw for a MAC record 597 yards, with seven TD passes and a touchdown run.
Three Buffalo receivers went over 100 yards: junior Anthony Johnson (11 catches, 195 yards, 2 TDs); senior Kamathi Holsey (6 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore K.J. Osborn (7 catches, 138, 3 TDs).
Overall, the Bulls set the FBS record for the most points in a losing effort and had 683 yards off total offense.
Western Michigan returns home to host Akron on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 3:30. Buffalo hosts Northern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
(Courtesy WMU Athletics/MRO Edit)
It was the fourth game in FBS history to go into seven overtimes. The Syracuse-Pittsburgh game (Nov. 26, 2016) had a total of 137 points. Western Michigan scored 10 touchdowns overall on the night.
Missed, made and blocked field goals made the difference in the game, as both offenses grew stronger as the contest wore on.
Buffalo's Adam Mitcheson nailed a 34-yarder to tie the score at 31 with 34 seconds left in regulation. Western Michigan freshman kicker Josh Grant attempted a 52-yarder as time expired but UB's Jarrett Franklin tipped the kick to deny a chance at a regulation win.
Each side also had missed opportunities over the seven overtime periods, as each converted just one two-point conversion.
In the third overtime, WMU junior Steven Clark recovered a Buffalo fumble giving the Broncos another chance to win off a field goal, but the 29-yard attempt was off the mark.
Down the stretch, Buffalo was able to score on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Anderson and then booted a 25-yard field goal to pull the Bulls ahead, 68-65, in the seventh overtime.
Western Michigan got the ball back and after a 13-yard first down run by quarterback Jon Wassink, Franklin followed up two plays later with the game-winning TD run from 12 yards out.
Franklin had just four rushing yards at halftime, but finished with 176 yards in the game. He had a 20-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter and added three rushing touchdowns in the overtime play.
Franklin's four touchdowns in the game gave him 51 overall career touchdowns, tying last year's No. 5 overall NFL draft pick Corey Davis for the school record (51) of overall career TDs.
WMU had two 100-yard rushers, LeVante Bellamy started off the afternoon with a 66-yard touchdown run just a minute and 16 seconds into the game. Bellamy carried the workload in the first half and finished with a career-high 131 yards.
Wassink threw for career highs of 256 yards on 23-of-26 passing and five touchdowns, as well as caught his second TD in the win. For the second time this season, WMU pulled off a “pitch to a receiver, throw back to the quarterback” play. Keishawn Watson found Wassink for a 13-yard pass to give WMU a 45-38 lead.
Buffalo burned WMU deep on its first possession of the matchup, but a 72-yard UB pass headed for the end zone was stripped away at the 7-yard line by WMU's Samuel Beal and the fumble was returned for 53 yards by Stefan Claiborne, setting up a field goal to give WMU an early 10-0 lead.
Buffalo responded with two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Broncos held a 17-14 lead at halftime. WMU went up 24-14 in the third quarter, but Buffalo out-scored the Broncos 17-7 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Western Michigan had six different players score touchdowns for the second straight game after defeating Ball State 55-3 last week in the Broncos' MAC opener.
Tight end Donnie Ernsberger had two TDs, including one to tie the game in the first overtime at 38-38. D'Wayne Eskridge hauled in a 48-yard TD in the second quarter and Watson caught a 5-yard TD to give WMU a 65-59 advantage.
Western Michigan totaled 388 yards on the ground and finished with 645 yards of total offense.
The Bulls had just 86 yards rushing, but UB rode the arm of Anderson, who previously had seen action in just two games, totaling 18 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Against the Broncos, he
threw for a MAC record 597 yards, with seven TD passes and a touchdown run.
Three Buffalo receivers went over 100 yards: junior Anthony Johnson (11 catches, 195 yards, 2 TDs); senior Kamathi Holsey (6 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore K.J. Osborn (7 catches, 138, 3 TDs).
Overall, the Bulls set the FBS record for the most points in a losing effort and had 683 yards off total offense.
Western Michigan returns home to host Akron on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 3:30. Buffalo hosts Northern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
(Courtesy WMU Athletics/MRO Edit)
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