BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo football team dropped its season opener, 22-16, to Albany at UB Stadium on Friday night. Despite outgaining the Great Danes, 403-238, in total offense, the Bulls couldn't recover from turning the ball over four times.
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Scoring Plays
Albany capitalized on an interception return to the 7-yard line on the Bulls opening possession and scored two plays later on a 5-yard pass from Nevin Sussman to Anthony Manza-Lewis. (UB 0, Albany 7, 11:56 1Q)
Adam Mitcheson connected on a 32-yard field goal, capping a 12-play, 65-yard drive (UB 3, Albany 7, 10:53 2Q)
Mitcheson made his second field goal of the night, this time from 37 yards to cut the Great Danes lead to one. (UB 6, Albany 7, 2:32 2Q)
After a kickoff return to the 47-yard line, Albany used only three plays, capped by a 33-yard touchdown run by Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks to extend its lead to eight. (UB 6, Albany 14, 1:42, 2Q)
Tyree Jackson led a flawless 2-minute drill, marching the Bulls 75 yards on 10 plays. Jackson hit Mason Schreck on a 17-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to one. (UB 13, Albany 14, 0:24)
Mitcheson made his third field goal of the game, a 45-yarder, to give the Bulls their first lead of the game (UB 16, Albany 14, 6:12 3Q)
Albany regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when Sussman hit Brad Harris for a 35-yard touchdown. The Great Danes made the two-point conversion to take a six-point lead. (UB 16, Albany 22, 9:37 4Q)
Inside the Numbers
The Bulls outgained the Great Danes, 403-238, in total offense.
Grant Rohach and Tyree Jackson split time at quarterback. Rohach started the game and went 3-for-9 for 52 yards and two interceptions. Jackson entered the game in the second quarter and played the rest of the way. The redshirt-freshman finished 14-of-25 for 125 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jackson added 60 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Senior running Jordan Johnson rushed for 114 yards on 23 carries. Sophomore Johnathan Hawkins added 41 yards on eight carries for a 5.1-yard average.
Senior tight end Mason Schreck had a team-high five receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. Newcomer Kamathi Holsey added four catches for 42 yards.
Linebacker Ishmael Hargrove led the UB defense with eight tackles and added his first career sack.
Cameron Lewis had a career-high seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Adam Mitcheson was 3-of-4 on field goal attempts with makes from 32, 37 and 45 yards. His lone miss was a 51-yard attempt that had the distance, but leaked wide right.
In his first career game as a punter for the Bulls, Kyle DeWeen had four punts for a 44-yard average and dropped three inside the 20-yard line.
Key Stat
Buffalo turned the ball over four times (a fumble and three interceptions). Albany did not commit a turnover.
Game Changer
With the Bulls looking to go in for the go-ahead score and less than four minutes left on the clock, Jackson had the ball jarred loose while diving for the goal line and it bounced out of the endzone, resulting in a touchback.
Nota-BULLS:
Buffalo dropped its home opener for the first time since the 2009 season.
Jordan Johnson recorded his third career 100 yard game. He has now eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in three of his four career starts.
The Bulls had nine players make their first career starts for the Bulls.
Linebackers Ishmael Hargrove and Jordan Collier each recorded their first career sacks in the game.
Mitcheson tied his career high with three field goals.
UB's 226 rushing yards were its most since rushing for 293 yards at Massachusetts on Nov. 28, 2014.
The 113 yards passing allowed by the Bulls was their fewest since giving up only 90 yards to Nevada on Sept. 26, 2015.
Quota-BULLS
Lance Leipold:
First off, we have to give credit to Coach Gatuso and his staff for having his guy play with great emotion and making plays when they needed to. I thought our guys were excited to get the season started. I was pleased with camp, but we obviously had too many mistakes tonight to get a victory.
On Tyree Jackson
For a redshirt freshman going right out there and playing in his first game, I thought he did a lot of good things and that is why he played a majority of the game. For both quarterbacks unfortunately, ball secure was a big thing tonight. We have talked about ball security since the day we arrived in camp and we turned it over too much tonight. Tyree's fumble is a great effort play and we can't fault him for trying to go get a win. You don't want those things to happen in a loss but those are coachable moments.
Up Next
Following a bye, the Bulls will travel to Nevada to take on the Wolf Pack on Sept. 17.
(Courtesy of UB Athletics)
Albany capitalized on an interception return to the 7-yard line on the Bulls opening possession and scored two plays later on a 5-yard pass from Nevin Sussman to Anthony Manza-Lewis. (UB 0, Albany 7, 11:56 1Q)
Adam Mitcheson connected on a 32-yard field goal, capping a 12-play, 65-yard drive (UB 3, Albany 7, 10:53 2Q)
Mitcheson made his second field goal of the night, this time from 37 yards to cut the Great Danes lead to one. (UB 6, Albany 7, 2:32 2Q)
After a kickoff return to the 47-yard line, Albany used only three plays, capped by a 33-yard touchdown run by Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks to extend its lead to eight. (UB 6, Albany 14, 1:42, 2Q)
Tyree Jackson led a flawless 2-minute drill, marching the Bulls 75 yards on 10 plays. Jackson hit Mason Schreck on a 17-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to one. (UB 13, Albany 14, 0:24)
Mitcheson made his third field goal of the game, a 45-yarder, to give the Bulls their first lead of the game (UB 16, Albany 14, 6:12 3Q)
Albany regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when Sussman hit Brad Harris for a 35-yard touchdown. The Great Danes made the two-point conversion to take a six-point lead. (UB 16, Albany 22, 9:37 4Q)
Inside the Numbers
The Bulls outgained the Great Danes, 403-238, in total offense.
Grant Rohach and Tyree Jackson split time at quarterback. Rohach started the game and went 3-for-9 for 52 yards and two interceptions. Jackson entered the game in the second quarter and played the rest of the way. The redshirt-freshman finished 14-of-25 for 125 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jackson added 60 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Senior running Jordan Johnson rushed for 114 yards on 23 carries. Sophomore Johnathan Hawkins added 41 yards on eight carries for a 5.1-yard average.
Senior tight end Mason Schreck had a team-high five receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. Newcomer Kamathi Holsey added four catches for 42 yards.
Linebacker Ishmael Hargrove led the UB defense with eight tackles and added his first career sack.
Cameron Lewis had a career-high seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Adam Mitcheson was 3-of-4 on field goal attempts with makes from 32, 37 and 45 yards. His lone miss was a 51-yard attempt that had the distance, but leaked wide right.
In his first career game as a punter for the Bulls, Kyle DeWeen had four punts for a 44-yard average and dropped three inside the 20-yard line.
Key Stat
Buffalo turned the ball over four times (a fumble and three interceptions). Albany did not commit a turnover.
Game Changer
With the Bulls looking to go in for the go-ahead score and less than four minutes left on the clock, Jackson had the ball jarred loose while diving for the goal line and it bounced out of the endzone, resulting in a touchback.
Nota-BULLS:
Buffalo dropped its home opener for the first time since the 2009 season.
Jordan Johnson recorded his third career 100 yard game. He has now eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in three of his four career starts.
The Bulls had nine players make their first career starts for the Bulls.
Linebackers Ishmael Hargrove and Jordan Collier each recorded their first career sacks in the game.
Mitcheson tied his career high with three field goals.
UB's 226 rushing yards were its most since rushing for 293 yards at Massachusetts on Nov. 28, 2014.
The 113 yards passing allowed by the Bulls was their fewest since giving up only 90 yards to Nevada on Sept. 26, 2015.
Quota-BULLS
Lance Leipold:
First off, we have to give credit to Coach Gatuso and his staff for having his guy play with great emotion and making plays when they needed to. I thought our guys were excited to get the season started. I was pleased with camp, but we obviously had too many mistakes tonight to get a victory.
On Tyree Jackson
For a redshirt freshman going right out there and playing in his first game, I thought he did a lot of good things and that is why he played a majority of the game. For both quarterbacks unfortunately, ball secure was a big thing tonight. We have talked about ball security since the day we arrived in camp and we turned it over too much tonight. Tyree's fumble is a great effort play and we can't fault him for trying to go get a win. You don't want those things to happen in a loss but those are coachable moments.
Up Next
Following a bye, the Bulls will travel to Nevada to take on the Wolf Pack on Sept. 17.
(Courtesy of UB Athletics)
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