By MIKE SMITH
BUFFALO, NY -- Buffalo’s Joe Licata and Anthone Taylor proved too much for visiting Miami as the Bulls posted a 35-27 win over the RedHawks Saturday at UB Stadium. 

It was a much different game than last year’s 44-7 UB blowout in Oxford, the some things remained the same. The Buffalo offensive line gave Licata enough time to scan his receiving options and he responded by completing 28 of 38 for 276 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. 

The Bulls line also helped junior running back Anthone Taylor set a new career high as he carried 36 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns – all in the second half as Buffalo came back twice – once from a 21-14 deficit and once from a 27-26 margin.

"It was a tough battle tonight, but it was a lot of fun to secure that win," head coach Jeff Quinn said. "I was really pleased with our leadership. We came in at halftime and really challenged them. A couple key guys stepped up for us and it really impacted our entire team.”

Beginning with the 2014-15 season, college football will enter a new four-team playoff era. Two College Football Playoff Semifinals will be played in bowl games this year (Sugar Bowl; Rose Bowl) and the College Football Playoff National Championship will be played in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12.

The two Semifinals and four other premier bowl games (Orange Bowl; Cotton Bowl; Peach Bowl; Fiesta Bowl) will be played on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The Semifinal games will rotate among these six different bowls.  All MAC programs will join every FBS team in college football with equal access to the playoff based upon its performance. No team will qualify automatically.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will choose four teams for the playoffs based on body of work, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparison of results against common opponents, championships won and other factors. The highest ranked program by the Selection Committee from either the MAC, American Athletic, Conference USA, Mountain West or Sun Belt Conferences will play annually in one of the premier bowl games.

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DEKALB, Ill. –Northern Illinois University wide receiver and return specialist Tommylee Lewis will miss the remainder of the 2014 season due to a lower body injury, NIU head coach Rod Carey announced today.

Lewis, a senior from Riviera Beach, Fla. (W.T. Dwyer HS) who was named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, played in the Huskies’ first two games of the season before being sidelined. Lewis played as a true freshman in 2010 and has never been redshirted. At the end of the season, NIU can apply for a medical hardship waiver through the Mid-American Conference.    

In 39 career games, Lewis has accounted 3,617 all-purpose yards for the Huskies.  His career totals include 558 rushing yards on 63 carries for an 8.9-yard average, 138 catches for 1,282 yards and eight touchdowns and 1,656 career kickoff return yards with four scores.  He caught four passes for 28 yards and rushed six times for 17 yards in NIU’s wins over Presbyterian and Northwestern this year.   

By MIKE SMITH
Former Miami basketball coach Charlie Coles only got a brief look at Quinten Rollins on the football field. He saw enough, however, to once remark that Rollins might be an even better football player than a basketball player. 

Rollins, Miami and MAC fans are now getting a chance to compare the two roles following Rollins’ decision earlier this year to pursue football with a final eligibility opportunity.

With just one season at his disposal, some might have viewed Rollins’ move as merely an attempt to spend a little time on the football side. He, of course, had no crystal ball to show what might transpire. What he did have was a highly competitive nature and interest in football – even after four years of basketball.

Coles managed to land Rollins, who earned prep state honors in basketball after a standout career at Wilmington (Ohio) High School. Once at Miami, he quickly made his mark on the hoops scene. Rollins was the first freshman to start in a Miami season opener since 2003-2004. At season’s end, he was tabbed with Miami Defensive Player of the Year honors.  

Although the 6-0 point guard made numerous contributions over his four years on the hardwood, Rollins earned particular praise for his work as a defender. During his senior season, he ranked 14th nationally and led the MAC in steals (2.4 spg).

Just a few months later, Rollins is again among MAC leaders in steals – of a different type. Through four games, he has four interceptions. The first came in Game Two against Eastern Kentucky. He grabbed another and earned MAC East Player of the Week honors following his work against Michigan – not bad for somebody in his first year of collegiate football.