Published: November 24, 2007 10:06 pm      

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Bulls end season with OT win

KENT, Ohio — The seniors decided they couldn’t stand one more loss.

Playing their final games in a Buffalo Bulls uniform, Labinot Hakanjin blocked a field goal to force overtime and Trevor Scott and Larry Hutchinson had sacks on the final two plays of the game as UB won 30-23 at Kent State on Saturday to cap its best Division I-A season ever.

The Bulls won their second road game of the season to finish 5-7. UB hadn’t won more than three games in a season since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1999.

Coupled with Ohio’s win over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, the Bulls claimed a share of the MAC East title. Miami will represent the East in the MAC Championship game by virtue of head-to-head wins over UB and Bowling Green.

“I’m happy for the seniors,” said UB coach Turner Gill. “They haven’t had much success and to have an opportunity to have a winning record in the MAC, finishing up 5-3, 4-2 in the Eastern division, it’s great. We talked about leaving a legacy. That was a big thing we had this week and we talked to our whole football team that we are going to start something here. We are going to leave a legacy.”

Some believe Gill will soon leave behind a legacy at UB. Gill is reportedly a candidate to assume the head coaching job at Nebraska, where he was a starting quarterback in the 1980s. Gill’s mentor and friend, legendary Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne, took over as interim athletics director in October and on Saturday fired coach Bill Callahan.

“I am very, very excited about the University of Buffalo’s football program,” Gill said. “To have it established now and that everybody knows about our program.”

Hakanjin, a senior defensive tackle, blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt with 3:15 remaining.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It knew that was going to be the outcome of the game. That block right there.”

Quarterback Drew Willy led an 11-play, 73-yard fourth quarter scoring drive to tie the game with a 4-yard pass to Brett Hamlin, who scored his first career touchdown. Willy completed 33 of 44 passes for 334 yards, a career-high, and two touchdowns.

Willy’s final completion, a 9-yarder to Hamlin that set up Brandon Thermilus’ 1-yard touchdown run in overtime, gave him 545 for his career, which tied Cliff Scott for the school record. Willy also ended the season with a streak of 235 attempts without an interception.

Niagara Falls native James Starks gained 54 yards on 18 carries. Starks finished his sophomore campaign with 1,103 rushing yards, third most in school history. He left the game late with what was described in a radio report as a tweaked knee.

Ernest Jackson caught nine passes for 113 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season. Naaman Roosevelt accounted for 174 yards. The St. Joe’s product caught eight balls for 90 yards, brought a kickoff back 83 yards and completed the first pass of his college career.

Davonte Shannon led UB’s defensive effort with 15 tackles, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Shannon, a true freshman who didn’t enter the starting lineup until Week 4, led the Bulls with 123 tackles this season, another high water mark in UB’s Division I-A era.