Massachusetts Football Drops 25-18 Contest At Buffalo In Overtime

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	Final F
Massachusetts	7	8	0	3	0	18
Buffalo	3	5	7	3	7	25

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Massachusetts

Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University of Massachusetts football team dropped a 25-18 decision in overtime to Buffalo in the Flagship Cup on Saturday afternoon at Broadview Stadium (6,037). UMass held an 18-15 lead late in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo tied the the game in the final seconds to force overtime.

UMass falls to 4-3 and 1-3 in the MAC, while Buffalo improves to 4-3 and 2-1 in the conference.

Logan Inagawa started at quarterback for the injured William "Pop" Watson III and Aedan McCarthy, finishing 14-of-25 for 168 yards passing. He also rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Kezion Dia-Johnson tallied 79 yards receiving on five catches, including a career-long reception of 37 yards. Elijah Faulkner led on the ground with 84 yards rushing, which included a 26-yard run, and one touchdown.

On the defensive side, Kendall Bournes and Timmy Hinspeter produced a team-high eight tackles, with Bournes totaling five solo. Joshua Iseah and Zeraun Daniel followed with seven tackles apiece. Hinspeter, Iseah, Zakar Morris and Romando Johnson all had a half a sack, as TJ Magee recorded three pass breakups and an interception.

How It Happened

Massachusetts opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, which quarterback Logan Inagawa finished off with a 20-yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead at 10:24. Key plays included a Kezion Dia-Johnson catch for 15 yards and Inagawa rushes for 10 yards and a three-yard rush on a fourth-and-one play to keep the drive alive.

After a 71-yard kickoff return, Buffalo started its first drive on the UMass 22-yard line. The UMass defense held the Bulls to a 26-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 contest.

With UMass on its own eight-yard line, Inagawa was sacked in the endzone for a safety, bringing the game to a 7-5 score in the second quarter.

The Minutemen forced the Bulls to punt on their next drive, but Buffalo recovered the muffed punt to start its ensuing drive from the UMass 15. The Bulls ended up converting a field goal as the UMass defense again held as the Bulls took an 8-7 lead at the 4:40 mark of the second.

After Massachusetts was forced to punt on a fourth-and-four, Buffalo muffed the ball with TJ Magee on the recovery to give UMass the ball back. With 1:51 on the clock, the Minutemen started their drive on the Buffalo three-yard line. Elijah Faulkner found the endzone with a two-yard rush, before UMass converted for two-points with a Inagwa pass complete to Jabari Lewis to reclaim the lead at 15-8.

Buffalo took the opening drive of the second half and capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jason Wright to Clint Walker. Oliver Hautanen added the extra point to tie the game at 15-15.

Massachusetts finally broke the tie with a 53-yard field goal attempt from Derek Morris at the 2:00 mark of the fourth quarter to conclude an eight-play, 26-yard drive, to lead 18-15.

With a 1:57 left on the clock, Buffalo marched down the field. Jason Wright rushed 13 yards to reach Massachusetts territory, before completing a 17-yard pass to Jaylen Andrews on a third-and-10. The Bulls had a chance, but the pass was incomplete, and they settled for a 29-yard field goal to send the game in to overtime at 18-18.

Buffalo started with the ball in the overtime period. A 15-yard touchdown from Wright to Clint Walker gave the Bulls a 24-18 lead. Buffalo missed the first PAT attempt, but a penalty on UMass for offsides allowed another opportunity that was good to put the Bulls up, 25-18.

Buffalo stopped the Minutemen on their ensuing offensive possession to come away with the victory.

Notes

Timmy Hinspeter, Tyler Martin and David Timson served as the UMass game captains.
With William "Pop" Watson III and Aedan McCarthy out with injuries, Logan Inagawa made his first start at quarterback for UMass.
Logan Inagawa scored his first rushing touchdown as a Minuteman, with a 20-yard run at 10:24 in the first quarter.
Kezion Dia-Johnson had a 37-yard reception in the first quarter, marking the longest of his career.

Next Up

The Minutemen are on the road next Friday night, October 23, for a 7 p.m. game against rival UConn at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (CBS Sports Network).

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