FINAL SCORE: Buffalo 37, Eastern Michigan 20
EMU now on a 4-game losing streak after Wednesday's painful loss to Buffalo.
Eastern Michigan waited until its final home game of the year to have its biggest letdown loss of the season.
Buffalo came into Rynearson Stadium and got off to a 17-0 halftime lead before EMU clawed back with a couple of scores of its own in the third quarter. As the second half heated up, EMU cut into Buffalo’s lead to make it a 3-point game, but the Bulls immediately wiped away any good vibes EMU started to feel with a 75-yard touchdown throw to its running back, then a 60-yard pick six moments later.
Since its 18-point comeback victory against Central Michigan, EMU has now dropped four games in a row. The first loss of the streak included an 18-0 halftime hole that the team failed to completely fight back from at Akron. Now, three games later, it was a 17-0 hole EMU saw itself it before losing by 17 in the end.
This loss puts more losses than wins on EMU’s record for the year as it sits at 5-6 overall, 2-5 in MAC play.
Here’s how the Wednesday night matchup against Buffalo (7-4, 5-2 MAC) unfolded:
SCORING DRIVES
First Quarter
1Q, 8:47, 90-YARD CATCH BY BUFFALO’S J.J. JENKINS, FROM C.J. OGBONNA. BUFFALO 8, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.
It didn’t take long for EMU’s home side to be silenced on Senior Night. Both teams punted back and forth to begin the game until Buffalo started its second drive backed up on its own 10-yard line. C.J. Ogbonna’s short pass to J.J. Jenkins was complete, and the receiver juked one EMU defender and out-raced the rest of the defense on a long scoring play.Â
Instead of kicking a one-pointer on the PAT, Buffalo went for two. Tight end Andrew Schackenberg took the direct snap and rushed in for the successful 2-point play.
Second Quarter
2Q, 9:26, COLE SNYDER SACKED, SAFETY. BUFFALO 10, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.
After EMU punted in Buffalo territory twice, Buffalo punted in EMU territory to pin the Eagles inside their own 10-yard line. Two snaps later, Buffalo’s defense was able to get two points on the board.
From 2nd & 8, Buffalo’s blitzing pressure got Cole Snyder as he dropped back in the end zone for a pass, but he wasn’t able to get the ball out of his hands in time. Buffalo got the safety, to take a 10-0 lead, then got the ball back.Â
2Q, 2:08, 7-YARD CATCH BY BUFFALO’S VICTOR SNOW, FROM C.J. OGBONNA. BUFFALO 17, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.
First it was a two-point play from the defense, then came seven more by the offense. Buffalo received some help with a pair of penalties against the EMU defense to keep the drive alive with some automatic first downs.Â
Still, a strong, 15-play, 80-yard drive for Buffalo to string to help extend its first-half lead that ended with a play-action pass to Victor Snow.Â
Third Quarter
3Q, 9:51, 38-YARD CATCH BY TERRY LOCKETT, FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 7, BUFFALO 17.
Eight possessions later, Eastern Michigan finally got on the board with a 90-yard scoring drive. Snyder’s 38-yard pass to Terry Lockett, who was streaking down the right side of the field, was on the money. Snyder, who had two interceptions in the first half, was 5-for-6 passing on the drive with 11 rushing yards.Â
3Q, 5:14, 1-YARD RUN BY AL-JAY HENDERSON. BUFFALO 23, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7.
Buffalo running back Al-Jay Henderson had rushes of 16, 19, 3, and 1 yards before the Bulls turned to Jacqez Barksdale for a fourth-down pickup deep in the red zone. Henderson went over the top on his first-and-goal handoff to extend Buffalo’s lead even further.Â
The PAT kick was no good as Buffalo’s kicker physically stuttered on his try.
3Q, 0:52, 13-YARD CATCH BY TERRY LOCKETT, FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 13, BUFFALO 23.
Lockett got on the board for the second time of the third quarter off of a 13-yard catch to lift his season total of touchdown grabs to five. Markus Allen had the key play of the drive as he had a 47-yard gain to flip the field. Joey Mattord had an 8-yard run five plays later to set up the touchdown play.
EMU opted to go for two after the touchdown, but Snyder’s shovel pass to Max Reese was broken up to keep the deficit at 10 points.
Fourth Quarter
4Q, 8:54, 78-YARD CATCH BY MARKUS ALLEN, FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 20, BUFFALO 23.
Why would anybody want to leave Allen wide open like that? A 90-yard scoring drive was taken care of in two plays. First, a 12-yard pickup by Lockett through the air. Then, Allen was left all alone on Snyder’s right side for a simple throw and completion to him, and Allen raced past UB’s defense for the 78-yard score.
4Q, 8:43, 75-YARD CATCH BY AL-JAY HENDERSON, FROM C.J. OGOBONNA. BUFFALO 30, EASTERN MICHIGAN 20.
As soon as Rynearson Stadium was filled with excitement from Allen’s long touchdown, the Bulls responded with a quick score of their own. Ogbonna floated a nice pass to Henderson between a pair of EMU defenders, and he ran past the rest of the defense for a 75-yard score.
4Q, 2:59, 60-YARD INTERCEPTION RETURN BY BUFFALO’S SHAUN DOLAC. BUFFALO 37, EASTERN MICHIGAN 20.
The Bulls got another defensive score, this time it was a 60-yard pick six by Dolac, who had an interception earlier in the game too. Backup QB Jeremiah Salem came into the game in for Snyder, who was hit hard earlier in the game by UB LB Red Murdock. He completed two passes to his own teammates, then a third to the wrong team. Not just the wrong team, but the wrong player – Dolac, a former high school running back, got his second pick of the game, but returned this one 60 yards for a touchdown.
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
SNYDER INTERCEPTION, BUFFALO SLIPS ON 55-YARD KICK
Immediately after Buffalo got to its 8-0 lead, EMU’s offense gave the ball right back over to Buffalo. Cole Snyder’s throw over the middle was intercepted by UB linebacker Shaun Dolac, the nation’s leader in tackles made this season.Â
Buffalo’s offense took over from EMU’s 37-yard line, but did nothing with the great field position. The Bulls moved the ball just two yards over four plays, and Upton Bellenfant whiffed on his 55-yard field goal try as he slipped during his kick.
SECOND INT LEADS TO SECOND SCORELESS FIRST HALF
One final try to score before the halftime and the Eagles came up short. Joey Mattord had a 26-yard kick return to give EMU the ball on its own 44-yard line, then the offense got all the way to Buffalo’s 12 with under a minute left in the first half. Snyder tossed up a pass to Oran Singleton in the left-corner of the end zone, but his pass was instead intercepted by Solomon Brown.
With the turnover, EMU ended up scoring no points in the first half, the second time it was shut out through the first 30 minutes of action. To begin the current losing streak EMU is riding, it had an 18-0 halftime deficit at Akron before it finally lost 25-21.
Snyder went the first five games of the season without having an interception thrown, then threw three over the next four games. But in 90 minutes against Ohio and Buffalo, Snyder threw five interceptions.
ONSIDE KICK NO GOOD TO BEGIN SECOND HALF
Down 17-0 to open up the second half, EMU made a risky decision by attempting an onside kick. The try was unsuccessful as Buffalo recovered the kick cleanly on EMU’s 47-yard line, but the Eagle defense stepped up with back-to-back tackles for loss by Justin Jefferson and Jaivian Norman to get Buffalo’s punt unit on the field.
JAMES DJONKAM WITH NATION-LEADING PERFORMANCE
Buffalo’s two linebackers, Dolac and Murdock, may be the nation’s top two leaders in tackles made this season, but it’s EMU’s James Djonkam to have the nation’s best defensive performance against the Bulls. Djonkam racked up 22 tackles on the night — a single-game record by any player in FBS this season.
NEXT GAME
EMU will finish up the regular season with a Thanksgiving week rivalry road trip. EMU will take on Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium next Saturday for the chance to win the Michigan MAC trophy. If EMU beat WMU, it’ll be a clean sweep to take home the trophy for the first time since 2022. Should WMU win, the Broncos will retain the prize. After Tuesday’s loss to Central Michigan, the Broncos have a 5-6 overall record while 4-3 in MAC play.
I feel like a change is coming after this season. I don’t know if it’ll be for better or worse, I guess we’ll see.