AMHERST, N.Y. — On a rainy night in Amherst, it was Bowling Green who rained on the University at Buffalo's homecoming festivities.
In a game featuring eight combined turnovers, it was the Falcons who powered past the Bulls 24-14 to hand Buffalo its first loss of Mid-American Conference play.
Buffalo (2-5, 2-1 MAC) turned the ball over five times and was plagued by missed tackles defensively in the run game.
Bowling Green (3-4, 1-2) averaged over 5 yards per carry, racking up 218 yards on 43 carries. Running back Terion Stewart was particularly effective, totaling 123 yards on 25 carries, while quarterback Camden Orth ran 10 times for 73 yards.
On offense, UB struggled to move the ball consistently, switching quarterbacks from Cole Snyder to CJ Ogbonna at halftime, but the two combined to go 9-of-29 passing for 71 yards and four interceptions (one from Snyder, three from Ogbonna).
UB took an early lead after its defense forced the game's first turnover, with safety Marcus Fuqua recovering a fumble to set the Bulls up in plus territory.
Buffalo then drove 33 yards in four plays, punctuating the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run by Snyder.
The rest of the first half, however, would belong to Bowling Green.
After a field goal a short field goal to make it a 7-3 game, the Falcons punched the ball out of Snyder's hands on the ensuing drive to set up their offense with a short field.
Just as Buffalo had done, Bowling Green converted the short field into six points, with quarterback Camden Orth punching it in from a yard out. That gave the Falcons their first lead of the game at 10-7.
The Falcons' defense forced a three-and-out on the next drive, and the Falcons' offense followed it up with a 13-play, 86-yard drive that took up over eight minutes. Orth connected with Ta'ron Keith with a three yard touchdown to put Bowling Green up by 10.
They added it to that lead via special teams. Buffalo was forced to punt on its next drive, and Bowling Green blocked Anthony Venneri's kick. PaSean Wimberly returned the blocked punt 18 yards for the touchdown and Bowling Green went into the break with a 24-7 lead.
After getting outgained in the first half 236-74, Buffalo went with junior quarterback CJ Ogbonna to start the second half.
Ogbonna threw an interception that was tipped on UB's first drive of the half, but defensive back Jaydon Oliver gave UB the ball right back when he picked off Orth's pass at the Buffalo 26-yard line.
Ogbonna and the Bulls then put together their longest drive of the game. A 10-play, 74-yard drive aided by a fourth-and 9 conversion ended with a 24-yard TD pass from Ogbonna to Darrell Harding Jr. to cut the deficit to 24-14.
Buffalo got past midfield only one more time in the half, but Ogbonna threw his second interception of the game on 4th down, giving Bowling Green the ball with under four minutes to go and essentially sealing the Falcons victory.
