BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Massachusetts football team suffered a blowout 34-3 loss to the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday. Buffalo (2-1) dominated both sides of the ball, making it hard for UMass (0-3) to get things going and capture any momentum.
Buffalo opened the scoring on its first drive of the first quarter, with CJ Ogbonna uncorking a bomb over the top to J.J. Jenkins on a post route for a 40-yard touchdown. A lack of pressure from the UMass pass rush allowed Ogbonna enough time to get through his reads and step into the deep throw for the score.
The lack of a pass rush presence has been a theme throughout the young season for the Minutemen, coming into Saturday’s contest without a sack through the first two games.
Louce Julien ended the sackless start to the year near the end of the second quarter, getting into the backfield and laying a big hit on Ogbonna, forcing a fumble in the process. Derrieon Craig pounced on the loose ball, giving UMass its first takeaway in the process.
The turnover didn’t lead to any points for the Minutemen, with their drive starting from the Buffalo 41-yard line with 1:19 on the clock in the second quarter. Four rushing attempts in six plays ran the clock down too much for UMass, and it couldn’t get close enough for a makeable field goal, missing an attempt from 45 yards out to end the first half.
With prominent pass catchers Anthony Simpson and Dominick Mazzoti out for Saturday’s game, the Minutemen relied on other receivers to step up and fill the vacated shoes. Jakobie Keeney-James, Jacquon Gibson and Jalen John were looked at frequently throughout the day but weren’t consistently efficient with their opportunities in the receiving game.
“It doesn’t help us, you know, you’ve got your best receiver, he’s out for the game, you’ve got a tight end that’s got talent, and he’s out for the game,” head coach Don Brown said. “You’re down two pretty good players for sure, and now you’re relying on guys that are moving up the depth chart to make those plays.”
In the back half of the third quarter, UMass was pinned back at its own eight-yard line and quickly went three and out. The punt to Buffalo came with a good return and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, setting the Bulls up 20 yards away from the endzone. A quick pass and an eight-yard run from Ogbonna extended the Buffalo lead to 20-3.
Facing the big deficit, the Minutemen put together a solid drive to end the third quarter, traveling 70 yards down the field to the Bulls’ five-yard line. Quarterback Taisun Phommachanh rolled out to the left, floating a ball into the back of the endzone, which got intercepted by Marquis Cooper. Cooper, instead of kneeling in the endzone, took the ball out for a return and ran it all the way back and into UMass’ endzone for a 100-plus yard pick-six.
“We battled solidly for three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, [the pick-six] it takes the wind out of your sails,” Brown said. “It’s not supposed to, but it can. And I thought it did Saturday.”
Struggles on the offensive line plagued UMass yet again on Saturday, allowing three sacks and three quarterback hits. The biggest difference up front was the lack of production on the ground, having runs be swallowed up by the Buffalo defense all game long.
Another common theme for the Minutemen has been inconsistencies from the special teams units, which continued against the Bulls. Kicker Jacob Lurie knocked through a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter but missed his other two attempts on the day.
UMass is still in search of its first victory of the 2024 season, with the next opportunity coming on Saturday, Sept 21 at 3:30 p.m. against Central Connecticut State. Back at home, the Minutemen will need to get back on track from McGuirk Alumni Stadium before a two-game road trip.“We’ve just got to bounce back,” Brown said. “We’ve got to prepare and have a great practice week and put a good gameplan together for Central Connecticut and we’ve [got to] find a way to win. That’s all we’re looking for, just find a way to win.”
Mike Maynard can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @mikecmaynard.
