By Jonah Bronstein
AMHERST — It’s a sign of how far along the University at Buffalo football program has come that Saturday’s performance was met with disappointment.
All that matters to the Bulls today is that they dug themselves a two-touchdown hole in the first five minutes and wound up committing four turnovers that led to 27 points in a 54-27 loss to visiting Pittsburgh.
“It hurts because we thought we had a good shot to go out and beat a BCS school,” defensive captain Mike Newton said. “That was one of our goals this year.”
But this season’s main goals — winning a Mid-American Conference championship and going to another bowl game — seem more likely now after the UB offense totaled 500 yards and four touchdown drives against a defensive-minded Pitt crew that could contend for a Big East championship this season.
A jam-packed crowd of 21,870 found out how ready and able new quarterback Zach Maynard is. The sophomore making his second start passed for 400 yards (something his predecessor, Drew Willy, never did) and four touchdowns (a feat Willy only accomplished once).
Another telling sign was that Maynard didn’t even raise an eyebrow at the eye-popping numbers he put up.
“I don’t really pay attention to the stats,” he said. “I just want to win, get the ball to the end zone as fast as I can, make plays.”
“He’s going to be a great leader for us, and he’s going to be an outstanding quarterback as time goes along,” coach Turner Gill said. “He responds very, very well when things are going well, and he responds very, very well when things aren’t going so well.”
Maynard did commit two costly turnovers in the second half that the Panthers turned into touchdowns.
With the Bulls trailing 34-20 and having just entered Pitt territory midway through the third quarter, Maynard threw the ball away on a blown-up option run. Pitt’s Greg Williams recovered the fumble and returned it 50-yards to the end zone.
“I wish I would’ve held onto the ball and given us another down to punt the ball away,” Maynard said.
“It was more of a mistake by our offensive line,” Gill said. “And it’s a credit to Pittsburgh. They caused that to happen.”
Maynard threw his only interception late in the fourth quarter, and a long return led to the Panthers’ final touchdown.
Those mistakes aside, the Bulls offensive output was incredible.
Naaman Roosevelt and Brett Hamlin became the first receiving duo in school history to go over 100 yards in the same game. Hamlin had career highs in receptions (12) and yards (149) while Roosevelt also set a career high in yards (179) while turning two of his six receptions into sensational touchdowns in the second quarter.
UB almost made a game-changing play in the first minute, when Domonic Cook nearly intercepted a long pass down the sideline, but lost possession when he hit the ground. Pitt went on to complete an 80-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bill Stull to Dorin Dickerson.
Mario Henry then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Stull found Dickerson for a 23-yard touchdown one play later, making it 14-0.
UB’s first offensive series was an eight-play, 71-yard drive capped by Jesse Rack’s 22-yard touchdown reception. But Pitt answered with a 10-play 62-yard drive that ended with Dion Lewis’ 7-yard touchdown run.
Dickerson’s third touchdown preceded Roosevelt’s first signature highlight — the slip screen pass that gets him into open space like he was still the star quarterback at nearby St. Joe’s. He’s scored on that play several times in his UB career, including last week’s season-opening win at UTEP. This time he weaved by 54 yards full of defenders on his way to the goalline.
Then after Stull drove the Panthers to paydirt again, scoring on a 3-yard bootleg, Roosevelt one-upped his previous effort. Running across the field, he caught a poor pass from Maynard in stride by reaching behind his back, and when he turned his head to see nobody between him and the end zone, Roosevelt ran 50 yards faster than he’s ever been clocked in the 40-yard dash.
“His game speed is insane,” Maynard said.
After he lost the fumble in the third quarter, Maynard again drove the Bulls into the red zone, then set up Brandon Thermilus on a running back screen for a 12-yard touchdown.
Two plays later, Lewis darted 85 yards for a back-breaking touchdown, and a 190-yard rushing total in his second collegiate game.
“They,” Newton said, “just came out and made more big plays than us.”
Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.
