In their first conference matchup of the 2024-25 season, UB (3-1, 1-0 MAC) upset the No. 23 ranked Northern Illinois Huskies (2-1, 0-1 MAC) 23-20 on Saturday after overtime, securing the program’s second ever victory over a ranked opponent.
After NIU had recorded an upset of their own two weeks prior against the previously top-10 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-1, 0-0 FBS I), the Huskies were the heavy favorites to win against UB. But late-game heroics proved to be the deciding factor in the Bulls’ fifth game of the season. The upset was Buffalo’s first win at Huskie Stadium since 2020.
Following UB’s shutout loss to Missouri, head coach Pete Lembo knew the team had to regroup to avoid a repeat of the disappointment.
“A loss is a loss,” Lembo said in a press conference following the first team practice after the defeat. “I don’t care if we’re playing the sixth ranked team in the country, we’re not going to be okay with that.”
Lembo’s words seemingly lit a fire under the Bulls, who showed a renewed determination and went on to defeat UMass before Saturday’s monumental win.
The path to victory was a difficult one for Buffalo. The first half saw the Bulls committing a litany of penalties, costing them 84 yards in total. Along with that, they also struggled to reach the first down marker consistently, causing the offense to remain stagnant. This ultimately contributed to their 14-3 deficit at halftime.
The second half was a different story
Senior quarterback C.J. Ogbonna ignited the Buffalo offense in the 3rd quarter with a deep 46-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Victor Snow, who beat out three NIU players to secure the six points. Later on, junior running back Al-Jay Henderson took advantage of a hole between blockers and scored from a 36-yard run, tying the game at 17. With the game now within reach, UB were now looking to find any way to take the lead.
That’s when graduate linebacker and team captain Shaun Dolac, who had been leading the game in tackles, intercepted a pass from NIU and used his old high school running back skills to carry the ball 53 yards down the field. This allowed redshirt sophomore kicker Upton Bellefant to add three more points on the board with a 42 yard field goal, the longest conversion so far in his collegiate career.
The lead didn’t last as NIU managed to tie the game with a field goal of their own in the last 30 seconds of regulation. After Dolac won the coin toss, he opted to let the Huskies have the first possession in overtime, proving to be the right decision. The game culminated in Bellefant scoring his third field goal of the day, giving UB the upset win.
The Bulls will look to ride the high as long as they can when Mid-American Conference (MAC) play continues. But they will first have to play a non-conference away game at UConn (2-2, 0-0 FBS I) next Saturday. Kick-off is set for 12 p.m.
Rodrigo Feijão is the senior sports editor and can be reached at rodrigo.feijao@ubspectrum.com
