UB is defenseless without offense’s heroics
Nice players, Julian Edelman and Eugene Jarvis, the quarterback and tailback who fueled a dynamic Kent State offense to a 24-21 victory over UB at Friday afternoon.
But Edelman’s not Nate Davis, the electric Ball State QB with an Aplus arm. And Jarvis is not Lewis McQuale, the Cardinal who leads the conference in rushing. And that underscores what the Bulls will be up against in next week’s Mid-American Championship Game at Ford Field.
The offensive heroics UB rode while mounting a five-game winning streak diverted scrutiny from a defense that has been decidedly ordinary. The Bulls went into Friday ranked 11th out of 13 MAC teams in total defense, seventh in scoring defense. The “D” has had its moments — goal-line stands against Temple and Bowling Green come to mind — but the defense has also yielded points at many a key juncture, which is a main reason UB has so many dramatic comeback victories to its credit. They’ve all been the product of necessity.
The Bulls nearly buried the harsh truth about their defense for another week. It appeared the regular-season finale would be struck from the same mold used in so many UB victories this season when the Bulls marched from their own 22 to within a scant yard of the go-ahead touchdown. But receiver Brett Hamlin lost the ball at the 1 while stretching for the end zone, Kent State recovered, and the elusive Edelman secured the upset by breaking off a 13- yard gain on a third-and- 11 play with 1:34 remaining.
Banish the notion that UB, having already won the division and earned a bowl bid, was starving for motivation with so little at stake. All season long coach Turner Gill has accentuated the need to take care of business at UB Stadium. Establishing tradition remains a work in progress. What’s more, a victory on Senior Day would have guaranteed the Bulls (7-5, 5-3) a winning season. As it is now, they’ll either have to upset 15th-ranked Ball State or win their bowl game to avoid slipping back to a .500 finish.
Besides, if the Bulls had little to play for, what’s the explanation for Kent State bringing the kind of energy you’d expect to see in a season-opener? The Golden Flashes traveled on Thanksgiving. They were subjected to a windy and bitterly cold Buffalo day. And they were chasing nothing more than their fourth win in 12 games. But a signature victory it turned out to be, instilling hope for a program that returns nine starters on both sides of the ball next season.
UB had no answer for Edelman and Jarvis and an attack replete with speed and deft misdirection. Edelman, a senior, ran for 169 yards on 19 carries. Jarvis, a junior, picked up 160 yards on 22 carries, including touchdown runs of 50 and 12 yards. Most importantly, the Golden Flashes never turned the ball over against a team that ranks eighth nationally in turnover margin.
UB’s offense was up to the challenge after a languid first half in which Kent State built a 10-7 advantage. But every time the Bulls mounted a touchdown drive the Golden Flashes answered with one of their own. The first covered 75 yards. The second traveled 80 yards. Missed tackles plagued UB right to the end.
“If you don’t tackle well they’re going to make plays,” Gill said. “We always tell our guys you got to rally to the football, you got to be there, make great hits and finish the tackle.”
Nothing that happens from here will change the fact this has been a breakthrough season for UB football. There’s no taking away the MAC East title, or the school’s first postseason bowl bid in 50 years. Senior Drew Willy has rewritten the record book for UB quarterbacks. A pair of local juniors, wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt and running back James Starks, both set positional single-season yardage records in the defeat. All three will be adding to those numbers in the two remaining starts.
But the MAC title game is six days away and one has to wonder whether this UB defense has the ability to contain a Ball State attack in which Lewis has rushed for 17 touchdowns, in which Davis has thrown for 24 touchdowns. Can the “D” find a way to keep it close while Willy & Co. try to navigate through the MAC’s second- ranked defense? Is UB’s skin-of-the- teeth approach enough to overcome a Ball State team outscoring opponents by almost 20 points a game.
We’re soon to find out but one thing’s for certain. If the Buffalo defense doesn’t raise its level of play the Bulls could be looking at a long night at Ford Field.
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