UB 30, TEMPLE 28: ROOSEVELT COMES DOWN WITH IMPROBABLE HAIL-MARY GRAB AS TIME EXPIRES
Coming up roses
Drew Willy’s right arm released the most important pass in the history of University at Buffalo football, a toss that will grow in legend and length around Western New York as the story is handed down through the years.
There, reaching for the momentous toss, amid the flailing arms of Temple defenders, Naaman Roosevelt secured for himself a piece of legend right alongside Willy, and, not incidentally, the football.
Willy, Roosevelt and the Bulls will be dazed by the last second chain of events that enabled UB to stagger out of UB Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a 30-28 victory in front of 18,333.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime play,” said Willy, who finished with a career- best 348 yards passing and three touchdowns. “I’m just glad I was a part of it.”
The clocked glowed 0:00 with Willy bouncing up and down and hoping — praying — that someone in a blue jersey came down with the football. It traveled 35 yards toward a tangled web of Temple defensive backs. And then, before the ball hit the turf Roosevelt, the St. Joe’s product, wound up at the bottom of an elated and victorious pile of Bulls.
“When I was on the ground and they were biting, poking me and trying to grab it,” Roosevelt said. “That’s when I knew I had it.”
Flutie to Phelan. Stewart to Westbrook. More over fellas, you have company.
“As I let it go and it got closer and closer I was like, ‘He’s about to catch this,’ ” Willy said. “It’s a great feeling.
My heart still hasn’t stopped racing.”
Said Roosevelt, who finished with eight receptions for 132 yards and the biggest touchdown of his life: “I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. Then I saw everybody run out on the field — I’m still in shock.”
The Pass, which saved UB from a crushing 28-24 defeat, is nothing special in itself. It was a simple Hail Mary that they practice each week. How many times the play works is up for debate. Whatever the tag, the idea is a widespread fling-and-a-prayer, reserved for only the most frantic moments in college football.
Nearly 30 minutes after “the Pass,” Willy, Roosevelt and the rest of the Bulls were still in disbelief. The entire team ran in the end zone to celebrate with Roosevelt. So did the entire student section. It was a fitting ending on a weekend when the university celebrated its alumni football players.
“When the ball was in the air I was like, ‘When is it going to come down?’ ” said linebacker Justin Winters. “When he caught the ball I just ran on the field. That’s the only thing I thought to do and I did it. And the fans did it. Everybody did it.”
The Bulls’ primary topic of postgame conversation appeared to be Adam DiMichele’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Francis with 38 seconds left in the game that gave Temple a 28-24 lead.
“I knew our offense was going to come through,” Winters said. “I told the other defensive players to get up because we’re going to get it. We’re going to win this game.”
While the Temple sideline celebrated, coach Al Golden told his coaches on his headset, “It’s not over.”
UB caught a break when Temple’s Jeff Wathne kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Bulls first-and-10 from their own 40 with 38 seconds left. Enough time, Gill thought, for two tries into the end zone, maybe three.
Willy’s first pass was incomplete to Brett Hamlin and so was the second, but the Bulls caught another break when Temple’s John Haley was called for defensive holding, moving the ball to the 50. Willy found Roosevelt on a slant for 20 yards and then spiked the ball before completing an 11-yard strike to Gary Rice, who raced out of bounds. Wait a minute. Rice’s reception was wiped out by Brandon Thermilus’ illegal shift.
Time for one more play with five seconds left.
“Drew,” said quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett, “don’t throw it out of the end zone.”
Willy uncorked the Pass. Bulls win.
Golden, who had been prepared to talk about what a great road win this had been for Owls football, could only shake his head after his team fell to 1-2.
“We didn’t do our job,” said Golden, whose team dropped an overtime game to Connecticut last weekend. “We didn’t box out like we were supposed to. We’re supposed to have a jumper and we didn’t have a jumper in position. . . . They finished the game, we didn’t.”
Roosevelt said he had never caught a pass anything like it. Willy shared the same vision.
“It’s the most memorable play I’ve ever been a part of,” Willy said.
