End zone interception ends Ohio comeback

Published 12:59 am Saturday, November 25, 2017

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tyree Jackson threw a pair of touchdown passes and Khalil Hodge had an interception in the end zone with 1:20 left to help Buffalo seal a 31-24 victory over Ohio on Friday.
Buffalo (6-6, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) has won three straight to become bowl eligible for just the third time since joining the FBS in 1999. Anthony Johnson caught 18 passes for 155 yards and two scores for the Bulls.  Emmanuel Reed scored on a 1-yard touchdown that broke a 24-24 tie with 8:35 remaining.
Nathan Rourke threw for 265 yards and a touchdown, and ran for two more scores to lead Ohio (8-4, 5-3), which has lost two straight.
Rourke drove the Bobcats to the Buffalo 7 with 2:12 to play but on fourth-and-12, he scrambled to the right and attempted to connect with Andrew Meyer in the end zone, but Hodge won the jump ball to seal it.
Jackson threw touchdown passes of 31 and 54 yards to Johnson in the first quarter. Charles Harris returned a Rourke fumble 20 yards for a score, and Adam Mitcheson’s 49-yard field goal gave the Bulls a 24-7 lead in first quarter.

Ohio U. Stats
Ohio        7    3    14    0    =    24
Buffalo     24    0    0    7    =    31
First Quarter
BUF—Johnson 31 pass from Jackson (Mitcheson kick), 12:18.
BUF—Harris 20 fumble return (Mitcheson kick), 11:28.
OHI—Rourke 7 run (Zervos kick), 3:42.
BUF—Johnson 54 pass from Jackson (Mitcheson kick), 2:11.
BUF—FG 49 Mitcheson, 0:00.
Second Quarter
OHI—FG 44 Zervos, 0:36.
Third Quarter
OHI—Rourke 1 run (Zervos kick), 6:05.
OHI—Odom 57 pass from Rourke (Zervos kick), 0:53.
Fourth Quarter
OHI—Reed 1 run (Mitcheson kick), 8:10.
A—12,273.
———
OHI    BUF
First downs    20    16
Rushes-yards    43-159    26-56
Passing    265    294
Comp-Att-Int    15-30-1    19-30-0
Return Yards    25    105
Punts-Avg.    6-0.0    6-0.0
Fumbles-Lost    1-1    0-0
Penalties-Yards    4-30    4-39
Time of Possession    35:52    24:08
———
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Ohio, Ross 19-81, Rourke 16-49, Burroughs 4-11, Ouellette 2-9, Fox 1-5, Maxwell 1-4. Buffalo, Reed 18-63, T.Anderson 3-6, Osborn 1-3, (Team) 2-(minus 2), T.Jackson 2-(minus 14).
PASSING—Ohio, Rourke 15-30-1-265. Buffalo, T.Jackson 19-30-0-294.
RECEIVING—Ohio, White 5-49, M.Morgan 3-49, Marhefka 3-35, Odom 2-85, Meyer 1-40, Burroughs 1-7. Buffalo, A.Johnson 6-155, Holsey 5-77, Mabry 3-16, Eiland 2-23, Osborn 2-15, Reed 1-8.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

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