Football team closes season with win at Buffalo

Thomas Gallick

The Kent State football team ended a disappointing season with a 24-21 win after stopping Buffalo’s comeback attempt inches short.

Senior linebacker Derek Burrell hit Buffalo wide receiver Brett Hamlin forcing a fumble into the Bulls own end zone for a touchback with less than two minutes remaining.

The Flashes (4-8, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory against the MAC East champions.

Senior quarterback Julian Edelman and junior running back Eugene Jarvis led a rushing attack that trampled the Buffalo defense all game. Edelman averaged 8.8 yards per carry and totaled 167 yards on the ground, while Jarvis rushed for 150 yards, including a touchdown, and a 6.8 yard per carry average.

Edelman also threw for one touchdown in his final game in a Kent State uniform, hitting sophomore tight end Jon Simpson for a 25-yard strike to take the lead for the final time. Edelman went 13-for-23 passing in the game with 114 total yards through the air.

With the win, the Flashes finish the season with one more win than the team had in the 2007 season and become the first MAC East team to defeat Buffalo this season.

Contact sports reporter Thomas Gallick at [email protected]