The game kicked off with a surprising twist as the Zips took an early lead with a touchdown on their opening drive, thanks to a 29-yard pass from Ben Finley to Ahmarian Granger. However, Buffalo (5-4, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) quickly responded, scoring 38 unanswered points to secure their dominance.
Ogbonna brought the game level midway through the first quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass to JJ Jenkins. He later connected with Jake Orlando on a 2-yard touchdown to extend the Bulls’ lead to 24-7 by the second quarter’s midway mark.
Additionally, Jacquez Barksdale contributed with a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, while Al-Jay Henderson added a spectacular 45-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Ogbonna capped off the scoring spree with an 8-yard run late in the third, pushing the lead to 38-7.
The Zips did not go down without a fight, as Finley answered back with touchdown passes of 28 yards to Adrian Norton and another 25-yard strike, followed by a 28-yard connection with Kyan Mason. With two successful two-point conversions in the fourth quarter, the Zips (2-7, 1-4) managed to close the gap to 38-30 with just under five minutes remaining in the game.
After forcing the Bulls into a three-and-out, Akron appeared to have a chance to tie it, but a fumbled punt return allowed Buffalo to regain possession at the 22-yard line. They capitalized on this opportunity, as Upton Bellenfant nailed a 36-yard field goal to effectively seal the game.
In the contest, Ogbonna completed 17 of his 29 passes for 210 yards, while Henderson added a robust 107 yards on the ground. For the Zips, Finley amassed 354 passing yards, achieving four touchdown passes but also faced challenges with an interception and three sacks. The Zips struggled further, losing three fumbles and failing to convert on downs three times during the game.