Miami University
Buffalo
Miami Becomes First MAC Team To Reach 600 Wins
10/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct 6, 2001
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) - Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and Eddie Tillitz returned a punt 80 yards for a score as Miami beat Buffalo 31-14 Saturday to became the first Mid-American Conference school to reach 600 victories.
Roethlisberger, a red-shirt freshman, connected with Matt Brandt on a 1-yard play for a touchdown, and with Steve Little on an 18-yard play for another score. Little also scored on a 4-yard run.
Jared Parseghian added a 34-yard field goal, the first this season by Miami (3-2, 2-0 MAC).
Buffalo (1-4, 0-3) scored on a 9-yard pass from Joe Freedy to Chad Bartoszek and a 5-yard run by Marquis Dwarte. Freedy's touchdown pass was the 26th of his career, moving him into fifth place on the Buffalo list.
Roethlisberger was 23-of-30 for 212 yards. He has thrown for nine touchdowns this season, with at least one in each of his five starts.
Miami's 31 points was a season high.
The RedHawks are 4-0 against Buffalo, which has won only two MAC games since joining the conference in 1999.
Buffalo vs. Miami Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001 Oxford, OH - Yager Stadium
Miami Notes * The win marked Miami's 600th victory, making the RedHawks just the 22nd school to achieve the feat. Miami is the first Mid-American Conference program to reach 600.
* Miami tallied three red zone touchdowns versus a Buffalo red-zone defense that had surrendered just one red-zone touchdown in its previous 12 attempts and only three in its first four games.
* The RedHawks led 14-7 at halftime, marking their first halftime lead in five games this season.
* Miami's 31 points were the most scored by the RedHawks since last season's 51-31 loss at Marshall on Nov. 11, 2000.
* Freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a first-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Matt Brandt and has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of his first five career starts. Roethlisberger, who finished with 212 yards passing and two touchdowns, has thrown nine touchdown passes this season to six different receivers.
* Brandt's one-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the first by a RedHawk tight end this season and the first Miami touchdown ever tallied by a Canadian. Brandt is a native of Toronto, Ontario.
* Senior tailback Steve Little hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger in the second half to record his first career touchdown reception and become the third different Miami running back to score a touchdown this season. It was the first touchdown reception by a Miami back this season. Little finished the game with 118 rushing and receiving yards and both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
* Redshirt freshman kicker Jared Parseghian, the great nephew of college football coaching legend and former Miami player and coach Ara Parseghian, booted a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter. The field goal was the first of Parseghian's career and the first by Miami this season.
* Junior Eddie Tillitz recorded his third career punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter, galloping 80 yards on the return. He nearly broke loose on a 32-yard return in the second quarter. The current MAC single-game record-holder for punt return yardage in a single game (162 yards vs. Eastern Michigan, 9/9/2000), Tillitz finished the day with 124 punt return yards.
Buffalo Notes
* Buffalo quarterback Joe Freedy, making his third start against Miami, threw for 194 yards, a personal best against the RedHawks. His 40 passing attempts matched a season-high.
* Freedy hooked up with Chard Bartoszek for a nine-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, marking the second consecutive game in which the two connected on a score. The touchdown pass was the 26th of Freedy's career and moved him into sole possession of fifth-place on the Bulls' career chart.
