The University at Buffalo Bulls got a resounding victory in the 9th Bahamas Bowl, winning 26-7 over the Liberty University Flames at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas, on Saturday. The game attracted Bahamian fans and family members of players like Taji Johnson, whose 30-yard catch stood out in the match.

Johnson is a player of Bahamian roots, grandson of the late Bahamian journalist P. Anthony White.

Buffalo wrapped up an impressive turn-around season, finishing with a 9-4 win/loss record under first-year head coach Pete Lembo. The Bulls turned last season’s 3-9 record around, winning their fourth consecutive bowl game and also taking their second Bahamas Bowl victory – most in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate bowl game.

Lembo expressed gratitude. He said: “Very grateful to the team how they embraced me and embraced our new staff, and this has been a very close-knit football team, all of us in it together, and it shows with the result.” Buffalo became the first team to win the Bahamas Bowl twice.

Kicker Upton Bellenfan played a pivotal role, scoring four field goals. He kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal in the first quarter, followed by successful kicks from 42 and 20 yards. This gave Buffalo a 9-0 lead at halftime.

Running back Al-Jay Henderson rushed 21 times for 119 yards. He scored a 45-yard touchdown on the first possession of the second half, increasing the lead to 16-0. Henderson became the 11th player in Buffalo’s program history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

Quarterback C.J. Ogbonna finished 9-for-19 for 137 yards. Victor Snow caught four balls for 41 yards. Henderson caught two passes for 36 yards. Johnson, the player with Bahamian roots, was held to just one catch for 30 yards, and Lamar Sperling caught one pass for 28 yards.

Bellenfan missed a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter but later connected from 45 yards. This marked the first time the sophomore hit four field goals in a single game.

Linebacker Red Murdock led Buffalo’s defense with 13 tackles and a key interception. He intercepted a pass from Nate Hampton and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 26-0. This was the Bulls’ defense’s third takeaway of the game.

Liberty, with an 8-4 record, participated in their sixth consecutive bowl game but are winless from 2021. They scored in the fourth quarter after a 75-yard drive concluded with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Hampton to Reese Smith.

Buffalo maintained control in the final minutes, running out the last seven minutes of the game and advancing to Liberty’s three-yard line.

Liberty’s quarterbacks faced challenges. Hampton completed two of nine passes for 40 yards in the fourth quarter. Ryan Burger completed four of 12 passes for 40 yards through the first three quarters.

Buffalo’s dominant performance in the Bahamas Bowl capped off a successful season and can be seen as a strong foundation for future achievements under Coach Lembo’s leadership.