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Brown, UConn spoil Buffalo's bowl debut

Jan 4, 2009 - 6:00 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- In a spectacular season, Donald Brown saved his best for last.

Brown, the leading rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision, ran for 261 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries Saturday as Connecticut defeated Buffalo, 38-20, in the International Bowl.

Following the game, Brown announced he would give up his senior season at UConn to enter the NFL draft.

Saturday marked the second straight International Bowl in which a running back dominated. Last year, Rutgers' Ray Rice ran for a school-record 280 yards in a 52-30 win over Ball State.

UConn (8-5) overcame five turnovers - all in the first half - to spoil the bowl debut of Buffalo (8-6), which was coming off a 42-24 upset of then-unbeaten Ball State in the Mid-American Conference championship game.

It was the school's first MAC championship and marked the first time in program history it accepted an invitation to a bowl - a feat not lost on Buffalo coach Turner Gill.

"I'm proud of those guys, they have started a legacy," Gill said of his team, specifically the seniors. "They have left a legacy of expectation, an expectation of winning ... and that's what it's all about.

"They have set the tone, they have set the program - they have made this program nationally known, internationally known - and I'm proud of these young men."

Buffalo, which joined the FBS in 1999, had its first winning season since 1996. The Bulls' coach expects that success to continue.

"This is not going to be a one-year wonder at Buffalo," Gill said. "We are going to be challenging for championships every year. I look forward to that, and our players look forward to it."

It was a bizarre game as UConn quarterback Tyler Lorenzen did not complete his first pass until there was 5:22 remaining in the third quarter - a 4-yard touchdown strike to Steve Brouse that put the Huskies ahead for good at 24-20.

However, the Bulls were bullied by Brown, who finished the campaign with a school-record 2,083 yards.

UConn dominated the contest from the outset, outgaining Buffalo, 225-94, in the first half, and scored the game's final 28 points.

"Obviously, we didn't execute as well as we hoped for, but a lot of that has to do with Connecticut," Gill said. "They were the best football team today."

Lorenzen added a 15-yard TD run - his second of the game - to make it 31-20 with 4:44 remaining in the contest before Dahna Deleston returning an interception 100 yards to complete the scoring.

Buffalo stayed in the game because of the turnovers - two of which came on special teams - and held a 20-17 lead at halftime.

During a stretch of just over 5 1/2 minutes, the Bulls scored 17 straight points off three Huskies' fumbles.

UConn's Jasper Howard dropped a punt and kicked the ball into the end zone, where Buffalo's Anthony Long fell on it to tie the contest at 10-10 with 11:36 left in the half.

On UConn's ensuing possession, Lorenzen fumbled while getting sacked, leading to A.J. Principe's 29-yard field goal.

The Huskies continued to have trouble holding on to the ball as Robbie Frey fumbled at the 4-yard line. James Starks ran into the end zone on the next play, giving Buffalo a 20-10 advantage.

Lorenzen's 13-yard TD run pulled the Huskies within 20-17 at the intermission. UConn still trailed even though Brown rushed for 208 yards on 16 carries in the first half.