Mid-American Conference college football bettors witnessed one of the worst bad beats of the year on Wednesday night when Buffalo visited South Florida to play Miami of Ohio.
The Bulls entered the game as 7.5-point underdogs and had a solid shot at covering the spread with a little over three minutes left.
But that’s when things went off the rails.
On second down and 15 with 3:04 on the clock in the fourth quarter, Buffalo quarterback Cole Snyder hit wide receiver Marlyn Johnson with a pass around their own 40-yard line with the Bulls down 23-10.
Johnson broke a tackle just after the catch and then was off to the races with no one between him and Miami’s end zone.
Less than five yards from the end zone, Johnson was hit from behind by Michael Dowell of the RedHawks, who knocked the ball loose mere steps before he could cross the goal line, snuffing out the touchdown.
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The ball bounced around the end zone before one of Johnson’s teammates, Darrell Harding Jr., recovered it, but instead of staying inbounds for the touchdown, Harding Jr. stepped out out of bounds as he laid down on the ball, turning the play into a touchback.
The nightmare of a play kept Miami on top 23-10, and it would run out the clock to end the game at that score, giving the RedHawks the win and cover.