BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ohio overcame three turnovers and held off Buffalo 31-26 to wrap up its regular season Friday afternoon at UB Stadium.

Parker Navarro rushed for 121 yards and Sieh Bangura 120 yards as the Bobcats racked up 359 of their 506 yards of offense on the ground and kept their faint chances at the Mid-American Conference championship game alive.

Ohio (8-4, 6-2 MAC) led 21-7 at halftime and 28-13 entering the fourth quarter. Buffalo (5-7, 4-4 MAC) had a chance at a winning touchdown after getting the ball back with 20 seconds left but did not threaten.

"For our program, players and staff, some things we talked about are playing for as long as it takes to win and leaving no doubt," head Brian Smith said. "I thought that our kids did that, they played the entire game as hard as they could and it took that long to win this game."

In order to have a shot at defending last season’s MAC championships, the Bobcats need Miami to lose to Ball State and for Toledo to least to Central Michigan on Saturday.

The Bobcats took the lead on a Navarro 11-yard touchdown pass to Mason Williams. It came after the defense stopped Buffalo’s Victor Snow for a loss on fourth-and-2 from just across midfield. The Bulls had good field position in the first place after Jalen McNair recovered a Navarro fumble.

Kobi Blackwell intercepted Navarro and returned it to the Ohio 11-yard line to set up Buffalo’s only points of the first half. Ta’Quan Roberson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chance Morrow to tie the game at 7 with 12:16 left in the first half.

Jake Bruno went 48 yards to Buffalo’s 10 yard-line on a fake punt on a fourth-and-4 play, and that led to a Bangura 1-yard touchdown lead that put the Bobcats in front 14-7.

Navarro gained 26 yards on fourth-and-1 on the next drive, and on the next play, Navarro threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Chase Hendricks to push the lead to 21-7.

Ohio had a chance to add to its lead before halftime, getting a 41-yard completion to Hendricks and then a 14-yard completion to Caleb Gossett. However, Bangura fumbled at the end of a 24-yard run, and Oliver Bridges recovered at the Bobcats 3 to keep it a two-score game.

The Bulls took advantage on the opening drive of the second half, using a 46-yard completion from Roberson to Nik McMillan to set up an Al-Jay Henderson 23-yard touchdown run. The conversion failed, and the Bobcats led 21-13.

Duncan Brune rushed for a 20-yard gain on the next offensive play to help Ohio respond. Navarro and Hendricks hooked up for a 10-yard gain on a fourth-and-4 play, and Navarro ran for a 6-yard touchdown on third-and-4 to make it a 28-13 game.

David Dellenbach missed a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter, and Buffalo used a 58-yard completion to Snow to set up a Roberson 5-yard touchdown run. The conversion pass failed again, leaving it a two-score game at 28-19 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

After a Mangus Haines punt pinned Buffalo at the 1, Kendall Bannister intercepted Roberson early on the next possession, and that set up a Dellenbach 33-yard field goal that made it 31-19 with 5:24 to remain.

A quick response gave the Bulls a chance. Roberson threw a 29-yard completion to McMillan and then a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jasaiah Gathings, making it five-point game with still 3:47 left.

Bangura picked up one first down on a third-and-3 run, and that helped the Bobcats run out the majority of the remaining time. The Bulls took over at their own 12-yard line after another good Haines punt. They got a 17-yard gain to Snow on the first play and then spiked the ball. After two more incompletions, Roberson completed to McMillan, but he was talked near midfield to end the game.

Roberson went 16-of-27 passing for 270 yards. McMillan caught five passes for 122 yards and Snow four for 82 yards, but the Bulls managed just 100 yards on the ground.

It was not a great passing day for Navarro, who was 10 of 23 for 147 yards, but Hendricks had his biggest game in a while with five catches for 92 yards. Brune had 69 yards on his 12 carries.

Ohio will await its MAC championship and bowl fate to find out when it plays next.