AMHERST, N.Y. -- The wait is finally over for Buffalo.

Nearly a season and a half's worth of frustration came to an end as the Bulls snapped an 18-game losing streak -- the nation's longest -- with a 26-17 comeback win over Ohio on Saturday.

Dallas Pelz kicked four field goals and P.J. Piskorik ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown for Buffalo (1-8, 1-4 Mid-American Conference).

"It's the best feeling in the world," Piskorik said. "We put in so many hours -- when you get a victory, there are no words to describe exactly how it feels."

Buffalo's struggling Division I-A football program had become the brunt of jokes from fans, students and local media. They were even highlighted on ESPN.com's "Bottom 10."

They lost to all kinds of opponents, including Mid-American Conference power Miami of Ohio and Division I-AA Colgate.

The Bulls had been close, at times so close. They led Ohio 32-31 last season before the Bobcats kicked a game-winning field goal in the closing moments. Last week they gave MAC heavyweight Marshall all it could handle before losing 26-16.

"I don't think very many people, and to a degree not many players don't understand what goes on and how hard it is what we were in the middle of," said Buffalo coach Jim Hofher. "It's unbelievable credit to a group of young people who just kept working and kept believing in something."

Buffalo rallied from a 14-0 deficit. Piskorik connected with Matt Kneuven on a 58-yard TD in the second quarter -- Buffalo's longest pass play of the season -- and Pelz kicked a 21-yard field goal in the third to pull the Bulls within 14-10.

Buffalo then scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth. Pelz kicked field goals of 33, 34 and 24 yards, while Piskorik had a 6-yard TD run. Pelz's four field goals tied a career high.

The Buffalo defense forced four Ohio turnovers while harassing quarterback Ryan Hawk all game. Hawk was just 9-for-24 for 77 yards after taking over for starter Fred Ray.

Ray scored Ohio's first touchdown on a 14-yard first quarter run, then hooked up with Ray Huston for a 28-yard TD before leaving in the second quarter with a bruised right shoulder.

Buffalo's Dave Dawson rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries, including a 50-yard run that set up the game-tying field goal.

Buffalo held Ohio to just 27 rushing yards in the second half as the Bobcats failed on two fourth down conversion attempts.

Buffalo's last win came Sept. 7, 2002, defeating Rutgers 34-11, while their MAC win also came against Ohio, 44-0, on Nov. 3, 2001.

"We got a monkey off our back," said Buffalo linebacker Mark Graham, who recorded a career-high 15 tackles. "We really needed this. The guys came out and busted their humps."

Originally published Sunday, October 26, 2003