The UMass football team had finally built a long drive. 

After 70 yards of hard work, mostly through the running game, the Minutemen had a third-and-goal chance. Trailing 20-3 in the closing seconds of the third quarter, a touchdown could bring them back within striking distance of Buffalo.

But then it all fell apart.

Taisun Phommachanh’s lob into the back of the end zone was easily intercepted by Marquis Cooper, who raced down the sideline for a 106-yard touchdown and a 14-point swing, turning almost-certain UMass points into a 27-3 lead for the host Bulls.

Cooper’s interception provided the exclamation point on another poor UMass performance, as the Minutemen were held without a touchdown and blanked 24-0 in the second half. In the first 40 minutes of games this season, UMass has been edged by its opponents 37-26. In the final 20 minutes, UMass has been blown out 56-14, with both of those Minutemen touchdowns occurring in the final three minutes of games where they were already down multiple possessions.

“We’ve just got to provide the gameplan, and then they’ve got to go out and execute the gameplan,” UMass head coach Don Brown said Monday, his voice raising to an all-caps level, emphasizing the verbs, and especially, his final point. 

“And finish the game.”

Though UMass has not led in any game this season, it hasn’t exactly been blown out from the opening whistle, either. In week one against Eastern Michigan, UMass led an impressive drive down the field to open the second half and cut the deficit to 14-7.

In week two, also on their first possession of the second half, the Minutemen drove down into Toledo’s redzone with a chance to take the lead, though they ultimately settled for a short field goal that brought them within one point.

And on Saturday, UMass trailed just 10-3 and had the ball with 5:51 left in the third quarter. Brown called it “anyone’s game” at that point.

But like it had in week one and week two, it all began to unravel for UMass, thanks to the usual suspects – penalties and explosive plays.

Punting from his own 11-yard line, CJ Kolodziey’s punt only went 35 yards and was returned by Buffalo for 11 yards – a net of just 24. Add on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty – one of three UMass personal fouls – and Buffalo started its next drive on UMass’ 20-yard line. Two plays later, the Bulls were in the end zone.

The following drive, Buffalo’s pick-six put the game out of reach. And Buffalo added another touchdown when it got the ball back next, a 13-play, 75-yarder that took 8 minutes, 7 seconds off the clock.

“We showed a little wear and tear there, and we’ve got to make sure, like I mentioned, finish the game,” Brown said, rapping his hand on the press conference table with each of his last three words to emphasize the message.

Through all three games, it’s seemed as though anytime UMass has gotten a shred of momentum, it’s been ripped right back. 

After UMass scored on its opening possession of the second half against Eastern Michigan, the Eagles scored on three straight drives, putting the game out of reach before UMass could score a garbage-time touchdown.

Against Toledo, UMass’ longest two drives of the day – an 11-play touchdown drive in the second quarter and a 17-play field goal drive in the third quarter – were followed shortly thereafter by one-play Toledo scores, one a 98-yard kickoff return and one a 73-yard pass.

“We can’t have that long pass play. We can’t have the flags,” safety Tyler Rudolph said. “Those kill us. And like Coach Brown always says, we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. And I feel like these past few weeks, that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Rudolph contended that the margin of victory has been defined by just a few plays from the opponent each week.

But through three weeks – and three double-digit losses – UMass hasn’t gotten particularly close to Brown’s end-goal.

Finishing the game.