Akron, OH -- (Sports Network) - A.J. Principe's 40-yard field goal in the fourth overtime session proved to be the game-winner as the Buffalo Bulls defeated the Akron Zips, 43-40, in Mid-American Conference play at the Rubber Bowl.

Principe booted three field goals on the night, none more important than his last as the Bulls (6-4, 4-2 MAC) assumed solo possession of first place in the East Division.

James Sparks contributed to the victory with his game-high 151 yards and three touchdowns on a career-high 37 carries, while Drew Willy converted 27- of-39 passing for 252 yards and a score.

The Zips (5-5, 3-3) were paced by Dennis Kennedy, who posted 142 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while adding another 121 yards and a score on five receptions. Quarterback Chris Jacquemain connected on 20-of-38 passing for a season-high 295 yards and a pair of TDs in the setback.

Buffalo moved out to a 10-0 lead in the final game at the Rubber Bowl, as Willy found Naaman Roosevelt with a 24-yard TD strike at the 9:36 mark of the first period. A 28-yard field goal by Principe four minutes later added to the advantage.

Just 15 seconds after Principe's first successful kick of the night, Jacquemain found Kennedy with a 57-yard scoring pass to cut the deficit to 10-7.

Starks tallied a touchdown late in the second quarter on a three-yard run for the Bulls, but with time winding down in the first half Akron kicker Igor Iveljic's 49-yard effort made the score 17-10 in favor of the visitors at the break.

Kennedy's 24-yard TD run in the third quarter was the only scoring of the period and knotted the score at 17-17.

Starks and Kennedy both tallied rushing TDs in the fourth, the first being a five-yard effort by the Buffalo running back, and the other a one-yard score by Kennedy to tie the contest at 24-24 with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation.

The teams matched TDs in the first overtime period as Willy ran into the end zone from a yard out for the Bulls, and Jacquemain hit Dashan Miller with a four-yard effort to push the game into a second extra frame locked at 31-31.

Akron's possession in the second OT resulted in a 42-yard field goal by Iveljic, while Buffalo picked up a 23-yard kick by Principe.

The third overtime again saw Starks and Kennedy scoring for their respective teams, both on one-yard efforts to make the score 40-40 after both teams failed on their two-point conversions, setting up the winning kick by Principe moments later.

Buffalo produced 476 yards of total offense and controlled the ball for more than 38 minutes on the night.

The four-overtime affair was the first in school history and the first overtime loss ever for Akron.