UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
Buffalo (7-1, 4-0 MAC) vs. Miami (3-5, 3-1 MAC)October 30, 2018UB Stadium – 8:00 pm
Radio:
Rochester – Fox Sports 1280
Storylines• The Bulls are 7-1 for the first time since the 1959 season. The last time Buffalo started a season 8-1 was also 1959.
• A win over Miami would be Buffalo’s eighth win of the season – tying the record for most wins in its FBS era (since 1999).
• Buffalo looks to improve to 5-0 in MAC play for the first time since 2013.
• Miami (OH) leads the all-time series, 14-6. The Bulls have won four of the last six meetings.
• Khalil Hodge‘s next tackle will be his 100th of the season – making him just the second player in school history to post three 100-tackle seasons (Davonte Shannon was the other). Hodge would become the first player in school history to have three straight 100-tackle seasons.
• Khalil Hodge‘s next tackle will be his 377th, moving him past Pete Conley (1992-95) for fourth in school history in career tackles.
• Adam Mitcheson (44) is tied with A.J. Principe (44) for the school record for career field goals. His next made field goal will give him the record outright.
• Anthony Johnson‘s next touchdown catch will be the 20th of his career – making him just the third player in school history to register 20 TD receptions. Alex Neutz holds the school record with 31 and Naaman Roosevelt had 28.
• The Bulls have won 10 of their last 11 games dating back to last season.
• The Bulls are bowl eligible for just the fourth time in school history. UB was also bowl eligible in 2008, 2013 and 2017.
The University at Buffalo football team will host Miami (OH) on Tuesday night with first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division on the line. The Bulls are 7-1 overall, 4-0 in the MAC and are coming off a 31-17 win at Toledo last Saturday. Jaret Patterson rushed for 90 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the Bulls erase a 10-point deficit.
D-Fense
The Bulls have used stout defense to win their last two games. In a 24-6 win over Akron, Buffalo didn’t allow a touchdown for the first time since the 2013 season. In fact, the Zips didn’t even enter the redzone, getting no closer than the UB 27-yard line.
Os-born to Run
K.J. Osborn is enjoying the best season of his career. He leads the Bulls with 40 catches for 696 yards and six touchdowns. He has already supassed his receiving yardage total from his first two seasons combined (598).He was recently added to the Biletnikoff Watch List – an award given to the nation’s top receiver.
Take Your Pick
The Bulls lead the MAC and rank eighth in the nation with 11 interceptions, their most since have 13 in 2015. Buffalo had a season-best four picks at Central Michigan. It was the most in a game since picking off four passes against Ohio in 2015.
Hodge Ball
Khalil Hodge now has 99 tackles on the season which is sixth in the nation. His next tackle will give him 100 for the year, making him just the second player in school history to have three seasons of 100 tackles or more (Davonte Shannon, 2007-10, was the other). He would become the first player in school history to post three straight seasons of 100+ tackles.
Young Guns
A pair of freshmen have emerged as the Bulls top running backs this season. Redshirt-freshman Kevin Marks leads Buffalo with 579 yards and seven touchdowns while true freshman Jaret Patterson is second with 498 yards and seven scores. Buffalo is the only team in the nation with two freshmen with seven rushing touchdowns this season.
Many Happy Returns
Let’s Go Bowling
With a 7-1 record, the Bulls are bowl eligible for the fourth time in school history. Buffalo was also bowl eligible in 2008, 2013 and 2017. The Bulls have won six or more games in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1983 and 1984 campaigns, when they won eight and six games, respectively.
Marks and Recreation
Kevin Marks is emerging as Buffalo’s top running back after posting his best performance of the season at Central Michigan. The redshirt-freshman running back rushed for a career-high 167 yards and a touchdown against the Chippewas.
Sack Lunch
The Bulls have done a great job getting to the quarterback this season. UB already has 19 sacks on the year, matching its total from all of last season. The Bulls have been especially effective rushing the edge as defensive ends Chuck Harris (6), Taylor Riggins (4) and Myles Nicholas (3) lead the team in sacks.
Road Warriors
The Bulls have won all four road games this season (Temple Rutgers, CMU & Toledo) and have won five straight road games dating back to last year. The Bulls have won seven of their last nine road games. UB’s win at Toledo was its fourth straight road win of the season, marking the first time since the 1986 season the Bulls have accomplished the feat.
Long Way Home
The Bulls have been using big plays to find the endzone this season. 15 of the Bulls’ 38 touchdowns on the year have been at least 22 yards. The Bulls have scored touchdowns of 22, 25, 27, 29, 32, 32, 33, 34, 42, 42, 53, 53, 70, 70 and 75 yards over the first eight games.
T3
Quarterback Tyree Jackson is off to a blistering start to the season, having already thrown 20 touchdowns, eight more than he did all of last season. He already ranks fourth in school history for single-season passing touchdowns.
Chuck Waggin
Chuck Harris continues to develop into a monster edge rusher for the Bulls. Over the last nine games, Harris has eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Not bad for a young man who only started playing football his junior year of high school.
The Kids Are Alright
While many will credit the Bulls’ hot start to their seasoned veterans, you can’t discredit the play of the youngsters. Nearly half of Buffalo’s 36 touchdowns (17) on the season have been scored by freshmen.
Senior cornerback Cameron Lewis had a career-best two interceptions in the Bulls’ win over Temple. He became the first UB player to intercept two passes in a game since Okezie Alozie had two picks against Ohio in 2015. Lewis has three interceptions on the season and five for his career.
Bulls Make History in Piscataway
Buffalo defeated Rutgers, 42-13, on Sept. 22 at HighPoint.com Stadium for its first-ever win over a team from the Big Ten Conference. The Bulls were 0-7 against Big Ten opponents prior to Saturday’s win. It was also UB’s first win over an opponent from a Power 5 conference. Buffalo’s win over Rutgers was one of the largest by a MAC school over a Big Ten opponent in conference history.
Largest point differential in MAC win over Big 10 Opponent:
31 points – Toledo 38-7 win over Minnesota (8/30/01)
31 points – NIU 55-24 win at Purdue on (9/28/13)
30 points – Miami 44-14 win at Northwestern (9/13/03)
29 points – Buffalo 42-13 win at Rutgers on (9/22/18)
AJ is OK
Not many players in school history made a bigger impact in their first season with the UB football program than wide receiver Anthony Johnson did in 2017.
Mitch Perfect
It’s All RelativeThe UB football team features a pair of players related to two of the top five picks in the 2014 NFL Draft. Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson is the cousin of top pick Jadeveon Clowney. Junior defensive end Ledarius Mack is the younger brother of former UB All-American and fifth pick Khalil Mack.
10-Year Anniversary of MAC Championship
The 2018 season marks the 10-year anniversary of the Bulls’ 2008 MAC Championship – UB’s first and only football conference title. After a 7-5 regular season, the Bulls stunned 12th-ranked Ball State, 42-24, in the title game. Buffalo went on to play Connecticut in the International Bowl – its first-ever bowl game.
