Last year’s meeting between Buffalo and Miami ultimately decided the Mid-American Conference East title. It was an offensive battle, with the two teams locked in a 42-all tie after three quarters. UB managed nine fourth quarter points while holding the RedHawks scoreless over the final stanza to post a 51-42 victory.
Both teams have lost much of . . .
Saturday, Sept. 28 -- Noon ET
Yager Stadium -- Oxford, OH
ESPNU
Series: Miami leads 14-7
Beyond the score, MU exacerbated its already troublesome injury situation. This week’s two-deep might be something of wish list, with even freshman quarterback Brett Gabbert joining a long list of wounded.
Buffalo, meanwhile, will need to keep its focus on the wounded RedHawks and not look ahead to a huge home matchup against preseason MAC favorite Ohio Oct. 5.
ABOUT BUFFALO
-- The 2019 Bulls lost two of their top performers from last year’s win over Miami. QB Tyree Jackson passed for three touchdowns and ran for another three. He left school early and is now with the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.
Wide receiver Anthony Johnson caught eight passes for 238 yards and scored three TDs against the RedHawks. He is now on the practice squad for the Los Angeles Chargers.
-- The Bulls did return a solid front, and that has been a key as the Bulls rank second among MAC teams in rushing (223.0 ypg). They are also stout against the run, topping the conference with a super-stingy 83.2 ypg allowance for opposing rushers. The Bulls are also No. 1 in total defense (321.8 ypg).
-- UB is allowing 28.0 ppg, second among MAC teams.
-- The Bulls out-rushed Temple last week 217-31. Jaret Patterson led the way for UB, carrying 27 times for 133 yards, with two TDs, while Kevin Marks made 22 trips with a total of 72 yards and one score.
-- Quarterback Matt Myers completed 9 of 15 attempts, averaging just 4.1 yards per completion against Temple. He was intercepted once. The freshman has completed 50.6 percent of his attempts in 2019. He has contributed five TDs, while getting picked twice.
-- Junior Antonio Nunn leads Buffalo receives with 12 catches. His top game was against Penn State when he had five receptions for 113 yards.
-- Safeties Joey Banks and Tyrone Hill are the Bulls leading tacklers, registering 24 and 23, respectively. Banks also has one interception, which he returned 46 yards for a score.
-- Buffalo broke the Temple game open by scoring 31 straight points (24 in the second quarter). All four touchdowns came on runs of seven yards or less, and Jackson Balter opened the blitz with a 52-yard field goal.
-- Buffalo was able to take advantage of four Temple turnovers. Two of the Bulls second quarter TDs capped drives covering less than 20 yards.
-- After opening the year with a 38-10 victory over Robert Morris, Buffalo fell to No. 15 Penn State (45-13) and Liberty (35-17). The Bulls have won both their home games and lost both their road tilts.
ABOUT MIAMI
-- The RedHawks opened 2019 with a 38-14 loss at No. 20 Iowa, which has since moved up to No. 14. Miami’s lone home contest to date was a 48-17 victory over Tennessee Tech. Before last week’s lopsided loss to Ohio State, the RedHawks fell at rival Cincinnati 35-13.
-- True freshman Brett Gabbert has completed 42 of 77 attempts (54.5%), good for 529 yards and two touchdowns. He has been intercepted twice and sacked seven times behind a now injury-riddled line.
Sophomore Jackson Williamson has seen very limited action (six pass attempts). He was sacked several times last week against OSU and fumbled twice when hit while passing.
-- Junior RB Jaylon Bester has yet to get back into a game following an injury at Iowa in Week One.
Tyree Shelton, Maurice Thomas and Davion Johnson have combined for 85 carries and 293 yards with three scores.
-- Jack Sorenson tops receivers with 11 catches (96 yards, 1 TD). Sophomore Jalen Walker is averaging 28.3 ypc, but he has just four receptions. Luke Mayock and tight end Andrew Homer are two of the more experienced targets on the RedHawk roster, but they have also been battling injuries.
-- Miami’s defense has acquitted itself well at times, but has also been susceptible to what head coach Chuck Martin calls “chunk plays.” He recently noted that one of the team’s challenges is to avoid giving up such long gainers, which have sometimes kept the defense on the field and sometimes resulted in quick opponent scores.
-- Sterling Wetherford, a 6-4, 218-pound sophomore DB, leads MU with 26tackles, followed by linebacker Myles Reid (22) and DB Bart Baratti (20). Doug Costin is a key defender up front.