Dix Stadium – Kent, Ohio
CBSSN
By EVAN MEYER
THE SERIES: Saturday’s game marks the 27th lifetime meeting between the two schools, with the Bulls holding a slim 14-12 advantage. UB has won three of the last four meetings in the series, including last season’s meeting in western New York, 70-41.
This will be the 15th lifetime meeting in Kent, with Buffalo winning six of the last seven meetings at Dix Stadium. It holds an 8-6 edge. KSU’s last win in the series was November 14, 2019, 30-27.
BUFFALO BULLS (2-2, 0-1 MAC):
>> Last Saturday, UB opened MAC play at home, falling to the Western Michigan Broncos, 30-27.
It was a game that saw the home team hold a 10-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Broncos scored 17 unanswered points. The big play was a 64-yard touchdown from QB Kaleb Elerby to WR Skyy Moore.
>> RB Ron Cook led the Buffalo ground attack with 56-yards. Fifty-five came on a touchdown run in the first quarter. Senior QB Kyle VanTrease was 12-for-22 passing for 151 yards. He also rushed for a score late in the fourth quarter. Graduate transfer Quian Williams led he receivers with six catches for 119 yards. Overall, the Bulls offense was held to 288 total yards their lowest in 2021.
>> The UB defense notched three sacks, a forced fumble, and five pass breakups. It was led by senior LB James Patterson, who had 14 total tackles (five solo). Patterson was one of five Bulls defenders who had 10 or more tackles in the contest.
>> Buffalo split its four non-conference games with wins over Wagner (FCS) and Old Dominion, while losing to Nebraska and nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina.
>> UB's first-year head coach is Maurice Lindquist, who took over for Lance Leipold after the Bulls win over Marshall in the Camellia Bowl. Leipold took the head coaching job at Kansas.
Lindquist came from Michigan where he was Jim Harbaugh’s defensive back’s coach and co-defensive coordinator. However, Lindquist previoustly had two seasons at UB from 2012-13, where he was the defensive backs coach. A graduate of Baylor, Lindquist has had coaching stints at Valdosta State (D II), James Madison (FCS), Iowa State, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and the NFL Dallas Cowboys.
>> The loss to WMU ended the Bulls nine-game winning streak in regular season MAC play dating back to 2019 when they lost at Kent State.
>> In its five games, the UB offense has averaged 29.8 points (third best in the MAC) and 383 yards of total offense. The offensive line has allowed just one sack.
>> Senior running back Kevin Marks leads the rushing attack with 288 yards on 78 carries and three touchdowns. He is closing in on becoming the fifth player in school history to rush for over 3,000 yards.
>> VanTrease, who grew up in Stow, Ohio -- not far from the KSU campus -- is completing 61.3 percent of his passes (84-of-133) for 613 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
>> Williams, a graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan, has 30 receptions for 465 yards and a touchdown -- second best in the MAC. He has posted two consecutive 100-yard receiving games.
>> The Buffalo defense has allowed 24.2 points and 391.6 yards over five games.
>> Patterson leads the defenders with 50 total tackles (18 solo) (second in the conference).
>> Senior LB Taylor Riggins leads with six tackles for losses and four sacks (leads the MAC). Riggins missed the entire 2020 season with an injury.
UP NEXT: The Bulls return to UB Stadium next Saturday to battle the Ohio University Bobcats. Ohio is 1-4 coming into this Saturday’s home game against Central Michigan.
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES (2-2, 1-0 MAC):
>> KSU opened conference play last Saturday, defeating the Bowling Green Falcons 27-20 at Dix Stadium to end a two-game losing streak.
>> The Flashes had a 13-6 lead at halftime, only to see the Falcons score two touchdowns to take a 20-13 lead going into the fourth quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter with BGSU driving, LB AJ Musolino intercepted a pass. The offense then took the ball 74-yards for the winning touchdown with QB Dustin Crum scoring from 11-yards out.
>> RB Marquez Cooper led the rushers with 230 yards on 31 carries as the ground game gained 262 yards -- a major part of their 396 yards on total offense.
>> Crum was 15-of-26 passing for 134 yards. However he did add 93 yards rushing and the winning score.
>> WR Dante Cephas led the receivers with six receptions for 64 yards.
>> The defense had five sacks, seven tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, and the big interception by Musolino.
>> Graduate DB Keith Sherald led with 11 total tackles (eight solo).
>> The victory was KSU’s sixth straight at home (2-0 this season) and its fourth straight over BGSU. It was the Flashes third consecutive MAC opening win, and KSU is 6-1 in the last seven MAC games dating back to 2019.
>> In their five games of 2021, the Flashes are averaging 24 points and 430.4 yards offensively (second in the MAC). The rushing attack leads the conference averaging 242.2 yards a game.
>> Cooper leads the ground game with 374 yards on 74 carries with three touchdowns. Picked up his second 100-yard game of the season and third of his career against the Falcons. Is fourth in MAC rushing.
>> Crum has completed 58.3 percent of his passes (74-of-127) for 896 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions (both coming in the season opener at Texas A&M). Is second in total offense 221.4 yards per game
>> Cephas leads the receiving corps with 23 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown.
>> The defense has allowed 27.6 points and 428.2 yards through five games. KSU has 10 sacks and seven interceptions (leading the MAC) and has registered at least one theft in four of the five.
>> DB Dean Clark leads with 34 total tackles (24 solo)
>> Musolino is tied for the team lead with two sacks and has 6.5 tackles for losses for 25 yards.
>> DB Elvis Hines and DB Montre Miller each have three interceptions.
>> Hines leads the MAC with seven passes defended (4 breakups and three interceptions).
>> Graduate Transfer Nykeim Johnson leads in kick returns with a 23.0 yard average.
>> Head coach Sean Lewis is 1-2 lifetime against Buffalo. First game against Maurice Lindquist.
UP NEXT: The Flashes play the first of two road games next Saturday as they travel to Western Michigan to face the Broncos. WMU is 4-1 on the season and faces Ohio at home. The Broncos have not lost since their opening day setback at Michigan.