UB Stadium -- Buffalo, NY
ESPN+
Coming off disappointing losses, both Ohio and Buffalo need wins this week to keep their MAC East hopes alive.
Buffalo's loss to Kent State Saturday was particularly damaging, since it was to the preseason MAC East favorite, who would now hold a head-to-head tiebreaker. Ohio, meanwhile, was on the verge of back-to-back wins last week, taking a 27-20 fourth quarter lead over visiting Central Michigan. The Chippewas, however, came back with 10 straight points for a 30-27 victory.
This is the 27th all-time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo, with Ohio holding the 16-10 advantage over the Bulls. The home team has won 9 of the last 10 meetings between the rivals. The one exception was in 2019 when Ohio won at UB Stadium, 21-20, in overtime.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
OHIO BOBCATS (1-5, 1-1 MAC)
>> Quarterback Armani Rogers earned his first start of the season on Saturday against CMU and made the most out of it. Rogers went 13-of-18 for 190 yards. He also ran for 37 yards on 15 carries, scoring one touchdown.
>> Cameron Odom led Bobcat receivers with four catches for 88 yards. Miles Cross and Ryan Luehrman combined for six receptions and 91 yards.
>> Ohio's ground game produced 179 yards and all three touchdowns.
True freshman running back Sieh Bangura made the most out of his first collegiate carry on Oct. 9 against CMU.
With his first career carry in the fourth quarter, Bangura took the ball 40 yards for his first career touchdown, at the time, giving Ohio the lead. Demontre Tuggle and Rogers combined for 34 carries, 120 yards and two touchdowns.
>> Tariq Drake picked off two CMU passes, returning them for a total of 23 yards. On the season, Drake has 20 tackles, 10 solo and 10 assisted, one QB hurry and one tackle for loss to go with those two INTs.
>> Stephen Johnson connected on two-of-three field goal attempts, with a long of 44 yards.
>> Redshirt junior linebacker Bryce Houston has taken advantage of his first five career starts. Houston leads Ohio in total tackles with 46, while registering 20 assisted, 26 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack and one quarterback hurries.
>> Long-time Ohio head coach Frank Solich stepped down as the Bobcats head coach on July 14 after leading Ohio for the last 16 years. Tim Albin, a member of Solich's staff, was subsequently named head coach. He picked up his first win as Ohio's head coach Oct. 2 against Akron.
BUFFALO BULLS (2-4, 0-2 MAC)
>> The Bulls are looking to avoid starting 0-3 in MAC play for the first time since 2016 when they started 0-3.
>> Buffalo leads the MAC in scoring (31.2 ppg). After being held to 17 points in Week Five by Western Michigan, the Bulls came back for 38 points in an offensive slugfest with Kent State last Saturday. The Flashes and Bulls combined for 68 points and 1,182 yards. Buffalo ran 99 plays in the game. It was the most plays they’ve run in a game in their history as an FBS program (since 1999).
>> UB scored 21-straight points and 28-of-31 overall points in the third quarter. Kent State tallied the game's final 14 points.
>> UB went 6-of-18 on third down and converted 4-of-5 fourth down attempts.
>> Buffalo averaged 5.8 yards per rush, while KSU picked up 5.0 ypc.
>> UB committed the game's only two turnovers -- both interceptions. QB Kyle Vantrease completed 23-of-44 attempts for 229 yards, 1 TD and 2 interceptions.
>> Ten Buffalo players caught passes, with Quian Williams leading the way (8 receptions, 86 yards). Jake Molinich caught one pass -- a nine-yard TD.
>> • Kevin Marks is one rushing touchdown shy of tying James Starks (2006-08) for second in school history with 34. He is 11 yards shy of becoming just the sixth player in program history to rush for 3,000 career yards.
>> Buffalo is third among MAC teams in total offense (410.7 ypg) amd 10th in total defense (431.8 ypg).
>> The Bulls are third in rushing (209.7 ypg) and 10th in passing (201 ypg).
>> There were a lot of question marks surrounding the wide receiver position entering the 2021 campaign. Enter Quian Williams - a graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan. Williams leads the MAC in receiving yards (551) and ranks second in receptions (38). He was the fastest UB receiver to reach 30 catches since Ron Willoughby had 30 catches in the first five games of the 2015 season.
>> The Bulls and Northern Illinois have each surrendered just three sacks on the campaign -- best in the MAC. UB has also recorded 17 sacks on opponent QBs (2nd MAC).
>> This season, UB’s running backs have been utilized much more in the passing game. Running backs have combined for 24 receptions for 143 yards. In the last game alone, they had 9 catches for 70 yards. This is in stark contrast from a season ago when running backs combined for 5 catches the entire season.
Ron Cook ranks third on the team with 12 receptions.
>> James Patterson continues to be a standout linebacker for the Bulls. He leads UB and ranks second in the MAC in tackles with 59.
>> The Bulls have buckled down on defense once the opposition has gotten into the red zone. Opponents have scored only 19 of the 28 times they have entered the red zone. The 67.9 percent red zone defense not only leads the MAC, but ranks 11th in the nation.