Noon, Tuesday, Dec. 2 -- ESPN
Both Buffalo and Georgia Southern broke three game losing streaks to earn bowl elibility with a win in their last regular season outing. Now, the two programs will meet in this year's TaxAct Camellia Bowl.
It's the first football meeting between the two schools, but Buffalo will nonetheless be challenged by a very familiar face. Former UB quarterback Kyle Vantrease now leads the Eagles offense. Although GSU finished . . .
A victory by Buffalo would give the Bulls three straight bowl wins. They would also be the second team to own two Camellia Bowl victories. Appalachian State registered victories in 2015 and 2016. UB's last bowl appearance was a 17-10 decision over Marshall in the 2020 Camellia Bowl
Here's more on the two teams . . .
GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES (6-6)
~~ Georgia Southern previously competed at the FCS level and won six national championships. It also produced two Walter Peyton Award winners. GSU moved to the FBS level in 2014 and won the Sun Belt Conference championship in its first season of membership.
~~ The Eagles put three players on the All-Sun Belt Conference, second team: OL Khalil Crowder, WR Khaleb Hood and LB Marques Watson Trent.
Third team honors went to QB Kyle Vantrease, RB Jalen White, OL Caleb Kelly, DL Justin Ellis and DB Derrick Canteen.
Honorable Mention honors went to WR Derwin Burgess Jr., Jeremy Singleton, DB Anthony Wilson and kicker Alex Raynor.
~~ Former Southern Cal head coach Clay Helton is finishing his first year at the help of GSU. Among their six victories this year is a 45-42 upset win over Nebraska.
~~ The Eagles reached five victories back on Oct. 22, when they defeated Old Dominion 28-23. However, they then lost three straight. With bowl eligibility on the line GSU defeated Appalachian State 51-48 in two overtimes to close the regular season.
~~ Georgia Southern defeated Appalachian State despite being outgained 629-487 and losing the turnover battle 0-2.
~~ Vantrease completed 35-of-52 pass attempts, good for a total of 389 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. His 25-yard pass to Ezrah Archie in the second overtime was the game-winner, sparking a fan rush of the field as the team/fans celebrated a dramatic win and bowl eligibility.
~~ Vantrease saw action with Buffalo from 2017-2021. His completion percentage this year (61.4%) is nearly identital to 2021 with UB (61.5%). However, he easily registered career highs in nearly every other category. Vantrease has completed 343 of 559 attempts this year, good for a total of 3,901 yards with 25 TDs and 15 interceptions.
~~ The Eagles have three receivers with at least 66 catches. Khaleb Hood, Derwin Burgess Jr. and Jeremy Singleton have combined for 104 catches, 2,327 yards and 12 touchdowns.
~~ Georgia Southern registered 26 passing TDs and 23 rushing scores. Junior Jalen White (6-0, 215) paced the run game with 162 carries for 914 yards (5.6 ypc) and 10 TDs. He also owned 22 receptions for a total of 217 yards and one touchdown.
~~ The Eagles are scoring 33.7 ppg and allowing 32.3 ppg.
~~ Overall, GSU has surrendered 256.2 ypg through the air and 249.0 ypg via rushing.
~~ LB Marques Watson-Trent (104 tackles) and Anthony Wilson (93 tackles,) have led the Eagles defense. DL Justin Ellis owns a team-high 4.5 sacks.
~~ Georgia Southern ranks 97s in the country in turnover margin (-4).
BUFFALO BULLS (6-6)
~~ The Bulls are ranked 13th nationally in turnover margin (+9).
~~ After losing three non-conference games, UB ran off five straight MAC victories. It then dropped three conference tilts before pulling out the critical final game win over Akron, 23-22.
~~ UB is playing its sixth bowl game in program history and fourth in the last five years.
~~ This is the second time in three years the Bulls are playing in the Camellia Bowl and a number of UB players are once again playing in the bowl they won in 2020. Sixteen players on the current Buffalo roster played in the game in 2020, including five who were in the starting lineup.
~~ Kicker Alex McNulty was named MAC Special Teams Player of the year. He was good on 21-of-25 field goal attempts, with a long of 54 yards. Punter Anthony Venneri, a freshman walk-on, averaged 42.6 yards per boot this year, with 10 punts over 50 yards.
~~ Shaun Dolac and James Patterson combined to be one MAC top tackling duos. They combined for 244 tackles and six sacks.
~~ Quarterback Cole Snyder has settled in nicely in his first season as the Bulls’ starting quarterback since transferring from Rutgers in the offseason. The junior signal-caller has thrown for 2,765 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season and is ascending the school’s single-season record book.
His 2,765 passing yards rank sixth in program history for a single season and he ranks fourth in completions with 250 and third in attempts with 423. In addition, his 2,905 yards of total offense
rank fifth in program history for a single season.
~~ Justin Marshall and Quian Williams top UB receivers. They have combined for 109 catches. 1,353 yards and 13 of the Bulls 17 receiving touchdowns.
~~ Mike Washington and Ron Cook Jr. have been Buffalo's backfield workhorses this year. Together, they have registered 282 carries totaling 1,206 yards and 11 TDs.
~~ Six different Bulls have registered a play of 40 yards or longer. Wide receiver Justin Marshall has a 69 and 49-yard TD catch and fellow wideout Quian Williams has a pair of 59-yard touchdown receptions. On the ground, Mike Washington has a 92-yard TD run, Al-Jay Henderson has an 84-yard touchdown run and Ron Cook has a 49-yard run.
~~ Buffalo ranked fifth among MAC teams in total offense 376.3 ypg. The Bulls were sixth in rushing (143.5 ypg) and fourth in pass offense (232.8 ypg). They were seventh in pass efficiency.
~~ The Bulls have scored a defensive touchdown in three of the last six games. James Patterson had a 97-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown at Bowling Green, Jahmin Muse had a 72-yard fumble recovery against Toledo and Keyshawn Cobb had a 26-yard pick six at Ohio.