Saturday December 19, 7:30 p.m. ET
Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan
BY Evan Meyer
After a season of uncertainty, the 2020 MAC season culminates Friday with one thing for certain. It brings together two talented teams with powerful offenses. The Buffalo Bulls and Ball State Cardinals flexed serious offensive muscle during their title runs. With both teams hungry for a MAC title, ESPN's national television audience could be treated to quite a shootout.
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The Ball State Cardinals were picked as low as fourth in the pre-season polls, but after an opening night loss rattled off five straight victories. The run included wins over Central Michigan on the road and previously undefeated Western Michigan at home. For the Cardinals, Friday marks their first championship game since 2008.
Here is a look at the two teams for their ‘Showdown in Motown’
THE SERIES: Friday night’s game is the 12th lifetime meeting between the two schools (and second in MAC Championship Game). Ball State holds a decisive 9-2-0 advantage. They two teams last met on November 16,2017 in Muncie, with UB winning 40-24 for its first regular season win in the series. They also defeated the Cards in the 2008 championship game at Ford Field, 42-24
BUFFALO BULLS (5-0)
• The Bulls won the Eastern Division Championship for the second time in the last three years, routing the Akron Zips 56-7 last Saturday at UB Stadium. Buffalo scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions to complete an undefeated season.
• The Bulls offense registered 507 total yards against UA. The ground game provided 428 yards, led by junior Kevin Marks who had 182 yards on 15 carries, Junior Jaret Patterson owned 105 yards on 16 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, junior QB Kyle Vantrease only threw seven passes, completing four for 68 yards. Three went to Trevor Wilson, who had 63 yards including a 52 yard score
• The Buffalo defense had its best day of the season, holding Akron to 204 total yards with four sacks, five tackles for losses, an interception, and five pass breakups. Buffalo did not allow UA to score until midway through the fourth quarter.
• Following its victory, Buffalo moved to 23rd in this week’s Associated Press College Football poll. It is the program's first national ranking.
THE ROAD TO THE MOTOWN: The Bulls were picked by the media in the pre-season MAC poll to win the Eastern Division, while the coaches had them second. UB opened this abbreviated 2020 campaign with a road win at Northern Illinois, 49-30, and followed with a home wins over Miami 42-10. Bowing Green followed with victories over Bowling Green (42-17), Kent State (70-4)1 and UA. A game at Ohio was canceled due to Coronavirus issues within the Bobcats program
• Buffalo won the Eastern Division for the second time in the last three seasons and the third time since joining the MAC. UB has won eight straight games dating back to last season and finished 5-0 in MAC play for the first time in program history.
• In their five games of 2020, the Bulls have averaged 51.8 points (leading the conference with 259 points scored). The 511.0 offensive yards per outing is second overall
• The Blue and White defense has allowed 21.0 points average (second in the conference) and 367.2 yards, which also ranked second
• Head Coach Lance Leipold is completing his sixth season at UB and has a 36-32 record with the Bulls. He is 146-38 overall after a stellar coaching career at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater.
• Over the past two-plus seasons, Buffalo's running game has been the best in the MAC. Jaret Patterson leads the conference with 1,025 total yards and has scored 18 touchdowns. He was the only MAC RB this season to pass 1,000 yards. The 108 points led the conference and Patterson was second in all-purpose yards
• Kyle Van Trease is 11-2 overall as a starter. He has completed 50-of-84 passes for 818 yards with six touchdowns an only one INT.
• Antonio Nunn leads the receiving corps with 20 catches for 353 yards and two touchdowns
• The offensive line has not allowed a sack this season. UB's offense has scored points on their initial drive of the game four times (all touchdowns) and are 50.9% (27-of-53) on third down (second in the conference). The Bulls are 20-of-21 inside the red zone (all of them touchdowns)
• The defense has 12 sacks over the five games. It has allowed the opposition just 30 percent on third down conversions -- good for second in the MAC, The Bulls have five interceptions -- tied for third. UB has a turnover margin of +6 -- also second
• Junior LB James Patterson leads in total tackles with 43 (23 solo) while senior DE Malcolm Koonce is tied for second with four sacks and Senior LB Kadofi Wright is tied for second with two passes defended
• Buffalo swept the Weekly Eastern Division awards with Kevin Marks (Offense), Eddie Wilson (defense), and Tyrone Hill (special teams)
• When the MAC awards were handed out this week, RB Jaret Patterson was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Head Coach Lance Leipold was named Coach of the Year for a second time.
• The first team offense as led by Patterson, and sophomore OL Mike Novitsky along with senior OL Kayode Awosika. The first team defense included LB James Patterson and DE Malcolm Koonce
BALL STATE CARDINALS (5-1):
• The Cardinals completed an improbable season last Saturday, coming back from a 27-13 deficit to defeat the Western Michigan Broncos 30-27 at Schunemann Stadium. It was BSU's first division title since 2008. Redshirt freshman PK Jack Knight kicked a 22-yard field goal withj 29 seconds left for the winning points.
• The Cardinals had to survive a wild last play during which WMU lateraled the ball all over the field. At one point, there were BSU players on the field celebrating and then the Broncos appeared to score a winning touchdown. One of the laterals, however, were deemed by the officials as an illegal pass.
• Junior RB Will Jones led the ground game with 71 yards on 16 carries. Senior QB Drew Plitt completed 22-of-33 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow senior WR Jaylen Hall had 10 receptions for 175 yards and a pair of scores. The defense was led by Jaylin Thomas, who had a career high 16 total tackles (seven solo).
THE ROAD TO MOTOWN: The Cardinals were picked second by the media and fourth by the coaches in the pre-season MAC polls. BU opened the season with a loss at Miami then rattled five straight wins (over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois at home, while defeating Toledo, and Central Michigan on the road) before the clinching win over WMU.
• Ten of Ball State’s last 14 games dating back to last season have been decided by a touchdown or less, including last Saturday.
• Head Coach Mike Neu is completing his fifth season as head coach of his alma mater. The former star quarterback has a 22-35 overall record. Ball State's win over WMU brought the program its division title and first winning season since 2008.
• Offensively the Cardinals are averaging 33.7 points and 457.8 yards of total offense in their six games. They have only scored twice on their initial possesions in 2020 and are third in the MAC on third down conversions (48.9 percent) and are 23-of-28 inside the red zone (17 touchdowns and six field goals).
• Drew Plitt has completed 132-of-194 passes for 1,674 yards with 13 touchdowns and five intereptions
• Senior RB Caleb Huntley led the Cards in rushing with 437 yards. despite missing the last three games with an injury, However, the school announced earlier in the week that Huntley was opting out of the championship Game.
• Jaylen Hall leads Ball State receivers with 44 catches for 620 yards and three touchdowns. He is fourth in all-purpose yards averaging (178 yards per contest).
• The BSU defense has allowed an average of 27.6 points and 432.2 yards in the six games. Ball State has 15 total sacks third in the MAC and is tied for third in turnover margin at +5. The Cardinals have allowed opponents to score three times (two TD & Field goal) on their first possessions.
• Junior LB Brandon Martin is second in the MAC in total tackles with 72 stops (39 solo which is also second in the conference ).
• Martin was named the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year sharing the honor with Central Michigan’s Troy Hairston.
• DE Anthony Epke, a graduate transfer from Rice, tied for the MAC lead in sacks with five and is tied for first with two forced fumbles.
• Redshirt freshman PK Jack Knight is second in scoring among place kickers with 43 points (19-for-21 PAT 8-of-12 on FG)
• Senior P Nathan Snyder is fifth in the conference averaging 42.9 yards per kick
• Caleb Huntley had 2902 career rushing yards -- second to Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson among current MAC rushers
• Ball State recently garnered two of the Western Division Players of the Week Jaylen Hall; (offense) and Jaylin Thomas (defense)
• The Cards had three defensive players on the All MAC first team in Martin, Epke and Bryce Cosby, Justin Hall made the first team offense.
MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
BUFFALO – This is the Bulls third trip to the MAC Championship game. They have a 1-1 record, defeating Ball State in 2008 (42-24). Nuffalo lost a big lead in 2018 to Northern Illinois falling to the Huskies 30-29
BALL STATE - This is the Cardinals second trip to the MAC title game. Their only other visit came in their magical season of 2008, when they came into the game with Buffalo undefeated. On that night, however, it was the Bulls that came up victorious, 42-24, defeating Northern Illinois 31-30
MISCELANNEOUS NOTES
Friday’s game is the first under the sponsorship of Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, who recently signed a long term agreement with the conference to be the title sponsor of the Championship Game
• This is the 24th MAC Championship game the second longest in the FBS only to the Southeastern Conference and has been at Ford Field since 2004
• According to reports the MAC will have two representatives in post season bowls -- those being Buffalo and Ball State. One will play in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson against a school from the Mountain West Conference. The other bowl is yet to be determined.