College Football News Preview 2020: Buffalo Bulls Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Buffalo Bulls Offense
The passing game has to carry its share of the load. Why throw the ball when you have a running back combination of Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks? However, the passing game at least has to be more effective when defenses are loading up to stop the star running backs.
It’s going to be about passing efficiency. The receiving corps will be among the MAC’s best, the opportunities will be there, and Kyle Vantrease and Matt Myers will have to hit their shots.
There was a 21-20 loss to Ohio when the passing attack clicked, and there was a bowl win over Charlotte when it didn’t, but the two quarterbacks combined to connect on just 35% of their passes in the loss to Miami University, and Vantrease was awful in the loss to Kent State. The team was 0-3 in the regular season when it failed to get to 46% completion rate.
Biggest Key To The Buffalo Bulls Defense
Get that D off the field. UB was fifth in the nation and first in the MAC in time of possession, but it couldn’t get by Ohio in a loss after the defense kept getting hit on third down play and third down play.
Liberty converted 56% of its third down tries, Kent State was able to convert on half of its chances, and Ohio was right on 62% of its tries – and Buffalo lost all three games.
Over the last four years, the Bulls are 0-11 when they allow offenses to covert on more than 50% of their chances.
Key Buffalo Bulls Player To A Successful Season
PK Alex McNulty, Soph.
McNulty and Jackson Baltar combined to hit 11-of-19 field goals, with McNulty getting stronger as the season went on by making his last six kicks. However, the Bulls missed both of their field goal attempts and an extra point in the one-point loss to Ohio.
There were too many misses that mattered, but to go along with the nation’s worst punting game, UB has to turn the kicking game into more of a plus.
Key Game To The Buffalo Bulls Season
at Ohio, Nov. 18
The loss to Miami University was a big deal in the East race last season, but the loss to Ohio didn’t help. The 52-14 thumping to the Bobcats in 2018 wasn’t pretty as UB lost three of its last four games in the series.
This year, with the regular season final at Western Michigan, and with this coming off the date against MU, winning in Athens is a must.
– Buffalo Bulls Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Buffalo Fun Stats
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: Buffalo 164 – Opponents 70
– Red Zone Scores: Buffalo 50-of-55 (91%) – Opponents 28-of-41 (68%)
– Onside Kicks: Opponents 3-of-5 – Buffalo 0-of-0