The University at Buffalo Bulls football team 2-0 and the prohibited favorite to win the MAC. Bowling Green is 0-2 and lost those games by an average of 32 points. Something tells me that the Bulls may have a big statistical night ahead of them…
How to Watch
- The UB at Bowling Green game will air at 7 PM on CBSSN
- The game will also air locally on ESPN 1520 with Paul Peck and Scott Wilson on the call
UB-BGSU History
The Falcons hold an 11-6 lead in the head-to-head matchup with UB, however the Bulls have won three-straight in the series.
These two teams met in the last week of the 2019 regular season and Jaret Patterson absolutely dominated. Patterson scored on a 81-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.
The Bulls kept running all day as Patterson finished with school-records in yards at 298 and touchdowns with six. Even Kevin Marks went over the century mark as well as adding a touchdown of his own en route to a 49-7 win.
Bowling Green struggled to answer any of Patterson’s score as they amassed just 187 yards of total offense. The Falcons could not conceive a way to throw on the Bulls’ passing defense and they only averaged three yards a carry.
MAC Favorites
UB proved why they are the prohibited favorites to win the MAC Football Championship in a dominating 42-10 victory over Miami (OH).
The Bulls were picked by media members and the Redhawks were chosen by the coaches to win the conference. The first quarter proved why these two teams were thought so highly of.
However, Kyle Vantrease had a message to send to the rest of the Mid-American Conference in the second half.
The junior signal caller had his best performance of his career with 353 passing yards and four touchdowns, but the second half numbers really stand out. Vantrease was a perfect 9-for-9 coming out of the halftime break. Those nine completions went for 229 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came in the third quarter.
After leading by just seven going into the locker rooms at half, the Bulls jumped to 35-7 lead after the third. Vantrease’s play helped spur the Bulls to victory as the running game was spinning their tires early on.
Jaret Patterson struggled to get going early in the backfield, but Kevin Marks was able to find some running lanes. Marks was much more efficient than Patterson as he averaged 6.8 yards per carry as opposed to 3.6. The Bulls two-headed monster in the backfield saved them again which opened things up for Vantrease.
The defensive effort of the Bulls should not be glossed over.
The Bulls were helped out by a few drops, but overall quarterback AJ Mayer really struggled to find success against UB. Mayer finished 7-of-25 for 116 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The inept ability from Miami (OH)’s passing game stymied the whole Redhawks offense.
The Redhawks were able to find some success on the ground with 139 yards, but once they found themselves trailing, it was never going to be enough to get them back into the game.
Key Matchup: UB vs the Scoreboard
Bowling Green is not good this year and it may be time to ask if their scoreboard can display triple-digits. The Bulls put up 49 with ease last year against BG, but can they run it up even more in 2020 when style points might be necessary to crack the top-25?
Arms Race
It looks like Kyle Vantrease has some real weapons to throw the ball to besides Antonio Nunn.
Tight end Zac Lefebvre made a few spectacular grabs including a 25-yard touchdown. Lefebvre offers Vantrease a dynamic, large-bodied target to find down the seams. The senior is proving that he is not just a blocker, but he can be a true threat in the aerial game as well.
Redshirt freshman Trevor Wilson caught his first career touchdown last week on a 78-yard second quarter bomb. It was the first big performance of Wilson’s career as he finished with 103 yards.
Wilson is a smaller guy, but has incredible foot skills and speed. The release Wilson got on his touchdown catch should prove why he can be a consistent playmaker in the MAC.
Another guy who really got his name into the mix is walk-on receiver Jovany Ruiz. The senior made a few important snags including his first career touchdown.
This may just have scratched the surface for what the Bulls can do through the air. The passing game does not need to carry you, but it needs to take advantage of the opportunities presented from teams keying in on the run. Bulls fans can be confident in Vantrease and company to do what they need to move the ball down the field.
Loeffler’s Rebuild
Head coach Scot Loeffler is in the second year of his rebuild of the Bowling Green program and it might be going worse than his first year.
The team is showing no growth and offers little hope for falcons fans moving forward.
Through two games, Bowling Green allows 50 points per game and averages 13.5 points of their own. The defense gives up 596 (FIVE-HUNDRED NINETY SIX!) yards per game including over 300 on the ground.
The Falcons do a decent job on the ground, but they have been playing from behind all season so it has been no help. Bowling Green just does not have the players to fit into Loeffler’s system yet. Freshman QB Lebronz Davis is an interesting prospect, although he has been battling injuries recently and will most likely be unavailable against Buffalo.
Bold Predictions
Lance runs it up. The Bulls hit the over on their own.
The Bulls earned one vote in the AP Top-25 this week and if they want to earn more, then they need to get every style point they can. Without a non-conference schedule, UB really needs to prove that it is the cream of the crop in the MAC.
Betting Lines & Trends
- UB – 31.5
- Over/Under 58.5
- UB is 5-0 ATS in their last five games while BGSU is 0-5
- UB is 6-0 ATS in their last six matchups with BG
- The away team is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 matchups
- The under has hit in four-straight games when these teams meet at BG
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