The University at Buffalo football team averaged a +21.5 point margin across their 2020 season. A big part of that was their elite rushing game, but they weren’t slouches defensively. In fact, the Bulls’ defense has been ranked in the top two of the Mid-American Conference in each of the past three seasons with them leading the way in both 2019 and 2020.
The leader of the defense has generally remained the same with James Patterson taking over a key role as a freshman. Since becoming a starter in his freshman season, Patterson has been making tackles all over the field. In 2020, Patterson averaged nine tackles per game along with an interception and forced fumble en route to a 1st Team All-MAC selection.
Along his side with yet again be the hard-hitting Kadofi Wright. The 2019 2nd Team All-American made his presence known last year with an interception return for a touchdown, but his overall tackle rates were a bit down. Expect a bounce back performance from him as there will be less garbage time in which the starters are resting. Senior Tim Terry should play a fair amount along with sophomore Fabian Weitz of Germany.
The Bulls won in the trenches last season early on in games along both sides of the ball even through injury. Many young guys had to step up at times to play key minutes and that should only help speed up theri developmental process. Guys like George Wolo and Dom Polizzi were not really expected to touch the field, but succeeded when they did. Expect Wolo to play a big role on the defensive front alongside a few transfers in the rotation.
The loss of Malcolm Koonce will hurt the Bulls, but they will get Taylor Riggins back and healthy. Riggins was rated similarly to Koonce coming into the 2020 season, but some stand out performances earned him a third-round selection. Can Riggins do the same?
Riggins has all the tools to be a good pass rusher at the next level. In 2019, Riggins was named to the All-MAC first team after finishing second in the conference with 8.5 sacks. The Webster, NY native remained busy even when not rushing the passer as he totaled up 50 tackles and three fumble recoveries. Expect a big season from Riggins and do not be surprised to hear his name buzzing in late-April.
The secondary returns three-of-four starters plus adds two transfers who are now at the top of the depth charts. Senior cornerbacks Aapri Washington and Isaiah King are both back as well as safety Cory Gross, however neither are on top of the depth charts at their position.
The UB secondary has been burned the last few seasons by big plays and the lack of consistency. So in comes defensive- minded head coach Maurice Linguist and in comes a new emphasis on what he values in defenders. Linguist worked quickly bringing in Texas Tech transfer Ja’Marcus Ingram and EJ Brown who originally attended West Virginia. The two of them are penciled in at starters heading into the contest along with sophomore Mark Davis who has yet to play a snap as a Bull.
The pieces are there for the defense to continue its dominance within the MAC. Riggins and Patterson are not only the best players on the defense, but they are also leaders. With head coach Maurice Linguist coming in, there is no reason they should suffer a huge drop-off in performance. Expect another top three showing the Bulls.