Paul Peck's Bull Session: Toledo
11/10/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Each week, Voice of Bulls Football Paul Peck will preview the upcoming game.
Buffalo (7-2, 5-0) vs. Toledo (6-3, 4-1)
"We showed we can compete with anybody." Bulls quarterback Joe Licata said that at this week's media luncheon. It was inspired by a question about what it meant for the Bulls to beat Ohio last week. But it also figures into Tuesday's showdown with the Toledo Rockets. Like the best student in class, the Bulls keep passing their tests, no matter how much harder they get. This one is another big test. The Rockets have been an elite MAC team for many years. They may be the most talented team in the conference, and according to Jeff Quinn, they are the fastest. So with another spotlight Tuesday game, the Bulls will have to rise to the occasion. Just like they have all season long.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Defense
For two seasons, the Bulls have battled Ohio star quarterback Tyler Tettleton. Plus, we've all seen him win a lot of games. I have never seen him look as frustrated and beaten as he did last Tuesday. That's due to the Bulls defense. They did things to Tettleton that no one in the MAC has done. The 68% passer was held to 45%, 14/31. Many of them came when receivers weren't open, and the pass rush forced him to throw the ball away. It was a great game plan by Lou Tepper and better execution by the Bulls players….That includes the duo filling in for Adam Redden. Tomaris Bell and Okezie Alozie combined for seven tackles. Quinn said "we didn't miss a beat."…How much fun was it to watch freshman linebacker Jarrett Franklin? Playing more as part of the dime defense, Franklin had a career high 8 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He is very athletic, and really has outstanding pass rush skills…The play of the dime defense, which features Dwellie Striggles, Whitney Sherry and Marqus Baker, is a big reason why the Bulls lead the MAC in third down defense…Not many teams are getting there, but when opponents do make it to the red zone, the Bulls defense is 10th in the country…UB's defense has held three of the last four opponents without a touchdown…In the last 7 games, the Bulls have 22 sacks and 20 takeaways…While still trailing Bowling Green, the UB D is up to 2nd in the MAC…Khalil Mack moved up both NCAA career lists. He's now one forced fumble from the record of 14, which is held by five players. Mack is now seven tackles for loss away from the top spot…Mack's profile took a big step up with word that he's been invited to the Senior Bowl, the first Bull since Gerry Philbin…Mack leads a Buffalo defense that's sacked the quarterback 28 times. That's tied for the MAC lead…But Toledo's offense is first the nation, allowing only 4 sacks all season… They have a veteran offensive line featuring All-MAC performers Grag Mancz and Zac Kerrin…The main challenge for the Bulls is stopping the Toledo running game. Star tailback and WNY native David Fluellen is a game time decision with a lower leg injury. With their huge MAC West showdown against Northern Illinois coming up next Wednesday, I wonder if coach Matt Campbell will decide to rest the nation's 6th ranked rusher…Especially with freshman Kareem Hunt running like he is. Hunt has topped 100 yards in his last three games…Wide receivers Bernard Reedy and Alonzo Russell are All-MAC talents, and they will test the UB secondary…Quarterback Terrance Owens is coming off a 375 yard game against Eastern Michigan. Last year against the Bulls, Owens struggled. He threw 2 picks in a game played in the rain….The Rockets run the spread offense, but in many ways it's done to make room for their running game.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Offense
Even if the Bulls get off to a sluggish first half start, don't worry. During the winning streak, UB has outscored their opponents 79-7 in the third quarter…Joe Licata came in at the end of last year's game against Toledo, and threw a TD pass to Alex Neutz. He started the next week. Since then, Licata has started 13 games, throwing 22 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions…Joe did throw his first interception in MAC play against Ohio. But he still has just one pick in the last 124 passes…I thought that Branden Oliver's 23-yard run in the second quarter against Ohio really triggered his big day. That was the one after the Mack fumble recovery, when Bo carried Bobcats defenders all the way to the four yard line (with some help from Andre Davis). It seemed to fire up the team, and really fired up Bo. His 249 yards were a new career high…Oliver is now just 272 yards from his single season UB record…He is averaging 186 yards per game in MAC play. Bo now leads the conference in rushing, and he ranks fifth in the NCAA…Last year against Toledo, Oliver ran for 101 yards before leaving with an injury…Alex Neutz's next TD catch will give him a new school record. He is currently tied with Naaman Roosevelt with 28 career TD catches…Fred Lee continues to take advantage of the attention paid to Neutz. Lee has 22 catches during MAC play…The Bulls have allowed only seven sacks all season. Toledo's defense is third in the MAC with 27 sacks…The Rockets have two big-play defenders. Linebacker Junior Sylvestre leads the team with 92 tackles. That is tied for the conference lead...Defensive end Jayrone Elliott has seven sacks and 10.5 TFL's, which are just behind Khalil Mack in the MAC rankings…The Rockets are playing without standout linebacker Trent Voss, who is out for the season with a broken arm…Overall, the Rockets defense ranks fourth in the conference…Starting safety Ross Madison has missed the last two games. He's a game time decision for Tuesday.
Bullseye on: Streaking into the Record Books
The Bulls seven-game winning streak has given us all a history lesson. We're learning about some of the long-ago great Bulls teams. No UB team had won seven in a row since the 1958-1959 Bulls. They were coached by the legendary Dick Offenhammer. Gordon Bukaty was the QB, and the great Willie Evans was the leading rusher. The last UB team to win seven in a row in one season was the 1897 squad coached by C.W. Dibble. That was his only season, making him the only undefeated coach in Bulls history. No UB team has ever won eight in a row in one season. I'm sure C.W. would be proud to have Jeff Quinn break his record.
Please join me, color analyst Jim Kubiak, sideline reporter Scott Wilson and host Brad Riter for the broadcast on the Bulls Football Network. Our pregame show starts at 6:30pm. You can hear it in Buffalo on Sportsradio 1270 The Fan (www.sportsradio1270.com), in Rochester on Sports 1280 WHTK (www.whtk.com), in New York City on Bloomberg Radio 1130 AM (www.bloomberg.com/radio) or on the I Heart Radio app.
