.png&width=22&height=22&type=webp)
Paul Peck's Bull Session: Nevada
9/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Each week, Voice of Bulls Football Paul Peck will preview the upcoming game.
Buffalo (2-1) vs. Nevada (1-2)
Sometimes there are football games that make you say "Wow, I've never seen that before." Sometimes there are football games that make you say "That win will define the season." Last week's victory at Florida Atlantic counts on both fronts. Scoring three defensive touchdowns (plus a safety) is an amazingly rare occurrence. The Bulls are the first NCAA team in 23 years to have returned two fumbles for touchdowns twice. Remember, it happened in the 2008 MAC Championship. Because of the incredible takeaway ability of the defense, the Bulls won a very tough game on the road in difficult conditions. Not every win is pretty. It's the ones that take perseverance and a total team effort that are memorable and inspirational. Sitting on the plane home, I couldn't help but think that it was a win that will carry forward for every Bulls player and coach. Plus, it's the first UB win in the last three seasons when trailing at the half. That's a huge confidence boost heading into this weekend's game against the Wolf Pack.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Offense
The Florida Atlantic game was not a pretty offensive effort. But there were a few moments by the offense that stood out. Anthone Taylor and Jordan Johnson combined for 182 yards, and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. The running game has been very consistent this season, with Taylor averaging 104.3 yards per game and Johnson 52.7. On a key 8:37 drive in the fourth quarter, the Bulls 1-2 combination carried the ball on 10 of the 14 plays. That drive gave the defense a break and sealed the win.
Taylor ranks third in the MAC in rushing. His next 100 yard game will be the 12th of his career, tying James Starks for third all time. Malcolm Robinson's 43-yard catch was the Bulls biggest play of the game, and maybe the most athletic catch of the early season. Robinson has a knack for making those kind of catches. Ron Willoughby has caught a pass in 14 straight games.
The Bulls continue to be outstanding in the red zone. They have scored on ten of their eleven trips, with eight touchdowns. The Nevada Wolf Pack defense has allowed over 500 yards the last two weeks, although those games were against ranked teams Arizona and Texas A&M. That makes it hard to get a read on their defensive strengths and weaknesses. They have six sacks in three games, but are allowing 269 yards passing per game and 66 percent completions. Their run defense is giving up 5.7 yards per carry, yet the defensive line is the strength of their unit. Defensive ends Ian Seau and Lenny Jones are veterans, who have combined for 25.5 career sacks and four this season. Safety Asuani Rufus leads the team in tackles with 31. He has led the team in each of their three games, one of only four FBS players to do that this year. The Wolf Pack has only one interception in three games. Credit to the Reno Gazette-Journal for a stat that says the Nevada defense has given up 14 pass plays of 15 yards or more in the last two games. Again, those two games were against ranked teams. Starting middle linebacker Jordan Dobrich is questionable with a muscle strain. Ten of their starters on defense come from California.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Defense
Thanks to the Bulls eight takeaways on defense, UB has scored 37 points off turnovers. 23 of those directly game from the defense at Florida Atlantic. The Bulls +6 takeaway margin ranks first in the MAC and fourth in the NCAA. Brandon Berry has been the revelation of the season on defense. Getting his first chance to start, the junior from Detroit is third on the team in tackles, and he's been incredibly active at outside linebacker. The change in defensive styles is perfectly suited for Berry, who can use his speed and athletic ability to make plays all over the field. Nick Gilbo has been a force at middle linebacker. He's second in tackles, second in sacks, second in interceptions and first in tackles for loss.
Boise Ross is so confident playing cornerback he's starting to bait quarterbacks to throw his way. That's what he did on the INT-TD against FAU. He fooled QB Jason Driskel into thinking the receiver was open, then broke on the ball for the pick. With two interceptions and six passes broken up, Ross is tied for the NCAA lead in passes defensed.
At a key point in the fourth quarter against FAU, there were four true freshman on the field for the defense. Cornerback Cameron Lewis, safety Brandon Stanback, defensive end Charles Harris and defensive tackle Justin Brandon have proven they belong and aren't playing like first year players. The move of Brandon Crawford from defensive tackle to defensive end, combined with the emergence of defensive tackle Chris Ford, has improved the run defense. Florida Atlantic averaged only 3.1 yards per carry.
The Bulls run defense will be tested by the strength of the Nevada offense. Running backs Don Jackson and James Butler have both run for over 100 yards in a game this season. Both average over five yards a carry. Quarterback Tyler Stewart is a first year starter, replacing a pair of record-setting Wolf Pack quarterbacks in Cody Fajardo and Colin Kaepernick. He's big and athletic, and Nevada uses him to throw and run the option. Stewart is completing 58 percent of his passes, with five TD and two interceptions. Stewart's top target is Hasaan Henderson, a six-foot-five inch wide receiver who's tied for the team lead in catches. Seven of the offensive starters are from California.
Bullseye on: UB Coaching Connections
With former Bulls assistant Brian Polian coming to UB Stadium as the Nevada head coach, it got me thinking about other former UB assistants who have moved up the coaching ladder. Polian got his first coaching job as a TE/OL assistant in 1998, then returned to Amherst as the running backs coach from 2001-2003. He is one of four former Buffalo assistants now running their own FBS programs. Matt Ruhle is the Temple head coach, Dave Clawson leads Wake Forest while Jeff Monken runs the Army program. Also on Polian's Nevada staff is former Bulls head coach Jim Hofher, the Wolf Pack's assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. Former Bulls running back Steven King is a graduate assistant.
Please join me, color analyst Jim Kubiak, sideline reporter Scott Wilson, game host Brad Riter and postgame host Bob Gaughan for the broadcast on the Bulls Football Network. Our pregame show starts at 2:30pm. You can hear it in Buffalo on ESPN 1520 (www.espn1520.com), in Rochester on Sports 1280 WHTK (www.whtk.com) & in New York City on 570 WMCA (www.wmca.com).
