Akron
Bulls Look to Bounce Back at Akron on Saturday
10/15/2019 12:31:00 PM | Football
Buffalo (2-4, 0-2 MAC) at Akron (0-6, 0-2 MAC)
October 19, 2019
InfoCision Stadium - 3:30 pm
Radio
Buffalo - ESPN 1520
Rochester - Fox Sports 1280
Hornell - 1480 WLEA
Television
ESPN3
Storylines
• The Bulls are in search of their first ever win at InfoCision Stadium (0-3).
• Buffalo is in search of its first road win of the season.
• Akron leads the all-time series, 11-7.
• Since joining the MAC, the Bulls are just 1-7 in games played at Akron. Their lone win came in 2008.
• Since 2006, the home team has won 10 of the 11 games in the series. The lone exception came in 2008 when the Bulls beat the Zips in four overtimes in the final game played at Akron's Rubber Bowl.
• UB quarterback Kyle Vantrease is from Stow, OH, just eight miles from the Akron campus.
• Kevin Marks is 101 yards shy of becoming the 11th running back in school history to rush for 1,500 yards.
• Buffalo leads the MAC in total defense, allowing 315.5 yards per game.
• The Bulls have held halftime leads in five of their six games on the season.
• The Bulls rank seventh in the nation in rushing attempts with 299.
Bulls Look to Bounce Back at Akron Following Bye Week
The University at Buffalo football team will travel to Akron on Saturday afternoon in search of its first Mid-American Conference win of the season.
The Bulls are 2-4 overall and 0-2 in MAC play following a heartbreaking 21-20 overtime loss to Ohio on October 5. The Bulls were led by quarterback Kyle Vantrease who threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 19 yards and another score.
Akron is 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the MAC on the season and is coming off a 26-3 loss to Kent State last Saturday. The Zips are led by quarterback Kato Nelson who has thrown for 1,265 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.
Akron leads the all-time series, 11-7. The Bulls won the last meeting, 24-6, last season at UB Stadium.
On Your Marks
Kevin Marks has gone over 100 yards rushing in three of the last four games. The sophomore running back rushed for 108 yards on 18 carries at Liberty, 101 yards on 17 carries at Miami (OH) and 112 yards on 22 carries against Ohio. Marks ranks second on the team and sixth in the MAC in rushing, averaging 88.7 yards per game.
King of the Hill
Junior safety Tyrone Hill had the best game of his career against Ohio on Oct. 5. Hill finished with a career-high 15 tackles, the most by a UB player since Khalil Hodge had 20 tackles against Army in 2018. Hill leads the Bulls with 43 tackles and is also tied for the team lead with four pass break ups.
Back in the Saddle
Redshirt-sophomore Kyle Vantrease made his first start of the season at quarterback against Ohio and looked quite comfortable. Vantrease accounted for all three of UB's touchdowns, throwing two and rushing for one. He finished 16-of-23 for 197 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 19 yards and another score. Before redshirted last season, the Stow, OH native made one start as a true freshman in 2017. Vantrease's hometown of Stow, OH is just eight miles from the Akron campus.
Riggins Named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week
Taylor Riggins was named the MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week after his standout performance against Ohio on Oct. 5. The junior defensive end tied a career high with two sacks to go along with five tackles and a fumble recovery.
Riggins has 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season.
Sharing the Wealth
Buffalo has spread the ball around through the air this season. 14 different players have caught a pass for the Bulls. Antonio Nunn leads UB with 18 receptions, twice as many as Carlton Todd who ranks second with nine. In addition, Buffalo's eight touchdown passes on the season have been caught by six different players.
Ground and Pound
The UB running game is off to a great start to the season. The Bulls are averaging 230.3 yards through six games. They rank seventh in the nation in rushing attempts with 299. UB logged 58 carries against both Penn State and Temple. The 1,382 rushing yards through six games is the most to start a season in the Bulls' FBS era (since 1999).
Leading the way are running backs Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks. Patterson is averaging 99.7 yards per game on the ground to rank fourth in the MAC. Marks is averaging 88.7 yards per game to rank sixth in the conference.
Time after Time
The Bulls lead the MAC in time of possession, averaging 32:43 per game.
The Bulls controlled the ball for 42:32 against Penn State. It was the team's highest time of possession in their modern FBS era (since 1999). The previous high was 42:30 against Bowling Green last season. The Bulls ran 90 plays, compared to just 46 plays for Penn State and outgained the Nittany Lions, 429-357 in total offense.
Not Standing Patt
UB running back Jaret Patterson is coming off the finest freshman season in school history and is already building on it in his second year with the program. Patterson rushed for 1,013 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2018, becoming the first freshman running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He broke the previous record of 917 set by Aaron Leeper in 2002. In addition, Patterson's 14 rushing touchdowns were the most ever by a UB freshman and was two shy of the single season record held by James Starks (2008).
Patterson, the 2018 MAC Freshman of the Year, is on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award.
Through six games, Patterson has rushed for 598 yards on 114 carries (5.2 ypc) and has scored four touchdown. At Miami (OH), he ripped off an 82-yard touchdown run - the longest by a UB player since James Starks had a 91-yard against Miami (OH) in 2007.
Otwinowski Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Senior linebacker Matt Otwinowski is a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Given annually to college football's top student-athlete, the Campbell Trophy is also known as the Academic Heisman.
Otwinowski is an accounting major with a 3.89 cumulative grade point average. He is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection and has been honored as a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete.
A pillar of the community, Otwinowski helped save the life of a stranger by donating his stem cells through the Be The Match Program. For his work in the community, he has been placed on the watch list for the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team and the Weurffel Trophy.
Vantrease Stepping Up in New Role
After losing starting punter Evan Finegan to an injury in week two, the coaching staff turned to backup quarterback Kyle Vantrease to fill in. The redshirt-sophomore seems to be getting more comfortable each week. He had his best outing against Temple, averaging 41.3 yards per punt, including a 51-yarder.
Kicker Jackson Baltar has also filled in at punter, when the team is on a shorter field and looking to pin an opponent deep in their own territory.
Experience on the Offensive Line
One of the strengths of the 2019 UB football team is the offensive line. The Bulls return four of their five starters from a season ago. Right guard Tomas Jack-Kurdyla has the most starts under his belt with 34. Left tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk is second with 32 starts. Right tackle Kayode Awosika has started 20 games for the Bulls and left guard Paul Nosworthy has 19 starts. In addition, Jacob Gall started the final five games at right guard last year.
Last season, UB's line blocked for an offense that ran for a school-record 2,648 yards and also allowed only 15 sacks, a program low since moving to the FBS level in 1999.
Nunn Better
Antonio Nunn had the best game of his career at Penn State, finishing with five catches for 113 yards - both career highs. The junior receiver had two catches of over 40+ yards, a 42-yarder in the first quarter and a 40-yarder in the second quarter. He continues to be dangerous deep threat for the Bulls. Over his career, Nunn has seven catches of 40 or more yards.
This season, Nunn leads the Bulls in receiving with 18 catches for 268 yards.
New Season, New Position
After serving as a reserve quarterback for the past three seasons, Dominic Johnson made the move to wide receiver shortly before the start of the 2019 campaign The move looks to be paying off. After not playing the position in his career, Johnson has five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown on the season. his first career touchdown came agaisnt Ohio on Oct. 5. At 6-5, 225, Johnson is a big target for the Bulls.
Banks Named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week for Second Time
For the second time in the first three weeks of the season, Joey Banks was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Temple.
Banks had six solo tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown in a 38-22 win over Temple. Banks spearheaded a defensive effort that held the Owls to only 31 yards rushing. Banks sealed the win with a 46-yard pick six, the first by a Buffalo player since the 2015 season.
International Flavor
The Bulls have nine international players on this year's roster - by far the most in school history.
Buffalo has six players who hail from Canada, including Dominic Johnson (Ontario), Dev Lamour (Quebec), Cole Burniston (Ontario), Tomas Jack-Kurdyla (Quebec), Gabe Wallace (BC) and Julien Bourassa (Quebec). In addition, the Bulls have three players from Europe, Fabian Weitz (Germany), Alain Schaerer (Switzerland) and Jordan Avissey (France).
Pallotti Boys
The Bulls have five players from Maryland's Saint Vincent Pallotti High School on this year's team. Running back Jaret Patterson, linebackers James Patterson and Justin Mulbah, wide receiver Jelani Foster and cornerback Dylan Powell all played together for the Panthers.
Justin Winters, a former All-MAC linebacker for the Bulls, was a coach at Pallotti when the players were there.
Youth at Receiver
The Bulls have a number of new faces at wide receiver this season. In fact, of the UB receiving corps, only two players have registered a catch for the Bulls prior to this season. Antonio Nunn has the most experience, playing in 21 games and making 41 receptions for 662 yards and three touchdowns. Tito Overton is the only other receiver with game experience and he had one career catch prior to this season.
Recruiting wide receivers was a clear focus for the coaching staff in the offseason - especially adding receivers with experience. The Bulls have three new receivers from the junior college ranks on the squad in the fall, including Daniel Lee (Cisco College), Bernard Porter (Highland CC) and Carlton Todd (Iowa Central CC).
Murchie Family Fieldhouse Opens
Thanks to a record gift by the Murchie family, the Murchie Family Fieldhouse opened in April. The 92,000-square-foot indoor practice facility is situated just beyond the north end zone of UB Stadium on the university's North Campus.
The multi-use facility not only houses a full-size football field, but also features 6,000 feet of rubber track for sprint practice as well as long/triple jump and pole vault pits. It will also have motorized suspended softball hitting tunnels.
