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University at Buffalo
Bowling Green
Bulls Hit the Road to face Bowling Green on Tuesday Night
11/13/2020 2:59:00 PM | Football
Buffalo (2-0, 2-0 MAC) at Bowling Green (0-2, 0-2 MAC)
November 17, 2020
Doyt Perry Stadium - 7:00 pm
Radio
Buffalo - ESPN 1520
Rochester - Fox Sports 1280
Television
CBS Sports Network
Storylines
• Bowling Green leads the all-time series, 11-6. The Bulls have won the last three games in the series.
• The Bulls are looking to start 3-0 in MAC play for the third time in program history. They started 6-0 in 2018 and 5-0 in 2013.
• Jaret Patterson is 81 yards shy of reaching Anthony Swan for third in school history in career rushing (3,103) and 118 yards shy of reaching James Starks for second in school history in career rushing (3,140).
• The Bulls have not allowed a sack on the season and now haven't allowed a sack in six straight games dating back to last year.
• The Bulls are 6 for 6 with six touchdowns when reaching the redzone this season.
• UB quarterback Kyle Vantrease's mother, father and sister are all graduates of Bowling Green. His mother,Patti, was a member of the BGSU swim team.
• The Bulls are averaging 45.5 points over the first two games of the season. They have scored 40+ points in six of their last seven conference games dating back to last season.
• Antonio Nunn has posted 100-yard receiving games in each of the first two games of the season (6/102 at NIU - 5/137 vs. Miami).
Bulls Hit the Road to face Bowling Green on Tuesday Night
The University at Buffalo football team will travel to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons on Tuesday night. The Bulls are coming off a 42-10 win over Miami (OH) last Tuesday. The Bulls were led by quarterback Kyle Vantrease who threw for a career-best 353 yards and four touchdowns against the RedHawks.
Bowling Green is coming off a 63-24 loss to Kent State last Tuesday night. The Falcons are led by linebacker Kholbe Coleman who has 23 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss on the season.
Bowling Green leads the all-time series, 11-6. The Bulls won the last meeting, 49-7, at UB Stadium last season.
Breakout Game for Vantrease
Kyle Vantrease had the best game of his career against Miami (OH) last Tuesday night. The junior signal-caller threw for 353 yards and four touchdowns against the RedHawks - both career highs. He was perfect in the second half, going 9-for-9 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He had touchdown passes of 82, 78, 25 and 5 yards. His previous longest career pass was a 61 yarder against Ohio last season.
Vantrease was the first UB quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game since Tyree Jackson posted 358 yards passing against Miami (OH) in 2018.
Vantrease currently leads the MAC in passing yardage per game with a 292 ypg average.
Mr. 3,000
Against Miami (OH) last Tuesday night, running back Jaret Patterson went over 3,000 yards for his career, becoming the fastest player in school history to reach the milestone (29 games). He is currently tied for fourth in school history in career rushing yards with an opportunity to move up quickly.
Player, Yards, Att, Years
1. Branden Oliver, 4,049, 866, 2010-13
2. James Starks, 3,140, 698, 2006-08
3. Anthony Swan, 3,103, 812, 1994-97
4. Alan Bell, 3,022, 682, 1989-92
Jaret Patterson, 3,022, 535, 2018-
Second Half Adjustments
The third quarter has been the best quarter for the Bulls this season. UB has scored 21 third-quarter points in each of their first two games. In fact, in Buffalo's win over Miami (OH), the Bulls scored on its four possessions of the second half, with scoring drives of 81, 82, 62 and 84 yards.
Big Play Bulls
The Bulls have used big plays to find the endzone so far this season. They have already scored six touchdowns of 40 yards or more. Against Miami (OH), Kyle Vantrease had a 78-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Wilson and an 82-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Nunn. It marked the first time in UB's FBS era (since 1999) that it had two touchdown passes of 78 or more yards in the same game.
Long touchdown plays aren't limited to the offense as the Bulls scored on a 42-yard and 46-yard fumble recovery and a 65-yard pick six in the opener at Northern Illinois.
Taking Matters into their Own Hands
UB scored three defensive touchdowns in its 49-30 win at Northern Illinois on Wednesday. Tim Terry returned a fumble 46 yards for the first defensive score. On the Huskies very next possession, Isaiah King scooped up another fumble and dashed 42 yards for a touchdown. Kadofi Wright added a 65-yard pick six for the Bulls' third defensive score.
It was the first time the Bulls scored three defensive touchdowns in a game since 2015 when the defense also scored three times at FAU.
With three defensive touchdowns in the opener UB was already tied for first in the nation in defensive touchdowns.
Record-Breaking Night for Patterson
Jaret Patterson scored two rushing touchdowns in the opener at Northern Illinois to bring his career total to 35, breaking the school record for career rushing touchdowns. He broke the record of former All-MAC running back James Starks who rushed for 34 scores from 2006-08.
What's more impressive about Patterson's record is how quickly he got there. Patterson scored his 35th touchdown in only his 28th career game. Starks rushed for his 34th career touchdown in his 36th career game and Branden Oliver, UB's all-time leader rusher, scored his 33rd touchdown in his 40th game.
Patterson added two more rushing touchdowns against Miami (OH) to bring his total to 37.
Building a Consistent Winner
Head Coach Lance Leipold has been able to build a consistent winning program since being hired prior to the 2015 season. The Bulls have won 26 games since the start of the 2017 season - going 6-6 in 2017, 10-4 in 2018 and 8-5 last year. Buffalo has also been one of the most consistent programs across the MAC over that same span, tying Ohio for the most wins since the start of 2017.
Wright Place, Wright Time
Senior linebacker Kadofi Wright scored on a 65-yard interception return against Northern Illinois. It was his third career defensive score that have all come over the last eight games. Wright forced and recovered a fumble for a touchdown at Akron on Oct. 19, 2019 and then, a week later, scored on a 40-yard interception return against Central Michigan. Wright was an All-MAC Second Team selection last season.
Nunn Better
Senior receiver Antonio Nunn continues to develop into one of the best targets in the Mid-American Conference. He is coming off his best season in 2019 when he had 49 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns en route to earning All-MAC Third Team honors. His 49 catches were twice as many as any other UB player (Daniel Lee was second with 23). Nunn had 49 of the Bulls' 155 catches last season (32%) and nearly half of the team's touchdown receptions (6 of 14 - 43%).
Nunn is off to a splendid start to the 2020 campaign as he has posted 100-yard performances in each of his first two games. He had six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown at Northern Illinois and five catches for 137 yards and a score against Miami.
On Your Marks
While Jaret Patterson got most of the headlines last season, running back Kevin Marks also had a breakout season for the Bulls in 2019. As a sophomore, The Virginia native rushed for a career-best 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns last year. It marked the first time in school history the Bulls had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. Marks had a rushing touchdown in each of the last six games of the regular season.
Marks has eight career 100-yard rushing games, including a 109-yard performance against Miami last week.
Marks joins Patterson on the Doak Walker Award watch list. Buffalo is one of just nine schools in the country to have multiple candidates on the Doak Walker list.
Movement on the Offensive Line
The Bulls will be replacing three starters on the offensive line, but fortunately they have experienced players ready to move into starting roles. The Bulls will be replacing LT Evin Ksiezarczyk, RG Tomas Jack-Kurdyla and LG Paul Nosworthy.
Kayode Awosika has been the starting right tackle for the past two seasons and will make the move to left tackle in 2020. An All-MAC Second Team selection in 2019, Awosika is on the Outland Trophy watch list.
Mike Novitsky started all 13 games at center last season and is on the 2020 Rimington Trophy watch list.
Jake Fuzak will likely start at right tackle after starting the final two games of the 2019 season.
Jacob Gall started the final five games at right guard in 2018 and had one start in 2019. He will likely start at left guard this season.
Senior Jack Klenk made his first career start at the other guard spot against Northern Illinois. Sophomore Gabe Wallace and graduate transfer Ray Thomas-Ishman will also likely be in the rotation at guard.
Last season, UB's line blocked for an offense that rushed for a school-record 3,256 yards and allowed a program-low eight sacks, second fewest in the country.
Watch Out
The Bulls have eight different players on eight different NCFAA award preseason watch lists. Running back Jaret Patterson and defensive end Taylor Riggins each appeared on two different watch lists.
Buffalo Players on NCFAA Watch Lists
Jaret Patterson - Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award
Taylor Riggins - Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Kayode Awosika - Outland Trophy
Tyrone Hill - Jim Thorpe Award
Malcolm Koonce - Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Mike Novitsky - Rimington Trophy
Kevin Marks - Doak Walker Award
Max Michel - Wuerffel Trophy
4 Grad Transfers Join the Bulls
The Bulls added four graduate transfers ahead of the 2020 campaign - three on defense and one on offense.
Three linebackers have joined the team, including Brendan Pyne from Brown, Tyree Thompson from UCLA and Keith Woetzel from Lehigh. On the offensive side of the ball, offensive lineman Ray Thomas-Ishman came to UB from UMass.
International Flavor
The Bulls have five international players from three different countries on this year's roster.
Buffalo has three players who hail from Canada, including Dominic Johnson (Ontario), Cole Burniston (Ontario) and Gabe Wallace (BC). In addition, the Bulls have two players from Europe, Alain Schaerer (Switzerland) and Jordan Avissey (France).
Lefebvre Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Senior tight end Zac Lefebvre has been named a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist. Given annually to college football's top student-athlete, the Campbell Trophy is also known as the Academic Heisman.
Lefebvre is a health and human services major with a 3.37 cumulative grade point average and is a three-time Academic All-MAC selection.
A native of Victor, NY, Lefebvre has started 14 games at tight end. He has 36 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns over his career.
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.
