Thursday, August 29
Buffalo, NY
7:00 pm
30
vs
13
Lafayette
Photo by: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
Bulls Open Season with 30-13 Victory over Lafayette
8/30/2024 12:08:00 AM | Football
BUFFALO, NY – The Pete Lembo era of University at Buffalo football began on Thursday night with a 30-13 victory over Lafayette at UB Stadium. The Bulls jumped out to a 16-0 lead and never looked back, defeating a Leopard squad that is the preseason favorite to win the Patriot League.
Linebacker Shaun Dolac, back after missing the majority of last season with an injury, looked every bit the first-team All-MAC linebacker he was in 2022. He finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception, leading a defense that was dominant in the game.
The Bulls allowed only 43 yards of rushing to Lafayette and held preseason All-American Jamar Curtis to just 12 yards on 14 carries. Jalen McNair and Dolac both had interceptions in the game and edge Kobe Stewart had two of UB's three sacks on the night.
C.J. Ogbonna made his first career start for the Bulls at quarterback and looked comfortable running the offense. He threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Nik McMillan on a 31-yard touchdown and Taji Johnson on a 32-yard score. McMillan led the Bulls with five receptions for 76 yards in the game.
Al-Jay Henderson earned the start at running back and rushed for 37 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Jacqez Barksdale was inserted in the lineup in the second half and was a real spark for the running game. He had 14 carries for 99 yard and a 19-yard touchdown to ice the game for the Bulls. The senior running back was a wrecking ball, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
Along with Dolac, fellow linebacker Red Murdock had a strong game with seven tackles and a tackle for loss. In total, the Bulls had 11 tackles for loss in the game with nine different Bulls registering at least one TFL.
The Bulls will next play at 11-ranked Missouri next Saturday.
Linebacker Shaun Dolac, back after missing the majority of last season with an injury, looked every bit the first-team All-MAC linebacker he was in 2022. He finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception, leading a defense that was dominant in the game.
The Bulls allowed only 43 yards of rushing to Lafayette and held preseason All-American Jamar Curtis to just 12 yards on 14 carries. Jalen McNair and Dolac both had interceptions in the game and edge Kobe Stewart had two of UB's three sacks on the night.
C.J. Ogbonna made his first career start for the Bulls at quarterback and looked comfortable running the offense. He threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Nik McMillan on a 31-yard touchdown and Taji Johnson on a 32-yard score. McMillan led the Bulls with five receptions for 76 yards in the game.
Al-Jay Henderson earned the start at running back and rushed for 37 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Jacqez Barksdale was inserted in the lineup in the second half and was a real spark for the running game. He had 14 carries for 99 yard and a 19-yard touchdown to ice the game for the Bulls. The senior running back was a wrecking ball, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
Along with Dolac, fellow linebacker Red Murdock had a strong game with seven tackles and a tackle for loss. In total, the Bulls had 11 tackles for loss in the game with nine different Bulls registering at least one TFL.
The Bulls will next play at 11-ranked Missouri next Saturday.
Players Mentioned
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NICK
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QB
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EDGE
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