UConn
Bulls Close Out Non-Conference Play at UConn on Saturday
9/24/2024 2:39:00 PM | Football
Buffalo (3-1, 1-0 MAC) at Connecticut (2-2)
September 28, 2024
Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field - 12:00 pm
Bulls on the Air
Buffalo - ESPN 1520
Rochester - Fox Sports 1280
Television
CBS Sports Network
Storylines
• This is the first meeting between Buffalo and UConn since 2013 - a game the Bulls won 41-12 at UB Stadium.
• This will be the 14th meeting between UB and UConn since the Bulls joined the FBS ranks in 1999. The Huskies have a 10-3 record over that span.
• The Bulls are looking for their first win at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. They are 0-4 all-time there. Their last win at UConn came in 2001 in a game played at UConn's Memorial Stadium.
• The last time UB played on grass was in the 2019 Bahamas Bowl.
• The Bulls are looking to start the season 4-1 for the first time since 2020 and just the second time as an FBS program (since 1999).
• The Bulls are looking to go 3-1 in non-conference play for just the second time as an FBS program. The Bulls went 4-0 in 2018.
• Linebacker Shaun Dolac leads the nation in tackles (62) and tackles for loss (9.5).
• Buffalo leads the MAC and ranks fourth in the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 9.5 per game. Shaun Dolac (9.5) and Red Murdock (8) are first and second in the MAC, respectively, in tackles for loss.
• The Bulls defense has recorded at least one interception in every game this season and leads the MAC with five picks on the year.
• Pete Lembo is the first UB head coach to start his career 3-1 since Frank Clair in 1948.
Bulls Close Out Non-Conference Play at UConn on Saturday
The University at Buffalo football team will travel to Connecticut to face the Huskies for their final non-conference game on Saturday afternoon.
Buffalo is 3-1 on the season and is coming off a 23-20 overtime victory over #23 Northern Illinois last Saturday. Linebacker Shaun Dolac led the Bulls with 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
Connecticut is 2-2 on the season following a 48-14 win over Florida Atlantic last Saturday. The Huskies are led by quarterback Joe Fagnano who has thrown for 510 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.
Connecticut leads the all-time series, 16-5. The Bulls won the last meeting, 41-12, at UB Stadium in 2013.
Bulls Take Down Ranked Huskies
For just the second time in program history, Buffalo defeated a nationally ranked opponent when it topped 23rd-ranked Northern Illinois last Saturday.
The Bulls defeated 14th-ranked Ball State in the 2008 MAC Championship for the only other win against a ranked opponent.
Dolac Off to Historic Start
Through four games, Shaun Dolac has 62 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss to lead the nation in both categories. He is averaging 15.5 tackles per game. He is coming off the best game of his career with 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a game-changing interception in Buffalo's victory over Northern Illinois. Dolac's 62 tackles through four games are the most to start a season in program history.
He has twice been named MAC Defensive Player of the Week already this season earning the award after his performances against Lafayette and Northern Illinois.
Dolac had a record-breaking season for the Bulls in 2022. A first-team All-MAC selection, he ranked second in the nation in tackles with 147 which were the third-most in program history for a single season. Even more impressive was that he led the nation in solo tackles with 97 - 17 more than any UB player in program history.
A local product, Dolac came to UB as a walk-on in 2019. He was a 2022 semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given annually to the best player in the country who started their career as a walk-on.
Big Play Difference
Big plays have been one of the key differences in the Bulls successful start to the season.
Defensively, UB has done a good job avoiding them. The Bulls have only allowed two plays of 30 yards or longer and they both came against Missouri (39, 31).
Conversely, the UB offense has connected on eight plays of 30 yards or more on the season. The Bulls had three pass plays for 30+ yards against Lafayette (34, 32, 31); three against UMass (40, 34, 31) and a 36-yard run and 46-yard pass play against Northern Illinois. The defense has gotten in on the act too as UB has interception returns of 100 and 53 yards.
TFLs
Buffalo has made a living in opponent's backfields this season. The Bulls lead the MAC and rank fourth in the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 9.5 TFLs per game. Linebackers Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock are one-two in the MAC. In fact, Dolac leads the nation with 9.5 tackles for loss while Murdock ranks 11th with eight.
Seeing Red
After a solid season for the Bulls in 2023, linebacker Red Murdock is taking his game to new heights in 2024. The redshirt-sophomore had the best game of his career against UMass, totaling 12 tackles and three tackles for loss - both career highs. He earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Murdock ranks second in the MAC to only teammate Shaun Dolac in tackles (41) and tackles for loss (8).
In 2023, he appeared in 12 games and started the final six. He ranked third on the team in tackles with 60 and added 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and four forced fumbles. His four forced fumbles were two shy of the single-season school record.
He is equally impressive in the classroom as he was named Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District last season.
Take Your Pick
The UB defense leads the Mid-American Conference with five interceptions and has picked off quarterbacks in every game this season. The five interceptions have come from four different players as Shaun Dolac has two and Jalen McNair, Charles McCartherens and Marquis Cooper each have one.
Hanging with Mr. Cooper
Former walk-on Marquis Cooper earned the starting cornerback job out of camp and has been impressive through four games. In fact, he seems to one-up himself every game. After registering a career-high 12 tackles, including eight solo stops and a TFL at Missouri, the Colgate transfer had eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception against UMass. He returned the interception 100 yards for a touchdown to break the record for longest interception return in program history. The previous record was 90 yards set by Gerry LaFountain against Delaware in 1965.
In UB's win at Northern Illinois, Cooper blocked the potential go-ahead field goal in overtime.
Cooper was awarded a scholarship prior to the start of the season.
Let it Snow
Wide receiver Victor Snow has become a reliable target for the Bulls so far this season. His 13 receptions are more than twice as many as anyone else on the team. He caught his first career touchdown against Northern Illinois. In 12 games a season ago, Snow only registered one catch for 12 yards.
Snow is a native of Webster, NY and transferred to Buffalo from Nevada prior to the 2023 campaign.
Running Back Depth
Buffalo's depth at running back has paid off so far this season as different backs have stepped up for the Bulls.
In the first two games, it was Jacqez Barksdale who came off the bench to lead UB in rushing. He rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against Lafayette and Missouri, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. In UB's win over UMass, Lamar Sperling rushed for a career-best 86 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bulls. In UB's win at Northern Illinois, Al-Jay Henderson led the way with 56 yards on the ground, including a 36-yard touchdown.
Duane Oh!
New punter Ethan Duane has been a nice addition to the Bulls' special teams unit. The Old Dominion transfer is averaging 43.1 yards per punt to rank second in the Mid-American Conference. Five of his punts have sailed over 50 yards. Against UMass, four of his five punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, with two touched down at the 1-yard line.
7 Up
C.J. Ogbonna has settled in as Buffalo's starting quarterback this season, his first as the Bulls' starter. He threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Lafayette, his first career start. On the season, Ogbonna has thrown for 542 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
Now in his second year with the program, the senior signal-caller appeared in eight games in 2023, but was used primarily in running situations. He rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on the season. He passed for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Obgonna began his career at Hutchinson Community College where he helped lead the Blue Dragons to a national title in 2020. From there, he transferred to Southeast Missouri State where he was a two-year starter for the Redhawks. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 1,521 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 357 yards and another three scores en route to being named to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team.
Taji Johnson Wins 1-MAC Award
Wide receiver Taji Johnson has won the Mid-American Conference's 1-MAC Award - given annually to those that have shown tremendous impact & excellence in inclusion efforts.
Johnson, who joined the Bulls in Spring 2024 for his final year of eligibility, quickly made a lasting impact by organizing the "A Day in the Life" event for at-risk middle school students. Through his partnership with TheTeam.org, a nonprofit focused on civic engagement and voter participation in college athletics, Johnson helped provide critical resources and support to students and their families. His efforts included arranging school supplies and connecting families with local services, addressing the diverse needs of the community.
In addition to organizing the event, Johnson fostered collaboration among student-athletes from various sports, creating a network that shared strategies and experiences to collectively support at-risk students. By emphasizing unity and teamwork, Johnson and his fellow student-athletes inspired resilience, leadership, and academic excellence among the students they mentored.
Johnson has also been nominated for the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Experience on the Offensive Line
While the Bulls will have many new faces in the lineup entering this season, one area they do return experience is the offensive line. UB returns four offensive linemen who have seen time in the starting lineup.
Guard Tyler Doty started 22 games over the last two seasons and was an All-MAC Third Team selection in 2023.
Trevor Brock will start at the other guard spot after starting the final seven games of last season.
Caelan Shepard started all 12 games at right tackle last season.
In his sixth year with the program, Dom Polizzi has made four starts at center for the Bulls.
International Flavor
The Bulls have five international players on this year's roster.
Buffalo has three players who hail from Canada, including offensive lineman Jackson Bellamy (Ontario), defensive tackle Jordan Poyser (Ontario) and edge Nick Roy (Quebec). In addition, punter Ethan Duane is from Australia and edge Luke Yau Gayle hails from England.
New Look MAC
2024 will mark the first time the Mid-American Conference will not be divided into divisions for football. In years past, the 12 teams were divided into two six-team divisions, with the Bulls playing in the East Division. Moving forward, the top two overall teams in the standings will play for the MAC title as opposed to division winners.
Miami (OH) was selected as the preseason favorite to win the MAC Championship.
On The Airwaves
Again this season, University at Buffalo football can be heard locally on ESPN 1520, a 50,000-watt station with one of the strongest signals in the nation. The Bulls can also be heard on 1280 AM in Rochester.
Calling all the play-by-play action of Bulls football for his 25th year, and 17th consecutive, will be Paul Peck. Scott Wilson is back for his eighth season as analyst. Brad Riter also returns as game host.
The UB Football postgame show will once again take place at The Anchor Bar on Maple Road with host Bob Gaughan.
