Well, the football team (3-2, 1-0 MAC ) proved me wrong. I wrote a few weeks ago about how I felt there was nothing to be excited for this season and how I expected another losing record for the program.
Boy am I starting to look dumb.
Five games into the season and not only do the Bulls look impressive on both sides of the ball, but even when they’ve lost, they’ve looked good.
Five games into last season, the Bulls had already lost three games by more than 20 points. Their biggest loss this season has been by 10 points.
Improvement has been the narrative in all three of UB’s fall team based sports, vast improvement that looks to be built upon.
The volleyball team (9-6, 2-2 MAC) continues their turnaround from last season, already having more than double the wins they had last season.
The soccer team (4-5-2, 2-1-1 MAC) started the season off rough with three straight losses but have bounced back, going 4-2-2 since the start of September. They even ended their winless road game streak from last season and already have two road wins.
The football team is one of only three teams in the MAC with a winning record and a conference win.
Their next opponent, the Western Michigan Broncos (3-2, 1-0 MAC), is the toughest team they will play in conference all year. If the Bulls defeat the Broncos on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., they will go from being a solid team in the MAC to conference elites. It would also highlight the Bulls improvement from last year, as they were crushed by the Broncos 38-0 last season.
The volleyball team finds themselves in a similar position as they sit one game behind the first place Bowling Green Falcons (7-8, 3-1 MAC). The Bulls can snatch that top spot this Friday if they win their away game against the Falcons at 5 p.m.
I think the Bulls will dig deep and pickup a hard-fought win.
The soccer team might have had a rough start, but they are coming off an impressive road trip where they picked up a win against the Eastern Michigan Eagles (4-8-1, 1-3 MAC) and a hard fought draw against the Central Michigan Chippewas (5-4-2, 0-2-2 MAC). I see a more confident Bulls team that is starting to find their groove defensively.
The Bulls will have to carry that momentum into their away game Thursday at 4 p.m. against the Ohio University Bobcats (5-6-1, 2-1-1 MAC), expect a close game.
The soccer team returns home on Sunday to play the Kent State Golden Flashes (7-4-1, 3-1 MAC) at 12 p.m. The Flashes are one of the best teams in the MAC. A tie would be a great outcome but will depend on the defense's ability to hold the Flashes.
I implore any student reading to go to the football game Saturday or the soccer game Sunday; the Bulls could use the love more than ever.
Thomas Zafonte is the senior sports editors and can be reached at thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com
Thomas Zafonte is a senior English major. He is a UB sports fan and enjoys traveling around Buffalo.
