Defense wins championships.
But a little offense couldn't hurt either.
"I thought we had a very strong defensive game against a team (Akron) that had been playing extremely well offensively ... they were ranked in the top 20 in the country in total offense per game coming into the game," said UB Head Coach Jim Hofher. "I wish I could say the same thing about our offensive performance but the firepower just wasn't there ... We've got one chance left to rise up from an offensive standpoint."
Buffalo's last chance to light up the scoreboard comes against Ball State Saturday at 1 p.m. in Muncie, Ind. UB has lost its last nine games.
The Bulls gained a mere 274 yards of offense on 71 plays against the Zips last Saturday, for a paltry 3.9 yards per play. Of those yards, 240 came through the air, but quarterback Randall Secky threw two interceptions to only one touchdown. UB will need more out of their running game to be competitive against the Ball State Cardinals.
"They are an eight man front defensive team, and they're very good at what they do. They're not fancy. It's a great challenge for us in our final game," said Hofher.
Aaron Leeper, the Bulls feature back and candidate for MAC Freshman of the Year, will hope to continue a superb freshman year with a big game in the season finale.
"Aaron has played very solid regardless of whether he is a freshman or a senior," said Hofher. "He has really been more productive than a back has been here in several years with one game to play."
Buffalo looks to its defense, which has been much improved in the last four games, to contain a dangerous Ball State offense.
"They do a nice job with their blitzing scheme, and I think their secondary is very strong," said Ball State Head Coach Bill Lynch.
The Cardinals feature running back Marcus Merriweather, a 6'1" 215-pound fifth-year senior who is a human wrecking ball. Merriweather has 1329 yards this season and has scored seven touchdowns. BSU runs the ball well, and they run it often, something the Bulls have struggled against this year.
"Ball State is a very competitive team," said Hofher. "They are different than almost all the teams we've faced but one. They are a back-oriented offense with Marcus Merriweather who has been outstanding. It's a ground-based offense."
At quarterback the Cardinals made a change halfway through the season after a tough loss to Northern Illinois.
"Talmadge Hill was our starter for the first five games and Andy Roesch has been our starter in the last five," said Lynch. "We made a change after the NIU game. We just felt like we needed to try and jumpstart the offense, and Andy is a fourth year junior and he's been competing in practice and we felt like it was time to give a chance to see what he can do. We've been real pleased with the way he's played so we've stayed with him."
It still comes down to offense for the Bulls. Regardless of how well the defense plays, it's tough to win games when you're not scoring. Buffalo has the players to get the job done, but have had trouble executing.
"Offensively I like their quarterback, I think he's a good passer," said Lynch. "They've got good skill at wide receiver, and they can put up some numbers. We've got a lot of respect for what we've seen"
Junior defensive end Demetrius Austrum is looking forward to having one more chance at a win. Austrum had 26 tackles and three sacks on the season.
"I think it would be a positive thing going into the off-season to go out with a win. And obviously it would be great for the seniors as well," said Austrum.
UB receiver Andre Forde needs 57 all-purpose yards to set a new Bulls single season record ... Buffalo is looking to avoid a second winless season in the MAC in their four-year history.
