Going into its ninth game of the season, the Buffalo Bulls football team will look for its first Mid-American Conference win against the last conference opponent it has beaten, the Kent State Golden Flashes.
When Buffalo (1-7, 0-5 MAC) takes the field Saturday at UB Stadium, the Bulls will be facing a Kent State team that is much different from the one it defeated last season. The Golden Flashes (5-3, 4-1 MAC) currently sit in second-place in the MAC East standings, which is a stark contrast from last season's last-place finish.
To see a team rise from the bottom of the division up towards the top gives a sense of hope to Bulls' head coach Turner Gill and his team.
"It's good to see," Gill said. "Anything is possible. Anything can get done. It's just putting it together to get it. It's encouraging to see it. You maybe have a down year one year and you can play well the following year."
Much of the reason for Kent State's improved record is due to the better play from the quarterback position. The Golden Flashes' quarterback Julian Edelman is third in the MAC in total offense with an average of 229.9 yards per game. He leads the team with 1300 passing yards and eight touchdowns and is also a running threat, as he has 539 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.
"(Edelman) is definitely a guy we need a lot of people around the football," Gill said. "Every game he makes something out of nothing so he has that big play ability."
Edelman could create a lot of problem for a Bulls' defense that ranks last against the run in the conference. Buffalo yields an average of 224.5 yards on the ground per game.
The Bulls' rushing defense could also be further hampered due to injuries. Two defensive tackles have already been ruled out for Saturday's game. Junior Labinot Hakanjin will be out with a broken hand, and junior Marck Abraham will be inactive with a back injury.
The other big question mark on Buffalo's defense will be senior linebacker Ramon Guzman. Guzman traveled with the team to last weekend's game at Boston College but did not participate due to a leg injury. Junior Kareem Byrom was moved from his typical position at safety to fill Guzman's place.
"I wouldn't say (Guzman) is doubtful," Gill said. "It's a day-to-day deal. We want to try some things. I would say Kareem Byrom would probably be starting. Whether Guzman can play the game we will have to wait and see."
Although out of position, Byrom was still able to make an impact on the field. He recorded seven tackles, two of those being for a loss and a sack last week against Boston College.
"(Byrom's) tough, he's physical, that's probably the biggest thing," Gill said. "He's been in a lot of ball games. He has to adjust to taking on a lot more blockers five-yards deep instead of eight to 10-yards deep. He's one of our better football players so we want to put him on the field."
Offensively, the Bulls are banking on senior fullback Stephen King's return from injury to breathe life in its rushing attack. Buffalo ranks last in the MAC in rushing yards, averaging 79.0 yards per game. This includes last weekend's performance in which the Bulls had -12 yards on the ground.
"We're still working hard and we want to turn this thing around," King said. "We've done a lot of things to hurt ourselves in games. It's frustrating to know that there could be a different outcome for us."
This could be quite the task against Kent State, as its defense currently sits at second in the MAC in total defense. The Golden Flashes give up just 293.1 yards per game. They also have the top defense against the pass in the conference, allowing an average of 141.4 yards per contest.
A lot of the problems offensively have to do with the Bulls' offensive line not being able to win in the trenches.
"(Opponents) have been able to penetrate the line of scrimmage, which is a problem in getting our job done blocking," Gill said. "Some of it's the opponent, some of it is in our techniques. You have to be able to control the line of scrimmage and when you don't do that, you'll have some difficult times."
Saturday's game at UB Stadium begins at 1 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
