One team is shattering expectations while the other is heading downwards. One team has only one loss; the other has only one win. One team has a quarterback who's thrown for 12 touchdowns. The other team's quarterback has only tossed three.
Unfortunately for the Bulls (1-4, 0-1 Mid-American Conference), they're the squad on the wrong side of these comparisons. The Ohio Bobcats (4-1, 1-0 MAC) come into Buffalo with every ounce of momentum. The Bobcats have only been bested this season by an impressive Rutgers (3-1, 1-0 Big East) squad.
The Bulls take on a dominant quarterback for the second week in a row. Last week, Tennessee's Tyler Bray tore Buffalo apart, throwing for 342 yards and four touchdowns. Tennessee thrashed the Bulls, 41-10.
"I think we took a lot away from that game in a positive sense," said head coach Jeff Quinn. "It's unacceptable to lose, but these kids have been through a lot as a football program, and when you play against a team like Tennessee, you have to keep things in perspective."
Quinn added that he believes the Bulls – who have also taken on Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-1 Big East) and UConn (2-3) – have faced some of the country's best teams, and their tough non-conference schedule has thoroughly prepared them for MAC play.
This week, the Bulls face Ohio's Tyler Tettleton, a tremendously talented young quarterback who's almost already broken the Bobcats' record for most passing yards by a sophomore, with 1,200.
Tettleton has only thrown one interception this year and he's averaging 240 yards per game with an incredible 149.94 passing efficiency.
"He's an accurate thrower, he makes good decisions, and he's able to keep things alive if they aren't there right away," Quinn said. "He can beat you with his legs. He's got a competitive edge that has really kept them in a lot of games. He manages the offense well."
Tettleton has rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns this year.
Meanwhile, Buffalo senior quarterback Chazz Anderson has thrown for 881 yards (176.2/game) and three interceptions, matching his touchdown total.
Quinn hasn't wavered in his belief that Anderson will turn into the quarterback fans expected him to be when Anderson transferred from Cincinnati.
"He's making good decisions," Quinn said. "When you look at the interceptions, he's not just throwing the ball up for grabs. Chazz is a tremendous competitor and he certainly is not pleased with the production and efficiency of our offense."
Buffalo's young secondary – which starts sophomore Najja Johnson and freshman Courtney Lester – will face a huge challenge against Tettleton. Senior safety Josh Copeland is the veteran of the defensive backfield, and he believes the inexperienced secondary is prepared to have a monster game on Saturday, as Tettleton and the Bobcats throw the ball significantly more than most teams.
"We're really excited in the secondary because we're going to have a lot of chances to show our growth," Copeland said.
The Bulls will likely need a big output from sophomore running back Branden Oliver, who's past two weeks have been his worst of the season. Still, Oliver has racked up 519 yards and five touchdowns this year.
Quinn believes Oliver will need better blocking from his offensive line if he's going to return to early-season form.
"It starts up front," Quinn said. "Our run game hasn't been where we need to be. [If we get it going], we'll be in a better ball control situation and move the chains."
He doesn't believe the records of Buffalo and Ohio are accurate indicators of just how good the teams are. While Buffalo has lost to Tennessee and Pittsburgh, among others, Ohio's best wins have come against Marshall (2-3, 1-0 Conference USA) and Kent State (1-4, 0-1 MAC).
"We are inches away from making great plays. We're this close," Quinn said. "We just need to play football and feel confident, and visualize ourselves being successful."
Copeland isn't discouraged, and he sees the MAC season as a new season entirely. He plans on impressing that belief on the team's younger players.
"As senior leaders, we have to set the tone for the team," Copeland said. "1-4 is not where we want to be, so we have to set the tone. We've wiped the slate clean. Sometimes guys do get down, but it's a long season."
Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.
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