The Bulls played their last game at UB Stadium in the 2013 season on Tuesday night, defeating Ohio 30-3 to improve to 7-2 (5-0 Mid-American Conference). The Spectrum's sports editors graded Buffalo by position.
The Bulls played their last game at UB Stadium in the 2013 season on Tuesday night, defeating Ohio 30-3 to improve to 7-2 (5-0 Mid-American Conference). The Spectrum's sports editors graded Buffalo by position.
Passing game: A-
Sophomore quarterback Joe Licata was solid again on a night that was dominated by the run game. His stat line wasn't overly impressive - 13 of 22 for 169 yards, two touchdowns and an interception - but it was good enough.
Licata's only big mistake came on a deep pass intended for senior receiver Alex Neutz. He underthrew the ball and it got picked off. It was Licata's first pick since Sept. 28 against UConn.
Licata has thrown a touchdown in every game this season so far.
Run game: A
It's hard to find bad things to say about the Bulls' run game. Senior running back Branden Oliver broke his own school Division IA single-game rushing record with 249 yards and became just the second Buffalo player to rush for 1,000 yards in two separate seasons.
Oliver ran through, at and around the Ohio defense. There was a play he carried defenders nearly 20 yards, and others he weaved in and out of traffic. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry.
Receiving: A
At the beginning of the season, the question was who would complement Neutz in the passing game. Nine games into the season, the question is who can't catch a pass.
Licata found six different receivers and the catches always seemed to come at big moments. Tonight was about Neutz, though. He caught two touchdown passes, tying Namaan Roosevelt for first on UB's touchdown-catches-in-a-career list with 28.
Offensive line: A
The line was unbreakable on Tuesday night, not allowing a sack and giving Licata more than enough time to find open targets downfield.
They also opened up the run game for Oliver to break his own single-game rushing record. Despite some health issues, the line has continued to prove its worth.
Run defense: A
The run defense did what it's been doing all season: stop opposing running backs.
Ohio went to the run game early and the Bulls didn't allow it to be a viable option. They allowed just 69 yards rushing on 34 attempts.
The Bobcats' inability to run the ball allowed the secondary to focus on stopping Ohio's passing offense.
Pass defense: A
The Bulls knew quarterback Tyler Tettleton was one of the best in the MAC, and they made sure he never got comfortable.
The Bulls held Tettleton to 14-of-31 passing for 126 yards. The pass coverage had some big breakups in man sets and strong coverage allowed the line enough time to get into the backfield.
The pass defense made an above average quarterback look very below average.
Special teams: B+
Sophomore punter Tyler Grassman struggled with some wobbly punts that allowed Ohio starting field position in Buffalo territory a few times.
There was one 21-yard punt return in the second quarter that gave Ohio the ball in Buffalo territory for the second time in the game. Besides that, special teams did what it had to do. There were no turnovers and they kept Ohio's return game in check.
Coaching: A
Once again, the coaching staff stuck to its instincts. Even when the Bulls only scored seven points on the strength of the run in the first half, Quinn and company stuck with Oliver.
And it paid off. The defense was also dominant again, shutting down one of the most prolific passing attacks in the conference.
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Photo: Courtesy of Tal Hamel, Endvisionprod
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
