Saturday can't come fast enough for the Bulls. After a devastating 55-25 defeat last weekend, Buffalo will look to rebound on Saturday against Mid-American Conference rival Miami (OH) at 1 p.m.
The Bulls (1-4, 0-3 MAC) are looking for their first conference win of the season. Buffalo has been winless against Miami since the Bulls joined the MAC in 1999. The Bulls are 0-8 all-time against the RedHawks, including a 54-13 thrashing last year. Miami (0-6, 0-2 MAC) will be trying to earn its first win of the year.
"We are anxious to go back out and play football," said head coach Turner Gill. "The blowout loss last weekend was a temporary setback. We want to show everybody what we're about. Nobody is putting their head down."
The beginning of the game is going to play an important role in the outcome. In the past four games, Buffalo has allowed their opponent to score a touchdown with their first possession of the game. The Bulls have allowed 52 points in the first quarter of games this season.
"We need to start fast with more intensity," Gill said. "This week at practice, there is a game-like environment to help us prepare to come out strong."
After it outscored Ball State last weekend in the second half, 22-17, Buffalo is hoping that this momentum will carry over to Saturday's game.
"Last week, we played well in the second half," said sophomore wide receiver Ernest Jackson. "We are hoping that practice will bring the intensity up to help us start fast in the next game."
The ground game is going to play a pivotal part in the contest. On the season, Buffalo is ranked 118th in rushing defense, allowing 255 yards per game. Going into the game, Miami is ranked 113th nationally in rushing yards. The Redhawks average 77 yards per game on the ground.
"On defense, our guys need to have defensive responsibility," Gill said. "We must protect the gaps and our one-on-one tackling needs to improve. The secondary is stepping up on runs making tackles. We are still trying to find a good mix and the right chemistry."
If Buffalo is able to stop the ground attack, and force Miami quarterback Mike Kokal to put the ball in the air, there is a good chance the Bulls can put pressure on Kokal. Miami leads the nation in most sacks allowed with 30.
One player Buffalo must stop is senior wide receiver Ryne Robinson. Robinson has shown on multiple occasions that he can change the outcome of the game in one play. He also returns punts and is tough to tackle. Robinson is one punt-return touchdown away from tying the NCAA career record of eight.
A key loss for the Bulls is senior running back Stephen King. King is going to be out 2-4 weeks with a dislocated shoulder. His loss affects the team offensively and on special teams. Luckily for Buffalo, it has depth at running back with senior Jared Patterson and redshirt freshman James Starks.
One bright spot last week was sophomore quarterback Drew Willy. Willy is coming off a career-best game in which he threw for 321 yard and two touchdowns. It could be difficult for Willy to match those numbers this week, because the Miami defense only yields an average of 160 passing yards per game.
Special teams play will also be critical to success. After converting a 42-yard field goal last week and two extra points, senior walk-on kicker Adam Tanalski has claimed the starting kicker role. Freshman wide receiver/kick returner Naaman Roosevelt leads the MAC and is ninth in the nation in kick returns, where he averages 30.4 yards per return. Roosevelt also averages 16.9 yards per punt return.
Penalties have yet to be a tremendous factor in any of the Bulls' games this season. Buffalo is the least penalized team in the MAC. The Bulls average only 5.2 penalties a game for an average of 39.2 yards per game.
Even though the RedHawks are winless so far this season, Gill is not taking Miami lightly. The RedHawks have played close games, including last week's loss to Northern Illinois by three points.
"They have great talent on both sides," Gill said. "They are also playing with a chip on their shoulders, because they are not having the type of season they wanted to have."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
