Injuries were the theme last week with big names going down. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's season is over after tearing his ACL, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green left the game with a hamstring injury and New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is out four to six weeks.
It was good week for Buffalo football as the Bulls (4-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) and the Bills bodied its opponents this past weekend. The Bulls earned its first Big Ten Conference win on Saturday, beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-3, 0-1 BIG TEN) 42-13. Buffalo looks to continue its best start in Division I and improve to 5-0 when it takes on the Army Black Knights (2-2). This will be the third annual meeting between the teams with both games being decided by a single score. With the way both teams match up, expect another close game at UB Stadium this weekend.
The Bulls soccer team went from beating down teams to having its toughest loss of the season all in one weekend. After beating the Northern Illinois Huskies 5-0 on Friday night, the Bulls traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a game against the Western Michigan Broncos. But when the Bulls arrived from the three-and-a-half-hour drive, the team was met with an overbooked hotel. Though the team straightened things out, it wasn’t an ideal situation for a team that needed rest.
James O’Hagan’s favorite superhero is Captain America. The senior center has been a fan of comic books his whole life and fell in love with Captain America at age five. Almost 20 years later, you can find O’Hagan walking around UB wearing a Captain America ski mask during the winter.
The marching band has been electrifying crowds and continuing the pageantry traditions of college football since 1999. The band features more than an instrumental section, including the visual aspects of color guard, featured twirlers and the UB Dazzlers Dance Team. “I know we have True Blue for spirit but we help with that other half of spirit,” said Jahmil Roman, a senior mechanical engineer and commanding officer in the band.
Intensity, talent, grit, ferocity –– you name a quality tied to the Bulls volleyball team and it will sound like a team with potential and heart. The Bulls showed the ability to dig deep during the non-conference season and came into the start of Mid-American Conference play with an 8-4 record. Buffalo looked prime to continue its early success heading into two games at Alumni Arena this past weekend.
The Bulls’ seven-game win streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon when they lost on the road to the Western Michigan Broncos 4-2. The Bulls let up a season high four goals while not scoring until 80 minutes into the game. This was Buffalo’s first conference loss of the season.
For the first time in FBS history, UB football is 4-0. The Bulls traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey to play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) Saturday afternoon. Buffalo only needed 30 minutes to pull off the monumental victory. Junior quarterback Tyree Jackson continued the best season of his collegiate career to lead the Bulls to a 35-6 halftime lead and eventual 42-13 victory.
The Buffalo volleyball team lost to the Bowling Green Falcons 3-0 Friday night at Alumni Arena. Bowling Green (7-7, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) was able to streak at the end of all three sets, despite back and forth action from both teams. The Bulls (8-5, 0-1 MAC) were unable to streak on offense against a poised Falcons’ defense. Buffalo came into Friday having gone 2-1 at the American Volleyball Classic in Washington D.C. the weekend prior. The game was the Bulls’ first conference game of the season.
The Bulls (3-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) are still undefeated heading into its clash with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) this Saturday. It is a story of different programs as the Scarlet Knights are having one of its worst season starts in the past decade. After the Scarlet Knights lost 55-14 to the Kansas Jayhawks (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) this past Saturday, the Bulls seem primed to earn another win over a big conference team.
Buffalo soccer beat the St. Bonaventure Bonnies 3-1 Friday night at UB Stadium to earn its sixth-straight win. The three-goal performance was led by senior forward Carissima Cutrona and sophomore forward Marcy Barberic who combined for 3 goals and 3 assists. The Bulls (6-1, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) have wins over the Canisius Golden Griffins (3-2-1) the Niagara Purple Eagles (4-3) and now the Bonnies (0-5-4) this season. The win marked the final non-conference game of the season and the best non-conference record the Bulls have had since 2015.
UB football competed against the Eastern Michigan University Eagles (2-1, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) on Saturday. In the first half, the two teams combined for over 600 yards of offense and 49 points. The teams settled down in the second as Buffalo won 35-28.
In front of the 8-foot-tall by 24-foot-wide net at the UB Stadium, stands a 5-foot-6-inch goalkeeper ready to pounce. From 10 yards to her left to a shot over her head, freshman Emily Kelly attacks every shot that comes her way with speed and ferocity.
In an opening week press conference, head coach Lance Leipold announced the team will rotate who wears jersey number 41, in honor of the late Solomon Jackson. Jackson was a linebacker on the team who died at 20-years-old. He concluded his second season on the team when he had a medical emergency during a Bulls conditioning session. He passed a week later in the hospital. Players who wear the number honor Jackson and his time here.
From this year’s first-time NCAA tournament wins in basketball, to former-Bull Khalil Mack being selected fifth in the 2014 NFL draft, UB has experienced some of its top sports moments in school history within the past five years. Senior director of marketing for athletics Elaine Russell uses these accomplishments to market an emerging Division I sports school to students, families and the Buffalo community.
A 6-3 record is over .500, but doesn’t scream excellence or mediocrity. For the volleyball team, it’s what happens during and between those games and sets that defines a team with heart and intensity. “We can play with anyone,” said head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz in a phone interview.
It’s no secret that athletes love social media. They can post highlights, workout videos and pictures of them in uniform.
UB Football beat Temple 36 to 29 Saturday afternoon. Buffalo had all the history against them as the Bulls haven’t started a season 2-0 since 1983.
After a 48-10 romp of Delaware State last week, the Bulls will head to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls. Temple (0-1) is coming off a season-opening loss to FCS Villanova Wildcats (1-0) team.
UB football dominated its season opener against the Delaware State Hornets (0-1, 0-0) 48 to 10. By the completion of the first half, Buffalo (1-0, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) led 34-3 with junior quarterback Tyree Jackson passing for a school record of five touchdowns in the half. The Bulls came into this season with high expectations and the most preseason excitement in recent memory.
Solutions by The State News
