The path the No. 23 University at Buffalo football team has taken this season to reach the 2020 Mid-American Conference championship game is certainly an unusual one. Despite playing just five regular season games, the unbeaten Bulls are, arguably, in the midst of the program’s best season since moving to the FBS in 1999.
It’s only debatable that 2020 isn’t the best season in Buffalo’s history because of the shortened schedule. The Bulls ran through their competition with relative ease in all five games this season, scoring 40-plus points in each contest, and were heavy favorites to win at Ohio on Dec. 5 before the game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues with the Bobcats.
All of the hurdles put in front of the Bulls haven’t deterred the group from having a memorable and meaningful season. Between a 5-0 start, a division title, the program being nationally-ranked for the first time in its history and running back Jaret Patterson making headlines and breaking records each week, the 2020 Bulls have left their mark.
“I’m extremely proud of our team. As we all know, it’s been a long eight, nine months for everybody,” Bulls head coach Lance Leipold said on Wednesday in his Zoom conference call. “The ups and downs that our players have had all across the country and our conference had to go through… to persevere through all that and then get a chance to play, and for us five games, I’m really proud of our guys and our staff. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to return to Detroit.”
UB will make its third appearance in the MAC championship game Friday night at Ford Field in Detroit. Buffalo’s opponent, the Ball State Cardinals, will be the same as when the Bulls played in their first conference title game back in 2008, which UB won 42-24 to take home the program’s only MAC title. The Bulls also went to Detroit back in 2018 and were defeated by Northern Illinois, 30-29.
Both UB and Ball State head into Friday night’s game riding five-game winning-streaks. After dropping their first game of the season at Miami (OH), the Cardinals have rattled-off five victories in a row, with four being decided by a single score.
The Cardinals don’t exactly score at the same rate as UB, but did put up over 30 points in five of their six regular season games. Ball State’s offense sits in the middle of the pack amongst MAC teams in most statistical categories; but, the group is led by the red-shirt senior quarterback Drew Plitt, who ranks third in the conference in passing yards per-game (279.0). Plitt’s 13 touchdown passes this season also rank second in the MAC, only trailing Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby (18).
“They’re a physical football team on both sides of the ball,” Leipold said on Wednesday. “Very talented quarterback, who’s got running backs that are bigger, more physical backs that are downhill runners, a receiving corps that’s extremely athletic. Justin Hall is one of the more dynamic players in this conference, they want to get the ball in his hands as many times as they can. And he’s difficult in space. That’s going to be a big challenge for our defense.”
The aforementioned Hall has caught 44 passes this season, good for second among all MAC receivers, for 620 total yards. While the senior has only scored three touchdowns in 2020, Hall still has averaged 103.3 receiving yards per-game (fourth in the MAC) and averages just over 14 yards per-catch.
Buffalo’s defense, despite missing starters on the line and in the secondary all season, has performed well. The Bulls give up a little over 200 passing yards per-game on average (206.8), rank third in the MAC in defensive efficiency (115.8) and second in total yards allowed per-game (367.2). Ball State averages 180.5 yards per-game via the run, but Caleb Huntley, the team’s leading rusher, announced earlier this week he's opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season after missing the last three games with an injury. The Bulls’ run defense has been solid though, giving up an average of 160.4 rushing yards per-game. It’ll be interesting to see which way Ball State looks to attack UB.
Ball State’s offense is dynamic, but neither the pass nor run game absolutely blows you away. The UB offense, however, leading the FBS in points per-game (51.8), could very well be the deciding factor in this game. Ball State has defended the run well this season, giving up 153 rushing yards per-game, but they haven’t faced the Bulls’ imposing rushing attack, led by Patterson and Kevin Marks, that averages nearly 345 yards per-game.
If, for some reason, the Bulls can’t get the run game going, which is hard to see happening based off previous contests this season, Ball State has struggled to defend the pass this year. Quarterback Kyle Vantrease hasn’t been very busy for the Bulls the last few weeks, throwing just seven times in last week’s win over Akron and attempting 40 passes in total over the last three games. However, Ball State ranks second-last in the MAC in pass defense, allowing 285.2 yards through the air per-game. While the Bulls only average 166.4 passing yards per-game in their own right, Vantrease and co. have shown they can move the chains and score points by throwing the ball. So, if it’s needed, the Bulls could be a bit more comfortable throwing against a weaker pass defense.
As for Ball State, while the run defense has performed well, it doesn’t matter what they’ve done against other teams this year, there’s no MAC program right now with a rushing attack like Buffalo’s. A large part of that is because of the Bulls’ stellar offensive line. The group hasn’t given up a sack yet this season, or in the last nine games dating back to last year. On Monday, the Bulls’ line was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the best offensive line in the FBS. Ball State’s defense has recorded 15 sacks so far this season, which is good for third in the MAC, and more than any other team UB has faced in 2020. That could be a matchup to watch as well.
There are 18 players currently on UB’s roster that also played in the 2018 MAC Championship, with five current starters also having started in that game. The 2020 season is its own campaign and this team is its own group, but Leipold does understand that the tough loss to Northern Illinois in Detroit a few years ago could affect Friday night’s matchup.
“[The 2018 MAC championship] and the way that season ended [was very disappointing],” Leipold admitted Wednesday. “I think the maturity within that locker room of the ones that were there know that a great week of preparation is needed. You have to play 60 minutes and finish strong.”
Kickoff on Friday night between the Bulls and Cardinals is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN.
You can also listen to the action with pregame and postgame coverage on the radio home of the UB Bulls – ESPN 1520.