Buffalo Bulls football
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The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first football team was fielded in 1894.[2] The team plays its home games at the 25,000+ seat UB Stadium on University at Buffalo's north campus in Amherst, New York. The Bulls are coached by Pete Lembo.[3] HistoryUB's first run with football started in 1894 and lasted until 1970, when the football program was suspended due to the student body's vote to stop funding the program. The football program was reintroduced in 1977. When reintroduced, the team played in Division III level football until 1992. In 1993, the school made the jump to Division I-AA. In 1999, the Bulls moved up again to Division I-A Bowl Subdivision level football. Early history (1894–1903)In 1894, UB established an Ray Turnbull led the UB team to a 3–3 record.[12] After the 1903 season, UB would not again put a team on the field until 1915.[13]
The UB Bisons (1915–1930)In 1915, UB re-established the football program and officially instituted men's basketball. Both teams were named the 'Bisons' and used as their logo a caricature of a male Jay "Biffy" Lee, who coached for two seasons (until 1930 ), leading UB to an 8–7 record.
Welcome the Bulls (1930–1942)In 1931, the university changed its mascot to the Bulls in order to distinguish UB from professional teams in the Queen City. The Bulls played every year until the outbreak of World War II mainly under the coaching guidance of Jim Peele who was at the helm from 1935 to 1942 and led the Bulls to a 38–34–1 record including a 6–2 season in 1942. Post-World War II (1946–1954)After World War II, UB again took to the gridiron under Peele, who led UB in two impressive seasons of 7–2 (1946) and 8–1 (1947), but were not selected to a bowl in either season. The program was next taken over by Frank Clair, who coached for two seasons, leaving with an impressive mark of 12–4–1. The following season represented one of the low points for UB when, under the guidance of coach Fritz Febel, UB won only four games in three years with an overall record of 4–19–1. Offenhamer era (1955–1965)If the Febel season can be seen as one of the high points in UB football history, then Willie Evans, who were black, did not play. Despite protests from the Elks Lodge, the local high school association that operated the stadium – the Orlando High School Athletic Association[16] – refused to rescind its rule against integrated events. The team stood behind the two, and unanimously refused the bowl offer. The team was profiled on ESPN's Outside the Lines in 2008.[17] Buffalo would not be invited to a bowl or be bowl-eligible for another 50 years.
Several UB football stars from the Offenhamer years went on to have careers in professional football, including 1968 AFL Champion New York Jets, who went on to win Super Bowl III. They have been followed by Ramon Guzman who played on two Grey Cup Championship teams with the Montreal Alouettes and James Starks with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers .
Out with a whimper (1965–1970)Following the departure of Offenhamer in 1965, UB lasted only five more years before suspending football in 1970. There was some success under coach Doc Urich, who led UB to an 18–12 record over three years, but declining performance under his successor, Bob Deming (1969–1970) and financial issues caused UB to suspend its football program. The main reason that football was dropped was that the student body voted to stop funding the team. At the time athletics at UB were fully funded by student fees. It would be seven years until UB would again take the field. Division III football (1977–1992)In Jim Ward was promoted because of a New York State hiring freeze and ushered in UB's return to Division I football. In 1986 the Bulls upset Villanova for their biggest win of the season. Douglas Engel was named Freshman Defensive player of the year (1986–87).
Division I-AA (1993–1998)UB's return to Division I football started in Football Championship Subdivision). UB would have only one winning season during their time in I-AA. Under Coach Craig Cirbus, UB would go 8–3 in 1996 . This would be UB's last season at or above .500 for a dozen years.
Return to Division I-A (1999–2005)In BCS team until 2013 .
Turner Gill era (2006–2009)In early December 2005, Hofher was replaced by Green Bay Packers assistant coach and former Heisman Trophy candidate Turner Gill. The former University of Nebraska quarterback led the program in a remarkable turnaround, helping the team to a 5–7 (5–3 MAC East divisional co-champions) in 2007, their best season since the school joined the MAC. On November 21, 2008, the Buffalo Bulls won their first outright MAC Eastern Division Championship, sealing the win with a thrilling 2-OT victory over Bowling Green, 40–34. Down 27–7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Bulls stormed back to tie the game at 27 and force it into overtime. In the second OT, running back James Starks ran 25 yards on the first play for a touchdown and a Bulls win. The quarterback coach for Bowling Green that day was former UB head coach Jim Hofher. Following a loss to Connecticut. The Bulls went on to lose that game to UConn by a score of 38–20.
2009 would not be as successful as Starks was lost before the season even started to a shoulder injury. The offense also struggled without four-year starting quarterback Drew Willy as new quarterback Zach Maynard had an up-and-down season as UB finished 5–7. After the season, Gill left to become head coach of Kansas. Jeff Quinn era (2010–2014)On December 20, 2009, it was first reported that Jeff Quinn would be the new head coach. He took over after coaching Cincinnati in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. In Quinn's first season as coach, he was unable to build upon Gill's success as UB finished the season 2–10. Over the subsequent two seasons he amassed a record of 7–17. The Bulls entered the 2013 season with low hopes. These were accentuated with season-opening losses to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 23 Baylor, 20–40 and 13–70, as they started the season 0–2. However, after a quintuple overtime 26–23 victory against Stony Brook in week 3, the team surged to 7 straight wins, including a 41–12 victory over Connecticut at UB Stadium on September 28, their first win against a BCS opponent since 2002, and clinched bowl eligibility for just the third time in team history with a 41–21 victory at Kent State on October 26. The 7 game winning streak was the longest winning streak in Bulls team history, and ended with a 41–51 loss at the Glass Dome to Toledo on November 12. The team finished the regular season 8–4, and finished in second place in the conference. The team ultimately went on to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against San Diego State, losing the game 24–49. The team finished with an overall record of 8–5. This 2013 team featured 2014 NFL Draft to the Oakland Raiders, making him the highest player in Buffalo history to ever be drafted, as well as the highest defensive player in the Mid-American Conference to ever be drafted. This team also featured the undrafted Branden Oliver, who broke James Starks's rushing record of most rushing yards in school history. Oliver signed with the San Diego Chargers and was thrust into the starting lineup during the 2014 NFL season after early season injuries to Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown .
Quinn was dismissed partway through the 2014 season after accumulating a 3–4 record. Lance Leipold era (2015–2020)University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (where he won six championships), was hired as the Bulls' next head coach shortly after the 2014 season.[19]
Leipold's first season with Bulls produced a 5–7 overall standing with a 3–5 Mid-American Conference result.[20] After a mixed start to their 2015 season, Buffalo lost three straight games before beating the Ohio Bobcats football team 41–17, the first of two more wins against Miami Ohio 29–24, and then Kent State 18–17. The Bulls lost their 3 remaining games of the 2015 season.[21] Buffalo fared worse under Leipold in their 2016 campaign, notching a 2–10 overall standing with a 1–7 conference result.[22] The only two wins of the 2016 season came against the Army Black Knights on September 24, 2016, when the Bulls won 23–20; and against the Akron Zips on October 27, 2016, winning 41–20. Buffalo suffered two notable losses in 2016. The first was a 35–3 loss to Boston College, and the second a 38–0 shutout delivered by the Western Michigan Broncos.[23] Calls for Leipold's firing were made, but a hefty buyout clause in his contract would keep him in Buffalo for at least two more seasons.[24] In June 2017, the university received state approval for the construction of an $18 million indoor athletic training facility, slated to be built just north of UB Stadium. Buffalo would be the last school in the MAC without such a facility.[25][26] Leipold improved upon his lackluster 2016 result in the Bulls' 2017 season. After losing its first game to Minnesota 7–17 and the second to Army 17–21, Buffalo won its next three games straight. Buffalo then suffered a string of 4 losses. The first was an attempt to avenge the previous season's 38–0 shutout loss to Western Michigan. Playing at home on October 7, 2017, the Bulls battled back against the Broncos to tie the game 31–31, scoring 17 points in the 4th quarter. Buffalo would eventually lose 71–68 after 7 overtimes.[27] It was the most overtimes since a 26–23 victory in 5 overtimes at home against Stony Brook in 2013.[28] Among the next three losses was a one-point squeaker against Northern Illinois 13–14 the week after. The Bulls wound up winning their last 3 games of 2017.[29] They finished the season with a 6–6 overall standing and a 4–4 conference record.[30] In 2018, Leipold led the Bulls to a 10–2 regular season and 7–1 overall conference standing en route to the MAC East division championship game. The Bulls also had the best away record in the 2018 MAC conference, posting a 5–1 result and was the only team lose just 1 away game.[31] Unfortunately, the Bulls - led by wide receiver Anthony Johnson with 7 receptions for 140 yards on the day - would lose the division championship 13–14 to the Northern Illinois Huskies, the same result as their 2017 regular season matchup.[32] Buffalo then lost 32–42 to Troy in the 2018 Dollar General Bowl. Buffalo didn't run a single offensive play in the second half until the first minute of the 4th quarter, with Troy eventually blocking a late field goal attempt to close out the game.[33] The 2019 season saw Buffalo win their first bowl game in program history, defeating the Charlotte 49ers 31–9 at the 2019 Bahamas Bowl, posting a 8–5 overall record and a respectable 5–3 MAC conference standing.[34] The pandemic-shortened AP Poll. After Buffalo finished the regular season undefeated at 5–0, their ranking increased to No. 23. The season culminated in their second consecutive bowl win in the Camellia Bowl. Leipold departed the Bulls after the season to take over the Kansas Jayhawks.[citation needed ]
Maurice Linguist era (2021–present)In late 2020, Maurice Linguist was hired as the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan.[35][36] However, on May 7, 2021, he was hired as the head coach at the University at Buffalo.[37][38] Despite Buffalo's poor performance in 2021, Linguist's recruiting class for 2022 was described by Sports Illustrated as the second-best in the Mid-American Conference.[39] In July 2022, he signed a one-year contract extension.[40] In his second season as head coach, Linguist led the Bulls to a 6–6 record in the regular season, earning an invite to the 2022 Camellia Bowl.[41] UB defeated Georgia Southern 23–21, earning their first bowl win under Linguist.[42] Conference affiliationsBuffalo has been both an independent and affiliated with conferences, including periods where no team was fielded.
ChampionshipsConference championshipsBuffalo has won one conference championship, doing so after beating Ball State in the 2008 MAC Championship Game 42–24.
Division championshipsAs winners of the Mid-American Conference's East Division, Buffalo has made three appearances in the MAC Championship Game, in 2008, 2018, and 2020. The Bulls also shared the Division title with Miami in 2007, but the tie-breaker allowed the RedHawks to represent the division in the championship game.
† Co-champion Bowl gamesBuffalo has participated in six bowl games, with a bowl game record of 3–3.
The 1958 Buffalo team declined the Tangerine Bowl invitation due to Florida's segregation laws at the time which would not have allowed Buffalo's two black players to participate. Head coachesBuffalo has been led by the following head coaches.[43]: 94
† Interim Notable players
NFL/AFL drafted players
Undrafted NFL players
Other notable players
BroadcastingWWKB acquired the broadcast rights to Bulls games for the 2014 season. Former WIVB-TV sports anchor Paul Peck on play-by-play and former Navy quarterback Jim Kubiak on color commentary are expected to return. The Bulls previously aired their games on WHLD (2013), WECK (2008–12) and WGR. A separate feed is available from the student WRUB .
As a member of the Mid-American Conference, ESPN Inc. holds television rights to UB Bulls games. They are typically only broadcast online via ESPN3, with local radio personality Sal Capaccio on play-by-play, with some games sub-leased to American Sports Network's Buffalo affiliate, WNYO-TV. All-time vs. MAC teamsThis table includes all MAC games from the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season, the year the Bulls joined the Mid-American Conference, through the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season.[45]
Future non-conference opponentsAnnounced schedules as of January 10, 2024.[46]
References
External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Buffalo Bulls football. |