2017 Buffalo Bulls football team

Last updated

2017 Buffalo Bulls football
Conference Mid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record6–6 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki (3rd season)
Offensive scheme Multiple pro-style
Defensive coordinator Brian Borland (3rd season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium University at Buffalo Stadium
Uniform
Buffalo bullfs football unif.png
Seasons
  2016
2018  
2017 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Akron xy  6 2   7 7  
Ohio  5 3   9 4  
Miami (OH)  4 4   5 7  
Buffalo  4 4   6 6  
Bowling Green  2 6   2 10  
Kent State  1 7   2 10  
West Division
Toledo xy$  7 1   11 3  
Central Michigan  6 2   8 5  
Northern Illinois  6 2   8 5  
Western Michigan  4 4   6 6  
Eastern Michigan  3 5   5 7  
Ball State  0 8   2 10  
Championship: Toledo 45, Akron 28
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant

The 2017 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls were led by third-year head coach Lance Leipold and played their home games at University at Buffalo Stadium as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls finished the season 6–6, 4–4 in MAC play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. Despite being bowl-eligible, the Bulls did not receive an invitation to a bowl game.

Contents

Coaching staff

NameTitle
Lance Leipold Head coach
Rob Ianello Associate head coach/wide receivers coach
Brian Borland Defensive coordinator/safeties coach
Andy Kotelnicki Offensive coordinator/running backs coach
Daryl AgpalsaOffensive line coach
Alan Hensell Tight ends coach
Chris SimpsonLinebackers coach
Tim EdwardsDefensive line coach
Jim Zebrowski Quarterbacks coach
Taiwo OnatoluCornerbacks coach
Chad Bumphis Graduate assistant

Source: [1]

Season notes

Record setting game

On October 7, 2017, the Bulls and Western Michigan to score 139 points in a game that took a record-tying seven overtimes to settle. Buffalo lost 71–68. [2] The game marked the highest-scoring FBS game, breaking the previous record set in 2016. [3]

Bowl snub

On November 24, 2017, Buffalo gained bowl eligibility for just the third time in school history. [4] The Bulls had previously made appearances in the now-defunct International Bowl in 2008 and the Potato Bowl in 2013, then were denied bowl eligibility after a game the Bulls were likely to win was canceled due to a snowstorm and never rescheduled in 2014. The loss of one bowl game compared to the 2016 season and the distribution of wins and losses across the Bowl Subdivision meant that, unlike previous years, there were three fewer openings than there were teams to fill them, and the Bulls were one of the three teams snubbed by all of the bowls.

Schedule

Buffalo announced their 2017 football schedule on January 23, 2017. [5] In out-of-conference play, the Bulls will meet former Western Michigan head coach P. J. Fleck's Minnesota team, as well as the Lane Kiffin-led FAU Owls.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 317:00 p.m.at Minnesota * BTN L 7–1743,224
September 912:00 p.m.at Army * CBSSN L 17–2124,017
September 166:00 p.m. Colgate * ESPN3 W 33–1011,546
September 237:00 p.m. Florida Atlantic *
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPN3W 34–3114,246
September 303:30 p.m.at Kent State ESPN3W 27–1312,355
October 73:30 p.m. Western Michigan Dagger-14-plain.png
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPNU L 68–71 7OT17,048
October 143:30 p.m. Northern Illinois
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPN3L 13–1412,784
October 212:30 p.m.at Miami (OH) ESPN3L 14–2413,803
October 2811:30 a.m.at Akron CBSSNL 20–2117,427
November 77:30 p.m. Bowling Green
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPNUW 38–2812,205
November 167:00 p.m.at Ball State CBSSNW 40–245,248
November 241:00 p.m. Ohio
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPN3W 31–2412,273
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • All times are in Eastern time

Source: [6]

Game summaries

At Minnesota

1234Total
Bulls70007
Golden Gophers1400317

At Army

1234Total
Bulls3140017
Black Knights7001421

Colgate

1234Total
Raiders307010
Bulls20100333

Florida Atlantic

1234Total
Owls71001431
Bulls14371034

At Kent State

1234Total
Bulls7137027
Golden Flashes0130013

Western Michigan

1234OT2OT3OT4OT5OT6OT7OTTotal
Broncos10777770866671
Bulls140017770866368

Northern Illinois

1234Total
Huskies0140014
Bulls3100013

At Miami (OH)

1234Total
Bulls070714
RedHawks10014024

At Akron

1234Total
Bulls760720
Zips770721

Bowling Green

1234Total
Falcons777728
Bulls21071038

At Ball State

1234Total
Bulls101314340
Cardinals0107724

Ohio

1234Total
Bobcats7314024
Bulls2400731

References

  1. Buffalo Football coaches Archived 2017-05-13 at the Wayback Machine . University at Buffalo Athletics. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  2. "Western Michigan vs. Buffalo - Game Recap - October 7, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  3. "Seven OTs, 139 points: WMU edges Buffalo in highest-scoring, longest FBS game". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  4. "Bulls Become Bowl Eligible with Win over Ohio on Senior Day". Buffalo. November 24, 2017. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  5. UB Announces 2017 Football Opponents Archived 2017-04-22 at the Wayback Machine . January 23, 2017. UBBulls.com. University at Buffalo Athletics. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  6. 2017 Buffalo Bulls football schedule. FBSchedules.com. Retrieved April 29, 2017.