Buffalo Bulls football

For information on all University at Buffalo sports, see Buffalo Bulls.

Buffalo Bulls
2016 Buffalo Bulls football team
First season	1894 (1894)
Athletic director	Allen Greene
Head coach	Lance Leipold 1st year, 5–7 (.417)
Other staff	Andy Kotelnicki, Brian Borland, Rob Ianello
Stadium	UB Stadium
Seating capacity	31,000+
Field surface	Momentum Turf
Location	Amherst, New York
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East
All-time record	370–492–28 (.431)
Bowl record	0–2 (.000)
Conference titles	1 (2008)
Division titles	2 (2007, 2008)
Current uniform
275px
Fight song	Victory March
Mascot	Victor E. Bull
Marching band	Thunder of the East
Website	BuffaloBulls.com

Victor E. Bull, Buffalo Bulls Mascot, November 5, 2013

The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the State University of New York 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. The team plays its home games at the 31,000+ seat UB Stadium on University at Buffalo's north campus in Amherst, New York. The Bulls are coached by Lance Leipold.

History

UB'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.

The early years: 1894–1903

In 1894, UB established an athletics association and fourteen UB Medical students formed the first UB football team. By 1896, they were a local force in Western New York football playing collegiate and club teams and finishing the season with an impressive 9–1–2 record. In 1897, C. W. Dibble coached UB to a perfect 7–0–0 record beating Syracuse twice. In 1899, Bemus Pierce coached UB to a 6–0 record. In 1900, Buffalo beat Penn State 10–0. In 1901, former player James B. “Turk” Gordon coached the UB team to a 4–2 record. In 1903, Ray Turnbull led the UB team to a 3–3 record. After the 1903 season, UB would not again put a team on the field until 1915.

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 American bison, often outfitted in a UB jersey. Frank Mount Pleasant was called on to coach the football team but was replaced the following season after a 3–4 record. Art Powell would take over in 1916 and coach the team for six seasons (13–22–5). In 1920, UB would start playing on what would eventually be called Rotary Field. UB would go through two coaches in a span of two years – 'Dim' Batterson in 1922 and James Bond in 1923 – before Russ Carrick would take over, serving five seasons despite winning only five games (while losing 30 and garnering two ties). The team would last be known as the Bisons under the command of 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 Peelle who was at the helm from 1935–1942 and would lead 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 grid-iron under Jim Peelle, 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 low points in UB football history, then Dick Offenhamer brought in UB's most successful era when from 1955 to 1965, he would coach UB to an impressive 58–37–5 record. In 1958, the football team won the Lambert Cup, emblematic of supremacy in Eastern U.S. small-college football. That led to the team's first bowl invitation, to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida against Florida State University. However, the Orlando Elks Lodge, the bowl's sponsor, told the Bulls that they would be allowed to participate only if back-up defensive end Mike Wilson and starting halfback Willie Evans, who were black, did not play. Despite protests from the Elks Lodge,the local high school association, which operated the stadium, 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. Buffalo would not be invited to 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 quarterback John Stofa with the American Football League's Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, and defensive lineman Gerry Philbin with the AFL's New York Jets, and Buddy Ryan who was on Offenhamer staff as the defensive line coach. Philbin is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame and the All-time All-AFL Team. Philbin and UB's Willie Ross were the first two UB graduates to play on professional football championship teams: Ross with the 1964 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills; and Philbin with the 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 would last 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 would cause 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

Buffalo Bulls vs. Canisius at UB, October 1991

In 1977 UB began playing football at the NCAA Division III level under Coach Bill Dando, who would be the Bulls' longest serving coach, lasting thirteen years. UB had moderate success during his tenure, and he retired after the 1989 season. Sam Sanders would take over, but lasted only two seasons. His coaching career ended because of medical issues and 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 (FCS): 1993–1998

UB's return to Division I football started in Division I-AA (known today as the 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.

1999–2005: return to Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision)

Drew Willy scrambles against Bowling Green in 2005.

In 1999 UB joined the Mid-American Conference in Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) football. They retained their head coach from their I-AA seasons, Craig Cirbus. After a few years of dismal results, the team hired Jim Hofher, a former head coach at Division I-AA Cornell University to be the head coach. However, Hofher's teams were marked by poor discipline and lack of effort, and won only eight games during his five seasons at UB. Buffalo won only 10 games and lost 69 during this seven-year period, the second-worst record in the Football Bowl Subdivision during that time. A 2002 win on the road over Rutgers was their only win against a BCS team until 2013.

2006–2009: Turner Gill era

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 Kent State that broke a five-game winning streak for Buffalo, the Bulls entered the conference title game at 7–5, while MAC West champion Ball State was an unblemished 12–0. However, on December 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, Buffalo's defense returned two fumbles for touchdowns and the Bulls defeated the Cardinals, 42–24, to become Mid-American Conference champions for 2008. Their successful season earned the Bulls an invitation to the International Bowl in Toronto, Ontario to face 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.

2010–14: Jeff Quinn era

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 #4 Ohio State and #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 clenched 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 Khalil Mack who went 5th overall in the 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.

2015–future: Lance Leipold era

Lance Leipold, who spent the past eight seasons as the head coach of the Division III University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (where he won six championships), was hired as the Bulls' next head coach shortly after the 2014 season.

NFL players

Buffalo Bulls in the NFL
NFL Draft selections
Total selected:	13
First picks in draft:	0
1st Round:	1
NFL achievements
Hall of Famers:	0
Pro Bowlers	2

Name	Position	Current Team
Khalil Mack	Linebacker	Raiders
Steven Means	Defensive End	Eagles
Branden Oliver	Running Back	Chargers
Jake Schum	Punter	Buccaneers
James Starks	Running Back	Packers
Josh Thomas	Cornerback	Cowboys
Kristjan Sokoli	Offensive Line	Seahawks

Drafted players

Name	Year	Round	Team
Les Molnar	1952	18	Yankees
Frank Woidzik	1958	4	Rams
Lou Reale	1959	25	Giants
Gerry Philbin	1964	3	Lions
Ed Ellis	1997	4	Patriots
Drew Haddad	2000	7	Bills
Trevor Scott	2008	6	Raiders
Jamey Richard	2008	7	Colts
James Starks	2010	6	Packers
Josh Thomas	2011	5	Cowboys
Steven Means	2013	5	Buccaneers
Khalil Mack	2014	1	Raiders
Kristjan Sokoli	2015	6	Seahawks
All-time Draft Picks			13

Year-by-year results

Main article: List of Buffalo Bulls football seasons

See also: UB Bulls Football Records

Against nationally ranked opponents

Team	Date	Ranking	Outcome
Baylor	10/13/14	8	L 63–21
Ohio State	08/31/13	2	L 40–20
Georgia	10/01/12	6	L 45–23
Ball State	12/5/08	12	W 42–24
Missouri	09/20/08	5	L 42–21
Penn State	09/15/07	12	L 45–24
Rutgers	08/30/07	16	L 38–3
Wisconsin	11/18/06	10	L 35–3
Boston College	10/28/06	17	L 41–0
Auburn	09/23/06	3	L 38–7
Iowa	10/06/03	23	L 56–7
Marshall	10/23/99	15	L 59–3
All-time			1–11
GREY indicates games won versus nationally ranked opponents.

Championships

Conference championships

Buffalo has won one Mid-American Conference championship.

Year	Conference	Coach	Overall Record	Conference Record	Conference Championship Game
2008	Mid-American Conference	Turner Gill	8–6	5–3	2008 MAC Championship Game
Total conference championships				1

Divisional championships

As winners of the Mid-American Conference's East Division, Buffalo has made one appearance in the MAC Championship Game, in 2008. 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.

Year	Division Championship	CG Result	Opponent	PF	PA
2007	MAC East (Co-Championship)	NA	Did Not Play (lost tiebreaker to Miami)	X	X
2008	MAC East	W	Ball State	42	24
Totals	2	1–0	–	42	24

Bowl game appearances

Season	Date	Bowl	W/L	Opponent	PF	PA	Coach	Notes
2008	January 3, 2009	International Bowl	L	Connecticut	20	38	Turner Gill	notes
2013	December 21, 2013	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	L	San Diego State	24	49	Jeff Quinn	notes
Total		2 bowl games	0–2		44	87

Broadcasting

WWKB 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 Part 15 radio station, 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 Current MAC teams

Statistics correct as of the end of the 2013–14 college football season

This table includes all MAC games from 1999, the year the Bulls joined the Mid-American Conference.

Opponent	Games	Win	Loss	Pct.	PF	PA	First Meeting	Last Meeting	Streak	Most recent win
Akron	13	4	9	.308	268	353	1999	2011	W 1	2011, 51–10
Ball State	7	1	6	.000	123	237	2000	2011	L 2	2008, 42–24
Bowling Green	11	3	8	.273	223	335	2000	2012	L 3	2010, 28–26
Central Michigan	6	1	5	.167	129	162	1999	2009	L 3	2004, 36–6
Eastern Michigan	6	1	5	.167	144	164	2001	2013	W 1	2013, 42–14
Kent State	13	6	7	.462	255	293	1999	2013	W 1	2013, 41–21
Miami University	15	4	11	.267	284	474	1999	2013	W 2	2013, 44–7
Northern Illinois	7	0	7	.000	100	310	1999	2012	L 7	-
Ohio	15	6	9	.400	358	416	1999	2013	W 1	2013, 30–3
Toledo	5	1	4	.200	107	203	2003	2013	L 2	2007, 43–33
UMass	2	2	0	1.000	61	22	2012	2013	W 2	2013, 32–3
Western Michigan	7	2	5	.286	176	199	1999	2013	W 2	2013, 33–0
Central Florida (2002–2004)	3	1	2	.333	79	84	2002	2004	W 1	2004, 48–20
Marshall (1999–2004)	6	0	6	.000	82	280	1999	2004	L 6	-
Temple (2007–2011)	5	2	3	.400	85	148	2007	2011	L 3	2008, 30–28
Totals	121	34	87	.281	2393	3704

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of September 4, 2015

2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
vs Albany	at Minnesota	at Temple	at Old Dominion	at Kansas State
at Nevada	at Army	at Rutgers	vs Temple	vs Old Dominion
vs Army	vs Colgate	vs Army		at Army
at Boston College	vs Florida Atlantic

External links

• Official website