2017 Buffalo Bulls football team

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.

2017 Buffalo Bulls football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record6–6 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorAndy Kotelnicki (3rd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple pro-style
Defensive coordinatorBrian Borland (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumUniversity at Buffalo Stadium
Uniform
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

Coaching staff

edit
Name Title
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 Agpalsa Offensive line coach
Alan Hensell Tight ends coach
Chris Simpson Linebackers coach
Tim Edwards Defensive line coach
Jim Zebrowski Quarterbacks coach
Taiwo Onatolu Cornerbacks coach
Chad Bumphis Graduate assistant

Source:[1]

Season notes

edit

Record setting game

edit

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

edit

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

edit

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*BTNL 7–1743,224
September 912:00 p.m.at Army*CBSSNL 17–2124,017
September 166:00 p.m.Colgate*ESPN3W 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 StateESPN3W 27–1312,355
October 73:30 p.m.Western Michigan 
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPNUL 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 AkronCBSSNL 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 StateCBSSNW 40–245,248
November 241:00 p.m.Ohio
  • UB Stadium
  • Amherst, NY
ESPN3W 31–2412,273
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • All times are in Eastern time

Source:[6]

Game summaries

edit

At Minnesota

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 7 0 0 0 7
Golden Gophers 14 0 0 3 17

At Army

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 3 14 0 0 17
Black Knights 7 0 0 14 21

Colgate

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Raiders 3 0 7 0 10
Bulls 20 10 0 3 33

Florida Atlantic

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 7 10 0 14 31
Bulls 14 3 7 10 34

At Kent State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 7 13 7 0 27
Golden Flashes 0 13 0 0 13

Western Michigan

edit
1 2 3 4OT2OT3OT4OT5OT6OT7OT Total
Broncos 10 7 7 77708666 71
Bulls 14 0 0 177708663 68

Northern Illinois

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Huskies 0 14 0 0 14
Bulls 3 10 0 0 13

At Miami (OH)

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 0 7 0 7 14
RedHawks 10 0 14 0 24

At Akron

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 7 6 0 7 20
Zips 7 7 0 7 21

Bowling Green

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 7 7 7 7 28
Bulls 21 0 7 10 38

At Ball State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 10 13 14 3 40
Cardinals 0 10 7 7 24

Ohio

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bobcats 7 3 14 0 24
Bulls 24 0 0 7 31

References

edit
  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.