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
2017 record6–6 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorAndy Kotelnicki (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorBrian Borland (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumUniversity at Buffalo Stadium
(Capacity: 29,013)
Uniform
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  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

Previous season

The Bulls finished the 2016 season 2–10, 1–7 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division.

Coaching staff

NameTitle
Lance LeipoldHead Coach
Rob IanelloAssociate Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach
Brian BorlandDefensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Andy KotelnickiOffensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Daryl AgpalsaOffensive Line Coach
Alan HensellTight Ends Coach
Chris SimpsonLinebackers Coach
Tim EdwardsDefensive Line Coach
Jim ZebrowskiQuarterbacks Coach
Taiwo OnatoluCornerbacks Coach

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*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

Source:[6]

Game summaries

at Minnesota

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

at Army

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

Colgate

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

Florida Atlantic

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

at Kent State

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

Western Michigan

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

Northern Illinois

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

at Miami (OH)

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

at Akron

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

Bowling Green

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

at Ball State

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

Ohio

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

References

  1. Buffalo Football Coaches. University at Buffalo Athletics. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  2. "Western Michigan vs. Buffalo - Game Recap - October 7, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  3. "Seven OTs, 139 points: WMU edges Buffalo in highest-scoring, longest FBS game". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  4. "Bulls Become Bowl Eligible with Win over Ohio on Senior Day". Buffalo. 2017-11-24. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  5. UB Announces 2017 Football Opponents. 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.
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