Offense:
Other than one botched option play in the 3rd Maynard looked good, and did it against a Pitt Defense which is the strongest he faces this season. he dropped more than 400 passing yards, and he did it by spreading the ball around. Seven Buffalo Bulls garnered a reception, two (Hamlin & Roosevelt) had more than 100 yards.
Most impressive is that even when the team was down by three touchdowns Maynard and the offense never looked panicked. The wheels finally came off in the last minute or two of the game but when it still mattered Maynard was calm and collected.
The Bad:
For the second straight week the running game never really came together. It's understandable in the second half when you're trying to close a huge gap but in the first half it was clear that UB was not going to move the ball on the ground. The Bulls running game suffered the most on the outside of the Pitt defense, clearly they were missing some of the speed that this offense was designed for.
The Ugly:
Three offensive turnovers, all of those led to Pitt Touchdowns. Last year UB Won the MAC because they took care of the ball, just *1* per game on average. If the Bulls are going to make a run at repeating they have to take better care of the ball.
Defense:
The Good:
In the second half UB really calmed down, holding the Panthers to 20 points, 7 of which were the result of a very short field, and six from a fumble return. Minus the one long run given up late they were a solid unit.
The Bad:
In the first half the defense had no answer for the Panthers. The team spent way too much time on the field, holes were gigantic, and the middle of the defense completely open to short screens and Dion Lewis runs.
The Ugly:
190 yards for Dion Lewis, including an 85 yard run to seal the game late in the 4th. You could see the middle of the field open up every time he touched the ball. The tackling was awful.
Special Teams:
The good: Nothing
The bad: Nothing
The Ugly:
Special teams handed this game to Pitt in the first half. The fumbled kickoff return, the botched put returns, the poor kick coverage. There was not one aspect of the UB special teams that did not make Pitt look excellent.