clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

99 for 99 - #31 - The End of the Offenhamer Era

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

99 for 99 takes a look at the 99 biggest moments in UB Football history during this season, the 99th Season of UB Football. These moments are not in any order, however the top 10 moments have been saved for last.

November 20, 1965 - Buffalo 20, Villanova 7 The Final Game of the Offenhamer Era.

Dick Offenhamer brought UB back from the depths of the sport by always finishing strong. In 10 years, he compiled a 19-11 record in UB's final 3 games of the season. Never, did he finish a season with 3 straight losses.

Finishing strong created hope; hope that next year would be better, and that UB would eventually become the strong national team everyone wants. In 1965, UB needed a strong finish. Coming of a tie with Dayton and a loss at Holy Cross, the Bulls were 2-3-2. They had to face a weak Villanova team, but also a 5 win Delaware squad and a 6 win Colgate squad. Offenhamer never won less than 4 games in his first 10 years at Buffalo, but his team would have to finish strong just to get to 4 wins in '65.

They finished very strong, winning all three games, by allowing only 7 points in those final three games. UB finished 5-3-2, giving Offenhamer 58 career victories as UB coach.

After 11 seasons as UB head Coach, and 30 years in college football, UB's winningest coach resigned from his post and returned to teach at Ken-East high school.

He left UB with 7 winning seasons in 11 years, two 1-loss seasons, a Lambert Cup, a bowl bid and a litany of players who learned to love UB, the game and each other.

It would only take 5 years and strife on campus to delete all the good Offenhamer did on the field. Now that Buffalo is back in major college football, the team's status as a mid-major stepping stone makes it unlikely that another coach will have the tenure or the success of Offenhamer. He will most likely remain the greatest coach in UB history.