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Postgame Meal: The Powder Horn Stayith

Jeff Quinn moved to 7th place on UB's all time coaching list, his 14th win surpassing Art Powell. Theoretically, Quinn could finish the season 12-2 and surpass Turner Gill's 20 wins as coach.

By Conrad Mostiller

Last year around this time I asked:

"What is the value of confidence?

Miami has 4 wins: at Akron, vs Southern Illinois, vs UMass and vs Ohio.

With that schedule, we might have 3 wins as well, we lost to Ohio by 7 on the road, we might have beat them at home.

So if the Bulls were 4-4, playing the 1-7 Redhawks, but the teams were the same as they will be on Saturday, would we play better?

What is the effect of playing all our hard teams first and falling to 1-7? We have 4 games we should compete in starting this week. While everyone has given up on the team, the men in the locker room will show us what they are made of, and perhaps more importantly, show us if they have confidence in this coaching staff.

The Redhawks continue to have a pretty easy season and can attain bowl eligibility with road wins against Buffalo and Central Michigan. Their toughest games are both at home against Kent and Ball State. Will the confidence that comes with wins over soft teams carry Miami on Saturday, or will the Bulls burst their bubble?"

Going into the UB game last year, Miami was riding high after defeating their rivals, undefeated #23 Ohio. Miami lost to the 1-7 Bulls, and they HAVEN'T WON SINCE. 11 straight losses!

Since then, UB has gone 8-3. While their 3 losses came against 3 teams with 26 FBS wins since I wrote that article in November 2012, their 8 wins have come against 6 teams with 6 combined FBS wins in the same time period.

This leads me to ask again, what is the value of confidence? Kent State enters this week's game at 2-6, a similar team to the 1-7 2012 Bulls. Both teams faced a murderous schedule with both near misses and huge losses. The 2013 Bulls sit at 5-2 with all the confidence in the world in their bloodthirsty defense, and their cornerstone running back is carry the ball a million times healthy again.

Hydrate:

Bloody Roadrunner: SoCo, Gatorade and Hawaiian Punch. In honor of Brandon Oliver's ironman double record breaking effort, we hydrate with gatorade this week, because we need it.

Oliver became the school's all time leading rusher with 3,203 yards in his career. Oliver's 43 rushing attempts bested a 27-year old record held by O.D. Undewood.

Nutritionate:

In honor of the brick wall defense of the Buffalo Bulls, the Baked Ziti "Brick" at the Buffalo Armory Restaurant.

In the last four games, UB has only allowed 29 points. The last time the UB defense managed that was in 1984. UB defeated Rochester 35-7 on 9/22/84, Buff State 6-2 9/29/84, Canisius 19-10 on 10/6/84 and fell to Ithaca 6-10 on 10/13/84.

Postgame Song:

This is our house (4-0 at home)
This is our rules (One does not simply score on UB's defense)
And we can't stop ( 5 in a row)
And we won't stop (hopefully)
Can't you see it's we who own the night (soon #MACtion)
Can't you see it we who bout' that life (every 5 years like a clock)
And we can't stop (5 in a row)
And we won't stop ( hopefully)
We run things (specifically Branden Oliver)


Remember when Quinn couldn't adjust at the half? He is now, I just wish we were more explosive in the first quarter. I have to keep putting this in, cause we keep winning, and if we lose I'll mean it...it's the ol' catch 22 (FIRE QUINN).

11 Factors to decide the game

1) UB Offense vs UMass Defense

Pregame: UMass secondary allowing 204 yards per game, (UB only managed 167) and snatching 7 interceptions (0 vs UB). They surrender 247 yards per game, 6 yards per carry and 11 rushing touchdowns. (UB managed 215, 4.5, and 1 td)

UB can duplicate their gameplan from WMU, staying true to the run game and making the opponent pay when they leave the wideouts isolated one-on-one. (Without Neutz, UB seemed content to keep it on the ground, which worked because UMass had no offense)

Winner: New York

2) House Protection Index:

New York : Star of the Game: Khalil Mack, OLB from Fort Pierce, Florida

Massachusetts: Star of the Game: Blake Lucas, K from Cochran, Georgia

Winner: Push

3) UB Defense vs UMass Offense

UMass is scoring 9 points a game. (They only got 3) Getting Blanchflower back helps immensely. (he was a non-factor before getting ejected early)

UB has allowed 36 points in regulation in their last 4 games. The UMass offense may be the worst of the group, UB's defense should dominate. (they did)

Winner: New York

4) BREAKING: Branchflower earned $0 on Saturday, he also earned 0 yards.

This is also a PSA for read the article/and/or link before jumping to conclusions nad then look for credible confirmation...not just for my articles, but also for Onion articles, The Daily Show clips and well the internet in general.

I'm sure the great Rob Blanchflower is clean as a whistle a) who is paying UMass players to win 1 game a year, and b) He will make his money on Sundays soon enough.

Wish Rob the best, and if he doesn't make it in the NFL I'm sure he has a future in UFC.

Winner: New York

5) X-Factor

Pregame: Redden v. Blanchflower

Redden was named MAC East player of the week, despite Khalil Mack's biggest day since Ohio State. Redden shut down Blanchflower in the short time the TE was on the field, although it was Jake Stockman who ultimately pushed him over the edge, playing the "Patrick Kaleta" role to perfection.

Redden may also be the Banshee, his close proximity knocked the ball away from a scrambling A.J. Doyle.

Winner: New York

6) Tweet of the week

Buffalo:

#Dedication ... over the course of 3.5 years Quinn killed student enthusiasm and resurrected it, but can he sustain it?

UMass:

UMass is having a 10 day homecoming to celebrate 150 years as a school. Homecoming kicked off on the 16th, but the official homecoming game is this Saturday where UMass is favored over PJ Fleck's traveling boat wreck.

Winner: UMass congrats on 150 years.

7) Key Situation

1st and 3rd Quarters:

UB could come out ahead of UMass early, forcing UMass to throw, which they are not good at. (UB wasn't very impressive early)

OR

UB could come out slow, trading punts with UMass and pressuring the Minutemen deep into the 3rd quarter until UMass can no longer hold back the UB 22. (UB actually only scored 5 points in the 3rd and 0 in the 1st. They did their damage with a 13 point 2nd quarter and a 14 point 4th quarter.)

I'm 99% sure UB will win, it's just a question of will they win it the hard way, or the easy way? (It was the hard way but the UB defense made it look easy)

Winner: New York

8) US News & World Report Ranking

Buffalo: 109

Amherst: 91

Winner: UMass, if those things matter.

9) In a close game...

Pregame: Buffalo XP blocks - No problem this week.

Blake Lucas: Kicked a nice ball in the UB rain and wind.

Winner: Push

10) Game Score, brought to you by: Advanced Remedial Statistics:

New York: 34 (32)

UMass: 28 (3)

Definitely skewed by our Baylor game...our worst game was at Baylor, Baylor's worst was at KSU, and in comparison, what KSU did to UMass was tame.

Winner: New York

11) Goin' Streaking:

The "PowderHorn" Trophy: UB leads 6-5

Buffalo vs UMass: 2 consecutive wins

Consecutive wins: 5 games, most since 2008 when UB won 5 in a row.

Consecutive home wins: 6 games, the 1983-84 squad won 8 in a row at home, UB can match that with wins over Ohio and technically with a win over BGSU.

Buffalo has won 8 of their last 11 games: This is the best stretch of UB football since the 1996-97 Bulls won 9 of 12. UB finished 8-3 in the 1996 season defeating Illinois State, Colgate, Lehigh, Edinboro, Cornell, Hofstra, New Haven and Maine while losing to UConn, Youngstown and UMass. The Bulls then opened the 1997 season with a win over Lock Haven.

This is the 5th time UB has won 3 MAC games in a season, but the first time they have started 3-0 in the MAC.

This is UB's best start to a season since 1996 where UB started 5-1 before falling to 5-3.

Winner: New York

Overall winner:

New York: 7-2-2 the Powder Horn Stayith

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