Buffalo Football

Buffalo Bulls Game By Game Preview - Akron Zips

By Tim Riordan@UBBullRun Aug 31, 2016, 11:52am EDT

	vs
Buffalo Bulls		Akron Zips

Date / Time		Thursday Oct. 27, 7:30
Television		CBSSN/ESPN3
Venue		UB Stadium
Storyline		Akron is a team that has been trending up steadily since the hire of Terry Bowden. Last year they won their first bowl game and are expected to be one of the top three teams in the division this year.
Series History		Akron and Buffalo first started playing when the Bulls joined the Mid-American conference in 1999. SInce then the Zips are 10-5 against Buffalo but, since 2007, the Bulls are 5-2 against the Zips.
Last Meeting		Needing just a single win to become bowl eligible, UB dug a 14-0 hole early, faltered against the pass time and time again, and couldn't develop a consistent offensive attack against a strong Akron defense during a 42-21 loss.
Rankings		Composite Ranking - 94
Big Names		Defense: Akron lost 7 starters on defense. The most notable returning Zip is defensive end Jamal Marcus who was third-team All-MAC in 2015. Offense: Akron lost 9 offenseive starters to graduation. A big key returner is quarterback Thomas Woodson, who took over as the full-time starter in the fourth game of 2015. Last year he threw for 2,202 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 591 yards and three scores.
Key Matchup		Linebacker versus Thomas Woodson. Quarterbacks, like Woodson, who are real threats to make things happen with their feet always give me pause.
Prediction		Akron is basically a new football team this year having lost 16 starters. But Bowden is a solid coach and while I expect UB to win this is the home game which concerns me the most.