Buffalo Bulls vs. Bowling Green Falcons: Game Preview

It’s midweek MACtion time for the Bulls as they return home after back to back games on the road. Tyree Jackson is finally back and starting for the Bulls after injury put a halt to his sophomore season. The Bulls are 3-6 after back to back one point losses on the road and will have to win the final 3 in order to be bowl eligible. It’s now or never time for Lance Leipold and the Bulls so what should we expect from a Tuesday night game against Bowling Green?

For starters, Bowling Green is not the MAC powerhouse that they were just a few years ago. The Falcons enter this game just 2-7 and have a loss to FCS South Dakota on the resume this season. They are 2-3 in the MAC however but their wins have come against Kent and Miami, whom the Bulls are 1-1 against. With Tyree Jackson back, Buffalo should be able to score some points against a bad BG defense that allows an incredible 35 ppg. If Buffalo does what they should on offense, this game should become a boring win quickly.

The Bulls defense will be tested a little but should also hold. Khalil Hodge has had a tremendous year for the Bulls and will look to continue being the impact player we have come to expect. Overall, I look for UB to dominate on this side of the ball as well. Let’s look at some of the specifics for the upcoming game.

What to Watch

Can Adam Mitcheson finish off drives

The Bulls are three Mitcheson missed FGs away from being bowl eligible (WMU, NIU, Akron). That hurts. I would love to see Mitcheson find a rhythm and start making his kicks, otherwise I would hope Leipold is looking for a new kicker if he hasn’t started already.

The Third quarter

Earlier today Robby shared on twitter a stat that shows UB is last in the nation during the third quarter. This is inexcusable and is directly based on the coaching staffs adjustments in the locker room. If the Bulls can’t get it going in the third, don’t expect them to win out and go bowling.

Can Tyree Jackson be “The Man”

It’s hard for me to really assess Jackson’s season so far. I find myself comparing his healthy season to the healthy season of Drew Anderson and that may not be fair. That being said, I would love to see the “it” factor in the Bulls offense that Anderson seemed to give them.

Final Thoughts

I think the Bulls win this game, but in much tighter fashion than we would enjoy. I don’t like midweek MACtion and I feel like it brings out the worst in us most games. With possible cold weather I would love to see the Bulls assert dominance on the line and run the ball for 60 minutes. I’m curious to see how UB responds to their first legitimate must win game as well. Overall, this is a big test game and I’m excited. I’ll see everyone tomorrow and as always, go Bulls!