2023 Buffalo Bulls football team
American college football season
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The 2023 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by Maurice Linguist in his third and final season as head coach, the Bulls compiled an overall record of 3–9 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing fourth in the MAC's East Division.[1] The team played home games at University at Buffalo Stadium in Amherst, New York.
- Maurice Linguist (3rd season)
| 2023 Buffalo Bulls football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| East Division | |
| Record | 3–9 (3–5 MAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | DJ Mangas (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Robert Wright (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Captain | Game captains |
| Home stadium | University at Buffalo Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (OH) xy$ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffalo | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Akron | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo xy | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Michigan | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ball State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Buffalo drew an average home attendance of 13,142 in 2023.[2]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 19 Wisconsin* | FS1 | L 17–38 | 76,224 | |||
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Fordham* | ESPN+ | L 37–40 | 15,854 | |||
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Liberty* |
| CBSSN | L 27–55 | 13,020 | ||
| September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | at Louisiana* | ESPN+ | L 38–45 | 17,674 | |||
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Akron | ESPN+ | W 13–10 OT | 5,490 | |||
| October 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Central Michigan |
| ESPN+ | W 37–13 | 12,093 | ||
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Bowling Green |
| ESPN+ | L 14–24 | 15,196 | ||
| October 21 | 3:30 p.m. | at Kent State | ESPN+ | W 24–6 | 11,735 | |||
| October 31 | 7:30 p.m. | at Toledo | ESPN2 | L 13–31 | 14,939 | |||
| November 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Ohio |
| ESPN2 | L 10–20 | 11,444 | ||
| November 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at Miami (OH) | ESPN2 | L 10–23 | 7,561 | |||
| November 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan |
| ESPN2 | L 11–24 | 11,243 | ||
| ||||||||
Preseason
Preseason coaches poll
On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Buffalo was picked to finish third in the East Division and received one vote to win conference.[6]
Game summaries
at No. 19 Wisconsin
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 19 Badgers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
at Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin
- Date: September 2, 2023
- Game time: 2:30 p.m.
- Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C); Sunny; Wind at S13 MPH
- Game attendance: 76,224
- Referee: Kole Knueppel
- TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst)
- Box score
| Game information |
|---|
|
After a strong first half showing by the Bulls where they played Wisconsin down to the wire, the Badgers pulled away and routed the Bulls 38-17.
| Statistics | UB | WISC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 71–316 | 71–503 |
| Rushes–yards | 30–122 | 40–314 |
| Passing yards | 194 | 184 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26–41–0 | 24–31–2 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 27:24 | 30:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 26/41, 194 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Mike Washington | 12 carries, 52 yards | |
| Receiving | Darrell Harding, Jr. | 1 reception, 51 yards | |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 24/31, 189 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Chez Mellusi | 13 carries, 157 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Will Pauling | 5 receptions, 55 yards |
Fordham
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 3 | 17 | 6 | 14 | 40 |
| Bulls | 14 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 37 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | FOR | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 27 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 79–459 | 60–362 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–150 | 30–97 |
| Passing yards | 309 | 265 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 23–36–0 | 24–30–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 34:10 | 25:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham | Passing | C. J. Montes | 23/36, 309 yards, 5 TD |
| Rushing | Julius Loughridge | 20 carries, 106 yards | |
| Receiving | MJ Wright | 7 receptions, 159 yards, 1 TD | |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 24/30, 265 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Mike Washington | 13 carries, 57 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Marlyn Johnson | 7 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TD |
Liberty
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flames | 10 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 55 |
| Bulls | 0 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
at University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, New York
- Date: September 16, 2023
- Game time: 12 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C); Sunny
- Game attendance: 13,020
- Referee: Greg Sujack
- TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play); Malik Zaire (analyst)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | LIB | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 65–569 | 81–363 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–225 | 30–87 |
| Passing yards | 344 | 276 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–29–0 | 29–51–2 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 28:35 | 31:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Kaidon Salter | 16/26, 344 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Kaidon Salter | 10 carries, 66 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Treon Sibler | 3 receptions, 106 yards, TD | |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 29/51, 276 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Mike Washington | 11 carries, 37 yards | |
| Receiving | Nik McMillan | 4 receptions, 72 yards, TD |
at Louisiana
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 0 | 0 | 21 | 17 | 38 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 45 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UB | ULL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 79–373 | 67–518 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–178 | 38–269 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 249 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–35–2 | 22–29–2 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 33:21 | 26:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 17/34, 198 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Mike Washington | 13 carries, 88 yards | |
| Receiving | Cameron Ball | 2 receptions, 51 yards | |
| Louisiana | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 22/29, 249 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Dre'lyn Washington | 13 carries, 103 yards | |
| Receiving | Charles Robertson | 4 receptions, 58 yards |
at Akron
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Zips | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field • Akron, Ohio
- Date: September 30, 2023
- Game time: Noon
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW5 MPH
- Game attendance: 5,490
- Referee: Andrew Speciale
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Connor Onion (play-by-play), Adam Breneman (analyst) and Dannie Rogers (sideline)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UB | AKR |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 68–248 | 52–258 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–106 | 25–122 |
| Passing yards | 142 | 136 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 20–34–0 | 19–27–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 33:22 | 26:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 19/34, 142 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Ron Cook | 17 carries, 62 yards | |
| Receiving | Chance Morrow | 2 receptions, 45 yards | |
| Akron | Passing | DJ Irons | 19/26, 136 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | DJ Irons | 16 carries, 100 yards | |
| Receiving | Myles Walker | 4 receptions, 40 yards |
Central Michigan
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewas | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Bulls | 10 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 37 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | CMU | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 74–360 | 67–355 |
| Rushes–yards | 25–80 | 35–123 |
| Passing yards | 280 | 232 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 28–49–3 | 20–32–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 27:43 | 32:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan | Passing | Jase Bauer | 28/49, 280 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Jase Bauer | 6 carries, 31 yards | |
| Receiving | Marion Lukes | 7 receptions, 73 yards | |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 20/32, 232 yards |
| Rushing | Ron Cook | 11 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Boobie Curry | 4 receptions, 74 yards |
Bowling Green
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Bulls | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, New York
- Date: October 14, 2023
- Game time: 3:30 p.m.
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C); Rain; Wind at SW8 MPH
- Game attendance: 15,196
- Referee: David Siegle
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Doug Sherman, Je'Rod Cherry
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
No scoring plays |
| Statistics | BGSU | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 59–295 | 66–238 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–218 | 37–167 |
| Passing yards | 77 | 71 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–16–2 | 9–29–4 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 33:28 | 26:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | Passing | Camden Orth | 9/16, 77 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Terion Stewart | 25 carries, 123 yards | |
| Receiving | Austin Osborne | 3 receptions, 59 yards | |
| Buffalo | Passing | CJ Ogbonna | 4/14, 41 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Ron Cook | 12 carries, 47 yards | |
| Receiving | Darrell Harding Jr. | 2 receptions, 39 yards, TD |
at Kent State
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Golden Flashes | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Dix Stadium • Kent, Ohio
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UB | KENT |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 10 |
| Plays–yards | 67–331 | 61–164 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–136 | 35–86 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 78 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–33–1 | 12–26–1 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 31:58 | 27:53 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 18/33, 195 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Jacqez Barksdale | 10 carries, 85 yards | |
| Receiving | Marlyn Johnson | 5 receptions, 64 yards | |
| Kent State | Passing | Michael Alaimo | 7/14, 51 yards |
| Rushing | Jaylen Thomas | 17 carries, 65 yards | |
| Receiving | Chrishon McCray | 5 receptions, 52 yards |
at Toledo
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Rockets | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Glass Bowl • Toledo, Ohio
- Date: October 31, 2023
- Game time: 7:30 p.m.
- Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C); Snow; Wind at E7 MPH
- Game attendance: 14,939
- Referee: Andrew Speciale
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Aaron Murray (analyst)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UB | UT |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 85–324 | 53–355 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–173 | 34–179 |
| Passing yards | 151 | 176 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 14–41–2 | 12–19–1 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 34:44 | 25:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 14/41, 151 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Ron Cook | 17 carries, 97 yards | |
| Receiving | Darrell Harding, Jr. | 2 receptions, 44 yards | |
| Toledo | Passing | Dequan Finn | 12/19, 176 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Peny Boone | 12 carries, 125 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Anthony Torres | 4 receptions, 84 yards, TD |
Ohio
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| Bulls | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, New York
- Date: November 7, 2023
- Game time: 7:30 p.m.
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); Clear; Wind at 15 MPH
- Game attendance: 11,444
- Referee: Jeremy Valentine
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Tom Luginbill (analyst)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | OHIO | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 14 |
| Plays–yards | 51–236 | 64–295 |
| Rushes–yards | 30–115 | 41–114 |
| Passing yards | 121 | 181 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 14–21–0 | 16–23–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 27:50 | 29:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 14/21, 121 yards |
| Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 17 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Tyler Walton | 6 receptions, 62 yards | |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 14/21, 171 yards |
| Rushing | Ron Cook | 16 carries, 48 yards | |
| Receiving | Boobie Curry | 4 receptions, 66 yards |
at Miami
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| RedHawks | 0 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
at Fred C. Yager Stadium • Oxford, Ohio
- Date: November 15, 2023
- Game time: 7:05 p.m.
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); Clear; Wind at SW3 MPH
- Game attendance: 7,561
- Referee: Greg Sujack
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UB | MIAMI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 12 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 61–278 | 52–326 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–131 | 36–180 |
| Passing yards | 147 | 146 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–17–0 | 9–16–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 30:08 | 29:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 6/14, 120 yards |
| Rushing | CJ Ogbonna | 16 carries, 50 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Marlyn Johnson | 1 reception, 80 yards | |
| Miami | Passing | Aveon Smith | 9/16, 146 yards |
| Rushing | Rashad Amos | 15 carries, 82 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Javon Tracy | 5 receptions, 123 yards |
Eastern Michigan
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Bulls | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
at University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, New York
- Date: November 21, 2023
- Game time: 7:30 p.m.
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C); Rain
- Game attendance: 11,243
- Referee: Billy Williams
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Matt Schick (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)
- Boxscore
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | EMU | UB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 73–367 | 58–337 |
| Rushes–yards | 46–226 | 30–163 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 174 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–27–0 | 12–28–0 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | 34:52 | 24:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Austin Smith | 19/27, 141 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Samson Evans | 22 carries, 127 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | JB Mitchell | 7 receptions, 75 yards | |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 11/26, 135 yards |
| Rushing | Ron Cook CJ Ogbonna | 10 carries, 43 yards, TD 6 carries, 43 yards | |
| Receiving | Marlyn Johnson | 4 receptions, 80 yards |