Gridiron Report Card: The Spectrum grades the Bulls' 20-14 loss to Central Michigan

Quarterbacks: C

The Good: Junior quarterback Joe Licata had two touchdown passes, including a nice throw to junior wide receiver Ron Willoughby over the middle for a 28-yard score. Licata – despite his limited mobility – scrambled out of the pocket several times to keep the play alive when facing pressure.

The Bad: Licata threw two interceptions, including one pass that was intercepted at the 2-yard line with the game tied at 14 in the third quarter. Licata has thrown five interceptions in his last three games.

Running backs: F

The Good: Licata had Buffalo’s longest run of the day (10 yards).

The Bad: After running for more than 100 yards in his previous four games, junior running back Anthone Taylor ran for just 25 yards on 14 carries Saturday. The Bulls’ running game was completely shutdown by the Chippewas, as Buffalo averaged 1.7 yards a carry.

Wide receivers and tight ends: B+

The Good: Willoughby caught four passes for 90 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown at the end of the first half. Junior wide receiver Marcus McGill had his longest catch (34 yards) since Week Two against Army.

The Bad: Outside of Willoughby and McGill, no receivers were able to get open down the field. No other Bull had more than 27 receiving yards against Central Michigan’s No. 1 MAC pass defense.

Offensive line: F

The Good: The running game struggled and Licata rarely had time to throw down field. It’s hard to find a “good.”

The Bad: The line failed to open holes in the running game and protect Licata. The Bulls had their lowest rushing output of the season (38 yards) and Licata – despite only being sacked twice – was under constant duress throughout the game. The line was also penalized for a chop-block.

Run defense: B

The Good: Central Michigan senior running back Thomas Rawls, who was the nation’s sixth leading rusher entering Saturday, left the game with a knee injury after four carries. The Bulls defense contained Rawls’ backups, limiting both Saylor Lavallii and Martez Walker to fewer than 4 yards a carry.

The Bad: Lavallii and Walker ran for a combined 137 yards after Rawls’ injury. Lavallii ran for two first half touchdowns inside the 10-yard line, running over Buffalo defenders both times.

Pass defense: B

The Good: Buffalo had a season-best five sacks, including two from senior safety Adam Redden. Senior safety Witney Sherry intercepted Central Michigan sophomore quarterback Cooper Rush in the third quarter, which was just Buffalo’s second interception of the season.

The Bad: The secondary allowed several big completions down the field yet again. Members of the secondary were caught out of position on several of Rush’s long completions. Chippewas’ senior wide receiver Titus Davis caught six passes for 100 yards, including the game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown.

Special teams: A-

The Good: Devin Campbell had a season-long 69-yard kickoff return to start the second half. The return set up sophomore wide receiver Malcolm Robinson’s 6-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 14.

The Bad: The kicking unit was not tested in this game, so there’s not too much to complain about. Senior kicker Patrick Clarke, who has only made six of 12 field goal attempts this season, did not attempt a kick partly due to the wind conditions. Junior punter Tyler Grassman failed to land a punt inside the 20-yard line.

Coaching: C

The Good: Buffalo rebounded to tie the game after trailing 14-0 in the second quarter.

The Bad: Saturday was interim head coach Alex Wood’s first game calling plays from the sideline as opposed to up in the coaches’ booth, and it seemed to impact the offense. The Bulls failed to score more than 20 points for the first time this season and they had their worst yardage output of the season (271). Wood has been Buffalo’s play-caller all season, so the biggest difference for him in Saturday’s loss was that there was no one above him to override his decisions.

Wood’s biggest decision was electing to go for it on fourth down on Buffalo’s final two drives. Due to the wind conditions and the situation of the game, however, Wood had no choice but keep the offense on the field on fourth down. The Bulls failed both attempts.

email: sports@ubspectrum.com