Moving forward: Bulls to play Central Michigan

The players on the Buffalo football team received a pep talk this past Monday. Only it didn’t come from a member of the Bulls’ coaching staff. It didn’t even come from someone present in the team meeting room.

It came, over Skype, from former USC interim coach Ed Orgeron. After former head coach Jeff Quinn’s termination Oct. 13, interim head coach Alex Wood asked his former coaching colleague to speak to the Bulls about dealing with a coaching change midseason.

“The players seemed to appreciate what he had to say,” Wood said. “His message was spot on about working together and cultivating relationships with one another. It’s a new start. It gives you new life about what can happen.”

USC went 6-2 after former head coach Lane Kiffin was fired and Orgeron become interim head coach. The football team hopes for a similar turnaround when it takes the field for the first game since Quinn’s firing this Saturday.

The Bulls (3-4, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) attempt to look past the events that transpired almost two weeks ago when they host Central Michigan (4-4, 2-2 MAC) Saturday. It will be Wood’s first game as interim head coach.

The team has been focusing on its defense during the bye week. The ‘D’ has been one of the Bulls’ biggest issues this season.

Buffalo is allowing 35 points a game and has surrendered either 300 passing yards or 200 rushing yards in five of seven games. The Bulls gave up 37 points and 337 rushing yards to Eastern Michigan (3-5, 1-2 MAC) – the lowest-ranked offense in the MAC – in their last game.

“Are we the same football team [as last year]? No,” Wood said. “But we have some quality players on defense and they’re going to show up on Saturday.”

Several Buffalo defenders are having quality seasons. Senior safety Adam Redden leads the team tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (three). He is also second on the team in total tackles (45). Senior linebacker Lee Skinner leads the team with 52 tackles.

Skinner, Redden and the rest of the defense will focus on the Chippewas’ elusive senior running back, Thomas Rawls.

Rawls ranks fifth in the nation with 1,007 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just six games this season. He transferred from Michigan University in January.

Rawls was suspended for Central’s Michigan’s game against Syracuse Sept. 13 due to a misdemeanor larceny charge stemming from an April 8 incident. Rawls was reinstated after pleading guilty and was sentenced to one-year probation Tuesday.

“[Rawls] is a physical guy, relentless runner and has great vision,” Wood said. “He’s able to press the line of scrimmage. He’s a big time running back and he plays that way.”

The Bulls have their own ‘big-time’ running back in junior Anthone Taylor.

Taylor has run for 569 yards and six touchdowns in his last three games and ranks 10th in the nation in rushing yards (926). Taylor suffered a minor knee injury in the fourth quarter of Buffalo’s loss against the Eagles. Wood said Taylor will play Saturday.

Junior running back Devin Campbell may be Taylor’s primary backup again, as sophomore running back Jordan Johnson is still day-to-day and will be a game-time decision. Johnson has been out since Buffalo’s 36-7 win over Norfolk State Sept. 20.

Despite the shortcomings of the their defense, the Bulls’ offense has been consistent all season. Buffalo averages nearly 476 yards and 33 points per game – both good for third in the MAC.

The offense leads the conference in time of possession, averaging more than 34 minutes per game. The team missed several scoring opportunities last week, however, as the Bulls came away with just one touchdown and two field goals in six redone trips against Eastern Michigan.

“The points have to equate to the time of possession,” Wood said. “If we have the ball for 34 minutes, we have to score points and we’ve missed opportunities to score [in the past].”

The Chippewas’ rank No. 1 in the MAC for pass and total defense. Central Michigan leads the conference with nine interceptions and allows 203 yards through the air per game. But the Chippewas have generated just 10 sacks.

“They have a solid defense with some good defensive personnel,” Wood said. “They play hard. [But] they are not a pressure team. They bring some form of pressure, but they rely a lot on zone coverage. But I think our offense matches up well against them.”

Wood is confident Buffalo will not be distracted by the coaching change in its first game after Quinn’s firing.

“These guys are high-character gentlemen,” Wood said. “I have the utmost confidence in these guys and we’re going to make it go.”

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The Zac Brown Tribute Band will perform a free concert as part of the UB Tailgate Series two hours prior to kickoff Saturday.

email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Central Michigan (-5.5) at Buffalo: Staff predictions

Owen O’Brien, Managing Editor