Where: UB Stadium (30,270)
Coaches: Miami Chuck Martin 105-52 (13 seasons), 31-45 Miami (six seasons); Buffalo Lance Leipold 32-32 (six seasons), 141-38 (12 seasons).
Last meeting: Miami came back from a 14-3 deficit to put together a 34-20 win over the Bulls at Yager Stadium in the Mid-American Conference 2019 season-opener. The RedHawks' defense forced Buffalo into four turnovers, returning one for a touchdown, to offset the Bulls' 398-265 total offense advantage.
Series: Miami leads, 15-7, including 6-4 at Buffalo.
Stat pack: Miami QB A.J. Mayer, 18-of-24, 212 yards, 3 TDs; RB Davion Johnson, 11 carries, 58 yards; Brett Gabbert, 175-of-318, 2,411 yards, 11 TDs, 8 INTs; WR Jack Sorenson, 7 catches, 139 yards; LB Ryan McWood, 14 tackles, 6 unassisted; Buffalo QB Kyle Vantrease 12-18, 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Jaret Patterson 20 carries, 137 yards, 2 TDs; WR Antonio Nunn, 6 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD; DE Malcolm Koonce, 8 tackles, 4 unassisted.
Worth noting: The Bulls picked up the first bowl win in program history last season, routing Charlotte, 31-9, in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl … Four of the program’s six bowl game appearances have come under Leipold … Buffalo was picked to win the East ahead of Miami in a pre-season MAC media poll … The Bulls were picked to finish second behind the RedHawks in a MAC coaches poll … Miami scored on six of seven trips inside the red zone, including five touchdowns, in Wednesday’s 38-31 season-opening win over Ball State … The RedHawks were 40-of-46 last season and, including Wednesday, now are 88-of-96 (91.7 percent) in red-zone scoring over their last 27 games, including 64-of-69 (92.8 percent) in 18 MAC games.
Leipold on Buffalo’s opportunistic defense, which produced five turnovers in a 49-30 win at Northern Illinois, including three straight returned for touchdowns: “I thought we created some big plays when we needed them. The play of the defense in the third quarter really turned the tide for us. I’m really proud of them for making those plays.”
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