KStateOnline – 2020 Game Preview: Buffalo

WHO ARE THEY?

Buffalo is led by Lance Leipold, who identical to Kansas State’s Chris Klieman, made the soar from dominating a decrease stage and transitioning to FBS soccer. Leipold invested 8 seasons at DIII Wisconsin-Whitewater and won 6 national titles and 95 p.c of his games.

The initial couple years have been rough, but Buffalo is coming off their ideal two seasons in method history, together with a 10-get time in 2018 and an 8-get time final calendar year that incorporated an overtime loss versus Ohio with two skipped subject objectives and a skipped more level and a blown 27-6 lead in the 4th quarter versus Kent State.

Leipold’s staff at Buffalo is mainly coaches who have been with him at Whitewater, together with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and defensive coordinator Brian Borland.

There are some ties involving the two staffs. A couple are acquainted with coaching in the state of Nebraska in Leipold and assistants Chris Simpson and Scott Fuchs. Fuchs, Simpson and Leipold all coached at Nebraska-Omaha, substantially like K-State offensive line coach Conor Riley. Fuchs also coached at Wyoming beneath Craig Bohl, just like Wildcat linebacker coach Steve Stanard.

Kansas State offensive line coach Conor Riley
Kansas State offensive line coach Conor Riley

THE OFFENSIVE Figures

Buffalo operates a spread offense, usually in shotgun formation and a pistol alignment with 3 receivers and an H-back. They will also perform two correct operating backs in split-gun or two tight ends/H-backs. In small yardage, they will go beneath middle and operate I-Development with a fullback.

Just after showcasing a fifty-fifty operate-move split in Leipold’s initial 3 seasons, the Bulls have advanced into a operate-based crew, predominantly applying within and outdoors zone, go through-choice and a couple ability concepts blended in, also. In 2018, they have been sixty-40 operate and final calendar year that jumped to 70-30 operate with the tenth ideal operating video game in the state in terms of yards for every video game (just about 250 yards for every video game).

The Bulls offense was only ranked 69th in the FEI and 85th in the SP+ sophisticated metrics final calendar year. In the SP+, the operate video game was only ranked 70 and the move video game only 96th. They did have a stable success fee at 36th nationally, but they have been way down at one hundred and twenty fifth in explosiveness.

For explosive plays, 16.4 p.c have been 10+ yards and five.3 p.c have been twenty+ K-State was twenty.1 p.c and five.8 p.c respectively. In 2018, the offense was their power, rating 14th & forty seventh in the FEI/SP+ metrics.

Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson
Buffalo operating back Jaret Patterson

THE OFFENSIVE Staff

Buffalo has the ideal faculty operating back that several supporters have never read of in junior Jaret Patterson. In his sophomore time, Patterson rushed for 1,799 yards and 19 touchdowns when also catching thirteen balls for 209 yards. He finished 1st crew All-MAC, and during a single extend, had 8 straight a hundred-garden speeding performances. Patterson has now appeared on some preseason All-American lists and is staying mentioned as a possible draft pick right after his junior time.

The Bulls showcased a next 1,000-garden rusher in Kevin Marks and the two are frequently on the subject alongside one another. Quarterback Kyle Vantrease was not applied frequently in the operate video game, and ran for only sixty four yards, but he did score six touchdowns and was applied largely all over the target line.

At quarterback, Buffalo returns two players that played final calendar year. Junior Kyle Vantrease started off the final 8 games of the time and threw for 1,193 yards, 8 touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore Matt Meyers started off the initial 5 games and threw for 602 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Meyers was applied a bit more in the operating video game during his time, speeding for ninety four yards in these 5 games.

Buffalo quarterback Kyle Vantrease
Buffalo quarterback Kyle Vantrease

The Bulls’ passing video game ranked only 122nd in the state. Senior wideout Antonio Nunn is the most important receiving risk, earning 3rd crew All-MAC honors with forty nine catches, 687 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Daniel Lee returns as the next-main receiver with 23 catches, 284 yards and a single landing, when major senior tight end/H-back Zac Lefebvre caught 21 balls for 235 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulls like to throw a ton off perform motion and will test to extend the subject vertically.

The Bulls lost 3 of their 5 starters on the offensive line, together with 1st crew All-MAC selection Evin Ksiezarczyk and 2nd crew All-MAC selection Paul Nosworthy. 2nd Team All-MAC selection Kayode Awosika returns at right deal with and Mike Novitsky returns at middle. The Bulls also brought in transfer offensive lineman Keith Woetzel from UMass, who started off 34 games for the Minutemen.

THE DEFENSIVE Figures

Buffalo is coming off a single of their ideal defensive seasons at any time, rating twenty fourth in the FEI and 45th in the SP+. In the SP+, the Bulls have been twentieth in hurry protection, 96th in move protection, twenty first in success fee permitted and 109th in explosive plays permitted. They have been also 35th in defensive havoc fee (tackles for loss, interceptions, move split ups and forced fumbles). The Bulls feature a 4-3 base protection that frequently morphs into a 4-2-five look versus spread formations.

Buffalo safety Tyrone Hill
Buffalo safety Tyrone Hill

THE DEFENSIVE Staff

The Bulls did drop their prime two tacklers and four of their prime six, together with a trio that attained 1st, 2nd, and 3rd crew All-MAC defensive honors. They also lost four of their prime 7 in terms of havoc plays.

Nevertheless, Buffalo returns two To start with Team All-MAC defenders and two 2nd Team All-MAC defenders.

Main the way on protection is initial crew All-MAC defensive end Malcolm Koonce, who tallied 33 tackles and led the Bulls in havoc plays at fourteen. Fellow defensive end Taylor Riggins was also initial crew and finished with forty eight tackles and 10.five havoc plays.

Security Tyrone Hill was next crew All MAC and finished with seventy one tackles and thirteen havoc plays, alongside with OLB Kadofi Wright, who was also a next crew All-MAC selection.

Linebacker James Patterson (twin brother of operating back Jaret) returns with 40 tackles and seven.five havoc plays a calendar year ago, when fellow returning linebacker Tim Terry recorded 42 tackles final time.

Security Cory Gross and cornerback Aapri Washington are returners in the secondary. The Bulls brought in Brenden Pyne as a graduate transfer, a linebacker that led Brown in tackles in the Ivy League and transfer linebacker Keith Woetzel would make the soar from FCS Lehigh right after main them in tackles for 3 straight seasons.

Particular Teams NOTES

Buffalo’s particular teams unit has been a weak spot beneath Leipold, ending one centesimal nationally four of 5 seasons and 119th or worse the final two seasons. Punter Jackson Baltar returns right after averaging 37.2 yards for every punt and kicker Alex McNulty returns right after ending 10 for fifteen on subject objectives and 40 of 42 on more points. Ron Prepare dinner is the main returner averaging 22 yards on five kick returns and 6.seven yards on 10 punt returns. The Bulls had no returns for touchdowns in 2019.

Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats

DY’S SUMMARY AND Summary

I will start by thanking ksu_Lover for his support on the quantities and staff. He is astounding at manufacturing that sort of study and he has generally been and will go on to be an asset for us.

We will preview and attack just about every video game on the agenda like this all through the remainder of the offseason.

Kansas State defensive end Khalid Duke
Kansas State defensive end Khalid Duke

My initial evaluation of Buffalo and this contest is that the Bulls will be the toughest non-conference video game on the slate for Kansas State this calendar year and it almost certainly isn’t really specially near. They have been a bowl crew for two straight seasons, have some elite returning players and are a mere inches absent from coming off back-to-back 10-get seasons.

Vanderbilt is the ability 5 opponent, but an argument can be made that they have been a single of the initial ability 5 teams in all of faculty soccer final calendar year and not substantially over Kansas on the scale.

The Bulls lacked explosion on offense a calendar year ago, but returning virtually all of their talent players and a single of the ideal players in The us should treatment that to an extent. Offensively, staying as operate-major as they are, it will be a alter-up and a bit of a deviation from what K-State will see the rest of the calendar year and problem the Wildcats’ defensive entrance that will be breaking in a ton of new faces.

Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe
Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe

Defensively, Buffalo was amazing a calendar year ago. They are dropping a respectable chunk of that generation, but at the similar time, they have been full of standouts and several of them still make their way back for another time in upstate New York.

That will make it a problem, who will have four distinct players (most possible) make their initial career start when the Bulls make it to Manhattan.

To no surprise, there should be a large edge on particular teams for the Wildcats.

I imagine this video game plays as a major problem for Kansas State for about 3 quarters and they generate a little ease and comfort late but not a ton.

PREDICTION: KANSAS State 30, BUFFALO 19