Bleacher Report - Articles by Josh Walfish

2009 Buffalo Bulls Football: 10 Key Players To a MAC Title Repeat

Josh Walfish — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:17:45 -0400

The Defending MAC Champs may have lost their four year starting QB in Drew Willy but the Bulls still will be competitive because of these guys. The Bulls return 9 starters on defense and 6 on offense. The Bulls will also have the benefit of having Pittsburgh at home and a relativly weak MAC East. The Bulls may be the preseason favorites to win the MAC East however, without the production of these ten players, the Bulls may just fall short of a second MAC Title.

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For Bruins, Home Is Where the Hockey Is

Josh Walfish — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:20:49 -0400

There is a reason the regular season is important. That reason is a game seven.

The Bruins have worked hard to gain home ice throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. They are lucky to have home ice now throughout the entirety of the playoffs. The Bruins are 4-1 at home this playoffs and 29-6-6 at home during the regular season.

Meanwhile the Hurricanes are 3-4 on the road in the playoffs and 19-16-6 in the regular season.

The Bruins have a decided advantage with the loud and rambunctious home crowd the TD Banknorth Garden offers. The Hurricanes have struggled the past few games with the Bruins but they do have a chance to win.

The keys of the Game boil down to three simple things:

1) Eric Staal vs. Zdeno Chara

With the Bruins having last change, do not expect lots of shifts for Staal that do not include #33 in black opposing him. This additional perk of home ice can really keep Staal off the score sheet and prevent the Hurricanes from winning. The Hurricanes are 7-0 when Staal scores but are 0-6 when he doesn't score.

2) Discipline

Meanwhile the Bruins are 7-0 when they do not allow a power play goal and are 0-3 when they do. The Bruins seem to be a much more disciplined team now than they were in Games 2-4. Don't expect many power plays for the Hurricanes which could open the door for the Bruins to win Game 7.

3) Physical Play

The Bruins will try to be physical but if the Hurricanes start to counteract that with tons of transition speed and odd man breaks, than the Bruins will be in trouble. Tim Thomas is a much better goalie without people in his face. If the Hurricanes get people in Thomas' face it will be a long night for the Black and Gold.

Prediction: Boston 4 Carolina 2

Bruins Move Forward after NHL Blunder

Josh Walfish — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:51:10 -0400

Milan Lucic's stick to the head of Maxim Lapierre was a clear head shot, and therefore Lucic is suspended.

Donald Brashear's elbow to the head of Blair Betts: a clear head shot, and therefore Brashear is suspended.

Scott Walker punches Aaron Ward in the face: a clear head shot, and therefore Walker is suspended.

Wait, Walker wasn't suspended. He assumed Ward was going to fight him, so he threw the first punch. Excellent, Walker, you are a savior, your head shot is perfectly alright, we'll just fine you $2,500 so that it looks like we care.

Since when did the NHL, who suspended Sean Avery for remarks made off the ice, care about the excuses of the players? They didn't believe Lucic or Brashear, but they believe Walker?

I give the Bruins credit for taking the high road in this situation. Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli said in a press release, "We respectfully disagree with the NHL's ruling to rescind the automatic suspension to Scott Walker, but we will abide by the League’s ruling."

However, putting Walker aside for a second, we still have a hockey game tomorrow night.

The Bruins look to continue the way they played in Game Five, while the Hurricanes want to revert to the way they played in Game Two. The key to Game Six tomorrow night in Raleigh is Aaron Ward. If Ward can't go, then the Bruins will be forced to call someone up for the biggest playoff game for the Bruins this season.

With or without Ward, the Bruins will come out firing against Carolina goalie Cam Ward. However, if Ward doesn't play, many will question what will occur if the game is tight late. Will the extra defenseman help get the Bruins back to Boston with smiles, or will he cost the Bruins their best shot at the Cup since 1990.

If Ward plays, the Bruins should play well and win; however, without Ward, it is a toss up.

Prediction: Boston 3, Carolina 1

Ward plays, Kessel, Ryder, and Axelsson will score for Boston, Walker for the Canes.

Bruins' Downfall Proves To Be Cockiness

Josh Walfish — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:08:50 -0400

If Game Two showed Bruins fans anything, it's that this series against Carolina is for real. The Bruins showed up for Game Two physically, but mentally, the Bruins were not prepared for the storm. Numerous times, the Bruins made no look or very weak passes, and almost expected them to get to the intended target. This type of mistake allowed the Hurricanes to jump out to a 2-0 lead, when defenseman Zdeno Chara flubbed a pass to start a breakout and that pass ended up on Matt Cullen's stick, who found the back of Tim Thomas' net. Also, the Bruins' power play was atrocious. The Bruins could not sustain any power play pressure on Cam Ward, until five minutes to go in the game, when Ward made two key saves.

If the Bruins were having trouble staying modest, this game gives them a great excuse to go out and embarrass an opponent, but, in the rowdy RBC Center, the Bruins will face a very tough and loud crowd. The Bruins should come out firing, but if Ward makes two or three key saves early, the Bruins will become frustrated, which will allow the Hurricanes to pounce and put the Bruins in a 2-1 hole in the series.

The Bruins need to look like the team that finished the year instead of the one in February, if they are going to come out of games three and four with at least one win. Unfortunately, I can't see this happening. The Hurricanes return to Boston for Game Five up 3-1 in the series. The Bruins will score in Carolina, but the Hurricanes have figured out the Bruins' game. If the Bruins can't put in new wrinkles, they will go quietly into the sunset.

Predictions:

Game Three: Carolina 3-1

Game Four: Carolina 2-0

Game Five: Boston 3-2

Game Six: Carolina 4-0

Bills Wave Overdue Goodbye To Peters

Josh Walfish — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:31:04 -0400

When I saw that Jason Peters was no longer a Buffalo Bill, I cried.

Tears of joy gushed from my eyes as I relived the horrible sacks Peters gave up.

Peters in no way deserved to be a Pro Bowler if you looked just at him during the games.

Constantly, defensive ends would just run around the 6' 4" 340 lb. tackle on the left side.

Even when the other side of the line gave up a sack, replays showed that if the play went on for another two seconds, it would have been Peters' man getting the sack.

The Bills actually did get a great deal for Peters. The Bills now have an extra first rounder which might allow them to take the DE they need at 11 and maybe pick up Oklahoma State TE Brandon Pettigrew or an OL at 28.

The Bills could also bundle up the two first rounder to go up and get a OT like Andre Smith out of Alabama, Eugene Monroe out of UVA, or Jason Smith out of Baylor. I would hope the latter doesn't occur, but hey, they are the Buffalo Bills.

I do hope that the added picks help sure up the offensive line and defensive line of the Bills, but one really never knows. All I can say is that it is about time Jason Peters is no longer a Buffalo Bill.

Woo-Hoo!

32 Times and Counting: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadians

Josh Walfish — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:37:24 -0400

Once again the Bruins and Canadians meet in the playoffs. The Canadians come into this year’s playoffs struggling while the Bruins come in with all the confidence in the world. These two teams have never liked one another as shown last week in Boston’s 5-4 overtime victory over Montreal.

The Bruins come in to the series confident about their dominance over Montreal, but Montreal felt that way last year. However, unlike last year when the Bruins were playing well entering the playoffs, the Canadians have accumulated one point over their last four games.

The injury bug has hit the Canadians defensive corps hard, with Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider both banged up. However, Schneider should be in the lineup for the Canadians and Markov is still out.

Yet, don’t expect the Bruins to go easy on the nicked up Canadians. The Bruins big forwards, including hard hitter Milan Lucic, will try to bring a lot of physicality to the series.

One matchup to keep an eye out for is Lucic vs. Mike Komisarek. These two have tangled numerous times over the past few meetings and I expect the playoffs to be no different.

Goalies: Tim Thomas has beenby far one of, if not the, most consistent goaltender in the league this year leading all goalies in GAA and save percentage. Carey Price on the other end, has been very inconsistent and ranks 31st in each one of the categories. Advantage: Boston

Forwards: The physicality of the Bruins’ forwards should cause issues for the injured defense corps of the Canadians. The Bruins have seven 20 goal scorers, including deadline pickup Mark Recchi and team goal leader Phil Kessel.

The Canadians have three 20 goal scorers and their leading scorer Alex Kovalev has been very inconsistent, at one point he was even sent home to clear his head. The Canadians will try to match the physical play but the Bruins might just be too big.
Advantage: Boston

Defense: The Bruins have Norris Trophy candidate Zdeno Chara leading their defensive corps while Montreal’s leader is out. The Bruins defensive could also be very physical and be very smart with the puck.

The addition of Steve Montador has helped the Bruins get depth at the position. The Canadians are already injury riddled at the blue line and another injury could push them over the top.
Advantage: Boston

In the end the Bruins should make mince meat of Montreal this series however, the Canadians have history on their side. The Canadians also have nothing to lose which makes the series that much harder for the Bruins. If Montreal can steal a game in Boston, the Bruins might be in trouble.

If Montreal can get the Bruins to become undisciplined like they did last week, the Bruins could be in trouble. In the end, I see the Bruins winning the series in five but I won’t be surprised to see the series go to seven.

Can Buffalo Finish Its Cinderella Season

Josh Walfish — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:29:11 -0500

The University at Buffalo is by far the most surprising of the 68 teams going to a bowl game. The Bulls won 10 games their first seven years at Division 1A football but this season alone the team has a shot at winning nine games. Buffalo was the doormat of Division 1A for years but here they are playing in the first bowl game in school history. Now the question is can the MAC Champion Bulls finish off their Cinderella season?

The Bulls are led offensively by the trio of senior quarterback Drew Willy, junior running back James Starks and junior receiver Naaman Roosevelt. Starks and Roosevelt both rank eighth nationally in yards per game at their respective position.

Roosevelt ranks higher than Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree in receiving yards per game, yards per catch, total yards, and receptions. Willy ranks 28th in the nation in passing yards per game. Buffalo also ranks 48th in the nation in total offense, 65th in rushing, 40th in passing and fifth in turnovers lost.

Defensively, the Bulls are led by defensive backs Mike Newton and Davonte Shannon but they have struggled against the pass, ranking 97th. Against the run Buffalo is a little better, ranking 83rd. Overall, Buffalo ranks 94th in the nation. However, this is the same defense that caused Ball State to turn the ball over five times. The Bulls actually rank sixth in the nation in turnover margin and 19th in turnovers created.

The Bulls opponent in the International Bowl is the Connecticut Huskies. The Huskies are led by junior running back Donald Brown who leads the NCAA in rushing yards per game. The Huskies are 7-5 but they did handily defeat Big East Champion Cincinnati at home to give the Bearcats their only loss in the Big East. However, the Huskies only won three conference games.

Now lets look at the stats: Advantage

Scoring Offense: Buffalo 31.1 - 23.8

Scoring Defense:UCONN 19.8 - 27.5

Turnovers Lost: Buffalo 13 - 24

Turnovers Forced: Buffalo 28 - 24

Turnover Margin: Buffalo 15 - 0

Time of Possession: UCONN 32:07 - 30:57

Rushing Offense: UCONN 204.6 - 141.1

Rushing Defense: UCONN 116.9 - 158.8

Passing Offense: Buffalo 239.5 - 147.2

Passing Defense: UCONN 164.5 - 249.5

In these 10 important stats Buffalo and UCONN both have an advantage in five categories. UCONN has the better defense while Buffalo the better offense. The question is which one will give.

I think that although statistically UCONN has the better defense, Buffalo protects the football and creates turnovers, something UCONN doesn't do as well.

If Buffalo is going to win they must:

STOP the Run
Give Starks the ball 20-25 times
Win the turnover battle
Win the Time of Possession battle.
Have their D-line have the game of their lives.

Of these five goals, Buffalo has proven they can accomplish four of them but can the Bulls stop Brown from running all over them.

Brown will have a big game but with the inconsistency at QB the Bulls secondary will feast on plenty of INTs.

Prediction: BUFFALO 27

UCONN 21

Boston Bruins Roll Into Nation's Capital

Josh Walfish — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:04:24 -0500

Nobody thought that as we head into the middle of December, that the Boston Bruins would be sitting atop the Eastern Conference. Yet, that is exactly where they are heading into the December 10th match-up in Washington against the Capitals.

The Bruins have succeeded due to the balanced scoring and great defense that is stressed by coach Claude Julien's system.

After beating Tampa twice, and adding a shutout against Florida in the middle, the Bruins will face stiffer competition in the Capitals. The Capitals are missing their captain, Chris Clark, their second leading goal scorer, Alex Semin, and top defenseman, Mike Green. The Capitals are only staying afloat due to the weak division in which they play.

Despite all this, the Capitals pose a threat to absolutely destroy Boston. Ovechkin has lit up the Bruins for 13 points in 12 games. Both times Ovechkin has scored 50 goals in his career, he has scored his fiftieth against Boston.

Statistically, Boston should leave Washington with two points, but the Capitals will fight.

Bruins 4 Capitals 2

Ball State-Buffalo: Mess With the Bulls and You Get the Horns

Josh Walfish — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:22:10 -0500

Looking back on my preview of the game, I highlighted three key comparisons that could have turned the MAC Championship Game.

Quarterbacks: Drew Willy: 19-of-28, 206 yards, 3 TDs. Nate Davis: 31-of-48, 351 yards, 1 TD, 4 fumbles lost, 1 INT. Edge: Buffalo

Running Backs: James Starks: 19 carries for 82 yards and 1 TD. MiQuale Lewis: 30 carries for 131 yards and 3 TDs. Edge: Ball State

Wide Receivers: Naaman Roosevelt: 10 receptions for 116 yards and 3 TDs. Brooks Orsbon: 13 receptions for 141 yards. Edge: Buffalo

In the end, Buffalo won the game by being better defensively, as shown by Davis' stats.

Willy outplayed Davis, which gave the Bulls the confidence the offense would be able to score points. That is the reason why Buffalo won, 42-24.

Buffalo Tries to Ruin Perfect Cardinal Season

Josh Walfish — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:06:05 -0500

Buffalo comes into the MAC Championship game off a tough loss to Kent State. Their opponent, Ball State, doesn't know what that feels like. The Cardinals enter the MAC Championship game boasting a perfect 12-0 record. The Bulls are 7-5.

All of this would lead everyone to think this game will be easily won by Ball State, but as Lee Corso says, "Not so fast, my friend." Buffalo is ready to play. Ball State has quarterback Nate Davis; Buffalo responds with quarterback Drew Willy. Ball State has running back MiQuale Lewis and wide receiver Briggs Orsbon.

Buffalo has running back James Starks and wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt. Starks is sixth in the nation in rushing, while Willy is 23rd in the nation in passing. Davis is 17th in the nation is passing and Lewis is fourth in running. In terms of talent, I say that Ball State seems to have a slight edge.

Buffalo lost to Central Michigan and Western Michigan, the other elite MAC teams, by a combined total of eight points, including taking the Broncos of Western Michigan into overtime. Yet, Buffalo is still 15 point underdogs. Of the five losses Buffalo has had this season, only one was by more than 15 points and that was a 42-21 loss in Missouri.

Another thing that is not taken into account is the amount of heart and determination Buffalo has put into winning some of these football games. Buffalo will be ready to play and will be in it for a majority of the game. In terms of heart, determination and expectations, I say that Buffalo seems to have a big advantage.

Yet, the game is played on the field. Ball State and Buffalo will battle for 60 minutes and I think it will be a fun game to watch. That being said my prediction for the game is...

Ball State 38, Buffalo 35

Dick Thinks Job is Safe

Josh Walfish — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:40:17 -0500

All Buffalo Bills fans seem to be turning against Head coach Dick Jauron. These calls for his head have some merit to them. This is a team who started out 5-1 and now has lost five of its last six.

This is a team who went from coming behind in games and being good when it mattered most to missing game winning field goals and not amounting to anything in the fourth quarter. Most of this blame does have to fall on the coaching staff at some point.

Yes, there are definitely other issues for the Bills. Two main issues with the Bills are the injuries to Trent Edwards and this Pro-Bowl left tackle. If you look at the San Francisco game, you can see that on quite a few of the passing plays, the defensive end literally ran right around Jason Peters and got pressure on the quarterback.

Most Pro-Bowl offensive linemen at least engage the man before getting beat. Peters seems to be letting defenders right through him.

The injuries with Edwards are another problem the Bills are facing. Edwards looked stunning at the beginning of the season when he led several fourth quarter comebacks. Then he went to Arizona where he got his concussion, the Bills lost to the Cardinals.

Edwards last week against the 49ers left the game at halftime with a groin injury which also has caused him to miss practice this week. Once again, without Edwards at the helm, the Bills have no fight in the fourth quarter. The Bills seem to have no confidence that J.P. Losman can lead them on a fourth quarter comeback.

In the end, the blame has to fall on the coaching staff. There have been many of times when Bills fans have been left scratching their head at some of the play calls of Jauron and Offensive Coordinator Turk Schonert.

Why do you run the ball with Fred Jackson on third and two with Jackson lined up at fullback? Why do you go for it on fourth and three with seven minutes to go and you are only down seven? Why do you run the ball three straight times with the game on the line on a cold and windy Monday night in Buffalo? Why do you stick with your quarterback when he throws three interceptions in his first six or so passes? Why do you pass the ball when your running back has ran 16 times for over 130 yards?

In the end, these questionable decisions have cost the Bills victories this season. To conclude, Jauron was signed to an extension following the loss to Miami in late October. Since then the Bills have gone 1-4, with the only win over the lowly Chiefs.

Yes, Jauron is not an offensive guru, but as the head coach of a football team you must monitor all aspects of your team and question things that do not sound right to you.

Jauron has failed to do that with the offense and the Bills sit at 6-6. Thank you very much Mr. Jauron but I think we can do a lot better without you around.

Detroit Welcomes a 7-5 Buffalo Bulls Football Team

Josh Walfish — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:25:26 -0500

Buffalo was looking to sweep the MAC East. It never happened. Buffalo lost 24-21 to a weaker Kent State team. Kent State ran for 306 yards in the romp over Buffalo.

Although the Buffalo offense looked good in the second half, Brett Hamlin coughed up the football on the goal line with under two minutes to go to give Kent State the victory.

It was clear from the kickoff that the Bulls defense had no inspiration, nor did they really want the football game. Eugene Jarvis ran for two touchdowns and 149 yards on 21 carries. Buffalo never looked like they wanted to take over the game.

Scoring in the game was sporadic in the first half with a Drew Willy sneak for one yard and a touchdown which was followed by a Jarvis 50 yard touchdown run 37 seconds later. Kent State added a field goal to lead 10-7 at half.

In the second half, Buffalo took the lead with a James Starks three-yard run. Kent State came back with a 12 yard Jarvis touchdown run. Willy then found Naaman Roosevelt for 23 yards and another lead change. Kent State then took the lead for good on a 25 yard touchdown pass from Julian Edelman to Jonathan Simpson.

Edelman went 13/23 for 114 yards and a TD. Edelman also ran for 157 yards on 17 carries. Willy went 17/27 for 196 yards and a TD. Starks ran for 102 yards on 20 carries.

Buffalo will play on December 5 against Ball State in the MAC Championship Game. Buffalo falls to 7-5 (5-3) while Kent State improves to 4-8 (3-5).

Buffalo also is guaranteed a bowl game, but if they don't beat Ball State watch for the Bulls to head up north to Toronto.

Stay tuned for my MAC Championship Game preview as well as my prediction and bowl projection from the MAC.

What a Way for the Akron Zips to End the Rubber Bowl

Josh Walfish — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:58:29 -0500

In the last game ever at the Rubber Bowl, the fans and the teams never wanted to leave. The game was sent into four OTs before Buffalo defeated Akron 43-40 on a A.J. Principe 40-yard field goal after Buffalo recovered an Akron fumble.

Buffalo got off to an early 10-0 lead on a Drew Willy 24 yard pass and a Principe 28 yard field goal. Akron answered with a Dennis Kennedy 57-yard touchdown reception.

Buffalo then gave James Starks the ball, and he scored from three yards out before Akron capped off the first half with a 49-yard field goal.

In the first half, Akron missed 27- and 50-yard field goals and only punted once. Buffalo went 4-4 on fourth down, held the ball for 22:39 and also only punted once.

In the second half, Akron tied the game with a 24-yard Kennedy run. Buffalo then turned to Starks once again, and this time he took it in from five yards out. Kennedy then tied the game with a one-yard run with 23 seconds to go to send the game into overtime.

From, there chaos ensued. Here are the scoring plays in each overtime.

OT1: Buffalo scores on Willy one yard sneak on fourth down.

Akron scores on a Mike Newton tipped ball that was caught by Dashan Miller.

OT2: Akron kicks 42 yard field goal.

Buffalo kicks 24 yard field goal.

OT3: Buffalo scores on Starks one yard run. Buffalo tries a fade to Naaman Roosevelt for 2 but fails.

Akron scores on Kennedy one yard run. Akron tries to throw a curl route but ball was forced to be thrown into ground.

OT4: Akron fumbles exchange on play action pass and Buffalo recovers.

Buffalo runs the ball three times and kicks 40 yard field goal to win.

In the end Starks had 241 yards of total offense, including 151 rushing yards on 37 carries.

Kennedy has 142 yards on 25 carries and caught five passes for 121 yards. Willy went 27-of-39 for 252 yards while his counterpart Chris Jacquemain went 20/38 for 295 yards.

Buffalo improves to 6-4 (4-2) and has gained sole possession of first place in the MAC East, become bowl eligible for the first time as a Division 1-A program and will win the division with a win next week against Bowling Green.

Akron falls to 5-5 (3-3) and has to hope Buffalo loses to both Bowling Green and Kent State (and Bowling Green loses to Toledo) in order for them to have a shot at going to the MAC Championship game in Detroit.

In order for that to occur, Akron would also have to beat Ohio and Temple in their last two games.

Buffalo-Miami (OH): Blue Wins Another Red Vs. Blue Battle on Election Day

Josh Walfish — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:15:26 -0500

Drew Willy lit up the scoreboard at UB Stadium on a night where history was made for the blue of the Buffalo Bulls and the blue of the Democratic Party. In the Election Day-inspired Red vs. Blue battle, the Buffalo Bulls defeated the Miami (OH) RedHawks 37-17.

The teams traded scores to begin the game, with Buffalo striking first on a Willy one-yard touchdown run. The RedHawks answered with a 39-yard field goal, which the Bulls answered with a 34-yard bomb from Willy to Naaman Roosevelt in the corner of the end zone, extending the lead to 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Miami came out in the second quarter with a touchdown drive that was capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman quarterback Clay Belton. Willy answered the touchdown with another bomb, this time only 25 yards, which found Brett Hamlin in the middle of the end zone to give the Bulls a 21-10 halftime lead.

Miami started the second half with a touchdown drive that ended with J.R. Taylor's three-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, the RedHawks defense failed to stop the Bulls' march down the field, and James Starks added to the Bulls' lead with a one-yard touchdown run. A.J. Principe missed the extra point off the left upright, and the Bulls led 27-17 after the third quarter.

However, the Bulls controlled the fourth quarter. Principe added a 34-yard field goal to begin the Bulls' monumental fourth quarter. After a Miami fumble, Starks put the game away with a 52-yard touchdown run, thereby, giving the Bulls their first win against the RedHawks.

Buffalo coach Turner Gill made some very gutsy calls to begin the game. He went for it on 4th-and-2 from the Miami 39 on the Bulls' first drive and faked a punt on the second drive. Fortunately for Buffalo, both plays resulted in first downs. This definitely set the tone for the game.

The Bulls offense accumulated 476 yards of total offense and only punted three times. Willy went 18-20 for 245 yards, and Starks ran for 177 yards on 26 carries.

Miami, on the other hand, gained a respectable 383 yards of total offense but fumbled twice, punted twice, missed a field goal, and turned the ball over on downs twice inside the red zone. In the end Belton went 17-30 for 178 yards, and Taylor ran for 69 yards on 16 carries to lead the RedHawks in rushing.

The Bulls move into sole possession of first place in the MAC East for the time with a 3-2 conference record to go along with their 5-4 overall record, one win shy of the Bulls' first bowl eligible season in their I-A history. Miami falls to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in conference.

Buffalo Bulls Don't Let ESPNU Scare Them in Edging Ohio

Josh Walfish — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:23:32 -0400

If you thought Buffalo would be frazzled by the Tuesday night ESPNU-broadcasted game, then you were way off. The visiting Bulls looked as good as can be in the first half against the Ohio Bobcats, racing out to a 14-0 with rushing touchdowns from James Starks and Brandon Thermilus in an eventual 32-19 victory in Athens.

After Ohio cut the lead to 14-7, Drew Willy found Naaman Roosevelt to extend the lead to 21-7. A.J. Principe added a field goal at the end of the first half to get the Bulls to halftime with a 24-7 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Boo Jackson ran in from eight yards out to cut the lead to 24-13, but the Bulls blocked the extra point and took it back for two, giving them a 13-point lead, 26-13. Following a Buffalo punt, Ohio scored another touchdown, but Barrett Way missed the extra point, which still allowed the Bulls to maintain a seven-point lead, 26-19.

The Bulls didn't take too long to answer the call, however. Following the Bobcats touchdown, James Starks and the Bulls answered with a 52-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was blocked and Buffalo held a 32-19 lead with seven minutes to go.

Ohio tried to answer with a deep pass. The pass was caught, but a fumble gave the Bulls the ball and they kept it to end the game and walk out of Athens with the 32-19 win.

The Bulls turned the ball over just once, a fumble early in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Bobcats turned the ball over five times, on four fumbles and an interception. Ohio was lucky it wasn't more, as the Bobcats fumbled the ball six times but regained possession on two of those occasions. Ohio outgained the Bulls in yardage, 417-393, but Buffalo ran the ball for a season-high 278 yards. James Starks ran for 185 yards on 30 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Bulls moved to 4-4 (2-2 MAC) and gained a share of the MAC East lead. Ohio fell to 2-7 (1-4 MAC) and now sits in last place of the East. Buffalo will host Miami (Ohio) on Election Night on ESPN2; Ohio next plays Bowling Green on Nov. 8.

Buffalo Bulls = Cardiac Kids

Josh Walfish — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:55:54 -0400

Four of the last five games for the Buffalo Bulls have been decided by less than seven points.

The one that wasn't decided by less than seven points was a 21-point loss at Missouri. Unfortunately for Buffalo, their record is 2-2 for those games. Buffalo won a 30-28 thriller at home against Temple on the 35-yard Hail Mary from Drew Willy to Naaman Roosevelt.

They lost a two-point game on the road against Central Michigan and they lost a 14-point fourth quarter lead to Western Michigan at home and lost 34-28 in OT last week. This week the Bulls came back from a 14 point fourth quarter deficit to send the game to OT.

This time the tables were turned. A.J. Principe kicked a 34-yard field goal to begin OT. When Army got the ball they quickly got called for a false start, then on 3rd-and-13, Army got called for delay of game. That forced Army to attempt a 51-yard field goal. The Black Knights missed and Buffalo won the game 27-24.

Once again, Buffalo gave its fans a heart attack, but once again, somehow the Bulls persevered and improved to 3-4 on the season.

I only ask Buffalo to STOP!!

Every Buffalo fan probably has had a heart attack this season. Luckily for the Bulls, they have 10 days to recuperate, but then they travel to Ohio to face the Bobcats.

Bostons Bruins-Washington Capitals: Game Recap

Josh Walfish — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:36:41 -0400

The Bruins ended their preseason today with a thrilling 5-4 shootout victory over the red hot Capitals. The Bruins end the pre-season 3-4-1 while the Caps dropped to 5-2.

After each team received a penalty within the first 90 seconds of the game, Chris Clark opened up the scoring for the Caps. Later in the period, David Krejci got spun around by Shaone Morrison but somehow the puck fell onto his stick and he knotted the game up at one. Shawn Thornton struck first in the second period with a dump into the goal mouth which found its way behind Jose Theodore.

The Caps answered with 64 seconds to go in the period when Alexander Semin took the puck from a slipping Andrew Alberts and found Alex Ovechkin on the doorstep. In the third period four goals were scored in 3:05. Krejci put home his second of the game. Mike Green answered for the Caps but before the celebration ended Chuck Kobasew put the Bruins back up by one.

42 seconds later Chris Bourque, son of ex-Bruin and future Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, tied it up for the Caps. Overtime went by quietly for the most part. The best chance for either side was a Phil Kessel stuff shot with 18 seconds to go that was stopped by the desperate glove of Theodore. In the shootout the Caps shot first and sent Michael Nylander, Ovechkin and Semin to shoot but only Ovechkin scored on Manny Fernandez.

Kessel and Patrice Bergeron scored for the Bruins. Both shootout goals for the Bruins came with Theodore's help. Kessel beat Theodore five-hole and got a kick by Theodore to squeak the puck over the line. Bergeron on the other hand forced Theodore back into the goal to make the stop but the referee saw the puck cross the red goal line.

The Bruins out-shot the Caps 44-24 including 6-0 in overtime.

Another Game, Another Moral Victory for Buffalo

Josh Walfish — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:59:57 -0400

If I would have told you that Buffalo would have caused Missouri to cough up the ball twice in the red zone in the first half and would only be down 20-14 at the half, would you have believed me?

Chances are, you wouldn't have, but that's exactly what happened in Missouri's 42-21 doubling of Buffalo.

The game started off as expected as Missouri cruised to a 10-0 lead in their first two drives but the momentum and energy was sucked out of Missouri when Ernest Jackson ran the kickoff back 97 yards untouched and brought the Bulls to within three.

Buffalo then snapped Missouri's 15-drive scoring streak when they forced the Tigers to punt late in the first quarter. Jeremy Maclin ran in a 16-yard touchdown to put the Tigers ahead 17-7.

Missouri fumbled the ball on their next two drives, and Ernest Jackson caught a 32-yard pass from Drew Willy and Buffalo was back in the game 17-14. Missouri added a Jeff Wolfert 48-yard field goal as the half expired to head into the locker room with a slim 20-14 lead.

Missouri came out and scored a quick touchdown to pull in front 27-14. On the ensuing drive Buffalo coughed up the ball inside their own 40, but on the next play stripped Jeremy Maclin of the ball and marched down to bring the game back to within six at 27-21.

After Missouri turned the ball over on downs, Buffalo had the ball at their own 39 with a chance to take the lead. They couldn't convert on the opportunity and had to punt. This punt happened to be one of the better punts Peter Fardon was able to get off for the Bulls.

Abysmal long snapping hurt the Bulls' punt game by only allowing time for Fardon to punt the ball 16 and 7 yards on two consecutive punts at a point in the game. Missouri then scored a touchdown on a Derrick Washington 3-yard run, but Missouri missed the two point conversion to give the Tigers a 33-21 lead.

Buffalo stalled on their next drive, leading to a punt that was turned into a Chase Coffman touchdown catch to extend the lead to 40-21. Missouri capped off the day with a safety after Fardon had to kick the ball over the endline to avoid a Missouri touchdown.

Heisman Candidate Chase Daniel went 36-of-43 for 439 yards and two touchdowns. Buffalo QB Drew Willy went 22-of-40 for 237 yards a INT and two touchdowns. Buffalo was held to 49 yards on the ground but were missing starting running back James Starks to a hip injury.

Once again, Buffalo comes out of a game against a major program with a moral victory. The major reason Buffalo isn't getting stomped into the ground is the coaching of Turner Gill.

Since Gill became the head coach, Buffalo has trailed by less than two touchdowns to No. 2 Auburn (2006), Pittsburgh (2008) and No. 5 Missouri (2008) after three quarters of play. However, on all three occasions, the Bulls have come up just short.