2017 Buffalo Bulls football team

The 2017 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls were led by third-year head coach Lance Leipold and played their home games at University at Buffalo Stadium as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls finished the season 6–6, 4–4 in MAC play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. Despite being bowl-eligible, the Bulls did not receive an invitation to a bowl game.

2017 Buffalo Bulls football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
	East Division
2017 record	6–6 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach	Lance Leipold (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Andy Kotelnicki (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Brian Borland (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	University at Buffalo Stadium (Capacity: 29,013)
Uniform

2017 Mid-American Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Akron xy		6	–	2					7	–	7
Ohio		5	–	3					9	–	4
Miami		4	–	4					5	–	7
Buffalo		4	–	4					6	–	6
Bowling Green		2	–	6					2	–	10
Kent State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Toledo xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Central Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	5
Northern Illinois		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Michigan		4	–	4					6	–	6
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					5	–	7
Ball State		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: Toledo 45, Akron 28
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Previous season

The Bulls finished the 2016 season 2–10, 1–7 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division.

Coaching staff

Name	Title
Lance Leipold	Head Coach
Rob Ianello	Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach
Brian Borland	Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Andy Kotelnicki	Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Daryl Agpalsa	Offensive Line Coach
Alan Hensell	Tight Ends Coach
Chris Simpson	Linebackers Coach
Tim Edwards	Defensive Line Coach
Jim Zebrowski	Quarterbacks Coach
Taiwo Onatolu	Cornerbacks Coach

Source:[1]

Season notes

Record setting game

On October 7, 2017, the Bulls and Western Michigan to score 139 points in a game that took a record-tying seven overtimes to settle. Buffalo lost 71–68.[2] The game marked the highest-scoring FBS game, breaking the previous record set in 2016.[3]

Bowl snub

On November 24, 2017, Buffalo gained bowl eligibility for just the third time in school history.[4] The Bulls had previously made appearances in the now-defunct International Bowl in 2008 and the Potato Bowl in 2013, then were denied bowl eligibility after a game the Bulls were likely to win was canceled due to a snowstorm and never rescheduled in 2014. The loss of one bowl game compared to the 2016 season and the distribution of wins and losses across the Bowl Subdivision meant that, unlike previous years, there were three fewer openings than there were teams to fill them, and the Bulls were one of the three teams snubbed by all of the bowls.

Schedule

Buffalo announced their 2017 football schedule on January 23, 2017.[5] In out-of-conference play, the Bulls will meet former Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck's Minnesota team, as well as the Lane Kiffin-led FAU Owls.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	7:00 p.m.	at Minnesota*	TCF Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN	BTN	L 7–17	43,224
September 9	12:00 p.m.	at Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	L 17–21	24,017
September 16	6:00 p.m.	Colgate*	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN3	W 33–10	11,546
September 23	7:00 p.m.	Florida Atlantic*	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN3	W 34–31	14,246
September 30	3:30 p.m.	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN3	W 27–13	12,355
October 7	3:30 p.m.	Western Michigan	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPNU	L 68–71 ^7OT	17,048
October 14	3:30 p.m.	Northern Illinois	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN3	L 13–14	12,784
October 21	2:30 p.m.	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPN3	L 14–24	13,803
October 28	11:30 a.m.	at Akron	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	L 20–21	17,427
November 7	7:30 p.m.	Bowling Green	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPNU	W 38–28	12,205
November 16	7:00 p.m.	at Ball State	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	CBSSN	W 40–24	5,248
November 24	1:00 p.m.	Ohio	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN3	W 31–24	12,273
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Eastern time

Source:[6]

Game summaries

at Minnesota

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	0	0	0	7
Golden Gophers	14	0	0	3	17

at Army

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	3	14	0	0	17
Black Knights	7	0	0	14	21

Colgate

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	0	7	0	10
Bulls	20	10	0	3	33

Florida Atlantic

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	10	0	14	31
Bulls	14	3	7	10	34

at Kent State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	13	7	0	27
Golden Flashes	0	13	0	0	13

Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	4OT	5OT	6OT	7OT	Total
Broncos	10	7	7	7	7	7	0	8	6	6	6	71
Bulls	14	0	0	17	7	7	0	8	6	6	3	68

Northern Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	14	0	0	14
Bulls	3	10	0	0	13

at Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	0	7	0	7	14
RedHawks	10	0	14	0	24

at Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	6	0	7	20
Zips	7	7	0	7	21

Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	7	7	7	28
Bulls	21	0	7	10	38

at Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	10	13	14	3	40
Cardinals	0	10	7	7	24

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	7	3	14	0	24
Bulls	24	0	0	7	31

References

1. Buffalo Football Coaches. University at Buffalo Athletics. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
2. "Western Michigan vs. Buffalo - Game Recap - October 7, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
3. "Seven OTs, 139 points: WMU edges Buffalo in highest-scoring, longest FBS game". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
4. "Bulls Become Bowl Eligible with Win over Ohio on Senior Day". Buffalo. 2017-11-24. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
5. UB Announces 2017 Football Opponents. January 23, 2017. UBBulls.com. University at Buffalo Athletics. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
6. 2017 Buffalo Bulls football schedule. FBSchedules.com. Retrieved April 29, 2017.