Patriots Crushed by Fatal Mistakes
Fatal mistakes that cost the patriots their fourth Super Bowl Championship. Read more...
FACTS & STATS: Site: Neyland Stadium (104,000) -- Knoxville, Tennessee. Television: CSS, ESPN3.com. Home Record: Buffalo 1-1, Tennessee 0-0. Away Record: Buffalo 0-2, Tennessee 0-0. Neutral Record: Buffalo 0-0, Tennessee 0-0. Conference Record: Buffalo 0-1, Tennessee 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.
GAME NOTES: The Tennessee Volunteers of the SEC welcome the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference to Neyland Stadium for an early clash on Saturday.
Buffalo is hoping for a far better offensive effort than it managed in last weekend's 17-3 loss to Connecticut in front of a deflated home crowd. The Bulls are now just 1-3 on the season, and their lone victory came over FCS foe Stony Brook. They have played just one MAC game to date and fell to Ball State on the road by three points.
As for Tennessee, it has won seven consecutive games over unranked FBS teams at home, and considering the fact that the Vols are 7-0 all-time versus current MAC schools, there is reason for confidence heading into this contest. Derek Dooley's team is 2-1 overall this season and has had two weeks to prepare for this bout with Buffalo. Last time out, Tennessee dropped a 33-23 decision to SEC power Florida.
This game marks the first-ever meeting between Buffalo and Tennessee on the gridiron.
Buffalo is scoring just under 20 ppg this season, and the club is generating 354.2 total ypg. Chazz Anderson has taken almost every snap for the Bulls and has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 782 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. Marcus Rivers has hauled in 26 passes for 269 yards, while fellow receiver Alex Neutz checks in with 22 receptions for 293 yards. As for the ground attack, Branden Oliver leads the charge with 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns, having already carried the ball 100 times.
The Bulls have played stellar defense in the first quarter of their four games, allowing a grand total of seven points. Unfortunately, they simply haven't been as strong after the opening frame, and they are yielding nearly 22 ppg overall along with 350.2 total ypg. Sure, Buffalo has done a good job of getting off the field on third down and has made a decent number of big plays, but the fact that the club has allowed six passing touchdowns while registering just a single interception is a bit concerning.
Last week against Connecticut, the Buffalo defense actually did its job well, limiting the Huskies to 293 total yards, including 80 rushing yards on 42 attempts. The Bulls were particularly strong on third downs, holding UConn to 2-of-13 success on conversion attempts. Unfortunately, the UB offense didn't hold up its end of the bargain.
The Bulls finished with 319 total yards, but they allowed three sacks and suffered an interception. Anderson struggled under center, as he completed only 18-of-39 passes for 193 yards. Rivers tallied nine catches for 94 yards, while Neutz added five grabs for 83 yards.
Tennessee has had little trouble moving the football and scoring points so far this season, as the team is generating 36.7 ppg and 416.3 total ypg. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray continues to impressive, as he has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 986 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Da'Rick Rogers has caught 20 balls for 262 yards and four scores to pace the Tennessee receivers. As for the ground attack, Tauren Poole has rushed for 217 yards to date.
Opponents are posting 24.0 ppg and 363.0 total ypg against Tennessee, which has been rather mediocre defensively. The team was solid against Montana in the opener, average against Cincinnati in the second game and sub par versus Florida in week three. The Vols have only intercepted one pass to date and have mustered a modest total of three sacks. Keep an eye on Jacques Smith, as he paces UT with 4.5 TFL.
Against Florida two weeks ago, Tennessee failed miserably in its attempts to run the ball, finishing with minus-nine yards rushing on 21 carries. That put a ton of pressure on Bray to carry the offense, and while he did respond with 288 yards and three touchdown passes, he was sacked three times and intercepted twice. Rogers caught one of the touchdown strikes, but it simply wasn't enough.
Defensively, Tennessee put forth a solid effort against an explosive Florida offense, holding the Gators to 347 yards and three offensive touchdowns. The run defense limited UF to 3.3 yards per attempt, impressive considering the fact that the Gators ran for over 400 yards against another SEC opponent last weekend.
There is little doubt that Tennessee will cruise to victory over Buffalo, as the Vols are simply the better team in this matchup. Bray will shine once again, as he is one of the finest sophomore signal callers in the country.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Tennessee 34, Buffalo 13

Where the players come to play and STAY.

Sportsbook & Sports Betting at SBG Global

Sports Contests – Think you know the game?

Sports Information you need to win BIG.
Fatal mistakes that cost the patriots their fourth Super Bowl Championship. Read more...
Arrests have been made in New Jersey in relation to a sports betting operation that took m... Read more...
Sportsbook Directory | Casinos Directory | Poker Room Directory | Racebook Directory | Partners Directory