Behind Enemy Lines: Buffalo football beat writer Rachel Lenzi discusses CMU game
Central Michigan Life's Evan Petzold spoke with Buffalo beat writer Rachel Lenzi from The Buffalo News to preview Central Michigan's 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26 road game against the Bulls at UB Stadium.
Buffalo is 3-4 this season and 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference, losing to Miami (Ohio), 34-20, and Ohio, 21-20, before picking up a 21-0 victory over the winless Akron Zips.
In 2018, the Bulls finished 10-4 overall and 7-1 in the MAC. Buffalo took down the Chippewas, 34-24, on Oct. 6 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant.
Lenzi discussed Buffalo's quarterback situation, running back tandem, strength of the defense and much more on both sides of the ball in this exclusive Q&A.
Central Michigan Life: What is there to know about Buffalo entering this week's game?
Rachel Lenzi: The biggest news out of UB this week is that quarterback Matt Myers, a redshirt freshman, will no longer play this reason due to health issues – UB coach Lance Leipold announced that this week, when I asked him if Kyle Vantrease would be UB’s starting quarterback this weekend against Central Michigan. (Vantrease, in fact, will make his third consecutive start when he and the Bulls host the Chippewas.)
UB is a team that’s comprised of still-moving parts. Vantrease became UB’s punter when Evan Finegan broke his leg Sept. 7 against Penn State, and doubled as quarterback and punter in a 21-20 overtime loss to Ohio. Jackson Baltar punted last week at Akron. Dominic Johnson started the season as a quarterback, moved to wide receiver and became UB’s holder. He’s now a backup quarterback, behind Vantrease and true freshman Trevor Bycznski.
What makes the run game special, and how does each back differ from the other?
The run game has carried the Bulls’ offense this season, and they’re unique in that they have the tandem of Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks, both of whom are productive, versatile and reliable. They’ve combined for 1,289 yards and seven touchdowns on 259 carries, but they can catch the ball, too – Vantrease’s second completion in the loss to Ohio was a 61-yard pass to Patterson.
When Patterson runs, he chugs, but he can’t easily be knocked down. Marks moves a little more smoothly, but ball security was an issue for him last week at Akron.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Bulls?
UB’s strength is its defense. The Bulls lead the MAC in team defense, and they’ve done it in recent weeks without linebacker James Patterson, who returned last week after missing three games because of an unspecified injury. UB’s defensive backs, including safeties Joey Banks and Tyrone Hill, rebounded from a poor game against Liberty (and Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden, who will likely play in the NFL) and have allowed less than 200 passing yards per game in UB’s last three games. UB’s defensive line can’t be overlooked, either – consider that defensive end Ledarius Mack isn’t a starter but has four sacks and leads the Bulls with seven tackles for a loss.
UB’s passing game continues to be a work in progress, more than halfway through the season. It’s comprised mainly of young receivers and UB leaned on its tight ends early in the year. Another area that’s a question mark for UB this year is special teams, particularly its kicking. Alex McNulty and Jackson Baltar are a combined 5 for 13 on field goals and 20 for 22 on extra points. Singling out the kicking game as a woe is generally low-hanging fruit, it cost the Bulls against Ohio, as Baltar missed two field goals and an extra point in overtime. This isn’t an isolated year for that struggle, either. UB’s kicking struggled last year, too.
How has the quarterback situation played out throughout 2019 after losing Tyree Jackson?
It came as a surprise to some that Myers initially won the starting spot. None of the quarterbacks had much college experience, but Myers won the job, in part, because he had experience working in college schemes. He helped his high school team, West Seneca (N.Y.) West win a state championship in 2017, with an offense that utilized college concepts. Myers had a good grasp of the run-pass option, had a knack for creating explosive plays and could run the ball, which gave him an edge in the quarterbacks competition.
Vantrease is a more methodical quarterback who can shift between making plays and managing the game. He’s an analytical player who can make quick decisions and in high school, he gained the trust of his coaches by being able to consider different play-calling options in a small window. At UB, Vantrease also modeled himself after Tyree Jackson, in some ways, through his work habits and his preparation.
Myers’ productivity dropped after he threw for a season-best 245 yards in a loss Sept. 7 at Penn State. Vantrease threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, which likely gave UB’s coaches some food for thought about its quarterbacks – until Myers was ruled out for the season.
If there's an underrated aspect of Buffalo, what would it be?
Clock management, especially early in the season, helped the Bulls dictate play. If anyone was surprised at how well UB played in the first half of the loss at Penn State (the Bulls led 10-7 at the half), a big factor in that was that the Bulls maintained possession of the ball for more than 21 minutes of the first half. Against Temple, UB held the ball for more than 37 minutes, but against Akron last week, only three of the Bulls’ 13 drives were longer than four minutes.
If Central Michigan wants to pull off a road win, how are the Chippewas going to beat Buffalo?
To stop the Bulls, start by containing their run game and don’t give the receivers much room to work with. (UB also knows this is how opponents are going to stop them.) Force UB into third-and-long situations. Don’t play hesitant, either, especially against a defense that will pounce on any mistake an opponent makes.
Score prediction?
Central Michigan 27, Buffalo 21
