11 a.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium Nassau, Bahamas
SERIES HISTORY
Liberty is 3-0 all-time against Buffalo in football, defeating the Bulls 27-24 (OT) on Oct. 24, 1998 and giving Hugh Freeze his first win as the Flames’ head coach, 35-17 over Buffalo on Sept. 14, 2019. The Flames then won a 55-27 shootout at Buffalo on Sept. 16, 2023. Current Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell is also 3-0 against Buffalo and will face the Bulls for the fourth year in a row. His Coastal Carolina team earned a 28- 25 win at Buffalo on Sept. 18, 2021 before the Chanticleers defeated the Bulls 38-27 on Sept. 17, 2022.
Buffalo Bulls Notes
STORYLINES
• Buffalo is playing in the Bahamas Bowl for the second time in program history. The Bulls defeated Charlotte, 31-9, in 2019. • UB is playing in its seventh bowl in program history and fifth in the last seven years. The Bulls have won their last three bowl games (2022 Camellia, 2020 Camellia, 2019 Bahamas). • The Bulls played Liberty just last season and are 0-3 all-time against the Flames. • The Bulls are in search of their ninth win of the season for just the third time in program history and the second as a FBS program (since 1999). The Bulls won 10 games in 2018 and nine games in 1986. • Pete Lembo is the first UB head coach to win eight games in his debut season. The previous record was seven wins by C.W. Dibble in 1897. • Linebacker Shaun Dolac is the program’s first Consensus All-American. • Linebackers Shaun Dolac (159) and Red Murdock (143) rank first and second in the nation in tackles, respectively. • After averaging 125 yards passing over the first six games, quarterback C.J. Ogbonna has averaged 249 passing yards over the last six games, including a career-best 309 yards against Western Michigan. He has thrown 14 touchdown passes over that same six-game stretch, including three touchdown passes in each of the last three games. • Running back Al-Jay Henderson has averaged 146 yards of total offense over the last seven games. He is 41 yards shy of becoming the 11th player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. • The Bulls are facing Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell for the fourth straight season. Along with playing Liberty last season, UB played Coastal Carolina in 2021 and 2022.
Bulls Face Liberty in Bahamas Bowl
The University at Buffalo football team will face Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl at Thomas Robinson Stadium on January 4. Buffalo finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 6-2 in MAC play. The Bulls are led by linebacker Shaun Dolac who was named a Consensus All-American after leading the nation in tackles. Liberty finished the regular season 8-3 overall and 5-3 in Conference USA play. Liberty leads the all-time series, 3-0. The Flames won the last meeting, 55-27, at UB Stadium last season.
Bowling Bulls
Buffalo is playing in a bowl game for the seventh time in program history and the fifth in the last seven years. The Bulls most recently played in the 2022 Camellia Bowl, defeating Georgia Southern, 23-21. Buffalo’s bowl history includes the 2008 International Bowl (L, UConn), 2013 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (L, San Diego State), 2018 Dollar General Bowl (L, Troy), 2019 Bahamas Bowl (W, Charlotte), 2020 Camellia Bowl (W, Marshall) and 2022 Camellia Bowl (W, Georgia Southern). The Bulls are in search of their fourth straight bowl win.
Quick Turnaround
Buffalo has come a long way from its 3-9 record a season ago. The Bulls finished the regular season 8-4, marking just the third time since joining the FBS ranks in 1999 they had an eight-win regular season (2013, 2018).
November Reign
Buffalo finished the season 4-0 in the month of November for just the second time in their FBS era. 2020 was the only other season they had four November wins and due to a delayed start to that season because of COVID, those were the first four games of the year. Prior to this season, Buffalo hadn’t won a game in November since the 2020 campaign.
Shaun Stars
Linebacker Shaun Dolac is putting together a historic season for the Bulls. He has 159 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He leads the nation in tackles and ranks fourth in interceptions. He became the first Consensus All-American in program history after being named a first-team All-American by Walter Camp, AP, FWAA and The Sporting News. He was also one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, given annually to the best player who started his career as a walk-on. The 2024 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Dolac was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week a program-record five times this season.
Dynamic Duo
Linebackers Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock have been tackling machines this season. The duo ranks first and second in the nation with 159 and 143 tackles, respectively. The pair have combined for 302 tackles and 30.5 tackles for loss on the year. It marks the first time two UB players had 100 tackles in a season since 2022 when Shaun Dolac had 147 and James Patterson had 120. Prior to that, you have to go back to 2015 when Nick Gilbo had 113 and Brandon Berry had 104.
Let it Snow
Wide receiver Victor Snow has become a reliable target for the Bulls this season. He leads the team with 51 receptions for 610 yards and six touchdowns. He has had a knack for making big plays as he has had a reception of 25 or more yards in seven different games this season, including three different games with catches of 40 yards or more. In 12 games a season ago, Snow only registered one catch for 12 yards. Snow is a native of Webster, NY and transferred to Buffalo from Nevada prior to the 2023 campaign. He came to UB as a walk-on and was awarded a scholarship after the Bulls’ win over Kent State. He was named third-team All-MAC at the conclusion of the regular season.
Sacktrick
Stewart Kobe Stewart has made an immediate impact with the Bulls since transferring from Samford in the offseason. The junior edge leads the team and the MidAmerican Conference with 9.5 sacks. It is the most sacks by a UB players since Khalil Mack had 10.5 in 2013. Stewart has had seven sacks over the last seven games. The program record for sacks in a season is 12.5 by Vince Canosa in 1993. Stewart was a second-team All-MAC selection.
7 Up
C.J. Ogbonna has settled in as Buffalo’s starting quarterback and continues to improve as the season progresses. His 19 touchdown passes are fifth in program history for a single season and the most since Tyree Jackson threw 28 in 2018. Over the last six games, he has averaged 249 yards passing after averaging just 125 yards over the first six games. He has thrown 14 touchdown passes over the last six games. In addition, Ogbonna has rushed for 311 yards and eight touchdowns the season. His eight rushing touchdowns are the most by a UB quarterback in its FBS era. Cliff Scott holds the overall school record with nine in 1992. He is the first UB quarterback since Chazz Anderson in 2011 to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 300 yards in a season. Against Western Michigan, he had the best game of his career, throwing for a career-best 309 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first UB quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game since Cole Snyder threw for 305 yards against Holy Cross in 2022. Kyle Vantrease was the last UB quarterback to throw for 300 yards against an FBS program (365 vs. Ball State, Dec.18, 2020). The well-traveled Obgonna began his career at Hutchinson Community College where he helped lead the Blue Dragons to a national title in 2020. From there, he transferred to Southeast Missouri State where he was a two-year starter for the Redhawks. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 1,521 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 357 yards and another three scores en route to being named to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team.
Seeing Red
After a solid season for the Bulls in 2023, linebacker Red Murdock has taken his game to new heights in 2024. The redshirt-sophomore had the best game of his career against UMass, totaling 12 tackles and three tackles for loss. He earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts. A first-team All-MAC selection this season, Murdock ranks second in the nation to only teammate Shaun Dolac in tackles (143) and has added 14 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He is equally impressive in the classroom as he was named Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District last season. He was named the MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week following UB’s win at Akron.
J.J. is Dyn-o-mite
Wide receiver J.J. Jenkins has emerged as a valuable weapon in the latter stages of the season. He has gone over 100 yards receiving in two of the last three games with eight catches for 131 yards and a touchdown against Ball State and five catches for 120 yards and a score at Eastern Michigan. He is the first UB receiver to have back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Quian Williams in 2021. He had a 90-yard touchdown reception at Eastern Michigan. It tied the third-longest touchdown catch in program history. Over the last five games, the Columbia grad transfer has 23 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns. He had 13 receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown over the first seven games.
Turnover Margin of Victory
The Bulls forced a season-high four turnovers in their win at Akron (three fumbles/interception). Buffalo is 6-0 on the season when it wins the turnover battle. UB is a +6 on the year in turnover margin to lead the MAC. Red Murdock has played a big role in turnovers as he leads the MAC and is tied for third in the nation with five forced fumbles on the year. He is one shy of the program record for forced fumbles in a season. He has nine career forced fumbles to rank second in program history. The record is 16 held by Khalil Mack which is also the NCAA record for career forced fumbles.
Working Overtime
Buffalo beat Ball State, 51-48, in overtime for its second overtime win of the season. UB also beat Northern Illinois in OT earlier in the year. In both games, the Bulls rallied from double-digit second-half deficits. It marks just the second time in program history UB has won two overtime games in a season. The Bulls won three overtime games in 2008.
Upton Funk
Upton Bellenfant earned the starting kicker job in week three and all he has done since is make nearly every one of his kicks. He had the best game of his career in Buffalo’s win at Northern Illinois as he made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 37-yarder to win the game in overtime. On the year, the redshirt-sophomore is 14-for-16 on field goals and 28-for-28 on extra points. He was named to the 2024 All-MAC Third Team.
Liberty Flames Notes
LIBERTY STORYLINES
• Liberty (8-3, 5-3 CUSA) will play in a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season, facing Buffalo (8-4, 6-2 MAC) in the Bahamas Bowl. • The Flames are 3-2 all-time in bowl games but are seeking their first bowl victory since a 56-20 triumph over Eastern Michigan in the 2021 LendingTree Bowl. • Liberty is 3-0 when facing Buffalo, including a 55-27 victory at UB Stadium last season (Sept. 16, 2023). • The Flames own a 7-10 all-time record against MAC opponents, including 5-1 in Liberty’s FBS era and 1-1 in bowl matchups. • Jamey Chadwell is 21-4 in his second year at Liberty and owns a 52-10 coaching record dating back to the start of 2020. He became the Flames’ fastest head coach ever to reach 20 victories (23 games). Chadwell is 1-2 all-time in bowl games and 3-0 coaching against Buffalo. • QB Ryan Burger will make his first start at Liberty. He started App State’s 2023 opener before sustaining a season-ending injury. • RB Billy Lucas is expected to headline the Flames’ NCAA No. 3-ranked rushing attack. He has posted a pair of 100-yard games on the ground this season, giving him 10 career 100-yard outings and putting him over the 3,000-yard mark for his career, which includes three years at Duquesne and two at Liberty. • Liberty’s tackles leader (83 stops), Joseph Carter was named the TD Club of Richmond Linebacker of the Year (Top LB in Virginia).
“4 DOWNS” WITH BUFFALO
1 Saturday will mark the first time Liberty has ever played a game outside the United States. The Flames will have not played a game in over a month (36 days, to be exact), marking the longest break between contests of any FBS football team this season. Earlier this year, Liberty had just one game in a 31-day stretch between Sept. 22 and Oct. 22).
2 Liberty is facing Buffalo for the second straight year, making this the first time the Flames’ bowl opponent was a team they played the previous year. The Flames have matched up with Pete Lembo at two previous stops (Lehigh and Elon), and Liberty is 1-2 in those contests. This will be the first time in over two years that someone other than Kaidon Salter has started at QB for the Flames. Charlie Brewer started vs. New Mexico State on Nov. 26, 2022.
3 Liberty ranks No. 3 nationally for rushing (258.7 yards/game) after leading the nation in 2023 (293.3 yards/game). The Flames are one of three teams (also App State and Marshall) to make a bowl game during each of their first six seasons of full eligibility following a move up from FCS. Liberty is averaging 39.0 ppg in its three meetings with Buffalo.
4 Liberty will try to give CUSA its fourth straight Bahamas Bowl champion. The last non-CUSA winner was Buffalo, who beat Charlotte in 2019. The Flames’ three 4th quarter/OT comeback wins are tied for the third most in FBS football this season, trailing only Duke and Illinois (four each)
LAST MEETING SEPT. 16, 2023 LIBERTY 55, BUFFALO 27 BUFFALO, N.Y. (UB STADIUM)
• Liberty’s Kaidon Salter had a career day against Buffalo, passing for five touchdowns and recording his first career 300-yard game (16-of-26 for 344 yards). • Treon Sibley finished the game with three receptions for 106 yards, while CJ Daniels hauled in four receptions for the same yardage. • Offensively, Liberty racked up 569 yards (225 rushing, 344 passing). • Defensively, Tyren Dupree came up with his first two interceptions of the 2023 season.
COMEBACK KIDS
Liberty has trailed at some point in all 11 games so far this year. The Flames have overcome deficits of 17 (Sept. 21 versus East Carolina), 14 (Sept. 7 at New Mexico State) and 13 points (Nov. 16 at UMass), in wins. Liberty is the only FBS team to overcome deficits of 13 points or more in three games this season. The last time an FBS team overcame 13-point or more deficits in three games was 2022 (Houston and LSU). The Flames’ eight come-from-behind wins this year are the most by any FBS team this season.
SATURDAY SUPERSTARS
Liberty is 7-0 this season and 15-0 under second-year Head Coach Jamey Chadwell on Saturday. Every other FBS team has lost at least one Saturday game since Liberty’s last Saturday loss, Nov. 26, 2022, against New Mexico State. Liberty, Oregon and UNLV are the only FBS teams without a Saturday loss this season.
MAC HISTORY
During its FBS era, Liberty is 5-1 versus the MAC, with its only setback coming to Toledo in the 2022 Boca Ra- ton Bowl. Liberty is 7-10 overall against the MAC. Liberty is 1-1 against MAC teams in Bowl games, defeating Eastern Michigan 56-20 in the 2021 Lending- Tree Bowl and falling 21-19 to Toledo in the 2022 Boca Raton Bowl. The Flames have also faced two Sun Belt schools, so the MAC will now be Liberty’s most frequently played conference in bowl games. Conference USA teams are 6-3 all-time in the Baha- mas Bowl, including 5-3 against MAC teams.
FLAMES QUARTER(S)
Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell calls the fourth quarter Flames Quarter, and the Flames dominated the final 15 minutes. However, they have also excelled in the second quarter this season. So far this year, Liberty is outscoring their opponents 117-59 in the fourth quarter and 113-72 in the second quarter. Liberty has outscored opponents 59-10 in the last three minutes of the first half this season. Liberty is 16-0 when leading after three quarters under Jamey Chadwell, continuing a trend of Chadwell-coached teams. Chadwell’s team has closed out the game with a win each of the last 45 times it took a lead into the fourth quarter, since giving up a 31-25 advantage in a 39-38 Coastal Carolina loss at Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2017.
VS. BOWL TEAMS
Liberty is 2-2 against teams who will play in a bowl game this year. The Flames defeated East Carolina (Military) and WKU (Boca Raton) while falling to Jacksonville State (Cure) and Sam Houston (New Orleans). Buffalo posted a 2-4 record against bowl teams this season, defeating Northern Illinois (Famous Idaho Potato) and Toledo (GameAbove Sports) while falling to Missouri (Music City), UConn (Fenway), Western Michigan (Salute to Veterans) and Ohio (Cure).
WORKING OVERTIME
Liberty is 2-0 in overtime games this season, defeating both FIU and UMass in overtime. This is the third time that Liberty has played two overtime games in the same season, going 2-0 in 1998 and 1-1 in 2014. Out of Liberty’s 10 overtime victories all-time, only two (Oct. 24, 1998, vs. Buffalo – Phillip Harrelson field goal; Nov. 16, 2024 at UMass – Colin Karhu extra point) ended with Liberty scoring points on the final play.
LONG TIME COMING
Liberty will have 36 days between its last game (Nov. 29 at Sam Houston) and the Bahamas Bowl. That is the longest stretch between games in a single season by the Flames, topping last year’s 31-day gap between the CUSA Championship Game and the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Liberty will be the only team outside of this year’s College Football Playoff to compete in a bowl game in both January 2024 and January 2025. Liberty’s 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl opponent, Oregon, is guaranteed a game on Jan. 1, while Texas and Tennessee would both need to win first-round playoff games to play in both January 2024 and January 2025.
Trends/Streaks
• Liberty has won eight or more games each of its last six seasons and 16 times total in program history (2019: 8-5; 2020: 10-1; 2021: 8-5; 2022: 8-5; 2023: 13-1; 2024: 8-3). • Since its first season of bowl eligibility in 2019, Liberty has posted a combined 73.3 winning percentage (55-20 record/2019-24), the ninth-best win percentage of any FBS team during this span. • The Flames have gone 19 consecutive years without a losing season, the third longest active streak of any Division I team (Boise State – 27, James Madison – 22).
Offense
• The Flames are coming off their lowest offensive output of the season, finishing up the regular season against Sam Houston with 262 total offensive yards on 72 plays. • Liberty averaged a season-low 3.6 yards per offensive play against Sam Houston. • Prior to the regular season finale against Sam Houston, the Flames lowest offensive output of the 2024 season was 386 yards in a loss to Kennesaw State and 5.2 yards per play against Jacksonville State (both losses for the Flames). • Liberty has averaged 7.0 or more yards per play four times this season (7.0 vs. Campbell; 7.4 vs. New Mexico State; 7.6 vs. MTSU, 7.4 vs. WKU). • Liberty entered bowl season ranked second in Conference USA and No. 25 in the country in total offense, averaging 434.5 yards per game. • The Flames also rank second in Conference USA in scoring offense, averaging 30.73 points per game. • Liberty enters bowl season with the third lowest experienced quarterback room among teams who have qualified for a bowl game in 2024. • National least experienced QB rooms among bowl teams: UNT (8 passing attempts, 0 starts), Fresno State (8 passing attempts, 0 starts), Liberty (37 passing attempts, 1 start), Texas Tech (88 passing attempts, 1 start), Georgia (133 passing attempts, 2 starts) Note: Georgia and Texas Tech have injured QBs with experience. • Career stats for the three QBs on Liberty’s active roster for the Bahamas Bowl game: Ryan Burger (15-of-24, 161 yards, 1 TD); Nate Hampton (4-of-13, 139 yards, 1 TD), Jayden Bradford (0 career games played). • For the sixth time this year, Liberty failed to amass at least 100 yards of total offense during the first quarter, finishing the period against Sam Houston with 18 plays for 39 yards. • The Flames continue to struggle during the first quarter of the game this season, averaging 85.3 yards of total offense during the first quarter (170 plays for 938 yards). • Conversely, Liberty continues to dominate the fourth quarter, averaging 131.5 yards of total offense during the final 15 minutes of the game (226 plays for 1,446 yards). • The Flames finished the Sam Houston game with 28 plays for 135 yards during the fourth quarter. • Liberty’s total average offensive yards per quarter in 2024: first quarter: 85.3 (170 plays/938 yards); second quarter: 120.3 (208 plays/1,323 yards); third quarter: 75.8 (141 plays/834 yards); fourth quarter: 131.5 (226 plays/1,446 yards). • Liberty scored in three of the four quarters of the game against Sam Houston and has scored in 85-of-100 quarters (in regulation) in 25 games under head coach Jamey Chadwell (85.0 percent). • Sam Houston outscored Liberty 3-2 during the first quarter of the regular season finale. The Flames have been outscored 64-43 during the first quarter of the games in 2024. • LU outscored Sam Houston, 9-0, during the fourth quarter of the regular season finale. The Flames have outscored their opponents 117-59 during the fourth quarter in 2024. • Sam Houston took the game’s first lead on a field goal in the first quarter, marking the 11th time Liberty has trailed in a game in 2024. • After rushing for a season-high 419 yards against Western Kentucky, the Flames were held to a season-low 179 yards during the regular season finale against Sam Houston. • Liberty entered bowl season leading Conference USA and ranked No. 3 in the country in rushing yards per game (258.7). • Jamey Chadwell-coached teams are 36-0 when rushing for 300 or more yards. • Jamey Chadwell-coached teams have rushed for 200 or more yards 102 times in 181 games (56.4 percent) during his head coaching career. • The Flames have been one of the top teams in the country in taking care of the thrown ball the last two years. Liberty ranked No. 13 in the country in fewest passes intercepted in 2023 (6) and has the same national ranking and INTs thrown in 2024 (No. 13 – 6) entering bowl season. • LU currently leads Conference USA and ranks No. 21 in the country in third-down conversion percentage (45.8 percent). • The Flames have struggled with penalties throughout the 2024 season. Liberty entered bowl season ranked No. 111 in the country in fewest penalties per game (7.27) and No. 122 in fewest penalty yards per game (70.27). • Despite losing the time of possession battle by over 10 minutes versus Sam Houston (24:42/35:18), Liberty still entered bowl season ranked No. 33 nationally in average time of possession (31:19). • LU continues to be tough against allowing teams behind the line of scrimmage as Liberty ranks No. 25 in the country in fewest tackles for a loss allowed (4.27 allowed per game).
Defense
• Liberty held Sam Houston to 131 rushing yards on 44 carries, allowing the Bearkats to averaging 3.0 yards per rushing attempt. • The Flames have held 9-of-11 opponents below 140 team rushing yards in 2024. • Liberty currently ranks third in Conference USA in rushing defense, allowing 147.9 rushing yards per game. • The Flames also rank third in Conference USA in total defense, allowing 349.64 yards per game. • Liberty has picked off eight passes in 2024 – four during the first nine games of the year and four during the last two games of the regular season (3 vs. WKU and 1 vs. Sam Houston). • Liberty is 5-0 this year and 16-0 all-time under second-year head coach Jamey Chadwell when leading going into the fourth quarter. • The Flames rank fifth in Conference USA in passing defense, allowing 201.7 passing yards per game. • Liberty ranks second in Conference USA in passing touchdowns allowed (11) after allowing two in the regular season finale against Sam Houston. • Liberty ranks No. 25 in the country in fourth-down conversion defense (45.0 percent/9-of-20) after Sam Houston converted on 2-of-3 fourth-down plays.
