# 2018 Buffalo Bulls football team

The 2018 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls were led by fourth-year head coach Lance Leipold and played their home games at the University at Buffalo Stadium as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 10–4, 7–1 in MAC play to be champions of the East Division. The Bulls recorded their first winning season and bowl appearance since 2013. They represented the East Division in the MAC Championship Game where they lost to West Division champion Northern Illinois. They were invited to the Dollar General Bowl where they lost to Troy. Their 10 wins are the most in program history with the previous best being eight wins set in 2008.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Rimington Trophy | James O'Hagan | C | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Khalil Hodge | LB | SR |
| Maxwell Award | Anthony Johnson | WR | SR |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Tyree Jackson | QB | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | Emmanuel Reed | RB | JR |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Anthony Johnson | WR | SR |
| John Mackey Award | Tyler Mabry | TE | JR |
| Butkus Award | Khalil Hodge | LB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Khalil Hodge | LB | SR |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Tyree Jackson | QB | JR |

### Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Bulls predicted to finish in second place in the East Division.
East Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio | 140 (21) |
| 2 | Buffalo | 112 (1) |
| 3 | Miami | 95 (2) |
| 4 | Akron | 74 |
| 5 | Bowling Green | 58 |
| 6 | Kent State | 25 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Delaware State* | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPN3 | W 48–10 | 17,959 |
| September 8 | 3:30 p.m. | at Temple* | Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA | ESPN3 | W 36–29 | 25,511 |
| September 15 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPN+ | W 35–28 | 18,384 |
| September 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at Rutgers* | High Point Solutions StadiumPiscataway, NJ | BTN | W 42–13 | 34,574 |
| September 29 | 12:00 p.m. | Army* | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | CBSSN | L 13–42 | 23,671 |
| October 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI | CBSSN | W 34–24 | 14,044 |
| October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Akron | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | CBSSN | W 24–6 | 19,506 |
| October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | at Toledo | Glass BowlToledo, OH | ESPN+/WGRZ | W 31–17 | 18,114 |
| October 30 | 8:00 p.m. | Miami (OH) | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPN2 | W 51–42 | 15,682 |
| November 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Kent State | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPNU | W 48–14 | 15,078 |
| November 14 | 7:00 p.m. | at Ohio | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN2 | L 17–52 | 13,839 |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH | ESPNU | W 44–14 | 10,518 |
| November 30 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. Northern Illinois | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (MAC Championship Game) | ESPN2 | L 29–30 | 10,255 |
| December 22 | 6:00 p.m. | vs. Troy* | Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL (Dollar General Bowl) | ESPN | L 32–42 | 31,818 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
Source:

## Game summaries
### Delaware State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Bulls | 20 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 48 |

### At Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 6 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 36 |
| Owls | 0 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 29 |

### Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Bulls | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |

### At Rutgers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 14 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 42 |
| Scarlet Knights | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |

### Army

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Knights | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| Bulls | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |

### At Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Chippewas | 3 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 24 |

### Akron

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Zips | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Bulls | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### At Toledo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 0 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
| Rockets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| RedHawks | 14 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Bulls | 14 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 51 |

### Kent State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Bulls | 21 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 48 |

### At Ohio

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Bobcats | 14 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 52 |

### At Bowling Green

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 13 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 44 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### Vs. Northern Illinois (MAC Championship game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 0 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 30 |
| Bulls | 7 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 29 |

### Vs. Troy (Dollar General Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Bulls | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 32 |