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===2010-Present: Jeff Quinn era===
===2010-Present: Jeff Quinn era===
[[File:Screen shot 2011-08-06 at 7.13.33 PM.png|thumb|400px|Quarterback Jerry Davis in 2010]]
[[File:Screen shot 2011-08-06 at 7.13.33 PM.png|thumb|300px|Quarterback Jerry Davis in 2010]]
On December 20, 2009, it was first reported that [[Jeff Quinn (American football)|Jeff Quinn]] would be the new head coach. He took over after coaching [[2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] in the [[2010 Sugar Bowl]].
On December 20, 2009, it was first reported that [[Jeff Quinn (American football)|Jeff Quinn]] would be the new head coach. He took over after coaching [[2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] in the [[2010 Sugar Bowl]].


Revision as of 23:19, 6 August 2011

Buffalo Bulls
2010 Buffalo Bulls football team
First season1894
Head coach
1st season, 2–10 (.167)
StadiumUB Stadium
(capacity: 31,000)
Field surfaceMomentum Turf
LocationAmherst, NY
DivisionEast
All-time record360–478–28 (.432)
Bowl record0–1 (.000)
Conference titles1 (2008)
Current uniform
File:MAC-Uniform-UB.png
ColorsBlue and White
   
Fight songVictory March
MascotVictor E. Bull
Marching bandThunder of the East
RivalsTemple Owls
WebsiteBuffalo Bulls Football
For information on all University at Buffalo sports, see Buffalo Bulls

The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first football team was fielded in 1894. The team plays its home games at the 31,000 seat UB Stadium in Amherst, New York. The team's main rival are the Temple Owls football. The Bulls are coached by Jeff Quinn.[1]

History

UB offered football until 1970, and then reintroduced the sport in 1977. In 1993, the school made the jump to Division I-AA, and in 1999, moved up to I-A, now the Bowl Subdivision.

The early years: 1894–1903

In 1894, UB established an athletics association and fourteen UB Medical students formed the first UB football team[2]. This team played until 1903 with a record of 28-7-13. The team managed this despite lacking a coach for all but two of those years. In 1897, C. W. Dibble coached UB to a perfect 7-0-0 record and in 1903, Ray Turnbull led the UB team to a 3-3 record. After the 1903 season, UB would not again put a team on the field until 1915.

The UB Bisons: 1915–1930

In 1915, UB re-established the football program and instituted men's basketball. Both teams were named the 'Bisons' and used as their logo a caricature of a male American bison, often outfitted in a UB jersey. Frank Pleasant was called on to coach the football team but was replaced the following season after a 3-3 record. Art Powell would take over in 1916 and coach the team for six seasons (13-22-5). UB would go through two coaches in a span of two years - Jim Batterson in 1922 and James Bond in 1923 - before Russ Carrick would take over, serving five seasons despite winning only five games (while losing 30 and garnering two ties). The team would last be known as the Bisons under the command of Jay "Biffy" Lee, who coached for two seasons (until 1930), leading UB to a 8-7 record.

Welcome the Bulls: 1930–1942

In 1931, the University changed its mascot to the Bulls in order to distinguish UB from professional teams in the Queen City. The Bulls played every year until the outbreak of World War II mainly under the coaching guidance of Jim Peelle who was at the helm from 1935-1942 and would lead the Bulls to a 38-34-1 record including a 6-2 season in 1942.

Post-World War II: 1946–1954

After World War II, UB again took to the grid-iron under Jim Peelle, who led UB in two impressive seasons of 7-2 (1946) and 8-1 (1947), but were not selected to a bowl in either season. The program was next taken over by Frank Clair, who coached for two seasons, leaving with an impressive mark of 12-4-1. The following season represented one of the low points for UB when, under the guidance of coach Frtiz Febel, UB won only four games in three years with an overall record of 4-19-1.

Offenhamer era: 1955-1965

If the Febel season can be seen as one of the low points in UB football history, then Dick Offenhamer brought in UB's most successful era when from 1955 to 1965, he would coach UB to an impressive 58-37-5 record. In 1958, the football team won the Lambert Cup, emblematic of supremacy in Eastern U.S. small-college football. That led to the team's first bowl invitation, to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida against Florida State University. But the Bulls would be allowed to participate only if back-up defensive end Mike Wilson and starting halfback Willie Evans, who were black, did not play. The team stood behind the two, and refused the bowl offer. The team was profiled on ESPN's Outside the Lines in 2008.[3] Buffalo would not be invited to or be bowl-eligible for another 50 years.

Several UB football stars from the Offenhamer years went on to play professional football, including quarterback John Stofa with the American Football League's Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, and defensive lineman Gerry Philbin with the AFL's New York Jets. Philbin is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame and the All-time All-AFL Team. Philbin and UB's Willie Ross were the only UB graduates to play on professional football championship teams: Ross with the 1964 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills; and Philbin with the 1968 AFL Champion New York Jets, who went on to win Super Bowl III.

Out with a whimper: 1965-1970

Following the departure of Offenhamer in 1965, UB would last only five more years before suspending football in 1970. There was some success under coach Doc Urich, who led UB to an 18-12 record over three years, but declining performance under his successor, Bob Deming (1969-1970) and financial issues would cause UB to suspend its football program. The main reason that football was dropped was that the student body voted to stop funding the team. At the time athletics at UB were fully funded by student fees. It would be seven years until UB would again take the field.

Division III football: 1977-1992

In 1977 UB began playing football at the Division III level under Coach Bill Dando, who would be the Bulls' longest serving coach, lasting thirteen years. UB had moderate success during his tenure, but back-to-back sub-par seasons led to a coaching change in 1990. Sam Sanders would take over, but last only two seasons before Jim Ward was brought in to usher in UB's return to Division I football.

Division I-AA (FCS): 1993-1999

UB's return to Division I football started in Division I-AA (known today as the Football Championship Subdivision). UB would have only one winning season during their time in I-AA. Under Coach Craig Cirbus, UB would go 8-3 in 1996. This would be UB's last season at or above .500 for a dozen years. In 1999 UB joined the Mid-American Conference in Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) football.

1999-2005: Return to Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision)

Drew Willy scrambles against Bowling Green in 2005.

In 1999, the Bulls moved to their current conference, the Mid-American Conference. They retained their head coach from their I-AA seasons, Craig Cirbus. After a few years of dismal results, the team hired Jim Hofher a former head coach at Division I-AA Cornell University to be the head coach. However, Hofher's teams were marked by poor discipline and lack of effort, and won only 8 games during his five seasons at UB. Buffalo won only 10 games and lost 69 during this seven-year period, the second-worst record in the Football Bowl Subdivision during that time.

2006-2009: Turner Gill era

In early December 2005, Hofher was replaced by Green Bay Packers assistant coach and former Heisman Trophy candidate Turner Gill. The former University of Nebraska quarterback led the program in a remarkable turnaround, helping the team to a 5-7 (5-3 MAC East divisional co-champions) in 2007, their best season since the school joined the MAC.

On November 21, 2008, the Buffalo Bulls won their first outright MAC Eastern Division Championship, sealing the win with a thrilling 2-OT victory over Bowling Green, 40-34. Down 27-7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Bulls stormed back to tie the game at 27 and force it into overtime. In the second OT, running back James Starks ran 25 yards on the first play for a touchdown and a Bulls win. The quarterback coach for Bowling Green that day was former UB head coach Jim Hofher.

Following a loss to Kent State that broke a five-game winning streak for Buffalo, the Bulls entered the conference title game at 7-5, while MAC West champion Ball State was an unblemished 12-0. However, on December 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, Buffalo's defense returned two fumbles for touchdowns and the Bulls defeated the Cardinals, 42-24, to become Mid-American Conference champions for 2008. Their successful season earned the Bulls an invitation to the International Bowl in Toronto, Ontario to face Connecticut. The Bulls went on to lose that game to UConn by a score of 38-20.

2009 would not be as successful as Starks was lost before the season even started to a shoulder injury. The offense also struggled without four-year starting quarterback Drew Willy as new quarterback Zach Maynard had an up-and-down season. UB finished 5-7 and Gill left to become head coach of Kansas.

2010-Present: Jeff Quinn era

File:Screen shot 2011-08-06 at 7.13.33 PM.png
Quarterback Jerry Davis in 2010

On December 20, 2009, it was first reported that Jeff Quinn would be the new head coach. He took over after coaching Cincinnati in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Records[4]

Year Coach Record
1894 No Coach 0-1-1
1895 No Coach 0-1-1
1896 No Coach 1-0-2
1897 C.W. Dibble 7-0
1898 No Coach 4-1
1899 No Coach 6-0
1900 No Coach 1-1-2
1901 No Coach 4-2
1902 No Coach 2-4-1
1903 Ray Turnbull 3-3
1915 Frank Pleasant 3-3
1916 Art Powell 3-5-2
1917 Art Powell 4-4
1918 Art Powell 3-1
1919 Art Powell 0-5-1
1920 Art Powell 1-4
1921 Art Powell 2-3-2
1922 Jim Patterson 1-5
1923 James Bond 2-5-1
1924 Russ Carrick 1-7
1925 Russ Carrick 3-4-1
1926 Russ Carrick 0-7
1927 Russ Carrick 0-6-1
1928 Russ Carrick 1-6
1929 Jay Lee 5-2
1930 Jay Lee 3-5
1931 Bill Pritchard 2-6
1932 Jim Wilson 1-5-1
1933 Jim Wilson 2-3-2
1934 George VanBibber 2-4-1
1935 George VanBibber 2-6
1936 Jim Peelle 5-3
1937 Jim Peelle 4-4
1938 Jim Peelle 2-6
1939 Jim Peelle 0-7
1940 Jim Peelle 3-5
1941 Jim Peelle 3-4-1
1942 Jim Peelle 6-2
1946 Jim Peelle 7-2
1947 Jim Peelle 8-1
1948 Frank Clair 6-1-1
1949 Frank Clair 6-3
1950 Jim Wilson 5-3
1951 Jim Wilson 4-4
1952 Frtiz Febel 1-7
1953 Frtiz Febel 1-5-1
1954 Frtiz Febel 2-7
1955 Dick Offenhamer 4-4-1
1956 Dick Offenhamer 5-3
1957 Dick Offenhamer 5-4
1958 Dick Offenhamer 8-1
1959 Dick Offenhamer 8-1
1960 Dick Offenhamer 4-6
1961 Dick Offenhamer 4-5
1962 Dick Offenhamer 6-3
1963 Dick Offenhamer 5-3-1
1964 Dick Offenhamer 4-4-1
1965 Dick Offenhamer 5-3-2
1966 Doc Ulrich 5-5
1967 Doc Ulrich 6-4
1968 Doc Ulrich 7-3
1969 Bob Deming 6-3
1970 Bob Deming 2-9
1977 Bill Dando 0-3-1
1978 Bill Dando 3-6
1979 Bill Dando 4-5
1980 Bill Dando 6-5
1981 Bill Dando 5-5
1982 Bill Dando 5-5
1983 Bill Dando 8-2
1984 Bill Dando 6-4
1985 Bill Dando 4-6
1986 Bill Dando 9-2
1987 Bill Dando 3-7
1988 Bill Dando 2-8
1989 Bill Dando 4-6
1990 Sam Sanders 2-8
1991 Sam Sanders 3-7
1992 Jim Ward 4-6
1993 Jim Ward 1-10
1994 Jim Ward 3-8
1995 Craig Cirbus 3-8
1996 Craig Cirbus 8-3
1997 Craig Cirbus 2-9
1998 Craig Cirbus 4-7
1999 Craig Cirbus 0-11
2000 Craig Cirbus 2-9
2001 Jim Hofher 3-8
2002 Jim Hofher 1-11
2003 Jim Hofher 1-11
2004 Jim Hofher 2-9
2005 Jim Hofher 1-10
2006 Turner Gill 2-10
2007 Turner Gill 5-7
2008 Turner Gill 8-6
2009 Turner Gill 5-7
2010 Jeff Quinn 2-10

Bowl games

Year and bowl Winning team Losing team
2009 International Bowl Connecticut 38 Buffalo 20

Broadcasting

WECK currently holds the broadcast rights to Bulls games, with WIVB-TV sports anchor Paul Peck on play-by-play and former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lou Piccone on color commentary. The broadcasts are also simulcast on WHTK in Rochester.

A separate feed is available from the student Part 15 radio station, WRUB.

References

  1. ^ "Cincinnati's Quinn is new UB football coach". Buffalo News. December 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-20. [dead link]
  2. ^ http://www.ubbullrun.com/2010/05/ub-football-101.html
  3. ^ Eric Neel, "All or Nothing", ESPN.com, retrieved November 20, 2008.
  4. ^ http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot/teams/direct664.htm
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