The Bobcats will play their first game in more than a week Wednesday when the Bulls come to Peden Stadium.
The Bobcats know what awaits them and know what they have to do.
With three games left and two wins needed to become bowl-eligible for the sixth-straight season, the Bobcats’ biggest opportunity awaits them Wednesday.
Buffalo (3-5, 1-3 Mid-American) fired coach Jeff Quinn on Oct. 13 immediately following a loss to then 1-4 Eastern Michigan. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Alex Wood has since been named interim coach for the remainder of the season.
The Bulls are riding a three-game losing streak heading into their matchup with the Bobcats. Through four games, Buffalo ranks eighth out of 13 teams in scoring offense since MAC play began, compared to Ohio’s 11th-ranked offense. The Bulls, however, sit ninth in scoring defense with 30 points allowed per game.
“We have three more opportunities in the regular season and obviously we’re excited about those opportunities and finishing things off the way we feel we are capable of doing it,” said redshirt junior quarterback Derrius Vick.
Buffalo and Ohio (4-5, 2-3 MAC) haven’t played since Oct. 25 and will begin the annual mid-week MACtion.
Statistically, the Bobcats haven’t fared well in November. In the past two seasons, Ohio has won just two of eight games played in the final month of the season.
“We just have not been able to take that step that’s needed yet to get it done,” Head Coach Frank Solich said.
The Bobcats used their time off to allow injured players to heal, most importantly Vick, who saw action for the first time since Sept. 20 in Ohio’s loss to Western Michigan two weeks ago. Vick will be Ohio’s starting quarterback moving forward.
“Obviously (I’m) more confident than last game, kind of was just thrown into fire,” Vick said, who leads the team with over 155 passing yards per game. “I’ve been practicing now for 10 or 11 straight days, so that’s what obviously I needed to get time back with my receivers.”
Most of the team has endured injuries this season, as the offense and defense have struggled to produce a consistent lineup week in and week out. The bye week has given the entire team a chance to refresh and come out with a different attitude for the remainder of the season.
It’s not only a bowl appearance that’s at risk, but the Bobcats also have three games left to avoid finishing the season with a losing record for the first time since 2008.
“Both sides of the ball are banged up, so some people that we’ve had out for a while, three or four weeks, are coming back returning this week,” Vick said. “We had two days off right after our game to replenish our legs and ever since then we’ve just been energized and ready to redeem our loss.”
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