Bulls Travel to Kent State on Saturday to Open MAC Play

Buffalo (1-1, 0-0 MAC) at Kent State (1-1, 0-0 MAC)

September 13, 2025

Dix Stadium – 12:00 pm

 

Bulls on the Air

Radio
Buffalo – ESPN 1520
Rochester – Fox Sports 1280

Television

CBS Sports Network

Storylines

• The Bulls need to win their Mid-American Conference opener for the fourth straight season.

• The Bulls are taking part in their MAC opener on the highway for the fourth straight season.

• Buffalo is 12-14 all-time in MAC openers.

• This is the primary time since 2017 Buffalo is opening MAC play towards Kent State. The Bulls defeated Kent State at Dix Stadium within the MAC opener on Sept. 30, 2017.

• The Bulls are 7-2 of their final 9 journeys to Dix Stadium. However, the Golden Flashes have gained two of the final three.

• Buffalo is seeking to beat Kent State for the third straight season for the primary time since profitable in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

• The Bulls rushed for 370 yards of their final recreation towards Saint Francis, probably the most by a UB workforce since dashing for 515 yards towards Kent State in 2020.

• Victor Snow has had a receiving landing in 5 straight common season video games courting again to final season. A landing catch towards Kent State would make Snow the primary UB participant to have a landing catch in every of the primary three video games of the season since Alex Neutz in 2012.

• Al-Jay Henderson had a career-high 185 yards dashing towards Kent State final season.

Bulls Travel to Kent State on Saturday to Open MAC Play

The University at Buffalo soccer workforce will journey to Kent State on Saturday afternoon to open Mid-American Conference play.       

Buffalo is 1-1 on the season and is coming off a 45-6 win over Saint Francis final Saturday. The Bulls had been led by quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson who threw for 133 yards and a landing and rushed for  88 yards and two scores.

Kent State is 1-1 on the season and is coming off a 62-14 loss to Texas Tech final Saturday. The Golden Flashes are led by linebacker CJ Young who has 14 tackles on the season. 

 

The Bulls lead the all-time sequence 16-14. Buffalo gained the final assembly, 43-7, at UB Stadium final season.

Running Down a Dream

Buffalo rushed for 370 yards in its victory over Saint Francis final Saturday. It was probably the most dashing yards by a UB workforce for the reason that Bulls rushed for 515  yards towards Kent State in 2020. 

Al-Jay Henderson led the best way with 98 yards and two touchdowns and Ta’Quan Roberson rushed for 88 yards and two scores. Roberson scored on a 40-yard landing run within the recreation, the longest TD run by a UB quarterback since Tyree Jackson scored on a 75-yard run at Kent State in 2017.

All six operating backs who noticed motion within the recreation rushed for no less than 30 yards – James McNeil, Jr. (64), Lamar Sperling (48), Messiah Burch (39), Terrance Shelton (33).     

Let it Snow

Wide receiver Victor Snow has picked up the place he left off final season. Through two video games, Snow has  eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He has a landing catch in every of the primary two video games of the season to increase his common season streak to 5 straight video games courting again to final season. He is averaging 16.7 yards per reception

  

As a punt returner, Snow ranks second within the MAC with a ten.3 common on seven punt returns.

  

The Webster, NY native led the Bulls in receiving a season in the past with 55 catches for 651 yards and 6 touchdowns en path to incomes All-MAC Third Team honors. 

New Dynamic Duo

Last season linebackers Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock ranked first and second within the nation in tackles. With the departure of Dolac to commencement, junior linebacker Dion Crawford is seeking to fill the void.

If the opening recreation at Minnesota is any indiction, the Bulls are in fine condition. Murdock had a game-high 16 tackles and Crawford added a career-best 14 tackles towards the Gophers.

Returning Production

The Bulls return quite a lot of manufacturing from a season in the past. According to ESPN.com, the Bulls return 59 % of their manufacturing, good for second within the Mid-American Conference and fiftieth within the NCAA. The MAC common is 41 %.

    – 74 % of starters return on protection.

    – 167 returning begins, first within the MAC.

    -12/17 returning gamers on protection had 200 snaps final 12 months.

    – Linebackers Red Murdock and Dion Crawford and edge Kobe Stewart mixed for 42.5 TFLs and 20 sacks final season.

    – Buffalo returns seven gamers who had been named All-MAC final season.

Code Red

Linebacker Red Murdock is coming off one of the vital productive seasons in program historical past. The All-MAC First Team choice ranked second within the nation with 156 tackles which was third in program historical past for a single season. He added 16.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. His seven pressured fumbles on the 12 months had been a college document and ranked first within the nation.

With 11 profession pressured fumbles, Murdock is 5 shy of the NCAA document of 16 profession pressured fumbles held by former Bull Khalil Mack. 

Murdock was named a preseason fourth-team All-American by Athlon Sports and ranks ninetieth on the record of Top 100 gamers in faculty soccer by ESPN.

Watch Out

The Bulls have representatives on eight completely different NCFAA award preseason watch lists. Linebacker Red Murdock, operating again Al-Jay Henderson, broad receiver Victor Snow and edge Kobe Stewart every appeared on no less than one watch record.

Buffalo Players on NCFAA Watch Lists

Red Murdock – Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Allstate Wuerffel Trophy

Al-Jay Henderson – Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award

Kobe Stewart – Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award

Roberson Wins Starting QB Job

Ta’Quan Roberson has been tabbed the Bulls’ beginning quarterback and can make his first profession begin for Buffalo towards Minnesota within the opener.

 

Roberson transferred to UB after spending final season at Kansas State. He noticed motion in six video games and went 3-for-7 for 18 yards and added a 7-yard rush.

The New Jersey native spent the earlier two seasons at UConn the place he began 10 video games in 2023. He threw for two,075 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 120 yards on the bottom and two scores. Roberson started his profession at Penn State as a reserve quarterback for 3 seasons. In 2021, he performed in 4 video games and threw for 85 yards and a landing whereas dashing for twenty-four yards.

In the opener at Minnesota, Roberson went 12-for-20 for 107 yards and a landing.  

OK, Al-Jay

Al-Jay Henderson is coming off a career-best 1,000-yard season for the Bulls. He grew to become the eleventh completely different participant to hurry for 1,000 yards in a season in program historical past. His 1,078 dashing yards in 2024 ranks tenth in program historical past for a single season.

He received stronger down the stretch of the 2024 marketing campaign, averaging 124.6 yards over the ultimate 5 video games of the season.

 Over his profession, he’s averaging 5.1 yards per carry which ranks fifth in program historical past.

Portal Friendly

The Bulls solely misplaced one starter to the switch portal following final season. Kicker Upton Bellenfant transferred to Texas Tech. In complete, solely 4 gamers who appeared on the depth chart for the 2024 Bahamas Bowl entered the switch portal. 

New Faces

Despite solely shedding a couple of gamers to the switch portal, it did not cease the UB teaching workers from dipping into the portal to strengthen the workforce. Eleven transfers joined the Bulls previous to the 2025 marketing campaign.  

 

All 11 of the transfers seem on the Bulls’ depth chart for week one, together with projected starters QB Ta’Quan Roberson (Kansas State), C Jake Timm (LIU), WR Jasaiah Gathings (UConn), CB Koentez Bradley (Arizona State), S  Miles Greer (Shepard) and Okay Jack Howes (Maryland).

Others showing on the depth chart embody OL Jake Merritt (Michigan State), TE Marcus Velez (Bethune-Cookman), LB Mitchell Gonser (Harvard), LB Connor Henderson (North Texas) and P Ethan Stumpf (East Carolina).

13 Bulls Named to Athlon  Preseason All-MAC Team

Athlon Sports launched its preseason All-Mid-American Conference soccer workforce and 13 University at Buffalo gamers had been named to the squad. The record was headlined Red Murdock who, together with being named to the primary workforce was additionally chosen as a preseason fourth-team All-American.

Joining Murdock on Athlon’s Preseason All-MAC First Team had been operating again Al-Jay Henderson, broad receiver Victor Snow, offensive linemen Trevor Brock and Tyler Doty, edge Kobe Stewart, defensive sort out George Wolo and linebacker Dion Crawford.

Offensive lineman Henry Tabansi, cornerback Marquis Cooper and security Solomon Brown had been named to the second workforce. Snow was additionally named as a second-team punt returner.

Making the third workforce had been broad receiver Nik McMillan and nickel Jalen McNair.

    

Red Murdock Nominated for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

Linebacker Red Murdock was named to the preseason watch record for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy recognizing faculty soccer gamers from throughout the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) who exemplify group service, educational excellence and athletic achievement.

An All-MAC First Team choice, Murdock has been as spectacular off the sphere as he has been on it. Along with volunteering at quite a few group service occasions, he’s the founder and director of the Virginia Homework Helpers department – a free Okay-12 tutoring program for college students again in his house state of Virginia. He based this group after seeing lots of his friends wrestle in class with no additional assist leading to getting in hassle exterior of faculty or dropping out. He hopes this helps younger women and men end their schooling below the premise of it being a possible escape from the vicious cycle of changing into a product of high-risk environments. 

Experience on the Offensive Line

An space Buffalo returns expertise is the offensive line. UB returns three starters on the offensive linemen.

Guard Tyler Doty has began 35 video games during the last three seasons and was an All-MAC Third Team choice in 2023 and 2024.

Trevor Brock can be in his third season as a starter. He has began 20 video games heading into the 2025 marketing campaign. He was named All-MAC Third Team final season.

Henry Tabansi will transfer to left sort out after beginning 13 video games final season at proper sort out.

Other returners on the offensive line who’ve seen motion within the lineup embody redshirt-sophomore Gabriel Arena and redshirt-junior Alex Heininger.

Home Sweet Home

For the primary time in program historical past, the Bulls will host seven house video games in 2025. After taking part in the opener at Minnesota on August 28, their different three non-conference video games (Saint Francis, Troy and UConn) shall be performed at UB Stadium. UB can even host 4 of its eight Mid-American Conference video games at house.

New Coaches

Buffalo welcomed three new assistant coaches previous to the 2025 season. Chris Monfiletto is the brand new particular groups coordinator, Isiah Dunning coaches the line of defense and Jordan Johnson coaches the operating backs.

It’s a homecoming for Johnson who’s a Buffalo native and performed for the Bulls from 2012-16. He was an All-MAC choice in 2016 after dashing for 1,040 yards and 6 touchdowns.   

Bulls Picked Fourth in Preseason Poll

Buffalo was picked to complete fourth within the Mid-American Conference preseason ballot based on the MAC head coaches.

Toledo was picked first with 135 factors, adopted by Miami (131), Ohio (123), Buffalo (115), Northern Illinois (94), Bowling Green (81), Western Michigan (71), Eastern Michigan (68), Central Michigan (65), Ball State (41), Akron (39), Massachusetts (39) and Kent State (12). 

Toledo was chosen because the preseason favourite to win the MAC Championship.

On The Airwaves

Again this season, University at Buffalo soccer will be heard domestically on ESPN 1520, a 50,000-watt station with one of many strongest indicators within the nation. The Bulls will also be heard on 1280 AM in Rochester.  

Calling all of the play-by-play motion of Bulls soccer for his twenty sixth 12 months, and 18th consecutive, shall be Paul Peck. Scott Wilson is again for his eighth season as analyst. Brad Riter additionally returns as recreation host.

The UB Football postgame present will as soon as once more happen at The Anchor Bar on Maple Road with host Bob Gaughan.