Buffalo Bulls Win With Authority in Lembo's First Game

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The Buffalo Bulls (1-0) beat the Lafayette College Leopards (0-1) 30-13 in Buffalo, N.Y., on Aug. 29. It was the first game in the tenure of Pete Lembo as the head coach of Buffalo. The Bulls won thanks to their control on both sides of the ball.

Buffalo quarterback CJ Ogbonna went 14-of-24, 195 yards and 2 touchdowns while his Lafayette counterpart, Dean DeNobile went 23-of-33, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Despite his poor performance, DeNobile did have a 108.8 passer rating.

Other notable stars included Buffalo running back Jacqez Barksdale, who rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown, and linebacker Shaun Dolac, who had 11 tackles and the game-clinching interception. Lafayette struggled mainly due to their inability to run the ball against the Buffalo defense. On top of that, the Leopards also lost one of their linemen due to injury, which hindered their ability to run the ball.

Turning Point

Another battle early in the game was Lafayette running back Jamar Curtis and the Leopard offensive line against the front seven of the Bulls. The Leopards were known for their running game in 2023 with Curtis rushing for 1,459 yards on the ground. However, the Bulls shut him down forcing DeNobile to throw on a crucial third-and-9. The pass went through the intended receiver's hands and was intercepted by Buffalo's Jalen McNair. The Leopards never recovered.

While the Leopards failed to get their running game going, the Bulls had no issues getting their own going. They used three different backs to keep the Lafayette defense guessing.

On the drive following the interception, the Bulls drove down the field in 10 plays which ended with a 11-yard touchdown by running back LJ Henderson. After another Leopard punt, the Bulls' Ogbonna threw his first touchdown pass as a starting quarterback, hitting Nik McMillan for 31 yards.

After a special teams miscue by the Bulls, the Leopards had a chance to make it a one score game. The Bulls forced a field goal which the Leopards then missed. After a Buffalo punt, Dolac iced the game by picking off a pass from DeNobile—his second of the game. The following play, Barksdale scored from 19 yards out to put the game out of reach.

What the Outcome Means?

For Buffalo, they face a difficult schedule following its season-opening win. In Week 2, the Bulls will head to Missouri to take on the No. 11 Tigers. They will likely lose this game, especially with just one game under Ogbonna's and Lembo's belt. They will return home to face UMass followed by road games to Northern Illinois and Connecticut. Most of, if not all of the games following Missouri, should be competitive and all chances to win for the Bulls.

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For the Leopards, no one will be as difficult as the Bulls for the rest of the season. They follow this game with a road trip to Monmouth before returning home to face Marist. After that, they head out again to play Columbia with another road game against Fordham following that. With a bulk of away games in the front and end of the season, Lafayette will have to get used to constant travel. However, this team won the Patriot League last season with many of these same players who played against Buffalo. While they may not hit 9-3 again, they certainly will be competitive in all of these matchups as none of the teams are FBS opponents.

As it stands, the two teams could have the same record after two games. The Bulls are headed south to play against a much more difficult opponent in Missouri, while the Leopards head to Monmouth to play what many might say is significantly easier compared to Buffalo or anyone else in the FBS.