Buffalo Bulls:

A familiar face returns to the MAC as Pete Lembo takes over as head coach for the departing Maurice Linguist, who is now the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Alabama. Lembo went 33-29 in five seasons (2011-2015) at Ball State. In recent years, Lembo has been assistant head coach/special teams coach at Maryland, Rice, Memphis, and South Carolina in the last several years. The Bulls went 4-8, 7-6, and 3-9 in Linguist’s three seasons and are hoping Lembo brings some stability.

Offense

Dave Patenaude will serve as Lembo’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and has had tenures in these roles at Coastal Carolina, Temple, Georgia Tech, and Old Dominion, and spent last season as an analyst with Virginia. 

 

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He will not inherit the services of two-year starting quarterback Cole Snyder as he transferred to Eastern Michigan. CJ Ogbonna returns as a rushing quarterback and likely will share time with Jack Shields, who made two starts at Old Dominion last year.

The Bulls lost their top five pass catchers and top two running backs and will have to rely on transfers Taji Johnson (Boston College) and JJ Jenkins (Columbia). 

Defense

Joe Bowen worked with Lembo in 2021 and was most recently the linebackers coach at Miami (OH) and will be a first-time coordinator. 

More personnel returns on this side of the ball 2022 1st Team All-MAC LB Shaun Dolac returning after spending the spring at Utah State. Red Murdock (60 tackles) also returns along with DL CJ Bazile and George Wolo (3.5 sacks). 

Western Michigan transfer SaVeon Brown and sixth-year player Marcus Fuqua man a veteran secondary that also returns starting corners Jayden Oliver, Solomon Brown, Charles McCatherens, and Michigan State redshirt transfer Eddie Pleasant. 

Outlook

Lembo is an upgrade at head coach here at Buffalo but comes in with an all-new staff and not a lot to work with especially on offense. He also got a late start in recruiting having not been hired until late January. 

While the non-conference schedule is not all that daunting save for a road trip to Missouri, this will be a rebuilding year in Buffalo, but Lembo is highly proven in the MAC and should start turning this program back around in years to come. 

Pick: Under 5.5 Wins

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