2008 Buffalo Bulls football team

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2008 Buffalo Bulls football
MAC Champions
MAC Championship Game vs. Ball State, W 42–24
International Bowl, L 20-38 v. Connecticut
Conference	Mid-American Conference
2008 record	8–6 (5–3 MAC)
Head coach	Turner Gill
Offensive coordinator	Turner Gill
Home stadium	University at Buffalo Stadium (Capacity: 29,013)
Seasons « 2007 2009 »

2008 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East
Buffalo x†		5	–	3					8	–	6
Bowling Green		4	–	4					6	–	6
Temple		4	–	4					5	–	7
Ohio		3	–	5					4	–	8
Akron		3	–	5					5	–	7
Kent State		3	–	5					4	–	8
Miami		1	–	7					2	–	10
West
Ball State x		8	–	0					12	–	2
Central Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Michigan		6	–	2					9	–	4
Northern Illinois		5	–	3					6	–	7
Toledo		2	–	6					3	–	9
Eastern Michigan		2	–	6					3	–	9
Championship: Buffalo 42, Ball State 24
† – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth to the MAC Championship for the first time. The Bulls won their first-ever conference championship by beating #12 ranked and previously undefeated Ball State, 42-24 on December 5. The win was also Buffalo's first-ever against a ranked opponent and ensured a winning season for the first time since Buffalo returned to the top-level of college football in 1999. They earned an invitation to the International Bowl at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, their first trip to a bowl game in their history, exactly fifty years after the Bulls turned down their only previous bowl bid, to the Tangerine Bowl, when they were told by the bowl's organizers that their two black players would not be allowed to play.^[1] The Bulls also received their first-ever votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll after winning the MAC Championship when UTEP coach Mike Price voted the Bulls #23 on his ballot. On December 16, Buffalo announced head coach Turner Gill agreed to a contract extension and a raise.^[2] Gill's contract now runs through 2013 and makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the MAC. The ending of the season was bittersweet as the Bulls lost to the Connecticut Huskies 38-20 in the International Bowl, but the Bulls were able to give about two dozen members of the 1958 Bulls team the bowl experience they missed by inviting them to be honorary captains for the game.

	Table of Contents 1 Notable players 2 Schedule and results 3 Rankings 4 References

Notable players

• Drew Willy, Quarterback
• Naaman Roosevelt, Wide receiver
• James Starks, Running back
• Ronald Hilaire, Defensive Lineman

Schedule and results

Date	Time	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	7:00 PM	UTEP*		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	TWCSN	W 42-17	16,656
September 6	6:00 PM	at Pittsburgh*		Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA	ESPN+	L 27-16	42,494
September 13	12:00 PM	Temple		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	ESPN+	W 30-28	18,333
September 20	2:00 PM	at #5 Missouri*		Faurot Field • Columbia, MO		L 42-21	65,566
September 27	4:00 PM	at Central Michigan		Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI		L 27-25	21,032
October 11	3:30 PM	Western Michigan		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	TWCSN	L 34-28 OT	15,025
October 18	3:30 PM	Army*		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	TWCSN	W 27-24 OT	21,719
October 28	7:00 PM	at Ohio		Peden Stadium • Athens, OH	ESPNU	W 32-19	10,042
November 4	7:30 PM	Miami University		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	ESPN2	W 37-17	16,058
November 13	7:00 PM	at Akron		Rubber Bowl • Akron, OH	ESPNU	W 43-40 4OT	18,516
November 21	6:00 PM	at Bowling Green		Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH	BCSN	W 40-34 2OT	13,284
November 28	2:00 PM	Kent State		University at Buffalo Stadium • Amherst, NY	TWCSN	L 24-21	13,754
December 5	8:00 PM	vs. #12 Ball State		Ford Field • Detroit, MI (MAC Championship)	ESPN2	W 42-24	12,871
January 3	12:00 PM	vs. Connecticut*		Rogers Centre • Toronto, ON (International Bowl)	ESPN2	L 38-20	40,184
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. All times are in EST.

Rankings

Ranking Movement

Poll	Pre	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8	Wk 9	Wk 10	Wk 11	Wk 12	Wk 13	Wk 14	Wk 15	Final
AP	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Coaches	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	35	NR
Harris	Not released				NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
BCS	Not released							NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR

References

v t e Buffalo Bulls football Venues University at Buffalo Stadium (1993–present) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Culture & lore Victor E. Bull "Victory March" Thunder of the East Marching Band People Head coaches Seasons 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

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