DATE | Oct. 19, 2024
TIME | 3:30 PM ET
LOCATION | Buffalo, N.Y.
VENUE | UB Stadium (25,013)
TV | ESPN+ 
RADIO | Bronco Radio Network
LIVE STATS | UBBulls.com

THIS WEEK 
Western Michigan heads back on the road to take on Buffalo on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+ and heard live on the Bronco Media Network. 
 
THE SERIES 
The Broncos lead the all-time series at 8-2, with the last meeting coming in Buffalo back in 2021 and WMU earning a 24-17 win. Western Michigan is 4-1 all-time at UB Stadium, including a 7-OT thriller back in 2017. 
 
SCOUTING THE BULLS 
Buffalo enters the weekend 2-0 in MAC play and 4-2 overall. Buffalo opened conference play with a 23-20 win at No. 23 Northern Illinois and a 30-15 win at home over Toledo last weekend. Buffalo is 3-0 at home this season. 

The Bulls have gotten it done with defense so far this season, allowing just 22.7 points per game. That shrinks to just 10.3 at UB Stadium. The unit is led by two standout linebackers in Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock, who are No. 1 and No. 2 in the MAC in tackles. Dolac leads the conference with 87 total and averages 14.5 per game. He also has 11.5 tackles for loss on the season, three sacks and two interceptions. Murdock has 66 total tackles and averages 11.0 per game and has 10.0 tackles for loss.  

Senior C.J. Ogbonna is in his first season as a starter with the Bulls. Ogbonna transferred from Southeast Missouri State after the 2022 season and was the backup quarterback for the Bulls last season. Ogbonna has thrown five touchdowns and just one interception so far this season. He has completed 67-for-128 (52.3%) attempts for 751 yards. He also has three touchdown runs. Ogbonna's favorite target has be sophomore Victor Snow, who leads the team in receptions with 18 and yards with 216 and one touchdown. Buffalo has a two-headed rushing attack with Al-Jay Henderson and Jacqez Barksdale, who both have over 200 yards rushing each this season.  
 
KEEP ON ROLLIN' 
Western Michigan quarterback Hayden Wolff is in the midst of his best run as a Bronco in the past four games. Wolff has completed 72.3 percent of his passes (73-for-101) for 886 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception. The run started with a 305-yard, three-touchdown performance in the win over Bethune-Cookman.  Wolff then passed for 126 yards and a touchdown in a tight loss at Marshall, but rebounded with a near-perfect game against Ball State. In the road win over the Cardinals, the Venice, Fla., native was 26-for-29 for 264 yards and three touchdowns. In Saturday's win over Akron he threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns.  

With his run, Wolff now leads the MAC in completion percentage at 69.4 and ranks 14th in the nation. He also leads the conference in pass efficiency at 157.4 and ranks third in touchdown passes. 
 
OPENING THE FLOOD GATES 
Western Michigan had just takeaway heading into the Sept. 28 game at Marshall. WMU forced and recovered a fumble in the narrow loss to the Thundering Herd, but it started a streak for the Bronco defense. In the next game, a 45-42 win at Ball State, WMU forced three turnovers, with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. In the win over Akron, the Broncos forced a season-high four turnovers, with three fumble recoveries and an interception.  
 
HITTING THE MARK 
Graduate transfer kicker Luka Zurak made his Bronco debut at Ohio State after an injury to starting kicker Palmer Domschke. Zurak just missed his first field goal attempt while wearing the Brown & Gold. Since then, he's been perfect. The Butler transfer has gone 6-for-6 on field goals and 20-for-20 on extra points. Four of the six field goals have been from 30 yards or more.