2008 Buffalo Bulls football team

{{Infobox NCAA team season|sport=football

|year=2008

|team=Buffalo Bulls

|image=Buffalo Bulls logo.svg

|image_size=150

|conference=Mid-American Conference

|division=East

|short_conf=MAC

|record=8–6

|conf_record=5–3

|head_coach=Turner Gill

|hc_year=3rd

|off_coach=Turner Gill

|off_scheme=

|def_coach=

|def_scheme=

|stadium= University at Buffalo Stadium

|champion=MAC champion
MAC East Division champion

|conf_champ= MAC Championship Game

|conf_champ_result= {{Tooltip|W|Won}} 42–24 vs. Ball State

|bowl=International Bowl

|bowl_result= {{Tooltip|L|Lost}} 20–38 v. Connecticut

}}

The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS 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 conference championship by beating #12 ranked and previously undefeated Ball State, 42–24 on December 5. The win was also Buffalo's first 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=buffalo58&redirected=true|publisher=ESPN|date=November 20, 2008|title=All Or Nothing |access-date=December 9, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081210045026/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=buffalo58| archive-date= December 10, 2008 | url-status= live}} The Bulls also received their first 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3773899|publisher=ESPN|date=December 16, 2008|title=Gill extended through 2013 |access-date=December 16, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081217064446/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3773899| archive-date= December 17, 2008 | url-status= live}} 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.

Notable players

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

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 2008

| poll = USA Today/Coaches

| timezone = EST

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = August 28

| time = 7:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = UTEP

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = TWCSN

| score = 42–17

| attend = 16,656

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 6

| time = 6:00 pm

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Pittsburgh

| site_stadium = Heinz Field

| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA

| tv = ESPN+

| score = 16–27

| attend = 42,494

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 13

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = w

| opponent = Temple

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = ESPN+

| score = 30–28

| attend = 18,333

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 20

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Missouri

| opprank = 5

| site_stadium = Faurot Field

| site_cityst = Columbia, MO

| tv =

| score = 21–42

| attend = 65,566

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 27

| time = 4:00 pm

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Central Michigan

| site_stadium = Kelly/Shorts Stadium

| site_cityst = Mount Pleasant, MI

| tv =

| score = 25–27

| attend = 21,032

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 11

| time = 3:30 pm

| w/l = l

| opponent = Western Michigan

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = TWCSN

| score = 28–34

| overtime = OT

| attend = 15,025

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 18

| time = 3:30 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| homecoming = y

| opponent = Army

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = TWCSN

| score = 27–24

| overtime = OT

| attend = 21,719

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 28

| time = 7:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Ohio

| site_stadium = Peden Stadium

| site_cityst = Athens, OH

| tv = ESPNU

| score = 32–19

| attend = 10,042

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 4

| time = 7:30 pm

| w/l = w

| opponent = Miami (OH)

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = ESPN2

| score = 37–17

| attend = 16,058

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 13

| time = 7:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Akron

| site_stadium = Rubber Bowl

| site_cityst = Akron, OH

| tv = ESPNU

| score = 43–40

| overtime = 4OT

| attend = 18,516

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 21

| time = 6:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Bowling Green

| site_stadium = Doyt Perry Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, OH

| tv = BCSN

| score = 40–34

| overtime = 2OT

| attend = 13,284

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 28

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = l

| opponent = Kent State

| site_stadium = University at Buffalo Stadium

| site_cityst = Amherst, NY

| tv = TWCSN

| score = 21–24

| attend = 13,754

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = December 5

| time = 8:00 pm

| w/l = w

| neutral = y

| opponent = Ball State

| opprank = 12

| gamename = MAC Championship

| site_stadium = Ford Field

| site_cityst = Detroit, MI

| tv = ESPN2

| score = 42–24

| attend = 12,871

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = January 3

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| neutral = y

| opponent = Connecticut

| gamename = International Bowl

| site_stadium = Rogers Centre

| site_cityst = Toronto, ON

| tv = ESPN2

| score = 20–38

| attend = 40,184

}}

Rankings

{{NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

| finalpollweek = 16

| AP_pre = NR

| AP_1 = NR

| AP_2 = NR

| AP_3 = NR

| AP_4 = NR

| AP_5 = NR

| AP_6 = NR

| AP_7 = NR

| AP_8 = NR

| AP_9 = NR

| AP_10 = NR

| AP_11 = NR

| AP_12 = NR

| AP_13 = NR

| AP_14 = NR

| AP_15 = NR

| AP_16 = NR

| coaches_pre = NR

| coaches_1 = NR

| coaches_2 = NR

| coaches_3 = NR

| coaches_4 = NR

| coaches_5 = NR

| coaches_6 = NR

| coaches_7 = NR

| coaches_8 = NR

| coaches_9 = NR

| coaches_10 = NR

| coaches_11 = NR

| coaches_12 = NR

| coaches_13 = NR

| coaches_14 = NR

| coaches_15 = NR

| coaches_16 = NR

| harrisfirstweek = 4

| harris_4 = NR

| harris_5 = NR

| harris_6 = NR

| harris_7 = NR

| harris_8 = NR

| harris_9 = NR

| harris_10 = NR

| harris_11 = NR

| harris_12 = NR

| harris_13 = NR

| harris_14 = NR

| harris_15 = NR

| bcsfirstweek = 7

| bcs_7 = NR

| bcs_8 = NR

| bcs_9 = NR

| bcs_10 = NR

| bcs_11 = NR

| bcs_12 = NR

| bcs_13 = NR

| bcs_14 = NR

| bcs_15 = NR

}}

References

Buffalo Bulls

Category:Buffalo Bulls football seasons

Category:Mid-American Conference football champion seasons

Buffalo Bulls football