The first conference game of the year is upon us, and this season, the Buffalo Bulls (1-1) and Kent State Golden Flashes (1-1) will have the honor of duking it out for the rights to hold the first lead in the MAC table.
Games between these two teams historically tend to fall into one of two buckets: super-close contests decided by one or two plays, or a blowout where the result is never in doubt from the opening kick. Buffalo holds the edge over KSU as it stands, winning the last two games by three
or more scores to break the all-time tie between the two squads.
This year, both teams bring new looks to the fold, with UB integrating shiny new transfer pieces to their offense while Kent State finally has a win under their belts for the first time in two years and are sporting a brand-new… everything.
What can we expect to see in this early-season clash?
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 13th, 2025 at 12 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio
- TV network options: The game will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network; a valid cable subscription is required for viewing. Coverage by Jordan Kent (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (color analyst).
- Radio options: Dane Richardson (play-by-play) and Rob Polinsky (color) will provide the Kent State call for Fox Sports Radio 1350 AM The Gambler, while Paul Peck (play-by-play) and Scott Wilson (color) providing the Buffalo call on The Varsity Network App.
- Gambling considerations: Buffalo favored by 22.5 points, with an over/under of 47.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: UB holds the 16-14 lead in the series, winning the last matchup by a final score of 43-7. The Bulls have taken the series lead with their current two-game winning streak.
About the Kent State Golden Flashes
The Golden Flashes took a licking last week against a strong Texas Tech side which brought in an influx of talent over the offseason. It was certainly an expected loss, but what was notable was that KSU was able to shake off a woefully bad first-half performance and score on the Red Raider backups later in the game with some nice, sustained drives. In years past, KSU often folded in such situations, so even doing something as pedestrian as covering the spread is a sign of progress.
They’ll have a slightly less tough opponent this week, but nothing has been easy sledding for the Flashes in 2025, who suffered 51 departures (including 21 starters!) in the offseason to go along with a late staff shake-up. KSU has 52 players from the 2024 roster returning, with 50 new arrivals— including 22 transfers from various NCAA levels— trying to find their way to the field.
Getting a result here would go a long way towards instilling confidence in a team which hasn’t had much in the last few years.
KSU goes back-and-forth between Fordham transfer QB CJ Montes and Dru DeShields on offense, with the duo totaling 23-of-44 for 374 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Cade Wolford, a running back-turned-receiver, is responsible for all three scoring catches and leads the team in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (128). KSU likes to spread the ball around, with 10 different receivers notching at least one catch for the Flashes.
A defining trait of this Flashes offense which is different from years past is their reliance on the run game. So far in 2025, KSU has 71 rushing plays to 44 passing plays, resulting in about a 61:39 pass-to-run ratio. Gavin Garcia has been the workhorse for the Flashes, with 27 carries for 74 yards, while DeShields has shown dual-threat ability with 37 yards before sacks (third on team.) Jahzae Kimbrough (39 yards) and Donovan Delaney (10 rushes for 15 yards, primary as a short-yardage back) also figure heavily into the rushing attack.
On defense, KSU lost 23 contributors and all but four starters, so it’s a new-look unit.
Currently, they sit at 126th in the NCAA in total defense (470.5 yards per game allowed) and 128th with 39.5 points allowed per game, but considering they have one game against an FCS foe and another against a potential Playoff team on the record, it’s hard to really project just how good or bad this unit actually is. This game will be key to determining where they stand.
Linebacker CJ Young and strong safety Joel Cordoba hold the joint-lead on the team with 14 total tackles each, while six Flashes have at least one tackle-for-loss each. Backer CJ Young and corner Jaire Rawlison have proven to be efficient in run defense, with 13 tackles and a half-TFL each. The combination of Jelani Davis (1.5 TFLs, half-sack) and Jamond Mathis (one each TFL, sack) are the team’s biggest pass rush threats on the defensive line.
About the Buffalo Bulls
The Bulls are coming off a home-opening win against FCS St. Francis [PA], a game where UB exploded for five rushing touchdowns and held the Red Flash to 11 yards rushing and 126 yards overall.
It was an exorcising of demons, as the Bulls were themselves limited to 44 yards rushing and 107 yards passing— 40 of which went to Victor Snow on UB’s lone touchdown of the contest— in a 23-10 loss to Minnesota the week prior. The malaise spread even to the Bulls’ impressive defense, as the Gophers went 9-of-16 on third-down attempts and visited the UB redzone six times (with four scores), generating 443 yards of offense in the effort.
An early conference game against Kent State could be what they need to continue to establish their mojo on both sides of the ball before hosting two tough out-of-conference opponents in Troy and UConn.
Seventh-year quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson, formerly of Kansas State, UConn and Penn State, is the starter for the Bulls, who are depending on his dual-threat potential to help them win games. The passing part of the offense is still a work-in-progress, sitting at 22-of-40 for 240 yards and two touchdowns, but the good news is he does have a connection with all-MAC receiver Victor Snow, who has hauled in eight passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulls run the ball a lot on offense, totalling 87 carries to 42 passes in 2025. All-MAC halfback Al-Jay Henderson is back in the fold and Roberson has also been expected to tote the rock as previously mentioned. Henderson, who ran for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, has 129 yards and two touchdowns on 35 attempts so far in 2025. Roberson is second-best, with 109 gained yards (95 net) and two scores, with four additional running backs all seeing at least six or more carries for a rotation which isn’t afraid to call on anyone. Lamar Sperling (11 carries, 48 yards) is a capable second back for the Bulls, with James McNeil and Terrance Shelton also reliable when called upon.
UB makes their hay with a stifling defense, finishing 2024 as one of the MAC’s most productive havoc-causers, finishing third in the league (and amongst the top teams in the NCAA) in tackles-for-loss (93) and sacks (33), while also finishing with 22 total takeaways (t-27 in the NCAA.)
Their run defense is usually pretty stout; the MAC’s most productive tacklers have often come from UB’s roster, as seen in recent years with Joe Andreessen and Shaun Dolac— both of whom are now on NFL rosters.
Red Murdock is next on the list after an all-MAC campaign in 2024, leading the team in tackles (22) and tackles-for-loss (2.5), while standing second in sacks (one) through two contests. There are, in fact, five Bulls already up to double-digit tackles on the year, while five different Bulls have at least one sack credited to them. Linebacker Kobe Stewart has made his presence felt so far in 2025 as well, collecting three TFLs, two sacks, two QB hits and a fumble recovery thus far. Mitchell Gosner, a former first-team all-Ivy League linebacker for Harvard, has the team’s lone interception on the year and sits eighth on the team chart with six tackles and a TFL.
Final Thoughts
It can be really hard to predict a conference game this early. Teams are still mostly getting used to their own development, often trying to find what works for them on both sides of the ball as well as seeing who can contribute over a longer term before league play begins, much less competing for the long-term.
Both Kent State and Buffalo are in the midst of this discovery phase, but they’ll have no choice but to test what progress they’ve made the last few weeks against one another in what could be described as a yardstick match.
Most betting houses would have Buffalo up comfortably, and it’s hard not to see why. UB lose almost nobody from last year’s staunch unit which made a surprise run towards the top of the league table. They didn’t get there, obviously, but that momentum and experience should carry them through in a game against a team where over 70 percent of their production left in the offseason and half the roster— which, it should be noted, is being lead by a brand-new, inexperienced coaching staff— is new to the team in 2025.
That said, pressure will be on UB to take care of business on the road to keep pace with Toledo and Ohio at the top of the title chase. If Buffalo stalls out passing the ball and Kent State can take advantage with some explosives, anything is a possibility. You never know what you’ll get in the MAC, after all.
