2025 has proven to be a season where “any given Saturday” is not only true, but expected in the Mid-American Conference.
Yet, somehow, some way, the Buffalo Bulls (4-3, 3-0 MAC) just keep on truckin’, standing atop the league table after three very dicey league games. Now, they take that perfect record and put it on the line in front of the home fans against an Akron Zips (2-6, 1-2 MAC) team which has its back against the wall.
Buffalo is in a must-win situation here; Miami and Western Michigan, the
other two undefeated teams in-league, play one another this week, presenting a unique opportunity to maintain their spot atop the table. Akron can’t be underestimated though; they won as two-score dogs against Central Michigan a few weeks back, and gave both UAB and Ball State problems in recent road matchups.
For the Zips, the postseason is more or less out of the question. It’s now a matter of pride and preservation.
Let’s get right into the news and notes:
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, October 25th, 2025 at 1 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: UB Stadium in Amherst, New York
- TV network options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing.
- Radio options: Dave Skoczen (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color) will provide the Akron call for WHLO-AM 640; Paul Peck (play-by-play) and Scott Wilson (color) providing the Buffalo call on The Varsity Network App.
- Gambling considerations: UB favored by 9.5 points, with an over/under 49.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: Buffalo leads the all-time series between the two programs by a margin of 13-11 in 24 matchups— though it wasn’t always that close. UB has won seven-straight dating back to 2018— and 8 of the last 10— to overtake the Zips in recent years.
About the Buffalo Bulls
The Bulls were a minute away from taking a humiliating loss against UMass— a loss which would not only knock them down a peg in the MAC title chase, but call into question just how good the 2025 edition of the Bulls actually are.
Some of those questions are still around, but as they have all season, UB worked through the adversity, regained composure, and came back to beat the Minutemen on the road.
One interesting aspect of the Bulls is that their defense, which ranks fourth in the MAC in total defense over the full season, has seen their numbers get worse in conference play. To wit, UB allows 338.7 total yards per game and 21.6 points per game with all games taken into account, but falls down to 374.7 yards and 26.3 points allowed per game in their three league contests— a difference of 36 yards and 4.7 points.
It’s a major concern given the level of teams they’ve played to this point; Kent State, Eastern Michigan and UMass hold a combined 4-18 record.
The individual pieces are there for a stellar unit, led by the venerable linebacker Red Murdock. Through seven games, Murdock leads the team in tackles (79), tackles-for-loss (9.5) and forced fumbles (four), with an additional fumble recovery. EDGE rusher Kobe Stewart has also featured in recent weeks, as the MAC’s 2024 sacks leader sits at seven TFLs and 3.5 sacks. Defensive back Marquis Cooper, who is week-to-week with an injury, has 25 tackles (16 solo) and four pass break-ups to lead the secondary, while UB has a great rotation of nickelbacks and safeties, with Jalen McNair (35 tackles, TFL, INT), Miles Greer (45 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks) and Solomon Brown (36 tackles, three PBUs) all contributing.
Offense has had its ups-and-downs in 2025, largely unable to establish a run game despite having decent running threats in quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson and halfback Al-Jay Henderson— but generating chances anyways thanks to an explosive passing attack predicated on a trio of deep threat receivers in Victor Snow, Nik McMillan and UConn transfer Jasiah Gathings.
Speaking of that passing game, UB seems to have figured something out on that front, as the Bulls now boast one of the strongest passing attacks in the MAC, averaging 215.9 yards passing per game overall in seven games (#3 in the MAC) and a league-best 331 yards per league game over three contests— a difference of 115.1 yards per game! Whether that’s opponent strength or something UB has done still is yet to be seen, but the improvement should be noted while it’s relevant.
Roberson has been the main man at QB, sitting at 114-of-188 for 1,331 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions through six games (missing one due to injury), and also has 151 net yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Snow is the undisputed leader of the clubhouse with seven of the team’s 11 receiving scores and team-highs in receptions (37) and yards (522.) He’ll hope to extend his 100+ yard-game streak to three games this week. McMillan (26 catches, 308 yards, TD) and Gathings (19 catches, 234 yards, TD) have also stretched the field, with the trio averaging 12.76 yards per catch.
Running the ball for whatever reason has been a challenge, with UB sitting midpack at 152.7 yards per game. That number absolutely plummets in league play, as UB averages 108.1 yards per game— 12th in the MAC. Henderson leads the group with 477 yards and four touchdowns on 132 carries and also sits third on the team in receptions (22) and fourth in receiving yards (172), scoring once. UB will have a chance to work out the kinks against an Akron defense which has also been a roller-coaster unit.
About the Akron Zips
You just never know which Akron team is going to exit the locker room on a weekly basis.
Are you going to get the Zips squad which went blow-for-blow with UAB on the road to start the season? The Akron which dominated Central Michigan in all three phases? The Akron which was steamrolled by Toledo and Miami? Or the Akron which had an absolute meltdown against Ball State?
To say there has been no consistency here is an understatement; about the only thing the team is consistently are bottom of the conference statistically in league contests.
The Zips are ninth in the MAC in total offense (310.9 yards) and 11th in total defense (409 yards allowed) in four MAC clashes, while scoring just 16.5 points on average in comparison to a league-worst 32.3 points allowed per game. They don’t have productive drives, and they don’t keep opponents in front of them.
The worst part of it is they’re fairly pedestrian in every other “margin” statistic, sitting between sixth and ninth in the MAC in: penalties, opponent penalties, third-down conversions, fourth-down conversions, first downs gained, opponent first down gained, and opponent fourth-down conversions.
Their ability to get sacks vs. MAC opponents (10; #2 in league games) is completely neutered by amount of sacks allowed on offense (10; #12 of 13 in league games) as well; Akron is a frustrating watch in that sense.
This is all to say, if Akron could get out of its own way, the Zips really could be something.
Jordan Gant, a Tennessee State transfer, has emerged as the best offensive skill player on the roster after starting the year as HB3. Gant has 605 yards and three touchdowns on 116 carries, generating an impressive 5.2 yards per rush in the process. His ability to break through the line has provided some steadiness to an otherwise erratic offense.
Quarterback Ben Finley is often the crux man on whether Akron will be competitive or not. If he’s at his best, Finley is a Top 5 quarterback in the conference on tools alone. If not, he is prone to making game-ending mistakes in an attempt to play the hero. That tenacity is both the best and worst aspect of the former Cal Golden Bear. Finley has tossed for 1,448 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions on a 50 percent completion rate in 2025, rushing for an additional 123 pre-sack yards on 37 carries.
Seven Zips boast at least 100 yards receiving in 2025, but Kyan Mason has emerged to be the leader with 24 catches for 371 yards and three touchdowns. Israel Polk has the team lead in scoring receptions (five) and sits behind Mason with 23 catches for 293 yards. Myles Walker and Marcel Williams should also see some time on the field as rotation bodies.
Despite bad total numbers on defense, what the Zips unit has been good at is generating takeaways, with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries through eight total games— stats which put them top five in the MAC in both categories.
Defensive line is a major source of strength, with a trio of excellent edge rushers. Hamburg, Germany native Bruno Dall is the hardest to miss, standing at six-foot-seven, 260 lbs. along the line. Dall leads the team in TFLs (7.5), sacks (four) and QB hurries (six), while collecting 29 total tackles (seventh on team) and four pass break-ups (second on team). D-III transfer Julien Laventure (26 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and three sacks) and Arizona transfer Cyrus Durham (26 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks) have also shown out, combining for 10 QB hurries.
Gage Summers (32 tackles, six TFLs, sack in six games) and Shammond Cooper (53 tackles, four TFLs in eight games) have been an engaging linebacker duo,
The secondary has flashes of promise, with Kentucky transfer Elijah Reed (31 tackles, two interceptions, three PBUs) looking to be right at home at the cornerback spot. Defensive back Malcolm DeWalt IV (36 tackles, two TFLs) leads the team in pass break-ups (seven) and also boasts a interception return touchdown on the season, with safety Dimarco Johnson (47 tackles, interception) and nickelback Alex Branch (32 tackles, four TFLs, sack, forced fumble) also proving to be reliable starters.
Final Thoughts
Football is a game where opportunity and desperation intertwine; at its core essence, the sport boils down to violent real estate acquisition, with the closer being the one who is able to organize their assets well and convert their opportunities into profit.
To this point, Buffalo has proven they can ride the market handed to them and find ways to sneak through the margins. Yes, their strength of schedule hasn’t been elite, but until they slip and fall, they have the resume and skill to be favored in such a matchup.
Akron, on the other hand, is looking for any opening they can to expose and find a weakness in. Against UAB, Ball State and Central Michigan, they were able to find and address bugs in their opponents gameplan and exasperate them. It didn’t always end up in wins, but the Zips did manage to work their way into contention.
Given what we’ve seen on the field from both teams, and how MAC teams in general have fared on the road, it’s hard not to like UB in this one— but one couldn’t be blamed for not having full faith in them either.
The game should be an intriguing one in potentially wet, chilly conditions.
