Meet Your Insider
Hey there, Bulls fans! Welcome to The Cover Window! I'm Kendra Woolcott, your Buffalo insider and a Western New York tailgate legend. (I don't jump through tables. I'm a legend for my wing sauce, not for furniture.) I love cold-weather football more than anything, and I start every take with a weather report. I travel with this team and I live with this team. When we win, I celebrate in shorts, whatever the temperature. When we lose, I call it "just another lake-effect Saturday" and shovel off the desk. Every week you'll get the players, the coaches and the matchup, plus the forecast. "Bring a parka and a pass rush."
The School in 60 Seconds
Today's weather report: 59 degrees and sunny at kickoff, wind out of the south at 2 miles an hour. Shorts weather, folks, and I'm wearing them either way. Buffalo plays at Broadview Stadium in Amherst, listed at 30,270. Pete Lembo's first season was a big one. In 2024 the Bulls went 9-4 and beat Liberty 26-7 in the Bahamas Bowl. That's right: from snowbelt to the Bahamas. Now we're 4-3 and 2-1 in the MAC, with a chance to climb. Bowling Green is also 2-1 in the MAC, so this is a head-to-head game between two teams with the same league record. Every Saturday in October counts.
The Coach and the Scheme
Pete Lembo was named head coach on Jan. 21, 2024. In 2026 the Bulls run the ball: about 57% runs, 165.3 rushing yards a game (58th). The passing game is the cold spot, at 159 yards a game (128th). We score 21.4 points a game (111th) and allow 25.6 (85th). Our biggest problem is turnovers. We're minus-4 (113th), with 11 lost and 7 forced. And the blockers have allowed 17 sacks. The pass rush has 10. More rush, please. Third downs need work too: we convert 36.5%, 94th in FBS, and Bowling Green's third-down defense ranks 23rd. Our red-zone offense scores on 84.6% of trips (75th). Bring a parka and a pass rush.
Players to Know
RB Messiah Burch (No. 4): 661 yards and 2 TD on 118 carries. Against UMass he ran 28 times for 172 yards. That's a snowplow, and the forecast called for heavy accumulation.
WR Chance Morrow: 37 catches, 444 yards, 6 TD.
QB Jason Wright (No. 7): 860 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT, 48.2% completions. He threw two TDs against UMass. WR Clint Walker caught both, seven catches for 45 yards.
LB Saveon Brown (No. 1): 59 tackles, a sack and an interception, including 10 tackles last week.
The Conference Picture
We're 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the MAC, 3-1 at home and 1-2 on the road. The MAC wins: 23-8 at Toledo and 25-18 over UMass. The MAC loss: 20-17 to Western Michigan. Non-conference: wins over UAlbany 21-17 and Robert Morris 31-28, and losses at FIU and at Penn State. Back-to-back wins now, with a home game. That's a warm front. The Toledo win was a statement: we held a team that scores more than 36 points a game to 8. Defense travels, even without a parka.
This Week: Bowling Green (2-5) at Buffalo (4-3)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 3:30 p.m. ET · Broadview Stadium · ESPN+.
Last week: we beat UMass 25-18. Bowling Green lost 32-31 to Ball State.
Our offense vs. their defense: Bowling Green allows 209.6 rushing yards a game (132nd). Burch should get fed. Bowling Green's red-zone defense allows scores on 95.2% of trips (129th). But its pass defense is good, 28th in FBS, and its third-down defense is 23rd.
Their offense vs. our defense: Bowling Green scores 18 points a game (129th) and runs for 106 yards (127th). QB Jay Kastantin completes 66.5%. Bowling Green has 18 sacks, and we've allowed 17. Protect Wright. Kastantin threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns last week, and LB Dorian Pringle has 67 tackles, seventh in FBS. Bowling Green also nearly beat Ball State, losing by one.
Series: Bowling Green leads 13-9. We won last year 28-3, and we've won four of the last six meetings.
Availability: I found no official availability report for either team as of Oct. 18, 2026.
What decides it: (1) Burch against a weak run defense. (2) Turnovers. We're minus-4. Fix it. Hold on to the ball like it's the last wing on the plate. (3) Protecting Wright from a defense with 18 sacks.
And to Darcy Fenwick, Bowling Green's insider: the rink is cute, but this is football weather. Well, actually it's sunny. Bring sunscreen and a pass rush.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In Buffalo? Bailey Seafood on Bailey Avenue, or Baba's Place across the street. Wings debate to follow. (Flats versus drums. I have opinions. They're very strong.)
My call: Buffalo Bulls 27, Bowling Green Falcons 20.