UB football game day: Bowling Green at Bulls

Kickoff: Noon, Friday, UB Stadium

TV: ESPN Plus

Radio: ESPN 1520

Records: Bowling Green 3-8, 2-5 Mid-American Conference; Buffalo 6-5, 4-3

Last time out: Ohio defeated Bowling Green, 66-24, on Nov. 19 in Athens, Ohio. Falcons quarterback Grant Loy completed 21 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown, and was intercepted once.

UB defeated Toledo, 49-30, on Nov. 20 at UB Stadium. Jaret Patterson ran for a career-high 192 yards and scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving), which tied a MAC single-game record. His four rushing touchdowns tied a school record for a game in the FBS era.

History: Bowling Green leads the all-time series, 11-5.

Becoming bowl-verified: The Bulls became bowl eligible last week, but they know six wins might not be enough to earn a bowl bid. They learned that two years ago, when they became bowl-eligible with six wins but were not selected. That makes a seventh win vital if UB wants to make its fourth bowl appearance in program history. UB played in the 2008 International Bowl, the 2013 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the 2018 Dollar General Bowl.

Keep running: Jaret Patterson entered the week as the top rusher in the MAC, and he’s eighth in the nation in total rushing yards (1,328) and rushing yards per game (120.73). Patterson needs 172 yards to reach 1,500 yards. The sophomore running back needs just six yards to pass James Starks (1,333 yards in 2008) to become fourth in UB history in single-season rushing yards, and needs 68 yards to pass Branden Oliver (1,395 yards in 2011) for third. Oliver set the single-season rushing record of 1,535 yards in 2013.

Kevin Marks (901 yards) needs 99 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. If Marks and Patterson each rush for 1,000 yards this season, they will become UB’s first pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

That’s protection: UB’s offensive line has allowed only eight sacks this season, which is tied with Georgia for second in the nation behind Air Force (four). UB last allowed a sack in a 43-14 win Nov. 2 at Eastern Michigan.

Nationally ranked defense: UB entered the week 11th in the nation in total defense (302.7 yards per game) and eighth in the nation in rush defense (94.36 yards per game). UB’s defense has forced 20 turnovers (10 fumble recoveries and 10 interceptions), and the Bulls are 14th in the nation in fumble recoveries.

Sack lunch: UB’s defense registered four sacks against Toledo, and the Bulls have tied their FBS record with 38 sacks on the season. UB also had 38 sacks in 13 games in 2013.

The Bulls entered the week leading the MAC and was tied with Baylor and Florida for fifth in the nation in sacks. Defensive end Taylor Riggins leads the MAC with 8.5 sacks.

For the foes: Bowling Green earned a marquee win Oct. 12 when it upset Toledo, 20-7, at Doyt Perry Stadium. That was the highlight for a team that is fifth in the six-team MAC East and is 0-6 on the road.

The Falcons are 13th in the nation in sacks allowed per game (1.27). On defense, Bowling Green has 24 sacks, and linebacker Brandon Perce is 26th in the nation with 9.1 tackles per game, but the Falcons are 10th in the MAC and 112th in the nation in total defense (456.4 yards per game).

Loy has made six consecutive starts at quarterback since the win against Toledo. Loy is 113-for-199 passing for 1,132 yards and six touchdowns, and has been intercepted a MAC-high 11 times.

Running back Bryson Denley leads Bowling Green with 533 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries. Quinton Morris is sixth in the MAC with 614 yards and four touchdowns on 54 catches.

Bowling Green, however, averages only 16.8 points per game, and opponents have held the Falcons to less than 10 points in four games this season. The Falcons are also 11th in the MAC in passing offense (1.807 yards) and 10th in total offense (3,642 yards).