Buffalo vs. Nebraska: Keys to victory, HOL score predictions

Buffalo comes to Lincoln to take on Nebraska as arguably the best team NU has faced through three games in 2021.

The Bulls return a solid core from a year ago from a squad that lost just one game and capped off their season with a bowl game victory over Marshall.

As things get closer to kickoff, here are the keys to victory for Nebraska vs. Buffalo. The Huskers are currently a 14 point favorite for today’s 2:30 pm game in Lincoln.

KEY 1: Tempo and play count

It’s going to be over 100 degrees at kickoff on Saturday. This will be the hottest Husker home game in quite some time with a 2:30 pm kick. NU needs to use the heat to their advantage and wear down Buffalo in this game with offensive tempo and a high play count.

KEY 2: Stand up to Buffalo’s downhill run game

Buffalo wants to run the football. They are going to take a page out of Illinois’s playbook and test the teeth of the Blackshirt defense. NU needs to stand up to this challenge.

KEY 3: Make the Bulls pay for chances they take on defense

Look for Buffalo to take a few chances on defense. They are an aggressive unit full of veteran players. Adrian Martinez needs to take advantage of some of their aggressiveness on Saturday.

KEY 4: Get after Vantrease in the pocket

Bulls quarterback Kyle Vantrease is not a threat to run the football. In 2020 he had just eight designed runs for 40 yards. He had zero QB scramble yards on passing plays. NU needs to get after him and put pressure on Vantrease in the pocket. However, over the last eight games, Vantrease has only been sacked once, hit five times and hurried six times. He does a nice job of getting rid of the football.

KEY 5: Finish runs

Nebraska’s running backs have yet to have a run of 20 yards or longer. The lack of home runs comes down to a lot of things, but mainly execution. The Huskers need to be better upfront and better with their downfield blocking to bust off some longer runs today.

Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Publisher

Buffalo will try to run at Nebraska, but the Huskers should be able to stand up. NU’s depth will wear down the Bulls and the Huskers will pull away in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska 34, Buffalo 24

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Robin Washut – HuskerOnline Senior Writer

Nebraska once again has to overcome a slow start, but this one remains close into the fourth quarter. The Huskers make a couple of key defensive stops to pull away late.

Nebraska 31, Buffalo 21

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Jim Rose – 1110 KFAB Radio Sports Director

Some Husker fans don’t think Nebraska has been “catching any breaks” lately….well….hmmmm. NOT having a series with Cincinnati these days certainly qualifies (oh, wait a minute we WERE gonna play them last year.. whew!) Then Buffalo loses its head coach to Kansas in MAY and he takes six of their top players with him. U of B ain’t bad. They have some key ingredients you need to pull off an upset. But the Huskers played 2.5 really good quarters against Fordham and that should carry over.

Nebraska 35, Buffalo 20

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Mike’l Severe – 1620 the Zone

Based on what we have seen I think Buffalo is the best team Nebraska has played so far this year. The Bulls pass rush will give the Pipeline fits. But the chances they take will give the NU RBs opportunity to break some long runs. As always with this team, it comes down if the Huskers protect the ball.

Nebraska 35, Buffalo 24

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Andy Kendeigh – KETV Channel 7 Sports Director

It appears the Huskers have found a running back in Markese Stepp and a wide receiver (or two) in Samori Toure and if healthy, Oliver Martin. However, Nebraska has to find its pass rush–just one sack since the first quarter of the Illinois game. If the Huskers find the big play on both sides of the ball and can improve to be just average on special teams, this should be a W against a stingy, hungry Buffalo squad looking for national respect.

Nebraska 31, Buffalo 27