CMU football faces first MAC road test Saturday at Buffalo

The defending Mid-American Conference champions are off to a 1-3 start this season.

But coach Butch Jones said he sees a Buffalo team that can still present some challenges this weekend.

“I see a very good football team,” he said. “They have a swagger like champions and they play extremely hard. We’re playing a championship-caliber football team and it’s going to be a challenge for us.”

Buffalo hosts CMU at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at UB Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. The Chippewas, on a three-game winning streak, are playing in their first MAC road game one week after beating Akron 48-21 in their conference opener.

Buffalo’s defense is probably the most talented group the Chippewas will match up to thus far this year, Jones said.

The Bulls will use a lot of man coverage because of the depth they have in the secondary. Safeties Davonte Shannon and Mike Newton lead the group.

Buffalo is third in the conference in pass defense, allowing just 160 passing yards per game.

Also, Jones said, the linebackers are very active and the defensive line has the potential to disrupt the pocket and senior quarterback Dan LeFevour.

However, the Bulls have struggled defending against the run, giving up 179 rushing yards per game. As a response, the Chippewas will counter by trying to establish the running game.

“We’ve moved the ball offensively because we have never been one-dimensional,” Jones said. “And that will never change. Running the ball is going to be critical and making plays in man-coverage, that’s going to be the big thing.”

Deep threat

CMU enters Saturday’s game leading the MAC in scoring defense and total defense, getting to its 3-1 record by allowing an average of 16.8 points per game and 274 yards per game.

And despite Buffalo’s average of 20 points per game — ranked eighth ­— the team is not without its weapons.

Wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt leads the conference in yards per game with 111.2 and is second with 7.25 catches per game.

Jones said Roosevelt is as good a receiver as the Chippewas will face all season.

“They move him around and put him in different spots, so that causes some problems,” Jones said. “They’re going to create some one-on-ones.”

But for the CMU defense, the challenges posed by Roosevelt, a senior, are nothing new.

“We’ve played against him the past couple of years,” said senior cornerback Josh Gordy. “I feel like all we got to do is stick to what we know, read our keys and play disciplined; play defense like we’ve been playing the last few weeks and I think we’ll be fine.”

Getting Roosevelt the ball will be sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard, who replaced former starter Drew Willy, who graduated after last year.

Jones said Maynard is athletic and has the ability to move around and cause problems for the defense.

Maynard has thrown for just more than 1,000 yards in four games, along with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Injury Update

Sophomore running back Bryan Schroeder again will be a game-time decision this week after missing last week with an ankle injury.

He dressed and was on the sidelines against Akron last week, but did not see playing time.

Also, freshman running back Tim Phillips was ruled out for the second consecutive week after suffering an injury in the team’s 48-0 win against Alcorn State.

Injured Buffalo center Matt Bacoulis will be replaced by sophomore center Josh Violanti.