Minneapolis (Aug. 28, 2025) – The Buffalo Bulls vs Minnesota season opener marked the start of Pete Lembo’s second year at the helm. While the final score was a 23–10 loss, the Bulls showed heart from start to finish. Coming off a 9–4 season in 2024, UB showed plenty of spirit – especially on defense – even as Minnesota stayed in front all game long.
Defensive Spine: Murdock & Co. Shine
Buffalo’s defense made it competitive well into the second half. Star inside linebacker Red Murdock – a preseason All-American selection & noted Top-10 Buffalo Athlete – picked up just where it left off as UB’s 2024 tackling master. Murdock, who led the nation last season in tackles (second in the nation) with 156 and a conference-leading seven forced fumbles, kicked off 2025 by notching a game-high 16 tackles and a sack at Minnesota. Dion Crawford was all over the shop at linebacker by notching a career-high 14 tackles and anchoring a swarming defense from the Bulls.
Another highlight for the defense was courtesy of new addition Mitchell Gonser. The transfer linebacker made a heads-up play late in the second period by intercepting a tipped ball and taking it 54 yards down the sideline. His notable return got Buffalo at Minnesota’s 18-yard line and ended with the Bulls’ first points of the night – a 36-yard Jack Howes field goal that closed the gap to 7–3. The Bulls defense continually made clutch stops like that (including an earlier fourth-down stuff from inside the red zone) and kept it within striking distance. Murdock’s group held Minnesota at a single touchdown through the first three periods through a classic bend-don’t-break effort.
Offense Shows a Flicker of Life
Offensively, Buffalo was unable to sustain drives for long stretches of the game, but at various points flashed promise. In his initial start as a Bull, quarterback transfer veteran Ta’Quan Roberson was consistent as he established a rhythm after a difficult start. Roberson was 12 of 20 for 107 yards and a score. A highlight was a 40-yard touchdown long pass that was completed by wide receiver Victor Snow during the third period. The throw pulled Buffalo within 13–10 and electrified the home stadium. Snow ran a sharp route and got into the secondary, and Roberson let loose a gorgeous deep ball for the score.
Victor Snow, a speed receiver from the transfer class at Nevada and 2024 All-MAC selection, was the Bulls’ main target with 5 receptions for 67 yards and the Minneapolis touchdown. Outside of that one enormous scoring play, however, UB’s offense had difficulty finding yards against a tough defense at Minnesota.
Buffalo’s total yards consisted of a paltry 151 and it only converted one of its 11 third-down attempts in the game because the nation’s-leading run defense of Minnesota suppressed the ground attack (of 1,000-yard man Al-Jay Henderson for 25 yards and 11 carries)
The disappointment for Buffalo at getting little favorable field position early also hurt its momentum. Regardless, Roberson’s chemistry with Snow and his late-game steady composure are positive signs that once this offense sorts some wrinkles out it has promise.
Head Coach’s Vision: Gathering Momentum
Coach Pete Lembo praised his team’s character after getting through a road game against a Big Ten conference foe. This is Lembo’s second season at the helm in Buffalo’s surprising new era – he took the reins in January 2024 after a late-season coaching change and went out and made the Bulls contenders. Tenacity and die-hard attitude by the defense that was observed in Minnesota was a repeat of last season’s winning streak construct for the Buffalo identity.
“By the end of the year, the Bulls were scalding,” one preseason report noted of 2024, calling out Buffalo’s five-game winning streak and bowl victory to finish at 9–4. Lembo apparently has the team believing in him. In the opener, the defense’s grit and some timely offense explosions showed that the Bulls are capable of competing hard even vs. a Power Five program. Big plays did not necessarily come at the most opportune moments this time, but ground zero of hardnosed, opportunistic football was there.
Buffalo’s defense – led by veterans Murdock, Crawford, and Gonser at the secondary – established a baseline that the team can build from for the remainder of the season. That group’s expertise at causing turnovers and delivering timely stops held UB a field goal from Minnesota late into the second half. Lembo’s challenge at hand will be transferring that scrapping mentality into entire games for the season, starting by lifting offense-minded consistency through a hard-setting defense. The head coach noted sustaining momentum and taking lessons from the setbacks at the hands of quality foes as the Bulls transition into remaining games.
Season Outlook: Elevated by Defense, Starving for Offensive Output
If there’s any takeaway from that opener, it’s that Buffalo’s defense appears capable of keeping the team in games against big programs. Holding up the Gophers for 13 points through three quarters and accumulating highlight-reel turnovers for a defense should translate well into conference play. Murdock, Gonser, Crawford and their teammates proved that the Bulls can “cause some stress for quarterbacks in the MAC,” according to one report. This defense will be the linchpin of the team. The secondary also showed its opportunism in the tipped-ball interception, and the front seven was solid in short-yardage situations. This group’s confidence should only grow from that kind of effort.
Offensively, Buffalo needs more consistency and explosive plays. The Roberson-to-Snow connection was a much-needed spark and showed promise for a more dangerous passing attack. Roberson is a seasoned quarterback (formely of Penn State/UConn/Kansas State) and should loosen up more in UB’s offense. With Snow and other weaponry around him, there’s hope that the Bulls can establish more rhythm and finish drives from this day forward.
Tightening up third-down execution and capitalizing on red-zone opportunities will be main areas of focus – the Bulls know they left points in Minnesota. The positive note is that those are correctable errors and the team has a measuring-stick game under its belt now. Of note, Buffalo did not receive major injuries in the season opener (no serious injuries reported subsequently), and as a result, the roster is at full strength at this juncture and ready to chase goals.
Next up is home for Buffalo’s Sept. 6 home opener against Saint Francis (PA). The Bulls will be favorites against the FCS opponent, and they’ll need to apply the learned lessons of Minnesota. The consensus in the locker room is that this team can match up against anyone when it gets going, and now it has hard proof that its defense can match up equally against a Big Ten opponent. The offense will need to catch up as the schedule continues, but the pieces are there for a well-rounded and deadly MAC contender should it all come together.
Final Takeaway
The Bulls lost on the board, but not in heart. Buffalo went into a Big Ten stadium and grinded, persevered, and flashed glimpses of playmaking that should have the fanbase excited. The defense at times dominated and led the way with physical, intelligent play. The offense glimpsed the potential of the chemistry between Roberson and Snow that one day can be a deadly duo in the MAC.
With Murdock at the lead for the defense, Roberson comfortable at QB, and Snow breaking out as an explosive receiver, the Bulls quietly are developing something special in 2025. If they can build off this effort – tightening up the offense while not relaxing defensively – Buffalo will be a team that gets a lot of attention as the season progresses. It’s one game, but the heart and potential this UB team portrayed in Minneapolis has a bright season ahead of it for Bulls fans.
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