No. 9 Missouri Tigers wary of Week 2 football letdown vs. dual-threat Buffalo QB
When Buffalo Bulls quarterback C.J. Ogbonna steps onto Faurot Field to face No. 9 Missouri on Saturday, it won’t be unfamiliar territory for the senior.
Ogbonna, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound dual-threat option is no stranger to Columbia nor coach Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers. He transferred into the Bulls’ program ahead of the 2023 season after spending two years at Southeast Missouri State.
Ogbonna in September 2021 quarterbacked the Redhawks in a 59-28 loss at Memorial Stadium. He completed 7 of 14 passes for 53 yards and an interception but also flashed his dynamic rushing ability in 12 carries for 96 yards.
Drinkwitz said the challenge for the Tigers in Week 2 will be to contain Ogbonna as a runner.
“Obviously, we’ve got to do a good job in the read game,” Drinkwitz said. “They try to get on your edges through zone reads plus one-run schemes and option. So, you know, we’re going to have to be disciplined in multiple in the way we’re challenging those read schemes.”
Ogbonna appeared in just eight games last season as the Bulls’ backup, totaling 87 passing yards and 214 rushing yards with four total touchdowns and one interception. Entering this season, though, Ogbonna found himself with an opportunity to earn the starting job and ran with it.
The Atlanta, Georgia, native earned the starting slot over quarterback Jack Shields, a transfer from Old Dominion, and impressed in his first action of the season. Ogbonna commanded the offense with authority, completing 14 of 24 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in Buffalo’s 30-13 victory against Lafayette at UB Stadium.
He added five rushes for 20 yards, serving as a key cog for a Bulls offense that had 403 yards of total offense, including 99 rushing yards from running back Jacqez Barksdale and wide receiver Nic McMillan’s five receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.
“My anticipation is a really good Buffalo team,” Drinkwitz said. “They scored 30-something points, had 200 yards rushed and 200 yards passing. It would have been a lot worse, but they had two special teams miscues that allowed the other team back in the game. So, my anticipation is that it’s going to be a dog fight, and we’re gonna have to prepare that way.”
Outside of Ogbonna, though, a reinvented Buffalo coaching staff will greet Missouri.
After an uninspiring 3-9 season in 2023, the Bulls needed to make several changes to the program. The most impactful of those moves came when former coach Maurice Linguist, who had spent three seasons at Buffalo, left for a co-defensive coordinator position under Kalen DeBoer at Alabama. Linguist’s departure prompted the Bulls to look outside of their system, leading them to Pete Lembo.
The lone head coaching addition in the Mid-America Conference this season, Lembo was an assistant coach at four schools over the past eight seasons, most recently as the special teams coordinator at South Carolina. Although his recent experience comes as an assistant, Lembo served as the head coach for three separate programs from 2001-15.
His most recent head coaching gig was at Ball State, where he led the Cardinals to two winning seasons during his time in Muncie, Indiana, from 2011-2015. Drinkwitz said he’s known Lembo since he was the offensive coordinator for North Carolina State.
“We’re going to play a 1-0 Buffalo team led by, I think, one of the great program rebuilders and builders in Pete Lembo,” Drinkwitz said. “... (He) does just an excellent job of building culture, evaluating talent (and) getting the most out of his players. (He) does an excellent job at recruiting.”
Lembo wiped the slate clean and brought in a new coaching staff with him this season. At offensive coordinator, there’s Dave Patenaude, who previously served as an offensive analyst for Virginia last season but did contribute as the offensive coordinator with Georgia Tech (2019-21), Temple (2017-18) and Coastal Carolina (2012-16).
Joe Bowen joins the staff as the Bulls’ defensive coordinator, serving in the lead defensive coaching role for the first time in his career. He previously had success as the linebackers coach at Miami (Ohio), where he helped lead the RedHawks to the 2023 MAC championship game. Bowen carries the title of linebackers coach this season as well for Buffalo.
Even with a rejuvenated offense and new-look coaching staff, though, statistics say that Missouri’s focus should shift to the defensive side of the ball.
The Bulls forced two turnovers — both interceptions — in their Week 1 win, which featured the return of Shaun Dolac. The fifth-year linebacker, who missed most of the 2023 season due to a shoulder injury, led the nation with 97 solo tackles during the 2022 season. He forced three fumbles and had seven pass breakups that season as well, earning himself first team All-MAC recognition.
Dolac highlighted the team’s defensive effort against Lafayette, recording a team-high 11 tackles, one sack and an interception.
“(Dolac is a) really good player (and a) guy that pops all over the tape,” Drinkwitz said. “... You can tell he’s a very smart, physical player at the point of contact. They utilize him in the box, out of the box, they pressure with him, so he’s a really good player. It’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
Missouri kicks off against Buffalo at 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The game can be viewed on ESPN+ and SECN+.
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This story was originally published September 5, 2024 at 3:58 PM with the headline "No. 9 Missouri Tigers wary of Week 2 football letdown vs. dual-threat Buffalo QB."