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2008 Buffalo Bulls football
2008 Buffalo Bulls football
MAC champion; MAC East Division champion
MAC Championship Game, W 42–24 vs. Ball State
International Bowl, L 20–38 v. Connecticut
Conference	Mid-American Conference
	East
Record	8–6 (5–3 MAC)
Head coach	Turner Gill (3rd season);
Offensive coordinator	Turner Gill
Home stadium	University at Buffalo Stadium
	Seasons ← 2007 2009 →

2008 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
Buffalo x$	5	–	3	8	–	6
Bowling Green	4	–	4	6	–	6
Temple	4	–	4	5	–	7
Ohio	3	–	5	4	–	8
Akron	3	–	5	5	–	7
Kent State	3	–	5	4	–	8
Miami (OH)	1	–	7	2	–	10
West Division
Ball State x	8	–	0	12	–	2
Central Michigan	6	–	2	8	–	5
Western Michigan	6	–	2	9	–	4
Northern Illinois	5	–	3	6	–	7
Toledo	2	–	6	3	–	9
Eastern Michigan	2	–	6	3	–	9
Championship: Buffalo 42, Ball State 24
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40–34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth to the MAC Championship for the first time. The Bulls won their first conference championship by beating #12 ranked and previously undefeated Ball State, 42–24 on December 5. The win was also Buffalo's first against a ranked opponent and ensured a winning season for the first time since Buffalo returned to the top-level of college football in 1999. They earned an invitation to the International Bowl at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, their first trip to a bowl game in their history, exactly fifty years after the Bulls turned down their only previous bowl bid, to the Tangerine Bowl, when they were told by the bowl's organizers that their two black players would not be allowed to play.^[1] The Bulls also received their first votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll after winning the MAC Championship when UTEP coach Mike Price voted the Bulls #23 on his ballot. On December 16, Buffalo announced head coach Turner Gill agreed to a contract extension and a raise.^[2] Gill's contract now runs through 2013 and makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the MAC. The ending of the season was bittersweet as the Bulls lost to the Connecticut Huskies 38-20 in the International Bowl, but the Bulls were able to give about two dozen members of the 1958 Bulls team the bowl experience they missed by inviting them to be honorary captains for the game.

Notable players

Drew Willy, Quarterback
Naaman Roosevelt, Wide receiver
James Starks, Running back
Ronald Hilaire, Defensive Lineman

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	7:00 pm	UTEP*	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	TWCSN	W 42–17	16,656
September 6	6:00 pm	at Pittsburgh*	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA	ESPN+	L 16–27	42,494
September 13	12:00 pm	Temple	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN+	W 30–28	18,333
September 20	2:00 pm	at No. 5 Missouri*	Faurot Field Columbia, MO		L 21–42	65,566
September 27	4:00 pm	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI		L 25–27	21,032
October 11	3:30 pm	Western Michigan	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	TWCSN	L 28–34 ^OT	15,025
October 18	3:30 pm	Army*	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	TWCSN	W 27–24 ^OT	21,719
October 28	7:00 pm	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPNU	W 32–19	10,042
November 4	7:30 pm	Miami (OH)	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN2	W 37–17	16,058
November 13	7:00 pm	at Akron	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	ESPNU	W 43–40 ^4OT	18,516
November 21	6:00 pm	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	BCSN	W 40–34 ^2OT	13,284
November 28	2:00 pm	Kent State	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	TWCSN	L 21–24	13,754
December 5	8:00 pm	vs. No. 12 Ball State	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship)	ESPN2	W 42–24	12,871
January 3	12:00 pm	vs. Connecticut*	Rogers Centre Toronto, ON (International Bowl)	ESPN2	L 20–38	40,184
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from USA Today/Coaches Poll released prior to the game All times are in EST time

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** — = Not ranked
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Harris	Not released				—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released
BCS	Not released							—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

References

^ "All Or Nothing". ESPN. November 20, 2008. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
^ "Gill extended through 2013". ESPN. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2008.