Mizzou Central

Everything to Know About Missouri vs. Buffalo: The Buzz, Saturday, September 7, 2024

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Mizzou athletics, including full TV listings.

Joey Van Zummeren

Nov 11, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers players celebrate after a missed field goal by Tennessee at the end of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images
Nov 11, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers players celebrate after a missed field goal by Tennessee at the end of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images / Kylie Graham-Imagn Images
In this story:

The next step of the Missouri Tigers' 2024 journey commences Saturday night.

No. 9 Missouri will host Buffalo, set for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Faurot Field. It will be the Tigers' first FBS opponent of the season, but still one that they are 34.5-point favorites in.

Though there are plenty of new additions that make up the Buffalo roster, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers are familiar with two of the team's key faces.

Head coach Pete Lembo is an old connection of Drinkwitz. Lembo has coached against Missouri in each of the past three seasons, working as South Carolina's special teams coordinator from 2021-'23.

Lembo is known for his special teams creativity, calling four fake punts and two onside kicks with South Carolina in 2022 alone. Missouri is preparing for Buffalo to run some special teams trickery Saturday night.

READ: Don't be Surprised if Buffalo has Special Teams Trickery Against Missouri

Additionally, Missouri has played Buffalo's starting quarterback, C.J. Ogbanno, before. The dual-threat quarterback transferred to Buffalo from Southeastern Missouri (SEMO), where he played against Missouri in 2021. Ogbonna rushed for 96 yards against Missouri in the 28-59 loss for SEMO.

READ: Why Buffalo is an Important Test for the Missouri Defense

The Buffalo defense is headlined by reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Week, linebacker Shaun Dolac. Though he missed 2023 with injury, Dolac led the nation with 97 solo tackles in 2022. Behind him is safety Marcus Fuqua, who led the nation with seven interceptions in 2022.

READ: Previewing Buffalo Football Ahead of Missouri's Week Two Matchup

The week 2 matchup for Missouri comes after a 51-0 win over Murray State where transfer running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, along with young players on the defense, showed out. The Tigers were able to jump out to a 21-0 lead in just over five minutes of play thanks to touchdowns from Luther Burden IIIl, Noel and a pick-six from defensive back Toriano Pride Jr.

The Missouri offense did suffer a loss in the season opener however, with tight end Brett Norfleet exiting the game with an upper body injury. Norfleet will miss the week 2 game against Buffalo, with Jordon Harris and Tyler Stephens expected to take his place.

READ: Players to Watch in Missouri's Week Two Matchup

For final takeaways from Missouri's win over Murray State and a preview of what the Tigers have to prove against Buffalo, tune in to episode six of the "All Things Mizzou" podcast.

If you'll be in attendance for the sold out game, here's a few things to know so you're prepared for Saturday's experience.

If you'll be watching or listening from home, you can find streaming and radio information here.

Be sure to stay tuned to MissouriOnSI for complete coverage of Missouri's week 2 game against Buffalo and the rest of the Tigers' 2024 season.

Today's Missouri Tigers' Schedule:

• Volleyball vs No. 4 Louisville in the NKU Invitational, 5 p.m. — Watch, Live Stats

• No. 9 Football vs. Buffalo, 6 p.m. — Watch, Listen, Live Stats

Missouri Tigers Results:

• Missouri volleyball won 3-1 over Northern Kentucky in the Tigers' first match of the NKU Invitational. The Tigers won sets 1, 3 and 4, led by a career-best 22 kills from senior Jordan Iliff. Missouri now stands at 3-1 on the season.

Did You Notice?

• Eli Drinkwitz spent his Friday night in Overland Park, Kansas, to watch Blue Valley Northwest face off against Blue Valley North. Northwest is the home of four/five-star offensive tackle prospect in the Class of 2025, Andrew Babalola. Ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Kansas for his class, Babalola also has offers from Michigan, Auburn and Oklahoma.

• Missouri baseball finalized its coaching staff for the 2024-'25 season. It includes internal promotions for two members of the staff and a new addiition. Jose Carballo was promoted from the director of player personnel to director of recruiting and operations. Anthony Hansen was promoted to the director of player personnel. Finally, Hampton Hudson was added to the staff as a graduate assistant.

On This Day in Mizzou History:

• September 7, 2013: Quarterback James Franklin led Missouri to a 38-23 win over Toledo, the Tigers' second of 12 wins in the 2013 season. Though Toledo brought it within one point late in the third quarter, a rushing touchdowny from Henry Josey followed by another from Marcus Murphy was enough for the Tigers to seperate. Franklin also chipped in with 77 rushing yards, along with 212 passing yards and a touchdown to Dorial Green-Beckham.

Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) scores a touchdown against the Toledo Rockets during the second half.
Sep 7, 2013; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) scores a touchdown against the Toledo Rockets during the second half. Missouri defeats Toledo 38-23 at Faurot Field . Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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Joey Van Zummeren
JOEY VAN ZUMMEREN

Joey Van Zummeren is a sports journalist from Belleville, Ill. He's currently a freshman at the University of Missouri studying journalism, and joined MizzouCentral as an intern in 2023. His beats include football and basketball.

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