GAME NOTES: The Buffalo Bulls will make their first-ever bowl appearance when they take on the Connecticut Huskies this Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, in the third annual International Bowl.

Once upon a time the Bulls were a laughing stock in the Mid-American Conference, but now the team is playing in its first postseason matchup and most of the credit should go to head coach Turner Gill. Gill came to Buffalo in 2006 and since then the team has made drastic improvements, which led to Gill's recent contract extension.

"On the day I came here to be the head coach I told my team that one day we would be successful here at the University at Buffalo," said Gill. "Now, more than ever, I have never been more proud to be the head coach of this program at this great academic institution. This program has proven it can win now and it is built to continue to win in the future."

After claiming a share of the MAC East title in 2007, the Bulls came into this campaign with a taste of success and wanted to build off it. Buffalo opened the new year with wins in two of its first three games, and that included a thrilling, 30-28 victory over Temple in the final seconds. Unfortunately, after the win over Owls the Bulls stumbled with a three-game losing skid which included tough setbacks to Central Michigan (27-25) and Western Michigan (34-28 OT). The Bulls turned their fortunes around however, as the team snapped out of its losing skid in dramatic fashion, winning five straight games. Three of those victories needed overtime, including a 40-34 win over Bowling Green, which gave Buffalo the outright MAC East title. With a chance for their first ever MAC title the Bulls were an underdog against the high- flying Ball State Cardinals, but Gill's group once again proved its toughness by beating the previous undefeated Cardinals, 42-24.

As for the Huskies, they are also relatively new to postseason play as the team will be making just its third-ever bowl appearance. In 2004 the Huskies defeated Toledo in the Motor City Bowl, but this past campaign UConn was beaten by Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Huskies stumble into this postseason, as the team finished with just a 7-5 ledger. UConn began the new campaign with five straight victories, and that included a 26-21 win over Louisville on the road. However, the team could not continue its momentum, and closed the year with five losses in its last seven contests.

This is the 17th all-time meeting between these two teams on the gridiron, with Connecticut holding a significant 12-4 series advantage. In addition, the Huskies have won four straight meetings, including a 38-0 shutout in the last meeting in 2005.

The Bulls possess a very balanced attack, and finished the regular season with 31.1 ppg, behind an impressive 380.5 total ypg. The ground game, which churned out 141.1 ypg, was paced by James Starks. Starks, who was selected to the All- MAC First Team, rushed for a school record 1,308 yards and also found the end zone 15 times. Brandon Thermilus also contributed to the rushing attack for Buffalo, as the tailback tallied 449 yards and seven scores on the year. Leading the team under center was quarterback Drew Willy, who put forth one of the most impressive seasons in school history. Willy completed 64.7 percent of his throws on the year, and finished the regular season with 3,091 passing yards and 25 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Throughout the year Willy relied heavily on wideout Naaman Roosevelt, who joins Starks on the All- MAC First Team. Roosevelt hauled in an impressive 96 receptions on the year, racking up 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Unfortunately the Bulls did not enjoy similar success on the defensive side of the ball, as the team was abused for 27.5 ppg and 408.3 total ypg. The major concern for this unit throughout the season was its inability to stop the run, as opponents pounded Buffalo for 158.8 ypg on the ground. Out of the 45 touchdowns allowed by this defensive, 28 came via the run. Surprisingly Buffalo was able to collect 20 fumbles on the season, and finished the year with 28 total turnovers. However, pressuring the quarterback was not an easy task for this team, as the Bulls tallied just 12 sacks in 13 games. Putting an end to opponents' drives was also an issue for this squad, as the defense allowed teams to convert on 46 percent of their third down chances. There were a few consistent players on this unit for Buffalo this year, and one was Justin Winters. Winters led the team with 117 tackles and also collected 7.5 TFLs on the season, and because of his sensational production the linebacker was named to the All-MAC Third Team. Joining Roosevelt and Starks will be Davont Shannon, who racked up 106 stops and five TFLs from the safety position.

The Huskies' attack is strictly one-sided, as the team has relied heavily on the run all year. Connecticut, which is averaging just 23.8 ppg, finished the regular season with 351.8 total ypg, but the majority of the damage was done by the ground attack, which churned out 204.6 ypg. Out of the 28 touchdowns scored by this team, 24 came via the run. The main reason for the success of UConn's rushing attack was the play of Donald Brown, who led the nation with 1,822 yards and also scored 17 touchdowns. Brown's tremendous year earned him the Big East Offensive Player of the Year honor, and that was truly special for him.

"It is a great honor to be recognized by the coaches in the Big East with this award," said Brown. "It really means a lot to me. I think awards like this also help our program out considerably. The more attention and recognition that the school can get will show that the program continues to build and go in the right direction."

Where this unit has endured problems is under center, as quarterback Tyler Lorenzen has struggled to stay healthy, and when on the field, has struggled to put forth a consistent effort. Lorenzen has completed less than 50.0 percent of his throws this year, and comes into this bowl matchup with just two touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not one player finished with over 30 receptions or 300 yards, as the top option was Kashif Moore, who haled in 26 catches for 255 yards and one score.

What has propelled the Huskies in postseason play along with Brown's success, has been the surprising play of the defense, which is holding opponents to just 19.8 ppg. This unit is allowing just 281.4 total ypg, and has done an excellent job against the passing, limiting teams to just 164.5 ypg through the air, while collecting 17 interceptions. Overall this unit recorded 24 turnovers on the year and also did an outstanding job pressuring the quarterback, as the team racked up 30 sacks. There are plenty of reason why this unit was so productive, but one of the main cogs in this unit was Scott Lutrus, who paced the team with 100 tackles on the year. Cody Brown, who was selected to the All-Big East First Team, did an outstanding job up front throughout the year, and closed out the regular season with 15 TFLs and 10 sacks, both of which are team highs. Cornerback Darius Butler will join Brown on the All-Big East First Team, but the senior might not join the Huskies on the field on Saturday, and that could be a big problem for this unit. Butler is currently dealing with a knee injury and it is unsure if he will be able to play at full strength.

The Bulls have done an incredible job this season and have defied the odds numerous times, but this matchup against UConn could be too much for Buffalo. Expect Brown to once again run the Huskies to victory, as the star tailback could very well finish the season with over 2,000 yards.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Connecticut 27, Buffalo 24