Special teams means much more than one-third of the game at the University at Buffalo.
An unbeaten Mid-American Conference start by coach Pete Lembo’s Bulls is a testament to UB’s well-rounded special teams unit. Dylan Drennan flipping the field with career-long punts was worthy of national recognition. Jack Howes nailed the longest field goal of his career that led to Buffalo ending its two-game losing skid.
When Victor Snow isn’t scorching teams for 75-yard touchdowns, he is creeping up UB’s career punt return yards list. John Cato blocked the Bulls’ third punt of season and makes open field tackles look easy on UB’s punt pressure team. Buffalo (3-3, 2-0 MAC) returns to action at UMass (0-5, 0-1) on Oct. 18.
UB’s special teams coordinator Chris Monfiletto and Lembo, who was South Carolina’s associate head coach and special teams coordinator prior to arriving to UB in 2024, were praised for getting the Bulls to buy in.
“Every person in this program is bought in on our special teams. And I think that just says a lot about our culture,” Howes said. “How we’ve developed, how our coaches handle it, how our players handle it, and the specialists are just the cherry on top. These kids that are on punt pressure, kick off, kickoff return, that are making plays, is a testament to what they do day in and day out.”
‘It’s a stat’
To Howes, the difference between a 49-yard field goal and a 50-yard field goal is much more than one yard. It is a number kickers aspire to reach.
A redshirt senior who transferred from Maryland, Howes’ previous career-long field goal was from 49 yards out when his Terrapins beat Auburn in the 2023 Music City Bowl. His first 50-yarder came Saturday, when he sent UB Stadium into a frenzy after tying Eastern Michigan as time expired in regulation. Howes’ extra point eventually became the difference in Buffalo’s 31-30 overtime win.
“It’s a stat that I think a lot of scouts – college (and) NFL – are looking at, whether you can hit those longer field goals,” Howes said. “Over the past couple years, more and more kicks are being made from that distance. And so, I think it’s just really cool to be able to have one of those under my belt now and show that I’m able to make those long kicks.”
Howes, an Orlando native, has made clutch kicks before. In 2023, Howes’ 24-yard walk-off field goal helped Maryland defeat Nebraska for the first time and clinch a bowl game. In 2024, Howes’ PAT completed a fourth-quarter comeback and one-point win over USC.
Howes made 68.6% of his field goals as a Terp from 2021-23. At UB, Howes is making 75% of his kicks, beginning 6 of 8 while making all 19 PATs. He missed a 39-yard field goal five minutes prior to his 50-yarder against EMU.
“Jack’s a dog,” UB quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson said. “I was surprised when he didn’t make the first one. I wasn’t surprised when he made the second one.”
Buffalo punter wins weekly award
Drennan, Buffalo’s redshirt freshman who had three punts downed inside Eastern Michigan’s 10-yard line, was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week on Monday.
A Dallas native, Drennan also holds for Howes on field goals and extra points. Andrew Schnackenberg is UB’s long snapper.
After a pair of last-minute losses, the University at Buffalo’s football team used a comeback of its own in an overtime win over Eastern Michigan.
“I wish Dylan was in here right now taking this interview, because he had a lot better game than I did,” Howes said Saturday. “He punted really well today. He’s a real humble guy. He really earned it. I think really highly of him.”
Drennan drilled a career-long 76-yard punt that pinned EMU at the one. His five punts sailed 283 yards for a net punt average of 56.6. Buffalo downed three Drennan punts at the 1-, 6- and 8-yard lines, only to watch Eastern Michigan engineer touchdown drives each time.
Drennan’s 46.3 average ranks second in the MAC to EMU’s Mitchell Tomasek (47.1).
“(Tomasek) was the top guy in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dylan’s not the number one punter in the MAC after today because he was lights out,” Lembo said. “Whether it was pinning them deep or some big, booming punts. So that was really good to see, but we didn’t quite take advantage of it as much as we should have.”
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Marquel Slaughter
College sports reporter
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