The nation's leading tackler is visiting as UConn football looks to win 3-0 at home against Buffalo

STORRS – As UConn football looks to a 3-0 start at home to reach over .500 for the season, the Huskies' offense will be sure to keep an eye on Buffalo linebacker Shaun Dolac, the team's leading tackler country.

Dolac has 62 total tackles this season, nine more than anyone else at the FBS level, averaging 15.5 per game. As a graduate student, he began his career as a backup with the Bulls and played an important role in the defensive unit, which was weak at the beginning of the season.

Buffalo (3-1) enters Saturday's game against the Huskies (2-2) after a ranked win over the Huskies of Northern Illinois and ranks fourth in the country in team tackles for loss, another statistic. Dolac leads the nation with (9.5 TFLs per game). The Bulls have also recorded at least one interception in each of their games this season and lead the MAC with five total interceptions while holding their opponents to just 18.5 points per game.

Game planning against Dolac, UConn head coach Jim Mora says his team needs to be aware of the standout tackler, but his presence doesn't necessarily change the offensive operation. Last week, quarterback Nick Evers used his legs to clear the way for the Huskies' offense, and the team's dominance at the line of scrimmage opened the door for a record rushing game.

“He’s really fun to watch. He plays with a tremendous motor – I mean, he runs and he goes – and he's smart and he anticipates well, but that's how they play defense. I mean, the whole defense plays like that,” Mora said. “You just have to do what you do. You have to expect that he might react quicker than the guys you saw in training or weeks ago, and you just have to make sure that you are technically and fundamentally sound and do the tasks perfectly.”

When asked about a comparison, Mora said Dolac reminded him of Jeff Ulbrich, the current New York Jets defensive coordinator.

Mora coached Ublrich when Mora was the 49ers' defensive coordinator in San Francisco and later brought him to his staff at UCLA as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator from 2012-14.

“About the same size, about 6-1, 230, just tough as hell, smart as hell, a guy you can trust as a play-caller. Jeff Ulbrich was a guy I was able to call defense at times. He had the ability to change the defense when he saw something,” Mora said. “I'm not saying this kid is doing the same thing, but I mean the first thing I did was figure out why I'd never heard of him before… He's a damn good football player. It’s really fun to watch on film, but probably not as fun to watch in person when you’re on the other sideline.”

UConn football sets records and rolls past Florida Atlantic 48-14 at Rentschler Field

UConn surpassed its program record for rushing yards in a single game (FBS era) with 421 against Florida Atlantic in week four and will continue to rely on running backs Cam Edwards, Durell Robinson and Mel Brown. The Huskies could also get Victor Rosa back from a broken finger.

Buffalo ranks 70th nationally in run defense (133.8 opposing rushing yards per game) and ranks 53rd in pass defense with 189.5 air yards allowed per game, tied with UMass.

UConn’s “club” club

It is common for soccer players to wear sticks after a hand injury to prevent further damage.

It's not that often that a team is down on defense and has at least three different players wearing one, but UConn has been there and will be doing it again this week.

Safety Malik Dixon-Williams, who broke his hand in preseason camp, picked the brains of teammates Tui Faumina-Brown and Aaron Key before being cleared to play.

“They had already had hand injuries, and when I injured myself I asked them, 'How do you get out of the blockages?' How do you make tackles?' and they just told me some tricks and memories and stuff like that,” Dixon-Williams said Tuesday. “But overall it's the same: just go out and be physically active and you'll be fine.”

It helps that his thumb isn't stuck in the heavy bandage he wraps around his hand during games and practice. He can take it off when he's home, where he has a fiancé and a young daughter.

“My hand is definitely strong enough to hold it,” he said.

Buffalo's biggest game of the year?

Pete Lembo, in his first year as Buffalo's head coach, certainly doesn't take UConn lightly.

The Bulls started the year with low external expectations. They were five spots behind UConn at No. 125 in The Athletic's preseason rankings of all 134 FBS programs.

But Lembo's team has performed above average so far and is poised for a ranked win against NIU, the team that stunned Notre Dame and the college football world two weeks ago.

“It’s the biggest game of the year,” Lembo said, referring to UConn. “It's the next game, No. 1, but No. 2, that's a really, really important game for us. And (UConn is) really good. We only have to watch 10 minutes of the film. Do you want to continue? Just turn on the movie and watch them completely dismantle FAU last week. This will get your attention pretty quickly.”

What you should know

Website: Rentschler Field in East Hartford

Line: UConn until 5/5

Time: Midday.

TV: CBS Sports Network – Jordan Kent, Logan Ryan, Keiana Martin

Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield, Fox Sports 97.9

On-line: The Varsity Network App – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman, Adam Giardino

Record 2024: UConn: 2-2, Buffalo: 3-1

Series: UConn leads 16-5.

Last meeting: September 28, 2013 – Buffalo 41, UConn 12 at UB Stadium in Buffalo, NY

Reading before the game:

Originally published: September 27, 2024 at 1:16 p.m