FACTS & STATS: Site: UB Stadium (29,013) -- Buffalo, New York. Television: Time Warner Sports. Home Record: Army 1-3, Buffalo 2-1. Away Record: Army 1-1, Buffalo 0-3. Neutral Record: Army 0-0, Buffalo 0-0. Conference Record: Army 0-0, Buffalo 1-2. Series Record: Series is tied, 1-1.

GAME NOTES: The Army Black Knights will try to remain in the win column when they battle the Buffalo Bulls this Saturday afternoon at UB Stadium. Since opening the year with four straight losses, the Black Knights have won back- to-back contests, including a hard-fought, 17-13 win over Eastern Michigan this past weekend. Army is 1-1 on the road this season, but over the two previous campaigns the Black Knights have lost nine of their 10 contests away from home. As for the Bulls, they won two of their first three games, but since then the team has dropped three straight matchups, including a heartbreaking, 34-28 overtime loss to Western Michigan this past weekend. It was the first loss at home this season for Buffalo, which posted a 5-5 ledger at UB Stadium over the two previous campaigns. This will be the third-ever meeting between Army and Buffalo on the gridiron. The last time these two teams collided was in 2001, and in that contest the Bulls walked away with a 26-19 victory.

Producing points this season has been a problem for Army, as the team is averaging just 16.3 ppg. Army is averaging just 288.3 and the majority of that damage has come from the ground attack, which is churning out an impressive 241.8 ypg. Out of the 10 offensive touchdowns scored by the Black Knights, nine have come via the run. The running game was on full display this past weekend, as the Black Knights ran right through the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Army threw the ball just three times in the contest, and the rest of the game relied on the ground attack, which rumbled for 341 yards. Collin Mooney paced the team with 229 yards on 29 carries, while Wesley McMahand added 46 yards and one TD. Mooney has been the main option out of the backfield this season, as the tailback is leading the squad with 645 yards and four scores. Chip Bowden, who also scored against EMU, is second on the team with 315 yards.

What has carried this Army squad has been the defensive play, as the team is holding opponents to just 326.7 total ypg and 22.0 ppg. Unfortunately the defense has struggled to make many big plays, as the Black Knights have forced just 10 turnovers. Pressuring the quarterback has also been a major issue for this unit, as the team has recorded just five sacks in six games. The defense did a tremendous job in the win over Eastern Michigan this past weekend, holding the Eagles to just 255 total yards, including just 138 yards through the air. The Black Knights did not force a turnover in the win, but the team did limit EMU to just 16 first downs, thanks in large part to holding the Eagles to just 1-of-12 on third down attempts. Frank Scappaticci led the defense with nine tackles, while Lowell Garthwaite added seven stops.

The offense for Buffalo has been surprisingly consistent, as the team is averaging a strong 370.8 ypg, and that has led to an equally impressive 27.0 ppg. The passing attack, which is producing 243.8 ypg, is being paced by quarterback Drew Willy, who has completed 61.3 percent of his throws. After six games, Willy has thrown for 1,456 yards and 12 scores against just four interceptions. The ground game has been just as solid, and James Starks has been the main option out of the backfield, as the tailback has rushed for 515 yards and four scores. The Bulls scored 28 points this past weekend against Western Michigan, but a late collapse left Buffalo on the wrong end of a 34-28 overtime decision. Starks had a tremendous showing in the loss, rumbling for 125 yards and three scores on 28 carries. Unfortunately, Willy struggled in the contest, completing just 17-of-34 passes for 157 yards. Willy also tossed an interception and was sacked once.

Defense has been the main problem for Buffalo this year, as the team is surrendering 392.3 total ypg, and that has led to 29.2 ppg. The defensive backfield has been the weakest part for this unit, as the team is being torched for 276.8 ypg through the air. Another problem for this unit has been its inability to force the big play, as the defense has collected just 12 takeaways, while racking up only six sacks. The team's struggles against the pass continued this past weekend, as Buffalo surrendered a whopping 345 yards through the air. The defense was able to force three turnovers in the contest, but had trouble inside its own 20-yard line, allowing WMU to convert on 6-of-7 red zone chances.

The Black Knights are playing at a high level right now, but expect the team to be brought back down to earth this weekend. Buffalo is not a dominant team, but does have enough firepower to slip past Army.

Sorts Network Predicted Outcome: Buffalo 31, Army 17

Saturday, October 18th, 3:30 p.m. (et)