1958 Buffalo Bulls football team

The 1958 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo as an independent the 1958 college football season. The Bulls' offense scored 236 points while the defense allowed 101 points. The team won the Lambert Cup, emblematic of supremacy in Eastern U.S. small-college football.[1][2] The Bulls were invited to play in the Tangerine Bowl against Florida State. The team voted to turn down the bowl invitation after learning that they would be allowed to participate only if the team's two black players, back-up defensive end Mike Wilson and starting halfback Willie Evans, did not play in the game. The 1958 Bulls team was profiled on ESPN's Outside the Lines in 2008.[3] Buffalo would not be invited to a bowl or be bowl-eligible for another 50 years.

1958 Buffalo Bulls football
ConferenceIndependent
Record8–1
Head coach
CaptainNick Bottini, Lou Reale
Home stadiumCivic Stadium, Rotary Field
Seasons
← 1957
1959 →
1958 NCAA College Division independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Mississippi Southern     9 0 0
Rochester     8 0 0
Rose Poly     8 0 0
Sewanee     8 0 0
No. 10 Buffalo     8 1 0
No. 6 Montana State     8 1 0
North Park     7 1 0
Carthage     7 2 0
Southern Connecticut State     7 2 0
Carnegie Tech     6 2 0
Northeastern     6 2 0
Cal Poly Pomona     7 3 0
Trinity (TX)     6 3 0
Hofstra     6 4 0
Tampa     6 4 0
Abilene Christian     5 5 0
No. 8 Chattanooga     5 5 0
Baldwin–Wallace     4 4 1
Louisville     4 4 0
Northern Michigan     5 5 0
Xavier     5 5 0
Washington University     4 4 0
Arkansas State     4 5 0
No. 18 Memphis State     4 5 0
UC Riverside     2 3 2
Hawaii     5 7 0
St. Norbert     3 6 0
Wabash     3 6 0
Howard (AL)     1 5 1
Pepperdine     1 7 0
Washington and Lee     1 7 0
Rankings from UPI small college poll

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 27at HarvardW 6–36,000[4]
October 4at CortlandCortland, NYW 7–63,500
October 11at Western ReserveCleveland, OHW 19–65,500
October 18Baldwin–Wallace L 0–2610,250
October 25Columbia
W 34–1413,074[5]
November 1TempleNo. T–20
  • Civic Stadium
  • Buffalo, NY
W 54–69,500
November 8at Wayne State (MI)No. 15Detroit, MIW 44–142,000
November 15at LehighNo. 16W 34–265,200[6]
November 22BucknellNo. 11
  • Rotary Field
  • Buffalo, NY
W 38–09,500[7]
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from UPI Poll released prior to the game

[8]

After the season

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NFL draft

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The following Bull was selected in the National Football League draft following the season.[9]

Round Pick Player Position NFL club
25 299 Lou Reale Center New York Giants

References

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  1. ^ Hollander, Scott. "1958 Buffalo Bulls Football". Buffalo, New York: University at Buffalo Libraries. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Lenzi, Rachel (September 25, 2021). "Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame: 1958 UB football team did 'what is right'". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Eric Neel, "All or Nothing", ESPN.com, retrieved November 20, 2008.
  4. ^ "Buffalo Triumphs in Rain on Blocked Crimson Kick". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. United Press International. September 28, 1958. p. S1.
  5. ^ Strauss, Michael (October 26, 1958). "Buffalo Defeats Columbia, 34-14". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  6. ^ Aubrey, Coulter (November 16, 1958). "Lehigh's Whirlwind Finish Fails, 34-26". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Buffalo Belts Bucknell, 38-0". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pa. November 23, 1958. sect. 4, p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics (Buffalo)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "1959 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.