However, Shaun Dolac provided some insight into the atmosphere at Peden Stadium.

“They’re going to go a little crazy,” the UB linebacker said with a laugh. “They’ll say some things to get under your skin.”

UB (4-3, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) plays at Ohio (4-3, 2-1) on Saturday at noon, and the Bulls head to one of the MAC’s most animated venues.

“The fans are very involved in the game,” said Bulls offensive lineman Doty. “That’s something you can’t give in to. If they say something to you, you can’t talk to them.’

It’s one of the twistiest road trips the Bulls will make this year, into one of the more inhospitable environments.

Halloween is traditionally an epic weekend in Athens, Ohio. But regardless of when the Bulls visit the Bobcats, Peden Stadium is a house of horrors. UB is 1-12 since 1997 in Athens – their last victory in Ohio came in 2008. Additionally, road wins have been key for the Bulls in recent years.

UB is 1-2 on the road this season and has posted road records in just two of the past ten seasons: 2-0 in 2020 and 5-1 in 2018. UB’s only road loss that season? Near Ohio.

Getting to Ohio is also not an easy task.

The drive from Buffalo to Athens takes at least 5½ hours. But the Bulls flew to Columbus on Friday, would spend the night there and then take the bus to Athens on Saturday morning – a bus trip of at least 75 minutes – for kickoff around noon.

“Getting there is half the adventure,” UB coach Pete Lembo said.

The Bulls have a few ways to prepare for a long road trip between their departure Friday and their arrival at Peden Stadium on Saturday.

Hydrate. Stretch. And some more stretching. Make sure you get used to a possible time change. UB has played in the Central Time Zone twice this season, on September 7 at Missouri and September 21 at Northern Illinois.

“When you’re somewhere like we are in Missouri, things like that just throw your body off so much that you might not play exactly where you want to,” Doty said.

It’s almost a constant search: what should teams do to be successful on the road?

Adam Breneman, a college football television analyst for CBS Sports Network, offered an answer with some humor.

“If I had a perfect answer, coaches would stop emphasizing travel,” said Breneman, a former tight end at Penn State and Massachusetts who will be on the air for UB-Ohio on Saturday. ‘You no longer have a routine. You sleep in a bed that you are not used to. The stadium looks different, the lights look different. Everything changes along the way.

“When we talk about players aged 18 to 21, it is a challenge. You have to make sure guys play well when they don’t feel comfortable. That’s the sign of a great team.”

The key to the road? Build a routine, starting with departure, then the night before the game, the moments before kick-off and the early action on the field.

The night before the game, UB arrives at the team hotel, has a team dinner and goes to meetings. On the plane, Dolac drinks extra water and snacks, stretching not only while the Bulls are in transit but also at the team hotel.

“You sit for a few hours, whether it’s on the plane or on the bus, and you’re on the road for three to five hours,” Dolac said. “You need to take time to relax your mind, but also make sure you stay stuck in that routine.”

Doty and the offensive linemen also come together after meetings to promote camaraderie in the position group.

Lembo simplifies the pregame routine – it should be just like any other pregame routine. Arrive at Peden Stadium two hours before the match, enter the pitch in waves of position groups and return to the dressing room with 22 minutes remaining before kick-off.

“Then it will go to zero and someone will kick off, and someone will have their kickoff return unit there … and let’s go,” Lembo said.

Breneman’s advice: Get into a good rhythm early. Create trust from the start of the game. Set the tone with early completions in the passing game.

“It makes guys relax and feel good,” Breneman said. “Sit down early and get your feet under your feet.”

And ignore the noise at Peden Stadium.

Prediction: UB 31, Ohio 28. It’s time for UB to break a questionable trend in Ohio, in a game that will impact the MAC standings. UB and Ohio enter the weekend as two of six teams tied for second place, behind Western Michigan. UB’s only win as a Football Bowl Subdivision program came in 2008, when the Bulls defeated the Bobcats 32-19. The smallest margin of victory in 13 UB-Ohio games in southeastern Ohio since 1997 was two points in 2002, when the Bobcats topped the Bulls 34-32. Fast forward 22 years, and Ohio’s offense is averaging 29 points in the first three MAC games while UB is averaging 31 points.