The Bulls, 8-4 in Pete Lembo’s first campaign as head coach, travel to Nassau for an international skirmish with Liberty.
One of the postseason’s most unique venues will draw one of the postseason’s most intriguing on-field matchups, as the 2025 edition of the Bahamas Bowl will feature the Buffalo Bulls (8-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) and the Liberty Flames (8-3, 5-3 Conference USA) at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
Buffalo, who will see postseason play for the fifth time in seven seasons, were a surprise contender in the MAC title race this season, finishing 6-2 in conference play after ending the 2023 campaign with a dubious 3-9 overall record. The Bulls were in contention for a trip to Detroit right up to the final game of the regular season, needing a number of tiebreakers to go their way to secure a berth.
It was not quite the expectation for the team, which was expected to finish 10th of 12 programs in the preseason coaches poll. Under first year head coach Pete Lembo, the Bulls quickly turned the ship around, finishing as one of the MAC’s most efficient scoring offenses (29.1 points per game; second in league) while also causing defensive havoc at a league-leading pace, with 12 interceptions— including two pick-sixes— in 12 games.
The Liberty Flames, meanwhile, find themselves in the paradise just off the Florida Keys after a season where the bottom fell out from under them late. Liberty, under former Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell, were expected to be in the running to represent the Group of Five conferences in the College Football Playoff for a second-straight season in the preseason.
However, a mayhem-filled weeknight loss to Kennesaw State— a newly-formed FBS program who had zero wins to that point— killed the dream for the Flames, who were 5-0 heading into the contest. The Flames would struggle in conference play after that, with losses to eventual CUSA title contenders Jacksonville State the next week and Sam Houston State at season’s end.
Perhaps no game in that stretch was more emblematic of Liberty’s late shaken confidence more than their 35-34 overtime win against UMass on the road, where they needed a missed field goal to escape Amherst.
On their day, Liberty can be a dangerous squad, sporting CUSA’s second-best offense in both points scored (30.73 per game) and total yards (434.55 per game), and a top-five defensive unit in yards allowed (349.64 per game; third in CUSA) and points scored (23.27 per game; fourth in CUSA.)
Notably, quarterback Kaiden Salter will not be available for Liberty after entering the transfer portal earlier this week.
Kickoff for the game is set for January 4, 2025, at 11 a.m. Eastern time, with ESPN providing the broadcast. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing.