MEDIA GUIDE 2019: BUFFALO (7-5) VS. CHARLOTTE (7-5) Week 1: Aug. 29 - Sept. 4 2019 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL - DECEMBER 20, 2019 - 2:00PM ET - 2019 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL -- BUFFALO VS. CHARLOTTE 2019 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL: The 2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl features Buffalo (7-5) from the Mid-American Confer- ence and Charlotte (7-5) from Conference USA. The game will be played Friday, Dec. 20 (2:00 p.m. ET) in Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (15,000). The game will be televised on ESPN (Steve Levy - play by play; analyst Greg McElroy; sideline reporter Dianna Russini) and carried on the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Radio Network (Kyle Wiggs - play by play; color analyst Rob Best). TICKETS: Tickets to the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl are $50 through the ticket departments of the two participating institutions. Local tickets for the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl are available through the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium box offi ce. 2019 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL QUICK FACTS/DIRECTORY 2019 Matchup: .......................................................................Buffalo (Mid-American Conference; visitor) vs. Charlotte (Conference USA; home) 2019 Date, Kickoff, Television: ...........................................................................................................Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, 2:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Stadium (Capacity, Surface): .........................................................Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (15,000, Celebration Bermudagrass) Executive Director: ....................................................................................................................... Richard Giannini ([email protected]) Director of Sales & Marketing: ..........................................................................................Lea Miller Tooley ([email protected]) Director of Communications: .......................................................................Chris Pika (678-908-4853 - US cell, [email protected]) Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Communications Offi ce: .............................................................Atlantis Convention Center (Minos/Neptune) Director of Game Operations: ............................................................................................................................Tom Snyder ([email protected]) Events Assistant: ...................................................................................................... Kelli Buhrdorf ([email protected]@espn.com) Address, City, State: ........................................................................................................................ 11001 Rushmore Drive; Charlotte, NC 28277 Telephone: .......................................................................................................................................................................................704-973-5050 Web Site: .........................................................................................................................................................MakersWantedBahamasBowl.com 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Result: ................................................................. FIU 35, Toledo 32 (Dec. 21, 2018; Attendance: 13,510) 2018 Offensive Player of the Game: ............................................................................................................................FIU QB Christian Alexander 2018 Defensive Player of the Game: ..................................................................................................................................FIU LB Edwin Freeman INSTITUTION COMMUNICATIONS CONTACTS: Buffalo Assistant AD/Communications:.................................................. Jon Fuller (O: 716-645-6762; C: 716-359-2728; [email protected]) Charlotte Assistant Director/Media Relations: .........................................Sean Fox (O: 704-687-1023; C: 239-633-5383; [email protected]) Charlotte Assistant Director/Media Relations: .......................... Travis Woods (O: 704-687-1838; C: 704-773-4085; [email protected]) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1: ...................................... Table of Contents/Directory/Quick Facts Page 27: ..................................................Bowl Miscellaneous Information Page 2:...........................2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Storylines Pages 28-32: ...................................................2014-18 Game Summaries Page 3: ......................ESPN Events/Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Lists Pages 33-34: ...............................Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium Pages 4-7: .............Makers Wanted/Elk Grove Village/Mayor’s Welcome Page 35: ..............................................................TARNS Stadium Campus Page 8: ................................................................................. The Bahamas Page 36: ........................................................Giving Back to the Bahamas Page 9: .................................................................Nassau/Paradise Island Pages 37-38: ..................................................................ESPN Announcers Pages 10-12: .................................................................Media Information Page 39:................................... Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Overview Page 13: .............................................................................Media Schedule Page 40: ..................................................Buffalo/Charlotte Depth Charts Page 14: ...................Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Schedule of Events Page 41: ..................Buffalo Administration/Coaching Staff/Key Players Page 15: ..........................................................Helpful Hints for the Media Page 42: ...............Buffalo Numerical Roster/Prounciations/Quick Facts Page 16: ......................................................................... Driving Directions Pages 43-48: ........................................................Buffalo 2019 Statistics Page 17: ................................................................2019-20 Bowl Schedule Page 49: ..............Charlotte Administration/Coaching Staff/Key Players Page 18: ....................................................................Game Entertainment Page 50: ..........Charlotte Numerical Roster/Pronunciations/Quick Facts Pages 19-26 ............................................................................Record Book Pages 51-56: ......................................................Charlotte 2019 Statistics MakersWantedBahamasBowl.com @BahamasBowl @TheBahamasBowl Page 2 MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL STORYLINES 2019 MATCHUP: MAC VS. CONFERENCE USA THE RING IS THE THING The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl kicks off the 2019 college football bowl Both coaches in the 2019 MWBB have been part of championship teams. season across the U.S. and the Bahamas on December 20. Buffalo head coach Lance Leipold won six NCAA Division III national titles at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Whitewarter, while posting a stellar 109-6 record For the sixth consecutive year, the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl features from 2007-14 - the fastest any coach at any NCAA level has reached 100 a Mid-American vs. Conference USA matchup as the Buffalo Bulls (7-5. 5-3 victories. Charlotte’s head coach, Will Healy, was a backup QB at Richmond MAC) take on the Charlotte 49ers (7-5, 5-3 C-USA). C-USA leads the Makers in 2008 when the Spiders won the NCAA FCS national title. Wanted Bahamas Bowl 3-2, as WKU (C-USA) won the 2014 title with a thrill- ing 49-48 victory over Central Michigan, Western Michigan (MAC) captured HONORED TO BE HERE the 2015 bowl with a 45-31 victory over Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion A school-record 12 Buffalo players were named All-MAC. The 12 All-MAC se- (C-USA) held off Eastern Michigan 24-20 in the 2016 game, Ohio (MAC) beat lections are a school record, eclipsing the 10 from a season ago. Five Bulls UAB 41-6 in 2017 and FIU (C-USA) rallied to beat Toledo 35-32 last year. were named to the All-MAC First Team, including RB Jaret Patterson, T Evin Ksiezarczyk, S Joey Banks and DEs Taylor Riggins and Malcolm Koonce. Buf- This is the fi rst time that Buffalo and Charlotte have met in football. falo also placed fi ve on the second team and two on the third team. TITLE SPONSOR - MAKERS WANTED Charlotte had three fi rst-team All-Conference USA performers with OL Cam Elk Grove Village, Illinois, using its business slogan – Makers Wanted – Clark, DE Alex Highsmith and RB Benny LeMay. Five other players were is the title sponsor of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl for the second- honorable mention, and two other 49ers (DB Lance McMillan and OL Dejan straight year. The tagline Makers Wanted is Elk Grove Village’s slogan and Rasuo) were on the C-USA All-Freshman team. In addition, Highsmith was serves a call-to-action for a thriving community and the thousands of busi- named third-team all-America at Defensive End by Pro Football Focus. nesses based there. It is home to the largest contiguous industrial park in the United States, featuring six square miles and 62 million square feet of THE PRIME MINISTER’S TROPHY inventory. Over 5,614 businesses, including 300 manufacturers specializing The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl renamed its championship trophy to the in metal, plastic, rubber and food manufacturing, call Elk Grove Village their Prime Minister’s Trophy in 2016, in honor of the highest elected offi ce in the home. It is also a top national destination for data