The Tribune

BUFFALO and Charlotte are taking two different approaches in preparation for the 2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl on Friday.

After a day off for both teams on Monday, the Bulls had a spirited practice yesterday morning at the Roscow AL Davies soccer field near Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The 49ers took a different approach with a light walk-through at Atlantis resort on Wednesday.

With kickoff less than 48 hours away, both teams are turning their focus toward Friday’s 2 pm kickoff while still enjoying all that Atlantis and the Bahamas have to offer.

“Our kids did really good at practice today,” Buffalo defensive coordinator Brian Borland said.

“We pushed them along and didn’t cut any corners or take any breaks. We made sure we moved around good today and the guys sweated and that’s good. This will help us on Friday - we will be in tune with the climate. Our guys are having fun (at the Atlantis) but they were having fun out here at practice, too. We spend plenty of time in the cold so it’s good to be in the hot and humid again.”

“We got our heavy work in before we got here,” Charlotte sophomore quarterback Chris Reynolds said. “We’ve been enjoying the past two days, Monday and Tuesday. But this afternoon, we’re going to dial in. We’ve got meetings and a little walkthrough and tomorrow we have practice. We’ll hit the switch tonight. We do a good job of that, we’re a pretty mature team. I feel good about us locking in once the meetings start.”

Each team’s game planning has been finished for quite some time, and it is just now a matter of fine-tuning the scouting reports and mental preparations.

“They (Buffalo) are a really good defence,” Charlotte offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said. “They’re sound, and they play fast. That’s the two big things you see in great defences. Their kids don’t blink. They don’t look like they’re hesitating, they know exactly what they’re doing. That means they’re well-coached. It’s going to be one of the toughest challenges we’ve had all season.”

“We have been practicing for two weeks now on stopping (Charlotte’s) running game,” Buffalo sophomore Linebacker James Patterson said. “We are trying to stop their quarterback and running back - they are two good players. They also have a really good receiver. Their running back is comparable to our guy, Jaret Patterson, so we see that every day in practice. We are ready.”