Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 21-17vs UAlbany | 8 | 74 | 9.3 | 0 | 47 | Season-high 74 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 20-33@ Florida International | 10 | 16 | 1.6 | 0 | 8 | |
| Total | 18 | 90 | 5.5 | 0 | 47 |
#4
Messiah Burch
Senior running back for Buffalo. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′9″ · 190 lb · Staten Island, NY · Monsignor Farrell
Returning to Buffalo for 2026
The numbers
90
rushing yards · 2026
5 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 74 rush yds, vs UAlbany
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Buffalo. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Buffalo in 2023.
Messiah Burch
Three seasons at Buffalo, two different head coaches: Maurice Linguist and Pete Lembo. One game to point at: 74 rush yds against UAlbany — Week 1, 2026.
90 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 18 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2023
- Signed with Buffalo3-star out of Monsignor Farrell
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Buffalo
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Buffalo
Coaching transition mid-career: Maurice Linguist → Pete Lembo. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Buffalo9-4HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-heavy
2025Buffalo5-7HC: Pete Lembo · Balanced
2026Buffalo1-1HC: Pete Lembo · Pass-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 45.0 YDS/g, 5.5 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pete Lembo
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 21–17
vs UAlbany
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · UAlbany · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +3.28No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush left for 47 yards gain to the UALB47 (#29 R.Lavalais Jr.), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Florida International · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.44(01:53) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush middle for 6 yards loss to the FIU34 (#2 D.Boykins; #7 J.Celestine)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.05(00:50) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush right for 0 yards to the FIU47 (#0 D.Floyd)
- Week 1 · UAlbany · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA -0.67No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush right for 2 yards gain to the UALB48 (#1 J.Pruitt)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 3&20 · Q1 · EPA +0.58(05:59) Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush middle for 8 yards gain to the FIU33 (#7 J.Celestine)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 2&16 · Q2 · EPA -0.56(01:53) No Huddle-Shotgun #16 E.Holmes pass complete short middle to #4 M.Burch caught at FIU32, for 2 yards to the FIU32 (#3 D.Hill)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 2&14 · Q1 · EPA -0.55(04:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush middle for 2 yards gain to the FIU33 (#7 J.Celestine)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.41(13:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush middle for 3 yards gain to the BUF39 (#5 K.Simmons)
- Week 2 · Florida International · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.41(00:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush middle for 3 yards gain to the BUF38 (#1 S.Sterlin)
- Week 1 · UAlbany · 2&4 · Q1 · EPA -0.38No Huddle-Shotgun #4 M.Burch rush left for 3 yards gain to the UALB41 (#4 D.Jones)
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Buffalo
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Buffalo
Returning around him
- -1% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 1 Buffalo player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (16 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Buffalo · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #120 · 2026 recruiting class #101
Background
Hoof Prints: Versatile athlete who can play both wide receiver and running back... Academic All-MAC selection... major is exploratory. Redshirt-Sophomore (2025): Appeared in six games... rushed for 41 yards and added four receptions on the season... had four carries for 39 yards against Saint Fra...
The backfield · Buffalo
- #25Terrance Shelton Jr.244 rushing yards · 2025
- #24James McNeil Jr.67 rushing yards · 2025
- #4Messiah Burch41 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Devare Mathis1 game · 2025
- Nino Hill1 game · 2026
1 more on the roster · Buffalo team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology