Talented Bulls need a lot of things to fall their way to avoid a stark future
Back to back.
Most University at Buffalo players and coaches use that short phrase and acknowledge the possibilities. When defending Mid- American Conference champion UB opens its season Saturday at UTEP, the Bulls begin their quest for a second straight title, something that doesn?t happen frequently in the MAC.
Take away Marshall?s stretch of unprecedented dominance from 1997 to 2000 and only Bowling Green (1991-92) and Central Michigan (2006-07) have captured back-to-back championships since 1990.
?We have to go out and execute better than what we did last year,? said coach Turner Gill, now in his fourth season. ?Each and every guy has to go out and perform better than what they did last year. If we do that collectively, we?ll be a good football team, win our share of football games and have an opportunity to be MAC champions once again.?
But UB needs plenty of ?ifs? to go its way:
? If someone emerges to replace the big-play presence of James Starks;
? If unproven quarterback Zach Maynard can be a productive passer;
? If a competent wide receiver and deep threat can be found to complement Naaman Roosevelt;
? If redshirt freshman defensive end Steven Means is as good as some expect;
? If the run defense can stop anyone;
? If the magic of last season returns;
Then the Bulls might have something, something that would shelve any notion that last season was a fluke. It means a lot of things have to fall just right.
What?sup
Maynard, a sophomore left-handed passer, gives the Bulls? offense a completely different look. Because of his ability to make plays on the run, UB will use more of the offense that has become college football?s new toy: the spread option. The Bulls will take more chances downfield and potentially be more exciting than a year ago.
It?s nice for Maynard to have at his disposal a talent like Roosevelt, the Biletnikoff Award candidate who now becomes the face of the offense. Defenses will key on Roosevelt, and Gill may have to find creative ways to get him the ball. If Roosevelt comes close to his production of a year ago (104 receptions for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns), the Bulls will be fine. Protecting Maynard?s blind side is right tackle Andrew West; he and left guard Peter Bittner are the two returning starters on the offensive line.
The Bulls will miss Starks, but Brandon Thermilus and Mario Henry have proved they could start for most teams in the MAC, while Ike Nduka has looked promising during training camp. Gill promises to feature wideout Brett Hamlin and tight end Jesse Rack more in the offense. Hamlin replaces Ernest Jackson as the No. 2 receiver, while Rack had 21 receptions for 205 yards as a junior.
The defensive secondary is loaded. Strong safety Davonte Shannon is shooting for his third consecutive first-team All-MAC selection, and steady Mike Newton is a four-year starter at free safety. Combined, Shannon and Newton give the Bulls the best safety tandem in the MAC. Junior cornerback Domonic Cook returns for his third season as a starter and Josh Thomas, Sherrod Lott and Kendric Hawkins are experienced and will see time at cornerback. Hawkins will miss the UTEP game with a knee injury, however.
There was plenty of lively competition at linebacker in camp but the only lock was junior outside linebacker Justin Winters, who earned All-MAC honors last season. Means, a redshirt freshman from Grover Cleveland, was nearly unblockable last year in practice and this year in training camp. Now it?s time to see if he can get to the quarterback in game situations. Only national champion Florida and runner-up Oklahoma were better nationally in turnover margin than the Bulls.
What?sdown
The staff prepared for the loss of Drew Willy by recruiting Maynard a year early so he could develop behind arguably the school?s best ever to play the position. Losing Starks to a season- ending shoulder injury is another matter.
The Bulls will continue to run the ball but none of the returning tailbacks has the home-run ability of Starks, the Niagara Falls native who leaves as UB?s career leader in rushing and scoring. While Maynard brings a different dimension at quarterback, Willy?s experience as a four-year starter is impossible to replace so quickly. Willy, Starks, and All-MAC guard Jeff Niedermier will all be greatly missed.
The Bulls have to find a slot receiver among sophomores Marcus Rivers (Lackawanna) and Terrell Jackson, and one of the two needs to become a big-play threat to complement Roosevelt.
The offensive line is breaking in new starters at left tackle, center and right guard, which means that unit will need time to jell. For all their takeaways, the Bulls played poorly on defense in 2008. Trying to outscore teams is risky, especially with a first-year starter at quarterback, so the Bulls have to lean more on their defense.
It starts up front where there are more questions than answers. Returning starting tackle Dane Robinson has been suspended for the first two games, which takes away from a defense that already lacked a true run stuffer. The staff is high on the young defensive ends, Means and redshirt freshman Willie Moseley but they lack experience.
UB plays both of the MAC West Division favorites, Central Michigan and Western Michigan, again this season.
Outlook
Now the biggest question for UB is can it sustain success. There are enough starters returning on both sides of the ball ?and more importantly a playmaker or two ?for the Bulls to enjoy another successful season. Roosevelt, Maynard and now Thermilus give them a potentially dangerous trio offensively and the secondary is packed with talent, which is needed in this pass-first conference.
Playing three of the first four on the road should be a test with trips to UTEP, Central Florida and Temple, but games against Central Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio are at UB Stadium.
Can the Bulls repeat without Starks and Willy? They seem to think they are able, but feeling good about your team can only take you so far. Repeating became more challenging the day it was announced Starks would miss the entire season.
Back to back.
Most University at Buffalo players and coaches use that short phrase and acknowledge the possibilities. When defending Mid- American Conference champion UB opens its season Saturday at UTEP, the Bulls begin their quest for a second straight title, something that doesn?t happen frequently in the MAC.
Take away Marshall?s stretch of unprecedented dominance from 1997 to 2000 and only Bowling Green (1991-92) and Central Michigan (2006-07) have captured back-to-back championships since 1990.
?We have to go out and execute better than what we did last year,? said coach Turner Gill, now in his fourth season. ?Each and every guy has to go out and perform better than what they did last year. If we do that collectively, we?ll be a good football team, win our share of football games and have an opportunity to be MAC champions once again.?
But UB needs plenty of ?ifs? to go its way:
? If someone emerges to replace the big-play presence of James Starks;
? If unproven quarterback Zach Maynard can be a productive passer;
? If a competent wide receiver and deep threat can be found to complement Naaman Roosevelt;
? If redshirt freshman defensive end Steven Means is as good as some expect;
? If the run defense can stop anyone;
? If the magic of last season returns;
Then the Bulls might have something, something that would shelve any notion that last season was a fluke. It means a lot of things have to fall just right.
What?sup
Maynard, a sophomore left-handed passer, gives the Bulls? offense a completely different look. Because of his ability to make plays on the run, UB will use more of the offense that has become college football?s new toy: the spread option. The Bulls will take more chances downfield and potentially be more exciting than a year ago.
It?s nice for Maynard to have at his disposal a talent like Roosevelt, the Biletnikoff Award candidate who now becomes the face of the offense. Defenses will key on Roosevelt, and Gill may have to find creative ways to get him the ball. If Roosevelt comes close to his production of a year ago (104 receptions for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns), the Bulls will be fine. Protecting Maynard?s blind side is right tackle Andrew West; he and left guard Peter Bittner are the two returning starters on the offensive line.
The Bulls will miss Starks, but Brandon Thermilus and Mario Henry have proved they could start for most teams in the MAC, while Ike Nduka has looked promising during training camp. Gill promises to feature wideout Brett Hamlin and tight end Jesse Rack more in the offense. Hamlin replaces Ernest Jackson as the No. 2 receiver, while Rack had 21 receptions for 205 yards as a junior.
The defensive secondary is loaded. Strong safety Davonte Shannon is shooting for his third consecutive first-team All-MAC selection, and steady Mike Newton is a four-year starter at free safety. Combined, Shannon and Newton give the Bulls the best safety tandem in the MAC. Junior cornerback Domonic Cook returns for his third season as a starter and Josh Thomas, Sherrod Lott and Kendric Hawkins are experienced and will see time at cornerback. Hawkins will miss the UTEP game with a knee injury, however.
There was plenty of lively competition at linebacker in camp but the only lock was junior outside linebacker Justin Winters, who earned All-MAC honors last season. Means, a redshirt freshman from Grover Cleveland, was nearly unblockable last year in practice and this year in training camp. Now it?s time to see if he can get to the quarterback in game situations. Only national champion Florida and runner-up Oklahoma were better nationally in turnover margin than the Bulls.
What?sdown
The staff prepared for the loss of Drew Willy by recruiting Maynard a year early so he could develop behind arguably the school?s best ever to play the position. Losing Starks to a season- ending shoulder injury is another matter.
The Bulls will continue to run the ball but none of the returning tailbacks has the home-run ability of Starks, the Niagara Falls native who leaves as UB?s career leader in rushing and scoring. While Maynard brings a different dimension at quarterback, Willy?s experience as a four-year starter is impossible to replace so quickly. Willy, Starks, and All-MAC guard Jeff Niedermier will all be greatly missed.
The Bulls have to find a slot receiver among sophomores Marcus Rivers (Lackawanna) and Terrell Jackson, and one of the two needs to become a big-play threat to complement Roosevelt.
The offensive line is breaking in new starters at left tackle, center and right guard, which means that unit will need time to jell. For all their takeaways, the Bulls played poorly on defense in 2008. Trying to outscore teams is risky, especially with a first-year starter at quarterback, so the Bulls have to lean more on their defense.
It starts up front where there are more questions than answers. Returning starting tackle Dane Robinson has been suspended for the first two games, which takes away from a defense that already lacked a true run stuffer. The staff is high on the young defensive ends, Means and redshirt freshman Willie Moseley but they lack experience.
UB plays both of the MAC West Division favorites, Central Michigan and Western Michigan, again this season.
Outlook
Now the biggest question for UB is can it sustain success. There are enough starters returning on both sides of the ball ?and more importantly a playmaker or two ?for the Bulls to enjoy another successful season. Roosevelt, Maynard and now Thermilus give them a potentially dangerous trio offensively and the secondary is packed with talent, which is needed in this pass-first conference.
Playing three of the first four on the road should be a test with trips to UTEP, Central Florida and Temple, but games against Central Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio are at UB Stadium.
Can the Bulls repeat without Starks and Willy? They seem to think they are able, but feeling good about your team can only take you so far. Repeating became more challenging the day it was announced Starks would miss the entire season.
