The 107th season of University at Buffalo football kicks-off Thursday night at UB Stadium when the Bulls play host to Robert Morris in the first meeting ever between the two schools.
Buffalo will be looking to build off of a program-best 10-win season in 2018; and with a young group that consists of a lot of new and unfamiliar faces, the Colonials will be a good first test.
Last week, Bulls head coach Lance Leipold announced that red-shirt freshman Matt Myers would be the starting quarterback heading into the season. Myers, a native of West Seneca, will be the first freshman quarterback to start an opener for UB since 1991.
Replacing Tyree Jackson, who had one of the best seasons in program history in 2018, will certainly be a challenge for Myers. However, Leipold believes that while he is young, the freshman has all the right tools to succeed at the position he’s in.
“He’s a pretty even keeled young man,” Leipold said. “His highs aren’t real high and his lows aren’t real low, so it’s hard to get a gauge on him. I think he takes things in stride and [Thursday] will be a good test. I think it’s a good opportunity for him to open up at home. He did say there will be a lot of family and friends here, so I think he’s excited about that. We need to make sure we surround him with a good plan and we don’t put too much on his plate and shoulders too quickly.”
Myers will face some challenges early on and there will be a growing process. The Bulls offense could have a different dynamic this season with a freshman play caller who is learning a lot about the college game, compared to having a veteran like Jackson under center last year. Leipold admitted that Myers should feel the nerves and excitement, and that there will be moments in the game that surprise him.
“There’s always going to be a lot of unknowns in the first quarter or first half of the game,” Leipold stated. “We need to make sure that when we see them, we have good answers [for Myers] and that he doesn’t let things affect him as we go through. He just has to get some snaps and in-game action again.”
The offensive group surrounding Myers consists of number of new faces that do not have much experience playing with one another.
One area the Bulls are set in is the running back department. The sophomore duo of Jaret Patterson, the 2018 MAC Freshman of the Year, and Kevin Marks, who combined to rush for 1,858 yards and 27 touchdowns in their freshman campaigns, will be expected to lead the ground attack once again.
Patterson and Marks will presumably be relied upon a bit more than last season, especially in the first few weeks as the rest of the offense settles in and attempts to build some chemistry.
The Bulls' receiving corps looks almost totally different than at the start of 2018; and with junior Antonio Nunn, their most experienced receiver on the roster, doubtful for Thursday’s opener, Buffalo will be looking for some newcomers to step up.
If Nunn is out, junior Tito Overton, who has played in 16 games over his career so far and has mainly just been a contributor on special teams, will be the most experienced receiver dressed for the Bulls on Thursday night. Other pass catchers that could get some playing time include JUCO transfers Daniel Lee, Carlton Todd and Bernard Porter, along with true freshman Marlyn Johnson.
“Trusting the process” is a term many Buffalo football fans are familiar with, and with all the new receivers it will likely be a process for the Bulls offense to hit their stride as a whole. However, coach Leipold believes that the tight ends, especially junior Zac Lefebvre, will play a big role in the offense and help the progression of the passing game.
“The tight ends are going to help alleviate the inexperience at receiver,” Leipold said. “I think Zac Lefebvre continues to get better. And what he’s really getting better at is rounding out his whole game. He’s really worked hard at the blocking aspect of things.”
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulls also have a number of new starters that will fill big shoes left by the likes of Khalil Hodge, Chuck Harris, and Cam Lewis. Linebackers Matt Otwinowski and James Patterson will seemingly be the leaders of the group. Patterson, a sophomore, had 77 tackles last season, the most tackles out of any returner. The senior Otwinowksi is a nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, an award given to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-the-field performance.
The defensive line will be a group to watch for the Bulls as well. Ledarius Mack, Taylor Riggins, Malcolm Koonce, Eddie Wilson, Chibueze Onwuka, and DeShondrick Foxworth all gained experience in smaller roles last season and now will be expected to take a collective step up.
Leipold admitted there will be a lot of rotating up front on defense. Many guys will be splitting snaps 60/40 or even 50/50.
“If there’s one place that’s really hard to have a [designated] started and backup, it’s defensive line,” Leipold stated. “If you watch us play, there’s going to be ‘x’ amount of plays where somebody is rotating. Some games, depending on the rotation and number of snaps, or the down and distance, the backup may play more than the starter. Any of those guys in the first two spots at [defensive line] positions are going to play. They’re going to be important.”
Opening kickoff at UB Stadium on Thursday night is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game can be heard on ESPN 1520, along with pre-game and post-game coverage.