Last week after Jeff Quinn announced Jerry Davis would be the University at Buffalo's starting quarterback, a reporter jokingly asked Davis, "You're going to throw 300 yards in every game, right?" Davis looked at the reporter and answered, "Yes sir."

Apparently he was serious.

Davis pierced Rhode Island for 302 yards and four touchdowns, both career highs, to spark the passing attack and lead his team to a convincing 31-0 season-opening victory over the Rams Thursday night at UB Stadium.

"Jerry Davis ... Peyton Manning," joked Bulls receiver Marcus Rivers while patting Davis on the shoulder. "He's a good quarterback. He's very smart, he makes his reads and he has a good arm."

More important, Davis has a good grasp of the offense. The sophomore from Fresno, Calif., completed 21 of 35 passes and had just one interception while completing passes to seven different receivers.

"In this offense, you want to score every time you have the ball, you want to move the ball," Davis said. "It's all about tempo, it's all about moving the ball. Little catches here and there, runs here and there. Once we got that down and started moving the ball, everything came into rhythm."

Davis, who beat out redshirt freshman Alex Dennison for the job at the start of training camp, came in with confidence running the new offense and finished with just one interception.

Davis completed touchdown passes to Rivers, Alex Neutz, Terrell Jackson and Ed Young, covering 5, 38, 21 and 17 yards. The play of Rivers (Lackawanna) and Neutz (Grand Island) was especially refreshing considering they are replacing two of the finest receivers in school history: Naaman Roosevelt (St. Joe's) and Brett Hamlin.

Rivers, whose inconsistent play a year ago landed him a role on the bench near the end of the season, finished with 10 receptions for 155 yards -- both career highs. Neutz, a redshirt freshman, had five catches for 99 yards in his first game as a collegian.

 "If you give them a chance and throw it in the area," Davis said, "they're going to come down."

It was Davis and the offense that most of the 16,273 in attendance probably came to see. Quinn, the former Cincinnati offensive coordinator, made news by bringing the spread to Buffalo and arrived promising lots of quick-release passing. But Davis also completed a 40-yard pass to Rivers and a 35-yarder to Neutz.

Davis showed enough confidence to audible twice at the line of scrimmage during the game and both times the Bulls ended up with touchdowns.

 "There was only one look where we wanted him to throw down the field and that was press man," Quinn said. "He was able to connect on some big plays."

But it was apparent Davis had early-game jitters. He was high on a few throws and appeared too revved up. On his interception in the second quarter he looked indecisive and threw into coverage.

"Being a quarterback you can't hesitate," Davis said. "You have to show confidence."

Still, it was pretty much the debut Quinn and his new-look Bulls expected. There could have been a few fewer drive-killing fumbles during the early going and the offense could have been a little more consistent. The defense could have missed fewer tackles, especially considering the opponent had lost 10 straight coming into the night.

But a victory is a victory. The last time UB opened against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent -- a non-scholarship FCS opponent -- the Bulls were embarrassed by Lehigh, 37-26. There wasn't nearly as much heavy lifting in this one.

And it wasn't only the passing game that made the difference. The defense notched a shutout, something Gill never did in his four seasons with the program. The last time the Bulls shut out an opponent was Nov. 3, 2001, against Ohio University. That game was then-coach Jim Hofher's first win at UB Stadium.

Quinn's offense hiccuped enough initially to hold only a 10-0 lead for most of the first half. Then Steven Means recorded a sack and forced a fumble by Rhode Island quarterback Steve Probst that was recovered by Terry Peden at the Bulls 44.

Then with 1:56 left in the second quarter, Davis hooked up with Rivers for a 38-yard touchdown pass in which Rivers burned corner Stanley Dunbar. Dunbar gave Rivers a 10-yard cushion that Rivers ate up immediately. Rivers told Davis just before the play, "Just throw it up, these corners can't check us."

"I got you," Davis said.

UB wasn't finished. With 40 seconds left in the half, Davis found a wide-open Neutz for a 21-yard touchdown, a 24-0 lead and all the momentum for the remainder of the game.

"This was a great night," Quinn said. "And we want to build on it."

rmckissic@buffnews.comnull