COLLEGE
UB has corners covered
With two days remaining until the University at Buffalo opens its season against Texas- El Paso, Bulls coach Turner Gill says he has yet to settle on his starting linebackers or backup quarterback but he has decided on his starting cornerbacks.
Sophomores Domonic Cook (St. Joe’s) and Josh Thomas will start at corner when the Bulls host the Miners at 7 p. m. Thursday at UB Stadium.
Cook started nine games as a true freshman last season before a hand injury forced him to miss the last three games of the season. Thomas started four games in place of Kendric Hawkins, who will miss the UTEP game because of an undisclosed injury.
Linebacker was the biggest question mark heading into training camp, and Gill hoped to solidify his three starters after Monday’s practice. Redshirt freshman John Syty (Clarence), who came to UB without a scholarship, is one of six players still in contention for playing time.
“We’ve made some decisions on people who are going to be playing,” Gill said Monday. “It’s going to be a lot of people and we’ll see how it all fits as we go into the season. We feel very good about where we are at this point and time.”
Syty and sophomore Justin Winters are competing at outside linebacker, along with sophomore Raphael Akobundu and true freshman Imani Chatman. In the middle, sophomore Tom Drewes, who started one game at linebacker in 2006 but sat out last season as a medical redshirt, is competing against true freshman Scott Pettigrew. Drewes was originally switched to defensive end in the spring.
“We feel good about what has transpired and we’ll see what happens,” Gill said.
Senior Jamal Chisam, listed as a potential starter at middle linebacker after the spring, is out for the season with a knee injury and his career is probably over. Chisam, who started three games as a true freshman in 2004, has already sat out two seasons because of injury.
At backup quarterback, Gill will choose between redshirt freshman Cory Jorgensen and true freshman Zach Maynard, while true freshman Jerry Davis will likely redshirt. Gill hopes to make a decision after today’s practice.
