COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Bulls using bye to tinker
Improvement is both the hope and expectation within the University at Buffalo program as the team enters a bye week after losing to Central Michigan, 27-25, and before facing a series of dangerous Mid- American Conference teams.
At 2-3 and 1-1 in league play, the Bulls are where many people close to the program thought they would be through five games. They beat up UTEP and beat Temple in a game that was closer than expected. They were a few plays from making things interesting in losses to Pittsburgh and Missouri. And they were one play from upsetting Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Saturday.
But the stretch of games that will define the season still awaits and as coach Turner Gill said, “the next seven ball games are going to be difficult games.”
Gill cited numerous facets on offense that need to improve before UB hosts Western Michigan (4-1, 2-0), which beat Temple on Saturday, 7-3. One prime concern is becoming sharper with the running game, which produced just 66 yards against the Chippewas. Buffalo is ninth in the MAC in rushing offense with 604 yards — an average of 3.4 yards a pop — with only five rushing touchdowns.
Part of the problem is that leading rusher James Starks missed part of the Temple game and all of the Missouri contest with a hip injury. Starks scored his first rushing touchdown of the season Saturday, finishing with 191 yards of total offense — 97 receiving and 94 rushing.
“We need to find two or three running plays where we can count on getting some things done,” Gill said.
Gill likes backups Brandon Thermilus and Mario Henry and doesn’t believe there’s much of a drop-off when they enter the game, but Starks is pivotal to the offense’s success.
UB allowed 27 points and 360 yards Saturday. While it limited Chippewas quarterback Dan LeFevour to 152 yards passing, it allowed him to combine with tailback Ontario Sneed and three others for 208 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
With the loss of defensive end Trevor Scott, the Bulls aren’t getting much of a pass rush. Their five sacks are tied with Toledo, Temple and Miami (Ohio) for last in the MAC.
Gill would also like to see improvement from A. J. Principe on his kickoffs. The Chippewas had one drive start on the Bulls’ 48 in the third quarter and another at midfield near the start of the fourth. Those drives produced 10 Central Michigan points. One option is senior Gerry McGroarty, who handled the kickoff duties in all 12 games last season, producing nine touchbacks.
“We have to find a kickoff guy,” Gill said. “We have to find somebody to give us better field position [defensively]. We were kicking the ball a little short and they got some returns on us and gave them good field position. They have a better opportunity to score when they get the ball on the 40-or 50-yard line.”
The Bulls will also use the bye to get healthy. The Bulls were without senior defensive tackle Ronald Hilaire (leg), the team’s best defensive lineman. Also, junior Kendric Hawkins (stress fracture/ foot), who hasn’t played this season, is expected to return against Western Michigan, providing secondary depth.
