Tajay Ahmed was only thinking about the task at hand during the University at Buffalo football team’s spring game Saturday at UB Stadium: Help the White team win, and earn a steak dinner.
“I was just focused on the spring game, and I wanted the White team to win,” said Ahmed, a running back from Starpoint. “I did not want to eat a hot dog. I wanted that steak.”
Ahmed scored a touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter of White’s 38-12 win, set up after defensive end Solomanie Bambara intercepted Blue quarterback Matt Myers. The reward was bigger than a steak dinner, though.
UB coach Maurice Linguist stopped the game and stepped onto the field with a wireless microphone, and announced to the 1,000-plus in attendance – including NFL players and former Bulls Jaret Patterson, K.J. Osborn and Tyree Jackson – that Ahmed, once a walk-on, had earned a full scholarship.
People are also reading…
Ahmed’s parents, Chaz and Cassandra, learned earlier in the day that their son would be rewarded, and took in the moment as the Bulls lifted Ahmed to their shoulders and chanted his name.
“Tajay Ahmed is consistent,” Linguist said. “He’s such a hard worker, he’s so selfless and he’s a great teammate, and he’s a good football player. And it’s something that we were excited about, and really wanted to do it in front of his family and supporters and loved ones.”
Ahmed’s father, Chaz, was a wide receiver for the Bulls from 1987-90, when it was a Division III program. Chaz Ahmed, though, has seen how his son has managed his time between school, football and holding a part-time job while enrolled at UB.
And, as importantly, he’s seen how Tajay has stayed disciplined, even as a walk-on with the Bulls for the last three seasons.
“You’ve got to be organized, in everything you do, because if you don’t plan, you’re just setting yourself up for failure,” said Tajay, who ran for 47 yards on 15 carries Saturday. “You’ve got to really plan your schedule, spend a certain amount of time doing this, or a certain amount of time to make sure you get all your things done, and there’s a lot of planning that goes into each week.”
Here are a few observations from UB’s spring game:
1. On the run
Ahmed was part of a 170-yard rushing effort for the White team, and part of a 264-yard day for UB’s running backs. Al-Jay Henderson led all backs with 87 yards and scored three touchdowns on 14 carries for White, ahead of Blue back Mike Washington (9-61).
Henderson attributed his productivity to working with new running backs coach Greg Knox.
“Coach Knox, being the new running backs coach, he helped us throughout the whole spring ball,” Henderson said. “He kept pushing us, every day. The little things, every day. We focused on the little steps, from steps to alignment, every day, and we worked with the offensive line all spring ball, and put it together today.”
2. Quarterback play
This is the most wide-open competition for the Bulls, and in a roster twist, the Blue team had experience in quarterbacks Myers and Cole Snyder, while Casey Case and Brian Plummer played for the White team.
Snyder threw for 158 yards on 9-of-20 passing, and didn’t hesitate to make long throws, but was intercepted twice. Myers threw for a touchdown and 56 yards, but had trouble completing handoffs at times, including one that resulted in a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Case started for the White team and appeared to be the steadiest, throwing for 116 yards on 10-for-22 passing.
“We’re not at a position right now where we’re going to name a starter and put a hard line on it,” Linguist said. “We’re going to continue to just evaluate the spot, all the way through the summertime. We still have 3 1/2 months before we’re really getting ourselves ready to go down there and travel to play at Maryland (on Sept. 3).”
3. An eager defense
Both the Blue and White defenses were opportunistic when it came to making plays on defense, particularly on the defensive line and in the secondary.
For the White team, defensive end Daymond Williams (seven tackles, sack, three pass breakups) recovered a fumble off a bad handoff by Myers in the first quarter and returned it for a 35-yard touchdown that gave the White team a 14-3 lead. Bambara’s interception of Myers set up Ahmed’s short touchdown run on the next series.
For the Blue team, Jayden Oliver, a cornerback from New Mexico Military Institute, maintained strong coverage, particularly against Justin Marshall (four catches for 52 yards), and had seven tackles. Linebackers Shaun Dolac (12 tackles) and Fabian Weitz combined for 20 tackles, while cornerback Caleb Offord, a transfer from Notre Dame, had three pass breakups.
“The defense always works on the same thing,” Henderson said. “It’s that daily discipline, that we do every day. The standard, every day, and it comes to life during the game.”
4. Notable absences
The Bulls didn’t use their entire roster during the spring game. In fact, a few notable names were on the sidelines and not in pads Saturday, many due to injuries, including cornerbacks Elijah Blades and Isaiah King, who had a walking boot on his left leg, wide receiver Jovany Ruiz, linebacker James Patterson, defensive tackle George Wolo and defensive end Max Michel.
5. What’s next
UB’s players will take time off for finals, then regroup in late May and go into offseason conditioning in June and July. The Bulls will begin preseason practices in August and open the season Sept. 3 at Maryland.
