The University at Buffalo football team returns its starting quarterback from last season, but it also brings back only five starters on an offense that lost one of the most prolific running backs in program history to the NFL. The offensive line, in particular, could be one of the Bulls’ biggest areas of uncertainty.
The Bulls return two of their three starters at linebacker, as well as depth among the defensive backs, but they also will have to rely on younger players to fill holes on the defensive line that were vacated by transfers and graduation.
The Bulls are the Mid-American Conference’s defending East Division champions, and open the season at 7 p.m. Thursday at UB Stadium against Wagner.
Here’s a look at four team strengths and four team weaknesses:
Four strengths
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Experience on the run: The past three seasons have been a windfall for UB’s offense, as the Bulls had one of the country’s most productive running backs in Jaret Patterson. UB, though, has boasted a one-two punch with Patterson and Kevin Marks Jr., who now gets his turn to carry the load. He ran for 741 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 carries in 2020, and he enters as the program's seventh all-time leading rusher (2,621 yards).
The middle three on defense: James Patterson and Kadofi Wright are back. Patterson had a team-high 63 tackles in seven games, while Wright started six of the Bulls’ seven games in 2020 and had 24 tackles and seven pass breakups. Tim Terry started the season opener against Northern Illinois but continued to contribute as a reserve, with 21 tackles and a fumble recovery. Fabian Weitz, who spent last year in Germany, is listed as the third starting linebacker on the depth chart released Monday.
Defensive secondary: Like the linebackers, the Bulls have a glut of experience in the secondary, with returning cornerbacks Aapri Washington and Isaiah King, and safeties E.J. Brown, Cory Gross Jr. and Marcus Fuqua. The only notable loss in the group was safety Tyrone Hill, who transferred to Washington State. At cornerback, Washington saw limited playing time last year due to injuries, while UB coach Maurice Linguist expects Ja’Marcus Ingram, a transfer from Texas Tech who is listed as a starter at cornerback, and sophomore Logic Hudgens to become contributors.
Quarterback experience: Kyle Vantrease has seen the good, bad and ugly of the program, but mostly the good in the last two seasons. He became UB’s starting quarterback in October 2019 and guided the Bulls to a MAC East title in 2020 and a win in the Camellia Bowl, and is back for his fifth season. Vantrease is easily one of UB’s most visible and natural leaders. He’s also one of five scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, including West Seneca West’s Matt Myers, who started five games in 2019.
Four weaknesses
Lack of experience on the run: UB has some gaudy rushing numbers in Marks, but there’s little to no experience behind him, whether it’s statistically or in playing time. Of the 10 running backs on the roster, only two have any significant statistics: Ron Cook Jr. and Dylan McDuffie (Sweet Home) have combined for 401 yards and one touchdown on 76 carries in the last three seasons, while Tajay Ahmed, Kolbe Burrell and Caron Robinson have received minimal playing time.
Offensive and defensive lines: The offensive and defensive lines are in rebuild/revamp mode, and both will look quite different than last year, due to graduation, transfers and departures to the NFL. The offensive line allowed only one sack in seven games last season and has allowed just two sacks in the last 15 games. Left tackle Jake Fuzak and left guard Jack Klenk return, but right guard Alain Scherer and right tackle Gabe Wallace will get on-the-job training as starters. Bence Polgar takes over at center for All-MAC first team selection Mike Novitsky, who transferred to Kansas. Taylor Riggins returns to the defensive line after missing last season due to a lower-body injury, and will join a unit that returns George Wolo, Max Michel and Eric Black, and adds Josh Rogers, a defensive tackle from Texas A&M.
Inexperience at wide receiver/tight end: UB lost three of its top four wide receivers and tight ends, so Vantrease has a whole new set of pass catchers. Dominic Johnson, who returned to UB for a sixth season, could become a more prominent target; the 6-foot-5 quarterback-turned-wide receiver had five catches for 43 yards last season. The addition of Quian Williams, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, will help the wide receivers, not only from a statistical standpoint (983 yards, eight touchdowns on 76 catches in two seasons) but from Williams’ familiarity with MAC defenses. Khamran Laborn had 460 yards and four touchdowns on 26 catches last season at Garden City (Kan.) Community College.
Balancing the pass and run games: The Bulls have experience and productivity in the run game but still have questions to answer in the receiving game. The test for this year’s offense will be whether the Bulls can be productive through the air if the running backs can’t carry the same load as they have in previous years. In the last two seasons, the run game made up nearly 60% of UB's offensive yardage (5,268 yards rushing vs. 3,132 yards passing).
