Niagara Gazette
DETROIT — The Buffalo Bulls are off to a fast start under new coach Jeff Quinn.
After using the first quarter of Thursday night’s opener to get warmed up, UB’s no-huddle spread offense exploded for three second quarter touchdowns, propelling the Bulls to a 31-0 victory over visiting Rhode Island.
A crowd of 16,273 packed the main grandstands and watched UB win by more 30 or more points for just the third time in its Division I history and shutout an opponent for the first time since 2001.
“That speaks volume about what our defense has been able to do,” Quinn said. “(Coordinator) Bill Inge did a great job with that defense.”
In his second game as a starter but first as a team leader, quarterback Jerry Davis completed 21 of 35 passes for 302 yards and touchdowns to four different receivers.
“A couple of those touchdown throws, he actually changed the play,” Quinn said.
Marcus Rivers looked like a taller version of Naaman Roosevelt, catching 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Plagued by drops in his first two seasons, the Lackawanna product came into the game with seven career receptions for 46 yards. He had eight catches for 109 yards by halftime. And no drops.
Grand Island graduate Alex Neutz — who has inherited James Starks’ No. 19 jersey — caught five passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
“We saw some great performances,” Quinn said.
The Bulls’ offense outgained their FCS (formerly Division I-AA) foes 297-70 in the first half, while the defense relentlessly pressured Rhode Island quarterback Steve Probst and took the ball away twice.
UB’s first two touchdowns came off turnovers. Raphael Akobundu tipped a red zone pass that was intercepted by Josh Thomas near the goalline one minute into the second quarter, and seven plays later, Davis hit Ed Young for a five-yard score that made it 10-0.
The 76-yard march featured two big receptions from Neutz. He gained 35 yards on a catch and run, then made a 31-yard shoestring grab along the sideline that set up the touchdown. The catch was challenged, but held up on review.
“I mean, tremendous, tremendous concentration,” Quinn said of Neutz’s catch.
Immediately following a Terry Peden fumble recovery on Steven Means’ midfield strip-sack, Davis lofted a 38-yard bomb to Rivers that put the Bulls up 17-0 with 1:56 left in the half.
Neutz scored his first career touchdown on corner fade pattern, catching a 21-yard pass from Davis with 40 seconds left in the half to make it 24-0. The Bulls shifted their high-octane offense into another gear in the final two minutes, running five plays in 40 seconds.
The Bulls took a 31-0 lead midway through the third quarter when Terrell Jackson made an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone of a pretty 19-yard toss from Davis. Jackson, who had three catches for 38 yards, drew a pass interference penalty near the goalline on the previous play.
The Rams aided UB’s shutout effort by mishandling the snap on a first quarter field goal try, and missing a 29-yard attempt in the third quarter.
A.J. Principe opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.
