Spring practice signals new era of football enthusiasm

An unfamiliar buzz was present at UB Stadium on Wednesday morning, as Turner Gill held his first spring practice as Buffalo's new head football coach.

Since Gill's hire in December, it was said he and his coaching staff would bring a fresh attitude to a Buffalo program that has struggled ever since moving to Division 1-A competition in 1998.

On Wednesday, the excitement generated by the coaching staff was contagious. Those who watched in attendance were tantalized by thoughts of a new football era opening up this fall. More importantly, the players reflected the intensity.

"This year, the coaching staff has generated a new enthusiasm at an even higher level now," said tight end Chad Upshaw, who will be a senior next season. "A lot of opportunities have opened up. A lot of guys that were buried on the depth chart have a new opportunity now. The tempo has been the best since I've been here. It's not necessarily tougher. It's the first time we ever went through it and it's definitely different than it used to be. I really liked the tempo of this practice."

"There is definitely more energy," said linebacker Ramon Guzman. "The coaches do a very good job of that. We bring the energy and our practices are organized in a way that we need to. The coaches and Warde Manuel do a very good job to bring enthusiasm and a new sense of pride for UB and the community."

Another glaring difference is in the defense the Bulls will be using this upcoming season. After running a 4-2-5 scheme under Jim Hofher, Gill will now change things up and have Buffalo running a more traditional 4-3 defensive alignment.

"I believe in that system," Gill said. "(Defensive coordinator) Jimmy Williams, the staff and I think we can create the speed necessary out of this system. It will allow the defensive line and linebackers to cause more havoc. This scheme will give us an opportunity to do that."

Whenever a dramatic change is made to either side of the ball in college football, there typically are a few players that see time at new positions. One of these will be Guzman, who played most of his collegiate career at the safety position.

Regardless of where Guzman plays, Gill feels that he will be an impact player on the field for the Bulls no matter what position he will play.

"I'll have to watch the tape first," Gill said. "I anticipate him to be a leader and do a lot of great things for our defense."

"It has been a new experience," Guzman said. "Me being from the outside going to the middle I have to learn new reads, techniques and to take on blocks. Coach Williams does well in teaching that."

In general, Gill was pleased with what he saw from the team.

"I like the way they moved around," Gill said. "We need more of a tempo. We got to teach them that. Overall, I liked what they've done. Takeaways are something we have emphasized for the team."

Gill also pointed out several players that he thought stood out in the scrimmage.

"Ernest Jackson and Dwayne Reid both did well," Gill said. "(Senior defensive lineman) Teddy Rene knocked a ball down. The defense stood out a little more and had a lot of takeaways. I like their mentality."

Another concern Gill had was cutting down on the rotation of players that was a common practice during the Hofher regime.

"At running back we are going to try and find a guy, and quarterback, too, for that matter," Gill said. "We will always play a couple guys but at both spots I want to find a guy to settle on. That's why we got 15 practices to evaluate."

There was also a notable absence from Wednesday's practice. Gill said that sophomore running back Philip Warren was not present because, "he violated team policies," and would not further elaborate.

The Bulls will continue practicing until April 22 when the team caps off its spring schedule with its annual Blue & White Game at 2 p.m. in UB Stadium.