Like every other football-loving UB student, I am rooting for the Bulls to go down to Auburn and shock the world this weekend. But let's be realistic, there's a better chance of me hooking up with Eva Longoria then the Bulls taking this game, so I'm simply rooting for the Bulls to cover the 43-point spread.
You may call me crazy, among other things, but I don't think that the defense can stop the Auburn offense, especially All-American candidate running back Kenny Irons. I can see the Tigers scoring 64 points, which would mean the Bulls would need to score 21 points to cover the spread.
Can they do it? We'll have to see. But I think they can, and here's how they'll do it.
Though sophomore quarterback Drew Willy is coming off his best game statistically last week, Willy still does not look comfortable in the pocket. His pension to scramble around has caused him to take several hits; this problem will only worsen against one of the top defenses in the nation. I still have hope for Willy. He has great athleticism, a cannon arm and is accurate, yet if he can't stand firm in the pocket the Tigers will prey on him all night long.
To rectify this situation, the Bulls should go with a surprise starter behind center. And I'm not talking about senior Tony Paoli, why use Paoli or Willy when the team has a Heisman finalist on the sidelines? That's right, I'm suggesting Gill insert himself at the quarterback position. Auburn's shock at watching a 43-year old quarterback run the old Nebraska option should account for at least seven points.
Now eventually a large defensive lineman will squish Gill and that will be the end of that, so we need 14 more points. Mid-way through the second quarter the Bulls, who have come down to earth after Gill's exit, will need a spark. That's when the team will pull out the old annexation of Puerto Rico. When Willy takes the snap and drops back, the offensive line will purposely allow the Tigers to attack Willy in an all out blitz. What the Tigers won't realize is that center Jamey Richards never hiked the ball to Willy, instead he tucked it under his shirt. As Richards is rumbling into the endzone, the oxygen tank will be waiting, and the Bulls will be seven points closer to victory.
I can see the game coming down to the final minutes, with the Bulls still needing that one last touchdown to defeat the spread. Gill, not thinking about this fact, has decided to run out the clock and not risk injury. On third down, as Willy turns to hand the ball off to senior running back Steven King, King will fumble the ball. However, Willy as alertly picks up the fumble and begins to scamper for the score, The Tiger defense will not bother to pursue its prey. Believing that the only player who can advance the ball is the player who fumbled it, the Tigers will believe that the play is dead. Yet as the Bulls know through experience, this is only the case on fourth down, and Willy is allowed to go uncontested for the spread-beating touchdown.
Now it's time to talk about the defense. Over the last two weeks, the Bulls have given up over 700 yards on the ground and are now facing Irons who have 345 yards on 66 carries through three games. If Irons plays the entire game, which is about as likely as me being friends with anyone on the football team after they read this column, we may witness a record breaking performance as Irons would have a shot at former TCU running back LaDanian Tomlinson's record 402 yards in a game.
How do you stop this if you're the Bulls? You don't. Let them score. Why fight the inevitable? The more time you have on offense the more opportunities you will have to score. The only way to beat the spread is to match Auburn's scoring in a shootout.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
