After a successful season filled with exceeded expectations, the Buffalo Bulls are no longer a laughingstock of the nation. With more expectations and pressure placed on the program, this season is their time to show that their 5-7 record in 2007 was not a fluke.
The Bulls' chance to make the program more prominent on the college football map starts on Thursday night at UB Stadium when they take on the University of Texas-El Paso Miners. UTEP finished 4-8 last season. The last time the Bulls started a season at home, they defeated Temple 9-3 in overtime.
Head coach Turner Gill and his players have been waiting all summer to hit the field and improve on the strides they made last season. They ended 2007 with an overtime victory against Kent State and are looking to keep that momentum going.
"We're looking forward to this opportunity to start the season right. Our players are ready to go to work," Gill said.
Gill, in his third season leading the Bulls, returns 18 starters, including 11 to an offense led by senior quarterback Drew Willy. Willy is bound to break numerous school records during his last season in a blue and white uniform. He threw for 2,572 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.
Willy is aware of the high expectations placed on his team, but does not let it bother him.
"Pressure is part of the game, it's what builds champions," he said. "If you can't handle pressure then you're in the wrong sport."
Gill, a national champion at Nebraska, is used to the pressure and, like Willy, is not fazed.
"Being a head coach is already pressure. You just focus at the task at hand," Gill said. "Once the ball is kicked, you get so focused at the task at hand everything else erases from your mind."
Willy and the offense are ready to put a potent offense on the field. They will hope to take advantage of a UTEP defense that is under a new defensive coordinator, Osia Lewis, and is in a new defensive scheme.
"They run a tricky defense, but we'll be ready for it," Willy said. "We have prepared for them all training camp, so we're going to come aggressive. It'll be a good battle."
Gill has reviewed film all summer of UTEP's defense, which is rarely used in college football. Even with the amount of work, Gill doesn't quite know what to expect come game time.
"Their defense is a little more exotic than usual," he said. "We don't exactly know how [Lewis] is going to run it since it's his first time calling the defense, but we're prepared for everything they might throw at us."
On offense, UTEP has their own impressive quarterback in Timothy Vittatoe. As a freshman, Vittatoe threw for 3,101 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is surrounded by a talented corps of receivers led by Jeff Moturi. Moturi is an explosive option who produced 891 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.
To counter, Buffalo returns seven starters on defense, but has three new starters at the linebacker position. They do return all four starters in the defensive secondary, which helps against a UTEP offense that throws around 50 times a game, according to Gill. The defense has a game plan coming into the game, but Gill expects to make adjustments as the game goes along.
"After a couple of series, you figure out what they're trying to do," Gill said. "Sometimes you may not do what you anticipate doing before the game, so it's all about adjustments."
With questions surrounding both defenses and the talent on offense, a high scoring game is expected. Willy has heard that a shootout is expected, but he does not plan on it happening.
"You never know what's going to happen in a game," Willy said. "Either way, we'll be ready for however the game is played. We can play high tempo, but we can also grind it out. We'll be ready to go."
Whatever the style of play is, both teams are hoping for a win to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start to the new season. Buffalo is heading to Pittsburgh, ranked 25th by the Associated Press Top 25 College Football poll, while UTEP travels home to take on Texas, ranked 11th by the AP.
Kickoff for the opener is at 7 p.m. at UB Stadium. It is preceded by the Bulls Backyard Bash, which begins at 3 p.m. at the Special Events Field.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
