Shortly after an article highlighting the quarterback controversy at UB was published by The Spectrum on July 1, the quest for the starting job got a bit more crowded.
Junior quarterback Jerry Davis and sophomore quarterback Alex Zordich were expected to go blow-for-blow for the starting position, but a third party is now expected to have at least an equal chance to start – even though he's never taken a snap for the Bulls.
Fifth-year senior Chazz Anderson, who recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati, officially announced Tuesday that he will begin graduate school at UB in the fall. Anderson has one year of football eligibility remaining, and because he already graduated he will not be forced to sit out a year.
Anderson appeared in seven games (one start) last season for Cincinnati, throwing for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He completed 51.1 percent of his passes and rushed for 80 yards on 19 carries.
Chazz seems to know something about UB that many in college football overlook.
"The University at Buffalo has something special and I've been telling the guys that you win championships when you come together as a team," Anderson said. "I walked in and felt like I was a part of a family."
Anderson spent his career at Cincinnati as a backup to Tony Pike and Zach Collaros. Bulls head coach Jeff Quinn was Anderson's offensive coordinator at Cincinnati from 2007-09.
"It's a very unique and unusual situation," Quinn said. "He has one year of eligibility remaining and he chose to come to Buffalo. He understands what it takes to win championships. He has a really solid work ethic, he's passionate about the game, he provides leadership, and he's a talented young man. He has a sense of urgency."
Quinn added that Anderson put the full plan into fruition. Anderson came to Quinn, expressed interest, and did all the work necessary to transfer.
With the signing of Anderson, the Bulls now have seven quarterbacks on scholarship: Davis, Zordich, Anderson, senior Cory Jorgensen, redshirt freshman Rudy Johnson, and freshmen Joe Licata and Tony Daniel. Anderson's arrival virtually ensures Licata and Daniel will be redshirted.
Quinn isn't making any promises about Anderson's playing time. He insists that the position is still up for grabs. He said the best quarterback will be the one who plays, and he's excited for Anderson and the possibilities that he brings to the table.
Anderson realizes that the position won't be handed to him. He recognizes that it's going to take a lot of effort to overcome Zordich and Davis, but he's not letting that hinder his aspiration to start.
"Zordich and Jerry Davis are two great quarterbacks," Anderson said. "Coach Quinn has made it very clear that they are going to get an equal opportunity to be the starting quarterback. With that said, I'm preparing like I'm the starting quarterback."
Anderson is a running quarterback – the type of quarterback needed to run a spread offense like Quinn's.
After redshirting for a year, Anderson put up his most impressive statistics as a freshman. The young quarterback went 46-for-75 for 520 yards. He threw two touchdowns and three interceptions, and he posted an impressive passer rating of 120.4. Anderson hardly saw the field in 2009. He doesn't plan on watching from the sidelines again.
"I didn't transfer to sit on the bench," Anderson said. "Again, I want to give all the credit to Zordich and Davis. They do a phenomenal job. Everyone wants to be the starting quarterback. As a five year old, that's what you dream about. If we win a [Mid-American Conference] championship, that would mean more to me than being the starting quarterback."
Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
