Head coach Jeff Quinn and senior quarterback Chazz Anderson don't believe in moral victories. They do, however, believe in taking the positives from everything.
On Saturday, the Bulls dropped a hard-fought battle to Pittsburgh, 35-16. Though they couldn't complete an astounding upset, the squad is focusing on the bright side of Saturday evening's loss.
Buffalo's stars shone brilliantly. Anderson threw for 276 yards on 32-of-49 passing, sophomore running back Branden Oliver ran for 114 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries, and sophomore receiver Alex Neutz hauled in 10 passes for 108 yards.
Though his stats were impressive, Anderson wasn't satisfied with his effectiveness when he was asked about it immediately following Saturday's matchup.
"Personally, my performance wasn't good enough," Anderson said. "We didn't win the football game and that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to win football games. It's time to get better."
However, Anderson had a different take at a press conference on Tuesday. He said he had looked at the tape and reflected on his mistakes; he's learning from them and moving forward.
One error in particular stood out from last weekend's affair. The Bulls, down 7-3, marched down the field into the Pittsburgh red zone. Buffalo looked imposing on the drive, and it appeared the Bulls might take the lead. Momentum shifted when Anderson was picked off by Pittsburgh defensive tackle Chas Alecxih, who returned the ball deep into Buffalo territory.
The 2010 football team may have given up right there, but under the leadership of its fifth-year senior, the 2011 Bulls bounced right back. Anderson led the offense right back down the field on a dominating drive which he capped off with a touchdown run.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, its defense couldn't keep the pace. Pittsburgh scored on its next two possessions.
"I don't think we wore down," said senior safety Josh Copeland. "We had more mistakes than they did. We just had to minimize mistakes and we didn't. So we have to look at the film and come back for Stony Brook."
At Tuesday's press conference, Quinn echoed Copeland's thoughts. Quinn said the defense has been thoroughly studying the film to progress from last weekend.
Buffalo struggled particularly in run defense. Pittsburgh running back Ray Graham was untouchable. Graham carried the ball 29 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
Buffalo's running game was nothing to scoff at. The Bulls' running game was as good as it's been in recent memory. Oliver had the best game of his career, and his explosion marked the first time the Bulls have had a 100-yard rusher since 2009.
Neutz led the way for Buffalo receivers, but senior receiver Marcus Rivers also hauled in eight passes for 83 yards. Senior receiver Ed Young, however, didn't have the same success.
Young dropped two wide-open passes that certainly would've led him into the end zone. Quinn and Anderson were quick to defend Young.
"Eddie is going to have an opportunity to go back in there and show his teammates that he's a reliable, dependable guy," Quinn said. "Nobody felt worse than [Young]. We're going to keep working with the young man because I think he's a great player and he feels bad about what happened."
Anderson said he has all the confidence in the world in Young. He also said Young is going to have a big game this weekend against Stony Brook.
Buffalo fans will have their first chance to see the Bulls play at UB Stadium as Stony Brook comes to town on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Check out The Spectrum's full game preview in Friday's edition.
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