His touchdown runs were dazzling. His speed? Breathtaking. Though seemingly all the hype surrounded Stony Brook's impressive duo of running backs, it was Buffalo's sophomore from Miami who really put on a show on Saturday.
Branden Oliver's 126 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries carried Buffalo to a 35-7 victory.
Last year, Buffalo took on Division I-AA Rhode Island in its home opener. This Saturday, the Bulls opened home play with another I-AA team – Stony Brook. The Bulls won 31-0 last year. Early in the ballgame, the Seawolves sought to prove they wouldn't be quite as easy.
Unfortunately for Stony Brook, Oliver suited up for Buffalo. The seventh-largest crowd in UB Stadium history witnessed his dominant performance.
At 5-foot-8, Oliver doesn't look that imposing. On Saturday, Stony Brook learned just how deceiving his size is.
"If you look at [the game], the tell-all is the explosive plays by Branden Oliver," said head coach Jeff Quinn. "Branden did a great job. He had a real solid night."
It didn't take long for Buffalo to show it was superior to Stony Brook. On the first play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Chazz Anderson hit sophomore tight end Alex Dennison on a 57-yard touchdown.
"We talked about [the play] since Monday," Dennison said. "I actually woke up about 5 a.m. this morning, thinking: ‘this ball's going to come to me. I better be prepared to catch it and run.'"
It was Dennison's first career catch and one of two touchdowns tossed by Anderson, who finished with 164 yards and an interception on 15-22 passing.
Following Buffalo's opening score, Stony Brook put a scare in the Bulls. The Seawolves punched the ball down Buffalo's throat on a 10 play, 92-yard drive that took up 5:03. Their impressive march culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Essington to receiver Jordan Gush.
That was when Buffalo proved once again what head coach Jeff Quinn has preached – the Bulls are a different team this year. The Bulls unmistakably lacked leadership last year, and they struggled to recover when their opponents made big plays.
Last week, Anderson helped Buffalo bounce back after a momentum-swinging interception and touchdown by Pittsburgh. This week, Oliver fueled Buffalo's resiliency.
Following Stony Brook's impressive drive, Buffalo put together one of its own. A 13-play, 74-yard drive ended in an unbelievable 22-yard run by Oliver. After he sprinted through the first wave of tacklers, it appeared he would be brought down at the Stony Brook 5 yard line. However, he shoved off one tackler and dragged another several yards, extending the football just far enough to reach the end zone.
Sophomore linebacker Khalil Mack and the rest of the defense put on a clinic. Freshman linebacker Lee Skinner recovered two fumbles and Mack forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass.
That interception yielded the game's most controversial moment. With two minutes remaining in the opening half, Mack intercepted a pass, which was deflected by junior defensive tackle Wyatt Cahill, and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. However, at the 3 yard line – with no one within five yards of Mack – he extended the football in celebration. The play was flagged as unsportsmanlike conduct and the touchdown was negated, much to Buffalo's dismay.
A new college football rule this year states if any player brings attention to himself before entering the end zone, the touchdown will be negated and the player's team will be penalized.
Mack said the excitement of the moment just got to him, though he knew of the rule. He promised fans that it will never happen again.
"He came to me and said, ‘Coach, I'm going to come right back and get the ball right back to you,'" Quinn said. "Obviously, we need to be more disciplined because we can't afford to take points off the board. We expect our players to enter the end zone like you've been there and like you anticipate being in there. Don't be surprised by success."
On the very next play after Mack's interception, Anderson was intercepted by defensive back Donald Porter on Stony Brook's 8-yard line. The Seawolves promptly took a knee and headed into halftime.
Oliver's success shouldn't be a surprise considering he trained with a 30-pound vest to get faster over the summer.
"In camp, Bo showed that gear and he busted a few plays from scrimmage and pulled away from guys," Quinn said. "And we said, ‘see, hard work does pay off.' Bo has certainly provided a great deal of focus and relentless effort."
With his imposing performance at the beginning of the season, it's natural that teams will start game planning for Oliver. The sophomore said he's not afraid.
"We're still going to run the ball," Oliver said. "I know the coaches still will have faith in me and give me the ball. If they load up in the box, we'll hit them over the top."
Oliver will have a chance to back up his words next Saturday, when the Bulls will travel to Indiana to take on the Ball State Cardinals (1-1).
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