It's no secret that the strength of the football team is its ground-and-pound running game led by arguably the best running back in the Mid-American Conference, soon-to-be senior Branden Oliver.
Oliver played in just seven games last season and averaged 117.3 yards. In an offense that continues to expand its capabilities outside of the running game, Oliver is just one component in an offense that is attempting to become a forerunner in the MAC this season.
"We want to be the No. 1 offense in the MAC, and we're starting there," said senior wide receiver Fred Lee. "I think we've got a great chance. We've got a lot of guys who stepped in last year who showed they could play when myself, [senior Alex Neutz] and [Oliver] were out. Now we're all back with the other guys who stepped in. So when I think you put all of that together, our offense will be blowing people out of the water."
As Lee noted, the receiving core is deep this year and is returning every player from last year's squad. Marcus McGill, Cordero Dixon, Devon Hughes and Rudy Johnson are all expected to make an impact at the deeper ends of the rotation.
There is also first-class talent at the top of the group - starting with Neutz.
Alex Neutz, Senior
With the injury to Oliver, Neutz was the team's most consistent threat on offense. In 11 games, he caught 65 balls for 1,015 yards and 11 touchdowns (all to lead the team).
Despite missing one game to injury, Neutz garnered about 33 percent of the team's total catches last year.
"He's a tremendously athletic player," said head coach Jeff Quinn. "He's got great concentration and great judgment of the ball in the air. I've always said Neutz makes the catches he should, because he's got tremendous ability. He's been blessed."
Quinn thinks the depth surrounding the team's No. 1 receiver will give Neutz opportunities to be even more effective.
After Neutz's dominant junior season, he now sits at 19 touchdowns and is just nine shy of tying Naaman Roosevelt's all-time school record of 28 touchdowns. As Neutz enters his senior season, the individual accolades aren't important to him. He wants a MAC Championship.
"The stats were great last year; that was fun, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't mean anything if you don't go to a bowl game and win a MAC Championship," he said. "So that's all I care about this year."
Fred Lee, Senior
With Neutz accounting for 42 percent of the team's receiving yards last season, the Bulls struggled to find a consistent No. 2 target. This year, that player looks to be Lee.
"I think he's going to have huge impact," Neutz said. "You saw at the end of year he came out strong. He had a great game against UMass and he played a great game against [Bowling Green], so those are the two games leading into this year. I think he's going to have a great year."
Lee's influence didn't come until late in the season last year, after he missed six of the first seven games with a broken hand. Despite that, he finished as the team's second-leading receiver, catching 17 passes for 261 yards and one touchdown.
"Fred's a big-time player when it comes to having a physical presence out there and I like his overall mindset," Quinn said. "He's a very successful person in his own right and I think it comes out in the way the rest of the guys respond to his leadership."
Lee was hesitant to claim himself as the No. 2 guy, again harping on the team's ability to produce multiple playmakers this season.
"We're not really focusing on who's going to be the No. 2 guy," Lee said. "We're focusing on having five or six or seven guys who can get out there and play and it will spread the ball around and let numbers take care of themselves."
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Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
