Gridiron Report Card

Quarterbacks: B-

Junior Joe Licata's absence was clear. Sophomore Tony Daniel - running the first team - and freshman Collin Michael - running the second team - started slow in the first few possessions. Both seemed to ease into the offense and throw more effectively as the game continued.

Daniel had multiple nice touch passes and Michael had hard, crisp passes. Some over threw his receivers, but when given the time, he was able to showcase his strong arm.

Both quarterbacks completed 50 percent of their passes (Daniel 13-26, Michael 16-32). They also finished with similar yardage. Michael finished with 175 yards and Daniels with 163. Daniel's biggest mistake came on a red-zone interception in which he tried to force a pass into triple coverage.

Running backs: B

Freshman Jordan Johnson took over the scrimmage.

He finished with 114 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Johnson's two touchdowns came on the same play call but were executed very differently.

Johnson was met by a wall of Buffalo defenders with a run up the middle but bounced to his left for a 10-yard touchdown - his first. When the same play was called in the second half, the hole was there and Johnson took it for the 43-yard score.

Sophomore running back Anthone Taylor is expected to be Buffalo's No. 1 back this season. He struggled to find lanes for most of the game and finished with 15 carries for 42 yards. Taylor also had four receptions for 28 yards.

Sophomore Devin Campbell lined up in the slot, as a split end and in the backfield. It looks like he will be Buffalo's most versatile player in the fall. He finished with five carries for 12 yards but was held without a catch.

Wide receivers: B-

The Bulls dropped some routine balls, which was concerning. When it came to mid-air adjustments, however, the receivers excelled. Both Daniel and Michael gave the receivers chances to make plays on the ball and most of the time they did.

Freshman Jacob Martinez and sophomore Marcus McGill led Buffalo with 56 and 55 yards, respectively. Senior Devon Hughes, freshman Boise Ross and sophomore Ron Willoughby had 56, 40 and 39 yards, respectively.

Tight ends: B+

Tight ends are often referred to as "safety blankets" for young quarterbacks and Saturday justified this statement.

Sophomore Matt Weiser had four receptions for 46 yards and freshman Mason Schreck added three more for 34 yards. All of this production came in the first half, as it appeared head coach Jeff Quinn made a conscious decision to involve the wide receivers more in the second half after seeing the tight end production to start.

Offensive line: B

Both quarterbacks usually had enough time to find receivers and weren't pressured very often. But the second team offensive line did allow a safety. The first team offense struggled to find running lanes, which falls on the offensive line, but the second team had great success on the ground.

Defense: A-

Anytime your second team defense records a safety and the first-team defense keeps the first-team offense out of the end zone, you know you are doing something right.

The first-team defense swallowed Campbell and Taylor out of the backfield throughout the game and didn't let Daniel beat it deep often. The second-team defense forced Michael and fourth-string freshman quarterback Craig Slowik to scramble outside of the pocket due to pressure.

Licata wasn't under center for the offense, which is worth noting, but the defense appeared to be just as effective as it was with Khalil Mack, Najja Johnson and the other graduated seniors.

Special teams: B

Special teams needs consistency. The Bulls have struggled with this in the past and Saturday was no different.

Junior kicker Patrick Clarke was on the field often and connected on four of his six field goal attempts. Clarke had a very impressive 54-yard kick when kicking with the wind, but missed a 43-yarder right before and a 45-yard kick right after. He also connected kicks from 20, 43 and 47 yards.

Sophomore punter Tyler Grassman was another frequent visitor to the field with inconsistent results. He showed his strong leg with long punts, but some came in inopportune times resulting in touchdowns.

He did have a booming 62-yard kick with no return and a kick that landed at the 3-yard line and stopped at the one. Grassman has shown potential to be a weapon for Buffalo if he remains consistent.

Coaching: B+

Over all, not much to complain about in this category -- it's an inter-squad scrimmage after all. Quinn allowed his quarterbacks, who usually don't get many reps at practice, to air it out and build a relationship with the receivers in a more "game-like" atmosphere.

Daniel even commented after the game that he saw things from the defense he hadn't before. It's important that Quinn and his staff threw unexpected things at the quarterbacks, because in game situations this will arise. Michael and Daniel need to be ready if Licata were to go down.

The offense tried one trick play - which was unsuccessful - but still useful in a scrimmage atmosphere. The defense was clearly ready to play and credit for that goes to the coaching staff.

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