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Friday, March 29, 2024
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Joe Licata sets touchdown record; what's next?

The junior quarterback is the reason Buffalo's relevant

Graphic by Andy Koniuch, The Spectrum
Graphic by Andy Koniuch, The Spectrum

It’s been very difficult to find bright spots in the 2014 Buffalo football season.

After a 3-4 start – in a season the Bulls emphatically stated as a year the team would be competitive – head coach Jeff Quinn was fired. Buffalo lost its next two games afterward, and the season appeared as if it was going to become very ugly, very fast.

And Tuesday night’s game looked like it would follow suit. On just the second play of the game, Akron’s ‘D’ intercepted Licata and took it back for a score. Buffalo’s Anthone Taylor fumbled the next possession.

Interim head coach Alex Wood even said “Honestly, I wanted to kill somebody.” Then, the game shifted.

Buffalo found the end zone in six of its next seven possessions – after just six touchdowns in its previous 37 possessions.

Buffalo’s second touchdown was one junior quarterback Joe Licata will never forget. The Bulls’ second score in their 55-24 victory moved Licata to No. 1 all-time for passing touchdowns.

This touchdown put him at 53 for his career. He finished the game with 197 yards and nearly the same amount of touchdowns (four) as incomplete passes (five) – raising Buffalo’s all-time passing touchdown record to 56.

Licata called Drew Willy – who is now No. 2 in passing touchdowns in school history – a “role model.”

Licata wanted to be UB’s quarterback for as long as he remembers. Before coming to UB, Licata was the quarterback at Williamsville South High School in Buffalo – where he just happens to hold a few records as well. The Billies also wore blue and white. He could see the flashing lights of UB Stadium from his window.

He called UB the “natural next step.”

Licata first met Willy when Licata was a senior in high school. Willy, two years removed from his Mid-American Conference Championship, was at UB Stadium watching the Bulls. Licata was checking out his future team.

Two years later, the pair threw together the summer after Licata finished his Buffalo freshman season with a 3-1 record as a starter. Willy told Licata he better not break any of his records.

Whoops.

“I’m sure initially he’s not too happy about it, but someday, someone’s going to break my records, too,” Licata said. “Records are meant to be broken.”

But one of Willy’s records may be much more difficult for Licata to break. Willy still leads Licata in MAC Championships.

The Bulls are 4-6 with Licata under center this season. It’s frightening to imagine what they would be without him.

After throwing 14 touchdowns and four interceptions in Buffalo’s 3-2 start of the season, he had seven touchdowns and six interceptions over Buffalo’s four-game losing streak.

He defines the term Most Valuable Player. If he has an off game, the Bulls have no shot at winning.

Licata has multiple touchdown passes in seven of 10 games. The Bulls are 4-3 in these contests. If the Bulls don’t score 30 points, they are going to have a very difficult time winning games. That’s a huge and unfair responsibility on Licata.

And next year, things will only get harder for him.

The Bulls will be dealing with a new head coach. Licata will likely have to learn a new system. He’ll be without three of his five starting offensive linemen. Most of Buffalo’s impact defensive players (a defense that hasn’t played well at all, but still, imagine what that says about the guys on the bench) are currently seniors.

Licata will be on his own – if he stays.

Will he look at other universities to transfer to? Honestly, he should. But he probably won’t.

He’s a Buffalo native. He’s dreamed of leading the Bulls to a championship since looking out his window to UB Stadium.

And that same little kid may not allow him to leave.

He said he’s never imagined himself in anything other than blue and white. Maybe it’s time he does.

He’s already done more at UB than nearly any other quarterback. He has every right at least seek out other options and seriously consider a move if the right opportunity presents itself.

He came to UB wanting to make a difference. He’s done that. Last year’s 8-5 bowl season featured current NFL players who may win Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. But without a quarterback, it’s nearly impossible to win eight games at any level.

They needed Licata to have success last season. And even with this year’s difficult season, Licata is still 15-12 as a starter at Buffalo. The only other quarterback in Buffalo’s Division-I history with comparable win-loss numbers is Willy.

But Willy was in a much different situation than Licata entering his senior season. Willy had built a rapport with then-head coach Turner Gill, and they knew they had the talent to compete for a championship.

I don’t think Licata’s in the same situation – and if he feels the same way, he has the right to look elsewhere.

But, of course, this isn’t the way Licata sees it. He’s already comparing the end of this season to the one two years ago, when Buffalo won three of its final four games, then went on to its 8-5 bowl season.

Luckily for the immediate future of Buffalo football, Licata doesn’t see any reason why these Bulls can’t do the same thing. But if he changes his mind, the city of Buffalo should be thankful to Licata for making football relevant in Buffalo.

email: owen.obrien@ubspectrum.com

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