Defense comes out on top in UB football’s spring game

The UB football defense narrowly pulled out the win against the team’s offense during UB’s annual Blue and White spring game on Saturday afternoon at UB stadium. The final score was 40-37. 

Newly-hired head coach Pete Lembo described the afternoon as a “good, competitive day.”

“Anytime you come out here in the stadium and the lights go on, you see some guys step up and take advantage of the moment,” he said.

One of those “guys” was redshirt sophomore wide receiver Nik McMillan, who led the offense with six catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns. 

Senior quarterback CJ Ogbonna threw for 104 yards and a touchdown, completing 10 of his 20 pass attempts. Redshirt junior quarterback Gunnar Gray also had a good showing, throwing for 108 yards and a touchdown.

While the offense had its moments, the defense dominated the day. Despite trailing 36-37 with two minutes left, the defense forced the offense into a three-and-out to secure the win in the final moments.

“The defense finished the game off strong, which was probably fitting because overall I thought they held the upper hand during the day,” Lembo said.

Redshirt freshman Junior Poyser and graduate student defensive tackle Daishon Folsom had five tackles each, including two for a loss. They were accompanied by fellow defensive tackle Cornell Evans, who tacked on a pair of sacks. Redshirt freshman safety Jayden Lewis and sophomore cornerback Charles McCartherens each collected an interception.  

Redshirt freshman defensive end Nick Roy left the game with an injury but Lembo reported that it was just a rolled ankle and Roy will be healthy for summer workouts.

“I think morale is good, these guys are in a good place,” Lembo said. “They know we still have a lot of work to do, but probably the biggest takeaway from the spring is that their attitude, their energy, their effort, has been really good, so that’s important to build off of.”

The Bulls will now head into summer workouts and look to build off of their work from the spring.

“For the most part, we came out of spring ball relatively healthy,” Lembo said. “We’ll be getting some guys back this summer, some veteran guys that I’m looking forward to seeing and spending more time on the field with.”

The Bulls will next prepare for their fall opener which will be against Lafayette on Aug. 29 at UB Stadium.

The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com