In a season where the football team's success will be dictated by a plethora of returning stars, there is at least one new face on campus who will look to make an impact. Soon-to-be-junior Blake Bean is the only newcomer practicing with the team this spring.
The men's tennis team faced a difficult start to its conference schedule when the squad hit the road this weekend.
The softball team had a streak that no team wants to have: 38 games without a winning streak, dating back to last season.
The softball team had a streak that no team wants to have: 38 games without a winning streak, dating back to last season.
In a day when many see the media as a nuisance, it single handedly created an uproar that forced the removal of a cruel, ignorant and abusive head coach at Rutgers University when its athletic director would not act. Following video footage shown on ESPN's Outside the Lines last week,Rutgers fired head basketball coach Mike Rice.
Danny White took over as athletic director last May with an agenda. Rumors about possible changes to the athletic department began to generate immediately, prior to White learning the environment of the university he was about to enter. Coming from a family line of people involved in collegiate athletics - his father is the AD at Duke -, White decided to extend familial ties from Durham to Buffalo.
Football intellectuals recognize that a good running game can only be as successful as the offensive line.
After an exciting indoor season in which many school records and personal bests were shattered, the track and field team has continued to find success early in the outdoor season. On Friday, Buffalo traveled west to participate in the Toledo Collegiate Challenge in Toledo, Ohio.
Following one of the most frightening injuries ever seen in sports, Louisville guard Kevin Ware's fall has created discussion among basketball fans and players alike. Ware jumped to contest a shot, just like he has thousands of times since grade school.
In 2011, three Bulls tight ends combined for 11 catches for 125 yards. In one game against Morgan State in 2012, tight ends had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. It would be an understatement to say the tight ends took a step forward in 2012. Junior Jimmy Gordon was the fifth-leading receiver in the offense, finishing with 17 receptions for 162 yards, trailing only three players in catches. Junior Alex Dennison had six catches of his own for 64 yards, while freshman Matt Weiser had a catch for 15 yards. Altogether, the unit more than doubled its catches and had 116 more receiving yards than it did in 2011. "There were always opportunities for them to make plays," said head coach Jeff Quinn.
During a weekend when the softball team struggled offensively and defensively, the one bright spot was freshman pitcher Nicole Aviles, who salvaged a win in the final game of the weekend. After having their scheduled home opener against Canisius postponed on Wednesday, the Bulls (6-20, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) were finally ready to open their conference and home schedules with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday afternoon. However, the much-anticipated opener turned sour as they dropped the first three games of the weekend.
The women's tennis team entered the weekend looking to defend its undefeated record and extend its winning streak to 12. Instead, the Bulls won just two matches on their first conference road trip and lost their No.
Leadoff hitters are often referred to as the "table setters" of an offense. Junior Jim Topps and senior Jason Kanzler, who bat first and second for the baseball team, prepared the Bulls' offense for a feast last weekend. The Bulls (14-12, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) continued their impressive start in MAC play by taking two out of three at Western Michigan (9-17, 4-2 MAC). The Bulls recorded 30 hits over the weekend, including two 12-hit performances. Kanzler went 4 for 11 in the series with three extra-base hits and five runs batted in (RBI), raising his average to .368 to go with his six home runs on the season.
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.
The shining sun did not make the mercury rise in the thermometer on Tuesday afternoon. It was a chilly March afternoon as the Bulls (12-11, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) saw an early lead disappear against Big Four rival Canisius (15-7), as Buffalo lost 6-5. After jumping to an early 5-1 lead in the second inning, Buffalo failed to record a run in six consecutive innings, finishing the game going 5 for 29 from the plate while striking out 10 times. "Their guys kept us off balance," said head coach Ron Torgalski.
The stage is finally set. The season has commenced. Since former Buffalo head coach Turner Gill left the program, UB football has taken a few seasons to transition into the Jeff Quinn era. On Tuesday afternoon, running back Branden Oliver, wide receiver Alex Neutz and linebacker Khalil Mack embarked on their much-anticipated senior seasons, as they took the field for spring ball. After dropping seven of their first eight, the Bulls finished last season in stride, wining three of their last four games.
In just 10 months on the job, Athletic Director Danny White has moved quickly to piece together coaching staffs that can help bring the Buffalo brand to a national level. On Tuesday, just over two weeks after the firing of Reggie Witherspoon, White made another imprint on the Bulls' athletic department. In front of a crowd of athletes, students and fans, White announced that former Duke basketball star Bobby Hurley will begin his era as head coach of the men's basketball team. "We really scoured the country," White said.
On Friday, veteran wrestling head coach Jim Beichner was fired, according to The Buffalo News. Beichner, who was awarded Mid-American Conference coach of the year in 2011, is the second long-time Bulls head coach to be fired in the past two weeks, following former men's basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon. Beichner could not be reached for comment. The news came on Friday after four wrestlers had qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. In a much-anticipated season with the return of redshirt senior John-Martin Cannon, the Bulls experienced a setback due to many unexpected injuries.
In her final collegiate swim - on the biggest stage - senior Mallory Morrell made sure to etch her name into Buffalo swimming history. Morrell became the first swimmer to qualify for the evening session at the NCAA Division I women's championship meet and the first swimmer or diver to earn All-American honors since diver Meli Carpenter in 2010. "To be the first [All-American swimmer] is something very special and a great achievement that nobody can take away from her," said head coach Andy Bashor.
Kelly Haywood has been competitively swimming for 20 years. The Kenmore/Tonawanda swimmer has been a part of her Special Olympics team since she was 28 years old. Eighty-five athletes ages 8 and up - including Haywood - crowded Alumni Arena's pool deck Saturday morning, ready to compete in the Western Region Special Olympics swim meet.
Solutions by The State News
