INSIDE SLANT
For all of the struggles Buffalo endured, the season essentially was decided by a few plays. Had Buffalo made one big play against Central Florida and Central Michigan, or defensive stops against Western Michigan and Bowling Green, the Bulls likely would have finished with a winning record and would be preparing for another bowl game.
Five of the Bulls’ seven losses were by an average of four points.
Only in spurts did the team function as it had last season, when it won the program’s first Mid-American Conference championship, most notably Nov. 18 when Buffalo beat Miami (Ohio) on the road for the first time in school history. The 42-17 victory signified the season’s seminal win, but the performance was not emblematic of the year.
Buffalo finished 82nd out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring offense. The Bulls net punting, punt return, kickoff return and turnover margin also rated as among the country’s worst. The most troubling stat for Gill was the turnover margin. The Bulls were plus-19 in turnover margin last season, but this year finished minus-7.
“That’s tough to overcome,” Gill said. “If you look back at our season, we had one or two of those plays here and there, and that’s what cost us from having a winning record.”
Injuries mounted as the season progressed, hobbling the offensive line and at tailback, where five different players led the team in rushing in one game or another. Senior James Starks, who rushed for 1,333 in 2008, missed the entire season with a shoulder injury.
Equally problematic were the growing pains of first-year starting quarterback Zach Maynard. During the first six games of the season, Maynard passed for 1,466 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but over the last six, he went for 1,228 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.
But Maynard became only the ninth Buffalo quarterback to complete at least 50 percent of his passes (57.5) and toss for more touchdowns (18) than interceptions (15). Drew Willy is the only quarterback in school history to do it twice (2007 and ’08).
Then there’s also the possibility of Gill leaving for another job.
During CBS’ pre-game show for the SEC championship game, Tony Barnhart said that Gill would interview at Kansas.
Gill’s name has also been linked to openings at Virginia and Louisville, but neither school had contacted Gill for an interview as of this writing. Rumors of Gill going to Kansas have been swirling since Mark Mangino came under fire a month ago. Mangino was forced to resign on Thursday after being accused of verbal and physical abuse by former players.
Gill, the former Nebraska player and assistant coach, is a natural fit for Kansas. He became nationally known as an assistant coach by successfully recruiting the state of his native Texas, and the Jayhawks are believed to be seeking a coach with strong ties to Texas. Also, Gill’s oldest daughter, Jordan, is a student at Kansas.
Neither Gill nor Buffalo athletics director Warde Manuel were available for comment.
Gill led the Bulls to a 5-7 record in 2009, his fourth season at the school. Gill signed a contract extension after last season, when he led the Bulls to their first Mid-American Conference championship and first bowl bid in 50 years. His contract runs through the 2013 season.
NOTES, QUOTES
Game Of The Year: Buffalo 23, Texas El-Paso 17—The very first game proved to be the Bulls’ gem of the season. UTEP took the lead as the buzzer sounded, and the place erupted. Wait a minute. Not one but two penalties were called against the Miners, which negated the touchdown. Bulls win.
Player Of The Year:
WR Naaman Roosevelt—Missed the last two games with a knee injury, but he made the offense purr in the first 10 games of the season. Leaves the program with nearly every receiving record in school history.
Fast Forward: Zach Maynard’s development is critical to a Buffalo team that returns 14 starters on both sides of the ball. Wide receivers will be scarce come spring practice, although Gill is high on true freshmen Alex Neutz and Fred Lee, who redshirted this year. Gill also anticipates signing three wideouts to help make up for the loss of Naaman Roosevelt and Brett Hamlin. The competition at tailback should be quite interesting. Defensively, the Bulls have to replace DT Dane Robinson, FS Mike Newton and CB Kendric Hawkins, but their potential replacements all have experience.
Recruiting Trail: The Bulls have received commitments from six players, including three-star recruits Okoye Houston, WR Devon Hughes, TB James Potts and OL William Robinson.
Quote To Note: “I always thought we would win at least six ballgames from here on out in our football program. I believe we’re at a stage where we should be bowl eligible every year. If that doesn’t happen, then that disappoints me.”—Buffalo coach Turner Gill.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Players To Watch In 2010:
QB Zach Maynard—He should be much more comfortable under center with a year under his belt. The only thing that could change would be a coaching change, which means Maynard would have to learn a new system.
RB Ike Nduka—Came out of nowhere to lead the Bulls in rushing. Before the start of the season, Nduka was the third-string running back. A powerful, shifty tailback, he comes into 2010 as an offensive weapon.
S Davonte Shannon—In three seasons as a starter, Shannon has made first-team All-MAC each year. A hard hitter who has played some safety, he leads an experienced defensive unit that ranked as one of the best in the MAC in 2009.
Pro Prospects:
TB James Starks—Missed his entire senior season with a shoulder injury but was one of the best tailbacks in the country prior to the injury. He says he’s nearly fully healed.
WR Naaman Roosevelt—Like Starks, Roosevelt has questions to answer about his durability. Not a burner, but he can make all the catches.
Roster Report:
• LB Darius Willis missed most of the season with a knee injury but is expected to return at full strength the spring.
• CB Domonic Cook underwent knee surgery a few days after the season ended but should be healthy enough to compete in the spring.
