Can the UB Bulls offense continue to outrun the MAC?

2020 provided a collegiate football season like none other as programs across the nation dealt with COVID-19 related issues.

The Mid-American Conference was one of the last to announce that they would play in the fall of 2020 with an abbreviated six-game conference schedule, then culminate with one conference championship game.

The conference did what it could to safely implement a program that allowed for the student athletes to get on the field, but a number of games were ultimately cancelled after team rosters were decimated by COVID outbreaks.

Ultimately, the University at Buffalo Bulls football team was able to get five regular season games in along with a trip to the MAC Championship and the Camellia Bowl. The Bulls dominated the MAC with their running game spearheaded by now Washington Football Team running back Jaret Patterson. The team lost yet again in the MAC Championship however, Patterson is gone and so is head coach Lance Leipold who accepted the same position at Kansas very late into spring.

Will new head coach Maurice Linguist and co. have enough time to keep the Bulls’ offense running at full capcity?

Returning Horsepower

The diminutive ball carrier Patterson put up gigantic numbers as he tallied 1,072 rushing yards in just six games. After years of being told he was too small, Patterson finished 12th overall in total rushing yards, but first on a per game basis. Patterson’s 19 rushing touchdowns ranked tied for third in the nation behind only Najee Harris(26 TDs, 13 GP) and Breece Hall(21 TDs, 12 GP). In a normal year, Patterson’s pace would have fimly supplanted him in the Heisman conversation, but instead he used his buzz to take his talents to the next level.

Losing a guy like Patterson would normally put an offense at a big disadvantage, however Kevin Marks has been having a solid career for himself as well. After a 750 rushing yard output in 2020, Marks will look to climb the UB career rushing yard ladder board as he currently sits at seventh with 2,621 yards. Both Marks and Patterson burst onto the scene in their freshman campaigns in 2018 and have generally split time since with Patterson getting a bit more of a workload.

Now it will finally be Marks’ time to shine. The Norfolk, VA native is poised to build upon his 2020 season in which he finished with 6.6 yards per carry which is second all-time in UB history behind only Patterson’s performance last year. The nation will have their eyes on Marks as he is on both the Maxwell and Doak Walker Award watch lists.

Do not be surprised to see Ron Cook Jr. and Dylan McDuffie get a solid rotation in the backfield as well. Cook Jr. earned All-MAC honors as a returner and is a similar back to Jaret Patterson. McDuffie averaged over 5.5 yards per carry in 2019, but dealt with some injuries throughout the 2020 campaign.

UB will also return their signal caller in Kyle Vantrease. The 6-foot-3 senior was not asked to do too much in 2020, but usually succeeded when called upon. Vantrease threw for 1,326 yards with seven touchdowns while adding four more with his legs. When you have two running backs who average over 6.5 yards per carry, your job as a quarterback gets much easier and it seemed like Vantrease really gained a lot of confidence in controlling the offense throughout 2020.

Although the Bulls’ bread and butter may remain on the ground, Vantrease will need to involve his receiving weapons a bit more so teams cannot over commit to the run. This year Vantrease will be without Antonio Nunn(Atlanta Falcons) who graduated plus Zac Lefebvre(Western Kentucky) and Trevor Wilson(Kansas) who transferred. Only three receivers on the roster have a reception with the Bulls in 2020: former walk-on Jovany Ruiz(20), former quarterback Dominic Johnson(5) and Bernard Porter(1).

Vantrease’s blind side should be covered well as he will have two sixth-year linemen there. Jake Fuzak will move from right to left tackle this season and Campbell Trophy award nominee Jake Klenk will play left guard. Another sixth-year player will help the offensive line as blocking tight end Jake Molinich returns as well. Molinich is used in a variety of ways such as a traditional fullback role or an extra blocker for off-tackle runs.

New Faces

New head coach Maurice Linguist is a defensive guy, so we’ll leave him out of today’s offensive preview. Shane Montgomery was hired to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from his position at James Madison University. The Dukes went to the FCS semifinals in 2020-21 thanks en part to Montgomery’s offense.

JMU ranked 14th in points per game at 33.6 and 12th in total offense with 447.5 yards per game. A big part of that was from the running game with the sixth-ranked attack(232.6 yards per game). Montgomery brings a total of 14 years experience as an offensive coordinator at the Division 1 level plus four years as an FBS head coach. In fact, Montgomery even mentored Ben Roethlisberger while head coach at Miami(OH). There is a solid track record of successful offenses under Montgomery.

Three of the five lineman in front of Vantrease will be making their first career collegiate starts in 2021 as Bence Polgar takes over at center, Alain Schaerer at right guard and 6-foot-6 Gabe Wallace at right tackle. An interesting thing to note is that Schaerer is from Switzerland and Wallace is from British Columbia, Canada. Wallace specifically took up football late as he was a standout rugby player. Time will tell if the late coaching change could affect the growth of these young starters.

The receiver position features two new faces as starters on the depth chart heading into week one. Senior transfer Quian Williams is no stranger to the MAC as he had 76 grabs for 983 yards with eight touchdowns over the past two seasons. The other is freshman Khamran Laborn who is a cousin of Kevin Marks. Laborn spent last year at Garden City CC without burning an eligibility year and has been very impressive during camp. Williams and Laborn should quickly become household names to Bulls faithful Thursday night against Wagner.

Another name to look out for is tight end Tyler Stephens. Although he’s not technically a new face(4 appearances in 2020), Stephens has yet to register a catch. The 6-foot-6 sophomore offers a lot of upside at the position as a pass catcher and potential blocker. Stephens has a chance to carve out a large role in this offense.

A game against Wagner should be just what the doctor ordered to get the offense on the same page and used to games with fans again. Communication will be key especially with an early, winnable trip to Nebraska. If Marks gets things going on the ground this season and we see progression from Vantrease, then this offense can put up similar numbers but with a more dynamic array of attacks.

With the players they returned, the Bulls should still be able to remain a top-5 offense in the MAC as Marks is the best back in the conference. UB has the weapons on the outside, but it is up to coach Montgomery and quarterback Kyle Vantrease to use them. I think we should see Vantrease look more polished from working with coach Montgomery as I have high expectations for what this offense can bring in 2021 and beyond.