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Paul Peck's Bull Session: Norfolk State
9/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Each week, Voice of Bulls Football Paul Peck previews the upcoming game.
Buffalo (1-2) vs. Norfolk State (0-3)
The non-conference schedule comes to an end with Saturday's game against the Spartans. It has been an up-and-down start to the season for the Bulls, but Saturday's game against an FCS foe is a chance to gain some momentum heading into the MAC opener. There have been positives for UB, like the passing attack, the running game depth, the emergence of young receivers and the solid special teams. There have been areas that will need improvement, like the big plays allowed by the defense, too many dropped passes and a lack of takeaways. Saturday is a chance to solidify those good areas, and shore up the ones that aren't working.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Offense
Joe Licata leads the MAC in passing at 290 yards per game, and touchdown passes with nine. With Bowling Green standout QB Matt Johnson out for the season, Joe will have a chance to stay atop those rankings for the entire season…..Joe's 9 TD passes rank sixth in the NCAA, three behind the national leaders…In the first game, Joe connected with 8 different receivers. In the Army game, it was 11 receivers. Against Baylor, 9 different players caught passes. While that's a tribute to Licata's ability to find the open man, it also says a lot about the depth of the receivers and tight ends. As Ron Willoughby, Devon Hughes and Marcus McGill have emerged as the starters, four other wideouts have all flashed their skills. Jacob Martinez and Jamarl Eiland have speed, John Dunmore has great hands, and as we saw on his touchdown catch, Malcolm Robinson can go get the football. That depth is a big reason why Boise Ross was moved to cornerback….The Bulls have scored 21 or more points in all three games…Jordan Johnson ran for a career-high 97 yards against Baylor. He ran hard and showed good burst through the hole. Johnson is a nice compliment to leading rusher Anthone Taylor and his hard-charging style….Robert Blodgett started at right guard against Baylor, and made a big play when he smashed into a Bears defender trying to intercept a tipped pass…Norfolk State is very good on defense. They rank ninth in FCS in total defense, and they've given up only 56 points in three games. The Spartans defense is allowing only 78 yards rushing per game, and has yet to allow an opponent more than 100 yards rushing in a game….As we have become used to seeing, Norfolk State features a top flight FBS transfer. Linebacker Lynden Trail started his career at Florida, before transferring to the Spartans. Trail is six-foot-seven, 260 pounds. He was a four-star recruit who had offers from SEC and ACC teams. Last season, Trail was a first team FCS All-American after totaling 94 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He is the MEAC preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Trail is on the Senior Bowl watch list, and he's mentioned on numerous NFL Draft prospect lists….Trail is the key player in the Norfolk State 3-4 defense. Inside linebacker Marcell Coke leads the team in tackles, and fellow outside linebacker Deon King is tied with Trail for the lead in sacks….The Spartans are big on the defensive front, averaging 300 pounds.
Bullseye on: Buffalo Defense
Defensive leader Adam Redden was asked if he's worried about his defense, after allowing 1,135 yards in the last two games. His answer should please Bulls fans: "We'll be fine. I'm not worried. We just need more turnovers." The yardage is a product of the style they've played the last two weeks. The turnovers, especially after last year, are something the Bulls defenders are spending a lot of time working on. In 2013, the defense averaged over two takeaways per game. So far this year, the Bulls have just three in three games….Interceptions should start to come as the Bulls secondary becomes more comfortable. We saw that in the second half against Baylor, as the pass coverage improved. Dwellie Striggles has gotten better each week, and the depth has improved as Andrews Dadeboe, Houston Glass and Brandon Berry get used to playing key snaps….The adjustment is still going on for Boise Ross, as he makes the move from receiver to cornerback. Ross, second-team All-State in Pennsylvania as a defensive back, played in the dime defense against Baylor. Jeff Quinn says the move is permanent, at least as long as Marqus Baker is out. Ross is excited about the move, and so is fellow DB Redden, who said Ross has now "come over to the dark side." Quinn says it's a move that was first discussed in preseason camp…Tedroy Lynch had another outstanding game, with seven tackles. That's 12 tackles and a sack in the last two games…Norfolk State has struggled on offense, scoring just 20 points in three games…Some of that is due to a new offense, led by a new offensive coaching staff. Some of it is due to youth, with only 2 senior starters. Some of it is due to a new starting quarterback. Terrance Ervin took over in the second game, and this will be the third start for the true freshman. He led his high school team in Virginia to two state titles and a 29-0 record…Running back Aaron Daniels is coming off a 106 yard game against William & Mary last week….The Spartans will use three receivers. Isaac White leads the team with 16 catches….Watch out for the speed of backup receiver Damian Smith. He comes from the NSU track team, where he was an NCAA East regional qualifier….Third down has been a problem, with Norfolk State converting just 11 of 45. The Bulls defense is fourth in the MAC in third down defense…Two statistical oddities for the UB defense. They have given up first downs on all 8 opponent 4th down tries. They have also allowed teams to score TD on all 12 trips inside the red zone.
Bullseye on: True Freshman
Every year since Jeff Quinn took over as head coach, about five or six true freshmen have been good enough to avoid a redshirt season and play as true freshmen. So far, through three games, three freshmen have seen action. Ryan Williamson, a safety from Cincinnati, has played on special teams and some on defense. He has two tackles and a tackle for loss. Running back Zach Nicholas has moved up to fourth on the depth chart behind Taylor, Campbell and Johnson. Nicholas actually got one carry against Baylor. How strange was it to see someone not named Branden Oliver wearing #32 and running with the football? Two other true freshmen, Matt Murphy & Brandon Williams, are listed on the two deep as backups but have yet to play this season.
Please join me, color analyst Ed O'Neil, sideline reporter Scott Wilson, game host Brad Riter and postgame host Kevin Sylvester for the broadcast on the Bulls Football Network. Our pregame show starts at 2:30pm. You can hear it in Buffalo on ESPN 1520 (www.espn1520.com), in Rochester on Sports 1280 WHTK (www.whtk.com), in Albany on 104.5 The Team (www.1045theteam.com) & in New York City on 570 WMCA (www.wmca.com).
