2008 Buffalo Bulls - Recruiting Class

Buffalo Bulls 2008 Head Coach: Turner Gill

Buffalo Bulls

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Dalonte Wallace LB 6-2 200 Temple Hills, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt
Physical athlete with a great motor...a two-year team captain for head coach Rick Houchens at Eleanor Roosevelt High School...registered 15 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an interception his senior season...named first-team All-County, All-League, All-Extra and second-team All-Met as a senior...named first-team All-League and All-Extra as a junior...chose Buffalo for "a chance to be a part of a rising program."

Potential Instant Impact Players

Jerry Davis QB 6-1 200 Fresno, CA/Edison
Dual-threat athletic quarterback who was a three-year team captain for head coach Tim McDonald at Edison High School...named CMAC Player of the Year after throwing for 2,100 yards and 29 touchdowns his senior season...named first-team All-Fresno Bee...named Offensive Player of the Year by CBS 47 in Fresno...tied a school record with 22 completions in a game...chose UB because he felt welcomed and for the coaching staff.

Ray Anthony Long LB 6-1 195 Houston, TX/Nimitz
Great overall athlete who played safety and linebacker at Nimitz High School for head coach David Suggs...as a senior totaled 60 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries (one for a TD)...named first-team All-District as a senior and second-team All-District as a junior...invited to play in the Space City Classic All-Star Game...chose Buffalo because of the "great coaches and family environment.

Rest of the Class
Isaac Baugh DB 6-1 180 Spring Hill, TN/Independence
Imani Chatman LB 6-3 215 Frederick, MD/Urbana
Jose Cortes OL 6-5 285 El Cajon, CA/Valhalla
Obi Ezemma* LB 6-0 215 Spring Valley, NY/Ramapo
Zach Maynard QB 6-3 185 Greensboro, NC/Grimsley
Steven Means DE 6-3 220 Buffalo, NY/Grover Cleveland
Willie Moseley DE 6-4 225 Sandston, VA/Varina
Gokhan Ozkan OL 6-7 300 Staten Island, NY/Bishop Ford
Scott Pettigrew LB 6-2 210 Thompson's Station, TN/Independence
Mark Richardson LB 6-2 220 Miami, FL/Hialeah
David Skrip OL 6-3 285 Albion, NY/Albion
Richie Smith* DT 6-3 300 Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl
Dustin Tait LB 6-1 225 Knoxville, TN/Knoxville Catholic
Jaleel Verser DE 6-6 225 Lansing, MI/Everett
Graham Whinery OL 6-3 260 Arlington, TX/Martin
Darius Willis LB/QB 6-3 220 Houston, TX/Dwight D. Eisenhower
Joel Wilson DT 6-3 280 Garland, TX/Garland

- 2007 Buffalo Season
- 2007 Buffalo Preview 
- 2006 Buffalo Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 1-11
2007 Results: 5-7

Aug. 30 at Rutgers L 38-3
Sept. 8 at Temple W 42-7
Sept. 15 at Penn State L 45-24
Sept. 22 Baylor L 34-21
Sept. 29 at Ball State L 49-14
Oct. 6 Ohio W 31-10
Oct. 13 Toledo W 43-33
Oct. 20 at Syracuse L 20-12
Oct. 27 Akron W 26-10
Nov. 3 at Miami L 31-28
Nov. 17 Bo. Green L 31-17
Nov. 24 at Kent St W 30-23 OT

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Everyone returns. The program hasn't exactly had anything to get fired up about, but Turner Gill has everything pointed in the right direction coming off a tremendous stepping-stone season that should lead the way to a possible MAC East title. Ten starters return on offense and eight are back on D, and all that experience should mean more wins in close games, even fewer mistakes, and the best season in the program's history.
Why to be grouchy: Let's ease up the expectations just a wee bit. Yeah, there are several veterans coming back, but it's not like the offense has a ton of top playmakers and if the turnover margin isn't in the team's favor again, there might not be as much overall production. The MAC is much, much better this year, and no one will take the Bulls lightly anymore.
The number one thing to work on is: Get more pop to the offense. The ground game was fine, and James Starks is a great-looking young prospect, but he needs more room to move and there has to be more big plays from the passing game. With so much experience, there's no excuse to not have a more efficient attack.
Biggest offensive loss: C Jamey Richard
Biggest defensive loss: DE Trevor Scott
Best returning offensive player: QB Drew Willy, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: FS Davonte Shannon, Soph.

2007 Recap
Recap: It didn’t take a bowl game or even a .500 record for the Bulls to emerge as the surprise program of 2007 in the MAC.  After winning no more than three games at any time this decade, Buffalo copped a school-record five league games, tying for the East Division lead, and dramatically shifting the culture around the program.  A perennial punching bag for the rest of the conference, the Bulls expected to win games last fall, a credit to the job being done by head coach Turner Gill in just two short years.              

Offensive Player of the Year: RB James Starks

Defensive Player of the Year: S Davonte Shannon

Biggest Surprise: Coming off a nasty loss to Ball State, the 1-4 Bulls permanently changed the direction of their season with a 31-10 spanking of Ohio on Oct. 6.  Showing a hint of what the program was about to become, Buffalo got 183 yards rushing and two scores from Starks, and an air tight effort from an improving defense.      

Biggest Disappointment: With a shot to earn a spot in the MAC Championship game, Buffalo lost back-to-back games in November to Miami and Bowling Green, the East Division front-runners.  The defense, which had been stout for weeks, took a step backwards, allowing 31 points and more than 400 yards in both games.          

Looking Ahead: Last season’s success in Buffalo may wind up being a stepping stone to a MAC title in 2008.  With a glut of starters back on both sides of the ball, and Gill locked up for the next few years, the Bulls are on the brink of something special in Upstate New York.

Nov 24
Buffalo 30 ... Kent State 23 OT
Brandon Thermilus ran for a one-yard touchdown on Buffalo's overtime possession, and Kent State couldn't answer with Anthony Mazazu getting sacked on fourth down to give the Bulls a share of the MAC East title. Drew Willy threw two second half touchdowns and A.J. Principe nailed field goals from 21, 23 and 23 yards out, while the Golden Flashes got two touchdown passes from Anthony Magazu and a two-yard Andre Flowers touchdown run. Derrek Burrell made 16 stops and forced a fumble for Kent State, while Buffalo's Davonte Shannon made 15 stops with two forced fumbles for the Bulls.
Player of the game: Buffalo QB Drew Willy completed 34 of 44 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 34-44, 334 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 18-54. Receiving: Ernest Jackson, 9-118, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Anthony Magazu, 12-22, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 34-183. Receiving: Tom Sitko, 5-61, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The amazing turnaround season for Buffalo might not have resulted in a winning season or a MAC title, 5-7 is still impressive after years of being awful. A share of the MAC East title is more than the program could've ever dreamed of, while the team showed it could not only be competitive, but successful. Drew Willy came up with a tremendous game throwing the ball against Kent State, but there could've been more from James Starks and the running game. No matter; a season-ending win is still going to be sweet for the rising program.

Nov 17
Bowling Green 31 ... Buffalo 17
Tyler Sheehan threw for two touchdown passes, connecting with Freddie Barnes on a swing pass for a 44-yard score, and working with Chris Wright from 83 yards away for a 24-10 halftime lead. And then Sheehan got into the act from the other way with a 25-yard touchdown catch from Anthony Turner for a 21-point lead, but Buffalo would fight back with a 17-yards Ernest Jackson scoring grab and getting down to the Falcon one on a later drive. but QB Drew Willy tripped on third down and threw a pick on fourth. The Bulls wouldn't get any closer.
Player of the game: Bowling Green WR Freddie Barnes caught ten passes or 113 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 20-29, 248 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 22-97, 1 TD. Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 10-113, 1 TD
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 19-32, 210 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 21-137, 1 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 6-148
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Bull offense was balanced and effective against Bowling Green, but it failed to come up with the key offensive plays it needed in the second half. The defense adjusted nicely after getting ripped up early, but the Falcons got up too much too early for UB, who isn't a team built for comebacks, to overcome. This has been a good season, but it can be a great one in the turn-around effort if it can get by Kent State. It's all about stopping the run against the Golden Flashes, and UB can do that.

Nov. 3
Miami University 31 ... Buffalo 28
Miami got two touchdown passes from Daniel Raudabaugh, including a six-yard play late in the third quarter for a 31-20 lead, but Buffalo would make it interesting with Naaman Roosevelt's second touchdown of the day on a three-yard catch with 2:54 to play. The Bulls had one last shot, but QB Drew Willy was sacked, lost a fumble and MU held on. The RedHawks answered a 92-yard James Starks touchdown run in the first five minutes with 17 straight points, but needed a long drive and a one-yard Thomas Merriweather touchdown run to take the lead for good. MU came up with six sacks, with Joe Coniglio cranking out two of them.
Player of the game: Miami QB Daniel Raudabaugh completed 20 of 26 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns, and ran three times for 17 yards.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 33-45, 217 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 19-148, 1 TD. Receiving: Brett Hamlin, 9-100
Miami University - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 20-26, 269 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cory Jones, 19-124. Receiving: Eugene Harris, 5-70, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo played relatively well in the biggest game in its history, but it couldn't stop the Miami pass rush and it couldn't capitalize on the momentum of the 92-yard James Starks touchdown run early. The season is hardly over, with a shot at a 6-6 season with Bowling Green and Kent State ahead, but after being in the MAC East title hunt, it might be impossible to crank up the intensity. It might be Turner Gill's toughest coaching job to keep the team's focus after a tough loss like this and a two-week layoff.

Oct. 27
Buffalo 26 ... Akron 10
Alex Allen capped off an 80-yard opening Akron drive with a one-yard score, and that would be it for the Zip touchdowns as Buffalo forced three turnovers and got an 11-yard touchdown catch from Ernest Jackson and a nine-yard touchdown catch from Naaman Roosevelt for a 13-7 lead. The Bulls owned the second half with two A.J. Principe field goals and a three-yard Chris Scharon scoring run.
Player of the game: Buffalo’s Davonte Shannon led the team with 13 tackles
Stat Leaders: Akron - Passing: Chris Jacquemain, 19-37, 185 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Bryan Williams, 21-87. Receiving: Bryan Williams, 5-49
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 11-14, 125 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 24-91. Receiving: Jesse Rack, 3-48
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo might not have gotten as much from the offense is it would've liked against Akron, but it didn't make the big mistakes the Zips made, and the defense was firm after the opening drive. Drew Willy was efficient and effective as UB took advantage of every opportunity. Now the MAC East title is there for the taking, but now UB has to go on the road to deal with Miami University. Win that, and this will be one of the years' most amazing stories.

Oct. 20
Syracuse 20 ... Buffalo 12
Mike Williams and Taj Smith each caught 113 yards worth of passes, and the defense held Buffalo to four A.J. Principe field goals, as Syracuse came away with just its second win of the season. SU's Doug Hogue ran for 83 yards with a six-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the first half. UB fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Andrew Robinson found Mike Williams for an 11-yard touchdown with 15 seconds to play, and SU had a 17-3 halftime lead. Principe connected from 31, 33, 29 and 32 yards out for the Bulls.
Player of the game: Syracuse WR Mike Williams caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 32-48, 286 yds
Rushing: James Starks, 20-62. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 10-91
Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 15-28, 265 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Doug Hogue, 24-83, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Williams 7-113, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo hung with Syracuse through a full four quarters and represented itself well on the road against a BCS team. The problem was closing, with four promising drives ending with field goals instead of touchdowns. The defense gave up yards to the two star SU receivers, Taj Smith and Mike Williams, but it didn't get killed by them. Now it's back into MAC play, where a win over Akron would set the tone for a possible MAC East lead. The team is playing just that well.

Oct. 13
Buffalo 43 ... Toledo 33
James Starks tore off touchdown runs from 45 and nine yards out, Ernest Jackson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass, and Naaman Roosevelt recovered a fumble for a score in a 28-point first half, and cruised from there. Toledo got within ten points midway though the third quarter on a five-yard Chris Hopkins catch, but Starks put it out of reach with a 36-yard touchdown run. Toledo rolled up 526 yards of total offense, but never got close.
Player of the game: Buffalo RB James Starks ran 35 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 8-16, 172 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 35-244, 3 TD. Receiving: Earnest Jackson, 4-107, 2 TD
Toledo - Passing: D.J. Lenehan, 32-50, 307 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 29-171, 1 TD. Receiving: Stephen Williams, 15-172, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... 3-4? All of a sudden, because of James Starks, the Buffalo offense is rolling, and now the Bulls are actually in the hunt for the MAC East title. As crazy as that might seem, it's all there for the taking if the offensive line keeps giving Starks room to rumble, and if Drew Willy takes advantage of every opportunity. Can UB beat Syracuse next week? If so, then it'll really be time to get excited about when Turner Gill has done.

Oct. 6
Buffalo 31 ... Ohio 10
Buffalo got 183 yards from James Starks, who started off the scoring with a one-yard run, and ended Ohio's hopes with a 72-yard touchdown dash with just over two minutes to play. The Bull defense allowed a four-yard Kalvin McRae touchdown run to tie it at seven, but scored the next ten points on a one-yard Brandon Thermilus run and a 43-yard A.J. Principe field goal to take the lead for good. Ohio was outgained 397 yards to 276.
Player of the game: Buffalo RB James Starks rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries, adding an 18-yard reception.
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Theo Scott, 12-24, 93 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 24-96, 1 TD. Receiving: Chido Nwokocha, 5-45
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 10-19, 118 yds
Rushing: James Starks, 36-183, 2 TDs. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 6-61
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where did this Buffalo defense come from? A week after not doing anything against Ball State, it came out and shut down the Ohio rushing attack, allowing just 90 yards, while getting the best game of the season from the offensive line. Drew Willy, when he doesn't have to bomb away, can be extremely effective, and it helps when James Starks is carrying the workload for 183 yards.

Sept. 29
Ball State 49 ... Buffalo 14
Ball State rolled out 507 yards of total offense, and got out to a 35-0 lead, with Darius Hill catching two touchdown passes and Dante Love each scoring twice. Frank Edmonds started off the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run, and finished it off with a one-yard score for the Cardinals. Buffalo only managed 219 yards of total offense and two short James Starks touchdown runs.
Player of the game: Ball State QB Nate Davis finished 21-of-29 for 233 yards and three touchdowns, running for 44 yards on five carries.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 14-19, 136 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Starks, 19-47, 2 TDs. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 5-44
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 21-29, 233 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Frank Edmonds, 24-126, 2 TDs. Receiving: Darius Hill, 6-80, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo is going to have its days when nothing is working right, and the Ball State game was one of those times. After getting down so quickly, the offense had to start trying to come back with no bullets in the gun. There wasn't much in the way of downfield passing, the ground game didn't work, and 11 penalties killed any hope for a momentum switch. UB might be better than it's been in the past, but it still needs to use each week to try to find one thing it can improve on.

Sept. 22
Baylor 34 ... Buffalo 21
Baylor took a 10-0 lead on the first of Blake Szymanski's three touchdown passes, hitting Justin Akers from four yards out, but didn't put it away until the third quarter on a nine-yard Krys Buerck touchdown catch and a Brandon Whitaker two-yard scoring grab. Buffalo's offense struggled to get going, but it was able to take advantage of the short field twice, finishing with two James Starks scores. Starks added a third score on a one-yard run with 1:21 to play.
Player of the game: Baylor QB Blake Szymanski went 21-of-45 for 172 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and ran 11 times for 91 yards and another score.
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Blake Szymanksi, 21-45, 172 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Blake Szymanksi, 11-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Justin Akers, 7-74, 1 TD
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 29-46, 276 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing: James Starks, 14-62, 2 TDs. Receiving: Naam Roosevelt, 6-79
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo had a prime opportunity to make a big statement, getting a BCS league team at home, but Baylor's offense was too effective, and the Bull attack didn't do enough to get things moving. James Starks had a nice game, but the ground attack only came up with 87 yards, and there were way too many mistakes on both sides of the ball with ten penalties and five turnovers. The secondary will have to be far tighter against Ball State next week.

Sept.15
Penn State 45 ... Buffalo 24
Buffalo scored first on a 19-yard field goal after an Austin Scott fumble, and then Penn State took control with a 31-point on a 27-yard Kevin Kelly field goal and four Anthony Morelli touchdown passes. Andrew Quarless scored from 21 and four yards out, Jordan Norwood caught a five-yard touchdown pass, and Terrell Golden scored from 27 yards out. Rodney Kinlaw and Austin Scott each ran for fourth quarter touchdowns.
Player of the game: Penn State QB Anthony Morelli went 20-of-27 for 202 yards and four touchdown passes.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 28-39, 330 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: James Starks, 18-41, 1 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 7-114
Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 20-27, 202 yds, 4 TDs
Rushing: Rodney Kinlaw, 23-129, 1 TD. Receiving: Deon Butler, 5-72
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UB was never going to beat Penn State, but there were positive, mostly in the passing game. Drew Willy kept the pressure on and kept winging it around, throwing for 330 yards, and while there weren't enough positive plays to keep drives alive, the offense showed it can make up for a lack of running game with Willy's arm. That'll come in handy next week against Baylor in what should be a high-octane shootout.

Sept. 8
Buffalo 42 ... Temple 3
Buffalo ruined Temple's MAC opener by stuffing the running game for -36 yards helped by five sacks, and outgained the Owls 414 yards to 141. The Bulls made it a laugher in the first quarter on a 74-yard pass from Drew Willy to James Starks on the games opening play, got a 50-yard interception return for a score from Mike Newton on Temple's possession, and put it away on a 33-yard Mario Henry run. Jason Harper ran for a ten-yard score for the Owls, but UB cranked out 21 straight points to end it, helped by a nine-yard Willy run and a five-yard scoring pass to Jesse Rack.
Player of the game: Buffalo LB Larry Hutchinson had a team-high eight tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, and QB Drew Willy completed 20 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and a touchdown run..
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 20-22, 190 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Mario Henry, 17-125, 1 TD. Receiving: Ernest Jackson, 5-40
Temple - Passing: Adam DiMichele, 13-23, 160 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Jason Harper, 6-25. Receiving: Marcell Grigsby, 3-27
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where the heck did this come from? Yeah, it's Temple, but yeah, it's Buffalo. The Bulls had one big game last year in the win over Kent State, but this still came from out of nowhere. It all started with a swarming defense that never let the Owls breathe, and was helped by an all-timer (for UB) of a game from QB Drew Willy, who went 20 of 22. Once it appeared in the bag, he didn't make mistakes and he kept the chains moving. This wasn't a program-changer for Turner Gill's team, but it was certainly impressive.

Aug. 30
Rutgers 38 ... Buffalo 3
Ray Rice ran for three scores, but Tiquan Underwood stole the show with ten catches for a school-record 248 yards with two touchdowns in the easy Scarlet Knight win. Rutgers jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead on Underwood scores from 65 and 66 yards out, and Rice closed out the touchdown scoring with a 41-yard dash in the third quarter. A.J. Principle got the only Buffalo points on a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Player of the game: Rutgers WR Tiquan Underwood caught ten passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 19-32, 165
Rushing: Mario Henry, 8-49. Receiving: Brett Hamlin, 4-54
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 16-23, 328 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 25-184, 3 TD. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 10-248, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Rutgers will turn out to be one of the ten best teams in the country, so there's no need to get too upset about a blowout loss. The big concern for Buffalo was the lack of getting anything going on either side of the ball. The run defense, secondary, ground game and passing game all failed to make anything happen, with no defense whatsoever on third downs allowing the Scarlet Knights to convert seven of 11 chances. Fortunately, next week, Temple will look like it's playing in slow motion by comparison.
Aug. 30 – at Rutgers
Offense: Although Rutgers is more than content to pound the ball between the tackles 30 times a game with All-America running back Ray Rice, it wouldn’t mind a little more offensive balance this year.  Whether that happens depends on the development of junior quarterback Mike Teel who struggled badly last year, but did play his best ball at the end of the year and has a speedy group of receivers needed to author a rebound.  While question marks exist on the interior of the offensive line, the tackle tandem of seniors Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah is one of the best in the country.
Defense: For Greg Schiano and his Rutgers defense, it’s all about creating pressure and turnovers with a variety of different looks to confuse opposing offenses.  Everything came together last year for a unit that had 31 takeaways and allowed just 252 yards and 14 points a game, but five starters need to be replaced.  Senior defensive tackle Eric Foster is a ticking time bomb that exploded on quarterbacks in 2006, en route to All-America recognition.  He’s the physical and spiritual leader of a front seven that’s noticeably less experienced than last year.  Provided sophomore Devin McCourty can handle the corner spot opposite twin brother Jason, the secondary will rock with the return of all-league safeties, Courtney Greene and Ron Girault.