Exam 10: UCF 45, UB 21
Redshirt freshman Aaron Leeper was phenomenal, leading all rushers with 119 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns - the first of which set the UB freshman record for touchdowns. According to the final stats the Bulls gained merely 94 yards, but quarterbacks Randall Secky and Michael Radon were tagged with -43 yards between them. The offensive line had their best game to date, and Buffalo used their fullbacks well.
Passing Game
It was another rough day for Secky in the not-so-cozy confines of UB Stadium. The sophomore threw two interceptions, one of which had a huge effect on the Bulls' momentum late in the third quarter. Secky went 14 of 29 for a mere 109 yards and no touchdowns. Not many significant drops, but it didn't look like people were getting open. Tough day for the UB passing attack.
Run Defense
This unit played pretty solidly, allowing UCF only 122 yards on 30 attempts as a team. Good penetration by the defensive line kept the Golden Knights unsuccessful on direct handoffs. But an experienced quarterback (Ryan Schneider) and a mammoth offensive line ran draw plays to perfection, and it was poison for UB on a couple of long down and distance situations.
Pass Defense
Schneider threw for 360 yards and a career-best five touchdowns against the overmatched UB secondary. Two picks (Kevin Concepcion and Richard Sanders) highlighted excellent individual efforts, but Buffalo could only manage one sack and never really rattled Schneider, who had all day to throw behind excellent protection. Concepcion did muff an interception that had touchdown potential, but the Golden Knights scored two plays later. That is the way things seem to go for the Bulls right now.
Special Teams
Redshirt freshman Michael Baker went 3-3 on PAT's, filling in for junior Dallas Pelz, but it was a bad day for Buffalo punter Scott McMahon, who is generally one of the most consistent performers on the team. Stuck deep inside their own territory for much of the fourth quarter, McMahon could not punt the Bulls out of trouble and UCF capitalized.
Clearly the Bulls were well prepared for their showdown with the Golden Knights. The defense looked a couple plays ahead of UCF for the better part of three quarters, and the offense ran the ball so efficiently that they didn't need to take to the air often. An excellent job adjusting to changes in the UCF game plan.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
