The Bulls football team (1-0) defeated the Robert Morris University Colonials (0-1) 38-10 at UB Stadium on Thursday night.
The Bulls started the first game of the season with a win as the 18,412 fans in attendance watched on in Amherst. UB defeated the Colonials by running the ball and completing key passes in vital situations during quarterback Matt Myers’ first start. Thursday’s game was an impressive start to the season for a team looking to renew its record-breaking success from last year.
UB ran the ball 47 times as running backs Jaret Patterson, Kevin Marks and Dylan McDuffie shared the load on the ground. Patterson was dominant, running for 90 yards and one touchdown. He ran through the Colonials’ defense and broke two tackles on a huge 29-yard run in the first quarter that followed a touchdown by tight end Zac Lefebvre.
Redshirt freshman Myers was solid in the win as he completed five of ten passes and threw two touchdowns, also rushing the ball four times for 47 yards.
Myers was used to the bright lights during his high school years at West Seneca West.
Although he wasn’t in the Southtowns on Thursday, the local didn’t look fazed at all on a bigger Buffalo field.
“There were a little butterflies in my stomach pre-game,” Myers said. “As the game went on, first snap, it was more of just playing football. And I kept on telling myself that, ‘Just play football, play your game and everything will be fine.”
Lefebvre, another of the nights’ key players, took in two touchdowns as the Colonials secondary left him wide open for a 40-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Wide receiver Marlyn Johnson also had one reception for 27 yards. The Bulls didn’t rely on many passes on Thursday night, but Myers and the Bulls’ passing attack should look to get more opportunities against Penn State next game.
The defense played a solid game as it held the Colonials’ offense to 10 points. Linebacker James Patterson made a huge impact on the game with five total tackles and 1.5 tackles for losses. The only turnover of the game was a fumble as defensive lineman Malcolm Koonce hit the ball out of the Robert Morris quarterback George Martin’s hands.
UB’s next stop is Beaver Stadium as the Bulls take on Penn State on Sept. 7 in a venue with a capacity of roughly 106,000. The Bulls last played the Nittany Lions in 2015, falling 27-14. The program has seen changes since, but Leipold doesn’t want to forget about celebrating his team’s Thursday victory.
“Can’t we enjoy this one for just a minute,” Leipold joked.
“I don’t know if we’ve been in a place this big, or [played] a team ranked this high in a while, but they know. I’m sure they’re going to go about their preparation in the best business manner and play their best football possible.”
Sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
