Gridiron Report Card: The Spectrum grades the Bulls' 36-7 win over Norfolk State

Quarterbacks: A-

The Good: Junior quarterback Joe Licata threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns on a day in which he moved to fifth all-time in program history for passing yards. Licata started the day 6 for 6 for 184 yards, including two touchdowns. Licata’s first touchdown went for a program-record long of 92 yards on Buffalo’s second drive of the game.

The Bad: Licata overthrew what would have been an easy touchdown to junior running back Anthone Taylor, who was wide open coming out of the backfield. The Bulls were unable to score on that drive. Licata was just 3 of 8 for 17 yards in the second half.

Running backs: A-

The Good: The running game was effective in helping move the offense throughout the day. Taylor ran for 115 yards, while sophomore running back Jordan Johnson added 41 yards on nine carries before injuring his knee.

The Bad: Taylor ran for less than 4.2 yards a carry against an FCS defense for the second time this season.

Wide Receivers and Tight ends: A

The Good: Senior wide receiver Devon Hughes caught a pass over the middle, made one Spartan defender miss and ran for a 92-yard touchdown. Hughes finished with a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Ron Willoughby dominated the Spartan cornerbacks with his size; catching two touchdowns in addition to drawing two pass interference penalties in the end zone.

The tight ends only caught two passes, but one was for a 27-yard gain to sophomore Mason Schreck.

The Bad: Hughes had a drop on a slant route over the middle when he was open.

Offensive line: B+

The Good: The offensive line provided the creases for Buffalo running backs to total 171 yards. Licata had time to throw in a clean pocket and was only sacked once.

The Bad: The line did not open up any holes for explosive run plays as Buffalo’s longest run was for 11 yards. The offensive line was called for a chop block penalty on the third drive of game.

Run Defense: A

The Good: Norfolk State ran for 116 yards, but averaged just 2.5 yards a carry. The Spartan running backs were hit by a wall of Buffalo defenders at the line of scrimmage almost every play.

Senior safety Adam Redden was causing havoc all over the field. He made a tackle in the backfield for a 3-yard loss and later forced Spartans Terrance Ervin to fumble when the quarterback tried running the ball.

The Bad: Ervin was able to find room to run outside the pocket at times when he was pressured – highlighted by an 18-yard run on a third down play where he should have been sacked.

Pass Defense: A

The Good: Ervin completed just 3 of 12 passes for 99 yards. Norfolk State didn’t pass often, but when it did Buffalo was in position to defend. The Spartans had just one pass completion through the first 46 minutes of the game.

The Bad: Norfolk State’s first completion was a 68-yard touchdown pass. Senior defensive back Dwellie Striggles attempted to deflect the pass but missed and fell to the ground, allowing Spartans wide receiver Isaac White to run free into the end zone.

Special Teams: C-

The Good: The Bulls’ punt coverage swarmed Norfolk State punter Dylan Shaddix after a botched snap. Buffalo senior kicker Patrick Clarke made 39-yard field goal at the end of the first half to give Bulls 23-7 halftime lead.

The Bad: The Bulls’ second drive of the game started on their own 7-yard line after junior wide receiver Marcus McGill muffed a punt. Clarke missed a 23-yard field goal in second quarter that would have given Buffalo a 10-point lead. Buffalo missed two extra points, both due to botched snaps. The Spartans muffed both a punt and kick return, but the Bulls were unable to recover either.

Coaching: A

The Good: The Bulls seemed more prepared against an FCS opponent than they did in Week One against Duquesne. After allowing a 68-yard touchdown early in the game, the Buffalo defense remained poised and shutout the Spartans for the remainder of the game.

Head coach Jeff Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down with less than two minutes left in the first half. Johnson converted the run and the drive ended in a 23-yard field goal.

The Bad: Quinn was conservative on third downs early in the game with two run plays. Senior defensive back Courtney Lester was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after Buffalo recovered a Spartan fumble on the first drive of the second half. The players need to be more disciplined than that.

email: sports@ubspectrum.com