Published: August 27, 2007 10:47 pm      

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Rutgers’ rise inspires Bulls

AMHERST — Things weren’t always this rosy for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers is riding an unprecedented wave of success after consecutive bowl appearances and a 2006 season in which it started off 9-0 and briefly held poll position in the race for the Big East’s BCS bid. Hard to imagine that, as recently as five years ago, the program was in the same hapless state as the Buffalo Bulls.

Actually, Rutgers was worse. Both teams finished 1-11 that year, but the Bulls’ lone victory came at Rutgers Stadium, by more than three touchdowns.

Now, with the Scarlet Knights entering Thursday’s meeting between the teams (7 p.m., MSG) ranked No. 16 in the country, UB coach Turner Gill is pointing to Rutgers as the model he hopes his program can follow.

Gill said Monday that he’s allowed his players to look at Rutgers and say, “that can, and will, be done here.”

“When you’ve got hope, and when you see things that have been accomplished, then that gives you more faith and more hope for what you can also get done at the University at Buffalo,” Gill said.

Back when Kareem Byrom was playing high school football in the shadows of Rutgers Stadium, he remembers being able to attend games there for free. Now, there’s a waiting list for season tickets.

Byrom, a senior captain who will move from safety to linebacker for the Bulls this season, said he was rooting for Rutgers when it lost to UB. A year later, Byrom was on the sideline at UB Stadium when Rutgers came in and won 24-10.

“You could see the difference between the two (Rutgers) teams,” Byrom said.

•••

Gill announced Monday tight ends Robert Yealu and Brian Kisabeth (knee) and defensive end Tom Drewes will miss the season due to injury. Yealu and Kisabeth both tore anterior cruciate knee ligaments. Drewes underwent foot surgery.

Yealu, who went down during the Bulls’ first summer scrimmage, was projected to be the starting tight end this year. Kisabeth entered camp in competition to be his backup. Both are juniors. Jesse Rack, a sophomore, will start Thursday’s opener at Rutgers. Kyle Brey, a redshirt freshman, will back him up. Gill also indicated that true freshman Aaron Connacher (Jamestown) will play sooner than later.

Drewes arrived on campus last year as a touted middle linebacker. He played well enough at Auburn early last year to earn brief starting role, but quickly wound up back on the bench. He was moved to defensive end after spring practices.

Senior defensive end James Judges will not play Thursday because of an arm injury. Gill said he expects Judges to return to action next week.

Other notes of interest from the Bulls’ updated depth chart:

• Brett Hamlin will start opposite Naaman Roosevelt (St. Joe’s) at wide receiver. Hamlin led the team in receptions as a true freshman in 2005 then redshirted last season after breaking his foot in September.

• Peter Bittner (Williamsville North) beat out Jon Geddes at left guard. Bittner, a redshirt freshman, is the only offensive lineman in Thursday’s starting lineup that didn’t start last season.

• As expected, Kareem Byrom has been moved to outside linebacker. Replacing him at strong safety is Adekunle Akingba, a transfer from Nassau Community College who played linebacker during the spring.

• True freshman Domonic Cook (St. Joe’s) will start at cornerback opposite Kendrick Hawkins. Three of the Bulls’ four backup defensive backs are also true freshman: safeties Josh Copeland and Davonte Shannon and cornerback Josh Thomas.

• Roosevelt will again handle kick and punt return duties, along with backup running back Mario Henry.

• Walk-on freshman A.J. Principe beat out Gerry McGroarty at kicker.

•••

Principe is one of five walk-ons who will travel to Rutgers. The others are: quarterback Cory Jorgensen, defensive backs John Syty (Clarence) and Justin Winters, and wide receiver Simon Manka (Orchard Park).

Manka is a UB graduate student who took advantage of short-lived NCAA rule that allowed players who received an undergraduate degree in four years and still had one year of eligibility to transfer to another school without sitting out a year. The rule was changed in January but the Bulls were able to clear Manka’s transfer on appeal.

Manka played football and lacrosse at Virginia. He played on special teams in all 12 games for the Cavaliers last year, and is expected to be a special teams contributor for the Bulls this season.

•••

Local fans will surely keep an eye on how UB running back James Starks compares to Rutgers’ Ray Rice, an early Heisman Trophy candidate.

The last time Starks and Rice competed against each other was on the hardwood in Glens Falls. Rice was the point guard on the New Rochelle High School basketball team that lost to Starks’ Niagara Wolverines in the 2005 state semifinal. Starks was the sixth man on that team.

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258 or bronsteinj@gnnewspaper.com.