Published: October 27, 2007 10:17 pm      

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UB wins third straight home game

AMHERST — Neither wind gusts stronger than speculation about Turner Gill’s coaching future nor the visiting Akron Zips could detour the Buffalo Bulls’ trek toward a division title.

In winning 26-10 on Saturday, UB (4-5 overall, 4-1 Mid-American Conference stayed atop the MAC East division standings at 3-0 and guaranteed both its best overall and home records in its nine seasons playing Division I-A football.

Drew Willy played a near-perfect game in UB Stadium conditions that include winds approaching 40 mph and driving rain for most of the fourth quarter. Willy directed UB’s first turnover-free performance since the season opener, completing 11 of 14 passes for 125. He also tied a career-high with three touchdown passes.

“When we have elements like that we just have to focus and good things happened today,” said Willy, who acknowledged Saturday’s winds as the strongest he’d ever faced.

Gill, the former Nebraska quarterback who has been a second-year sensation as UB’s head coach and offensive coordinator, said Willy is starting to think like a coach.

“He’s not forcing throws. We tell him which players he needs to read and he’s doing that,” Gill said. “He’s really understanding how to manage our offense. It’s a credit to him and also to (quarterbacks coach) Danny Barrett.”

James Starks (Niagara Falls) rushed for 91 yards on 24 carries. Naaman Roosevelt (St. Joe’s) had runs of 34 and 5 yards on plays where he lined up at quarterback, his high school position. Roosevelt and Jesse Rack each caught three passes, for 48 and 34 yards, respectively.

True freshman Davonte Shannon again led the Bulls in total tackles, with 13. Fellow safeties Mike Newton and Josh Copeland, another first-year player, had interceptions while Ronald Hilaire forced a fumble and recorded a sack.

Willy connected with Ernest Jackson on an 11-yard fade pass on UB’s first series, answering the Zips, who scored first on Alex Allen’s 1-yard plunge.

Later in the first quarter, Willy hit Naaman Roosevelt on a slant from 9 yards out, as UB embarked on its first come-from-behind win of the season.

Akron cut the lead to 13-10 with a field goal on the last play before halftime, but the Bulls sandwiched Willy’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Scharon between two A.J. Principe field goals and held an opponent scoreless in the second half for the first time this season.

The second half shutout included four fourth-down stops and a 6-of-7 effort in preventing third down conversions.

“It’s great to see this program, particularly the fourth and fifth year seniors, have some success,” Gill said. “All of the hard work and determination that they’ve had over the summer, and now to see some of the results. We still haven’t finished, and we still have some work to do but we do have things going in the right direction in this program.”

Some, are starting to wonder, however, if Gill and the Bulls will go in different directions after the season. Gill’s unprecedented success at UB has, of late, been a popular conversation topic among national media types who expect Nebraska’s interim athletics director, Tom Osborne, to bring his protégé back to Husker Nation.

UB athletics director Warde Manuel said the Bulls will deal with that possibility at the end of the season.

“He’s already put us in a great position and he’s shown people that you can have success here,” Manuel said. “I’d hate to lose him but it would be a positive. ...

“We haven’t had a coach go from here to another job like that. I think people need to understand that, at this level, that’s a good thing.”

•••

Game Reset

• SCORE: Buffalo 26, Akron 10

• SCOOP: UB has won four games in one season for the first time since joining Division I-A and sits atop the MAC East standings at 3-0.

• STAR: QB Drew Willy was 11-of-14 for 125 yards and three touchdowns.

• STAT: Akron’s Jabari Arthur, who came in as the MAC’s leading receiver, had just 34 yards and three receptions.

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