UB Bulls football preview: Why Buffalo Bills fans should watch It’s not often that we here at Buffalo Rumblings take the time to discuss the city’s other noteworthy football team Authentic Josh Allen Jersey , that is, the one belonging to the University at Buffalo. While the Bulls haven’t been that excited or intriguing the past few years, 2018 promises to be different. This year, thanks to a number of legitimate NFL prospects, the team might even make Bills fans sit up and take notice.First, a history lesson. When quarterback Joe Licata graduated in 2015, the Buffalo Bulls were woefully unprepared for his departure and hit rock bottom the very next year, finishing 2-10 in 2016. While the team was a disaster, some good things came out of that season. For one, redshirt freshman Tyree Jackson was anointed the new starting quarterback. Then Authentic Tre'Davious White Jersey , the team landed Anthony Johnson, a wide receiver transfer from Iowa Western Community College. The two players burst onto college football’s consciousness the following year, helped by Johnson finishing 6th in the nation in receiving with 1356 yards. Jackson, despite a mid-season injury, demonstrated some deadly deep ball accuracy and dual-threat capability. The two players carried the Bulls to a 6-6 record. Now this coming season, the duo promises to be one of the best QB-WR combos in the nation, let alone the MAC Conference. A MAC Championship and bowl eligibility for the Bulls isn’t out of the question.On offense, the Bulls sport the aforementioned junior quarterback, Tyree Jackson, a 6’7” http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-josh-allen-jersey , 245 pounds raw lump of potential. His arm strength is phenomenal and, if he has improved at all since last season, he should garner a healthy amount of NFL Draft buzz. Anthony Johnson, with his speed, hands and pro-ready 6’2” frame, is already on most draft analyst’s radar. If he can continue right where he left off in 2017, Johnson will likely become a first- or second-round draft selection. Tight end Tyler Mabry and center James O’Hagan have quite a bit of potential as well. Both have been named to preseason award watch lists for their respective positions. The Bulls are absolutely stacked on the offensive side of the ball.Though not quite as talented as the offense overall, UB’s defense also boasts an NFL-caliber prospect in junior linebacker Khalil Hodge. Hodge is a tackling machine at the second level, piling up 123 in 2017. He’ll need to answer some questions about his speed, but he likely projects as a WILL linebacker at the next level. Hodge is largely kept clean by his defensive line http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-tre_davious-white-jersey , a group that includes all-MAC defensive end Chuck Harris and junior defensive tackle Justin Brandon. Harris is the one worth watching, as the senior is the most experienced member of the d-line. UB’s season kicks off on September 1st, 2018 at 6:00 PM at Delaware State. Whether you’re interested in the team’s NFL draft prospects or are just interested in seeing how far they can go, I’d encourage you to tune in. Also be sure to check out our sister site, UB Bull Run, for up to date news and opinion. A common refrain following the Buffalo Bills’ loss to the Green Bay Packers is that the offense and Josh Allen need to take what the defense gives them. What this often suggests is taking advantage of soft spots on shorter range throws with favorable match-ups, often on linebackers. For this week’s opponent preview we’ll look at linebacker Jayon Brown and get into the Titan’s linebacker philosophy just a little bit. Play 1Jayon Brown is coming in fast and looks to have an advantage as a result of a head of steam and only Kenyan Drake looking to stop him. Low position from Drake and poor push from Brown result in Ryan Tannehill being able to get the ball off with only minimal pressure. Brown is the lightest Titans linebacker to see significant reps and his lack of push is not limited to this play. Play 2Brown can be pretty agile though and shows off a good bend from the edge rush here. What’s most impressive is his ability to turn around at the end while maintaining balance. What’s most important to note here is that the Titans love to move their linebackers all over and mix and match players. Including Brown, six linebackers have seen 20% or more of the total defensive snaps this year for the Titans. The Bills have only four, and in that group Lorenzo Alexander has seen significant time as a defensive tackle rather than linebacker. Play 3This play is a great summary of what Jayon Brown brings to the table. He’s stopped in his tracks initially, but wiggles away just enough to make the tackle. A subtle reason Brown is in position is that he tries to cut back to the inside at the last second Dion Dawkins Jersey , forcing right guard Brandon Linder to twist and lose a significant amount of leverage. Play 4A lot of what Jayon Brown is asked to do should look familiar to Bills fans after watching Preston Brown. Jayon is frequently in the “read and react” role in the middle of the field. On this pass, he both reads and reacts quite well. The tackle isn’t textbook but the Titans as a team lock down the play immediately. Play 5Against the Eagles, Wesley Woodyard left the game early with an injured shoulder. Woodyard is their every down linebacker. With Woodyard out, the Titans turned to Jayon Brown. Like above he’s covering the middle and reacts to the running play. Brown shows good discipline and is where he should be if he was needed to clean up the run. Play 6Brown is caught head on which allows the lineman to have good leverage. As a result, Brown is a non-factor on the stop. Brown’s presence still requires someone to block him though, which put his linemen in better position. Play 7For coverage, when asked to go man to man it’s typically against a running back. Brown’s sideline to sideline speed keeps him in good position for this play. In ConclusionJayon Brown will be a prominent part of the Titans’ defense when the Bills host Tennessee this week. Brown himself is a solid player that should be expected to have an impact on the game. Beyond Brown, the Bills will need to focus on linebacker preparation this week as a result of the mix and match approach that Mike Vrabel and Dean Pees have taken so far with their linebackers. Knowing who is on the field provides less clues as to what to expect.
