UB Takes Down A-10 Foe Dayton

The UB men's basketball team went into Dayton, Ohio Wednesday night and came up with a huge win against the Flyers of that very city.

The Bulls were far superior from start to finish as they jumped out to a 16 point lead at halftime and never relinquished that lead. They finished off the Flyers in the second half winning by 29 points by a score of 84-55 and leading by as many as 34.

UB was lead by Zach Filzen who had a game high 24 points. Three other Bulls were in double figures as Mitchell Watt had a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Javon McCrea and Tony Watson each had 17 and 10 points respectively.

The Bulls shot 50% from the field in this game as well as just under 44% from thee-point range.

Dayton was held to their lowest scoring output of the year as they shot a very measly 28% from the floor. Chris Johnson lead the way for the Flyers with 12 points and Kevin Dillard had 11.

With this loss, Dayton drops to 5-2 and sees their five game winning streak come to an end. They will head on the road next to take on Murray State, December 4th. For the Bulls, they improve to 4-1 and will host Saint Bonaventure on Saturday.

Bobby Ryan to Sabres?

There are rumors all over the place in Western New York that are saying there is a possibility that New Jersey native and American Olympian Bobby Ryan is on the trade block. The rumors also state the Sabres as a possible suitor.

Anaheim is 2nd from last place in the NHL so far this year and is looking to make a major shake up. Trading one member of their top line, and one of the best in hockey, along with Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry would surely create that major shake up.

The rumors were strengthened when three members of the Ducks front office were seen in the First Niagara Center press box last night in the Sabres 2-1 loss to the lowly Islanders.

Ducks GM Bob Murray was on a trip to Syracuse to scout his own minor league team and Buffalo may have just been a routine stop but once a rumor of an All-Star being traded is passed on it wont stop for a while.

Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis and a draft pick may get the rumored deal done and I would pull the trigger on that deal. The Sabres are loaded at the wing position so trading two wingers for an all-star wing may be worth it.

While I do not like trading Tyler Ennis passing up a talent like Bobby Ryan can't happen. If the Sabres have a chance to aquire Ryan they should pull the trigger.

Zack Kassian to Make NHL Debut Tonight

Buffalo Sabres' 2009 first round draft pick Zack Kassian will make his NHL debut tonight when they travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets.

When the Sabres drafted Kassian with the 13th overall selection back in 2009, fans had high expectations. He is known for his physical play but also has an underrated set of hands. He leads Rochester in the AHL with 14 points in 18 games.

Sabre fans wanted Kassian called up on Wednesday when their team took on Boston with bad blood between the two teams, but in reality, it probably wouldn't have been the best decision. With all the injuries, especially the recent one to forward Brad Boyes, the call to Kassian was inevitable.

Kassian was a participant in the 2010 World Junior Championships for team Canada at First Niagara Center (formerly HSBC) where he showcased his talents for many fans as team Canada went on to win the Silver medal.

Sabres Fall to Bruins in Tightly Conested Contest

The talk of the city of Buffalo heading into Wednesday night's game against the Boston Bruins centered around what happened to Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller the last time these two teams got together.

For those of you who are unaware of the situation, a little background may be necessary. 11 days ago in a game played in Boston, Bruins forward Milan Lucic hit Ryan Miller when Miller went came out of the net to play the puck. Some say he could have avoided Miller, while others say he had no choice but to run into him. Regardless, Miller is out indefinitely with a concussion and the Sabres have not forgotten.

Buffalo was heavily criticized after that game 11 days ago because of their lack of responsiveness to the situation. Wednesday night, Lucic knew someone was going to challenge him and that they did.

Not long after the opening puck drop, Sabres forward Paul Gaustad dropped the gloves with Lucic. Lucic, clearly the better fighter dominated the fight but the response was expected and necessary by the Sabres.

After that, Buffalo put the first two goals on the board as Christian Ehrhoff scored on a slap shot from the blue line and Thomas Vanek continued his great play by scoring his 12th goal of the season.

They took that lead into the first intermission only to have Tyler Seguin cut in half early in the second half.

With the recent injury to Tyler Myers, the Sabres called up T.J. Brennan from Rochester. It was only fitting that he scored in front of the home crowd to make it 3-1. Brad Marchand did not let that 3-1 lead last long as he netted his 7th of the season to get Boston to within one goal heading into the third.

In the third, a questionable penalty call on Buffalo's Derek Roy led to the game tying power play goal by Zdeno Chara. That ended up being the last goal of regulation.

In overtime, both teams had numerous chances to end the game and secure 2 points but neither could get it past goalies' Jhonas Enroth and Tim Thomas.

The game was decided in a shootout where it was scoreless until the fifth round when after Drew Stafford missed. Benoit Pouliot beat Enroth with a top shelf wrist shot to finish off the Sabres.

The Sabres picked up a point in the game giving them a total of 25 on the year, three behind Boston. They next play in Columbus, Friday against the Blue Jackets.

Bills Lose Jackson for Year

The downhill spiral that is the Buffalo Bills once promising season, took another turn for the worse Wednesday when they found out that their workhorse running back Fred Jackson would miss the remaining six games this season.

It was originally thought that Jackson had a strained right calf but an x-ray revealed a broken bone in Jackson's right leg. He ranks second in the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,376 and he only trails the Bears' Matt Forte.

The Bills surprising start this year was fueled by the offense orchestrated by Jackson and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Removing Jackson from that picture will put even more pressure on Fitzpatrick as he will be asked to make more plays with the lack of a power running game.

2009 1st round draft pick C.J. Spiller will get the start Sunday when the Bills go on the road to take on the New York Jets. Spiller has yet in his two year career to show many signs of that first round promise that he once possessed. He will get his opportunity this Sunday when he goes up against an active Jets defense.

Buffalo did claim former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice off of waivers Wednesday and he will surely work his way into the rotation throughout the rest of the season. Choice has served as a viable backup option in Dallas over the past few years (recently released by Redskins) and the Bills are hoping he can bring his experience in and contribute to the offense and help Spiller.

Myers has Broken Wrist; Surgery Required

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced after practice on Monday that defenseman Tyler Myers had surgery today on his broken wrist and will miss some significant time.

Tyler Myers is having a shaky start to the 2011-2012 season. He was even benched by head coach Lindy Ruff for a game last week. Recently though, Myers has showed signs of his old self. He netted his first two goals of the season against the New Jersey Devils last Wednesday. This injury comes at an inopportune time for both Myers and the Sabres.

Myers' injury occurred during the second period of Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, which caused him to miss the rest of the game. Sources have said that the 22-year old could miss around a month of action

In result of the injury. the Sabres have announced that defensemen TJ Brennan has been recalled from the American Hockey League to fill the empty roster spot.

Bills Continue Downhill Sprial; Lose Big to Struggling Dolphins

The Bills' 4-1 record seems like a long time ago as they have lost 4 of their last 5 and have lost their stronghold which they once had on their season.

"I don't know if I've ever been through that before, ever," coach Chan Gailey said. "When you're that bad, you're having a pitiful day."

If you were given the stat line before the game of the Bills holding Miami to 242 yards, keep them under 100 yards rushing, and limit Brandon Marshall to only one catch, the usually means a win for the 2011 Buffalo Bills. A win was the farthest thing from capable Sunday.

The Dolphins scored four touchdowns in the first half as they jumped out to a huge 28-6 lead at the half. The Bills' defense made Matt Moore look like the Dolphins savior on a day when neither teams running game could really get anything going. He threw for 160 yards with three touchdowns against a Bills defense who only allowed 242 total yards.

Buffalo came out firing on their opening drive as they went down the field but had to settle for a field goal after Ryan Fitzpatrick missed an open 3rd and 2 throw intended for Stevie Johnson. That was the only bright spot for the team as no other offense was generated the rest of the game as they dropped to 5-5 on the season with a 35-8 loss in Miami.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 209 yards with two interceptions continuing his stretch of poor performances. He looked lost, confused, and uncomfortable. His receivers were covered pretty well the whole day but even when they weren't, it was still hard trying to get them the ball.

Stevie Johnson came into the game banged up. He did not practice all week and it may have showed. He had only two catches for 16 yards. He has only four over the past two weeks.

Fred Jackson left the game in the second half with a strained calf. He didn't return but x-rays showed that it was just a strain and he should be OK. Also in the game, Terrance McGee suffered a leg injury that will force him to miss the rest of the season, while Donald Jones injured his ankle and will miss 4-6 weeks.

At 5-5, and many people thinking the Bills have lost control of this season, they will have to turn things around very quickly to have any shot at the playoffs. I'm sure the playoffs are not on the minds of the team but an 8-8 finish has to be. To start so promising, an 8-8 record would be a step in the right direction and a way for the Bills to improve on that next season.

Either way, this team is struggling right now and a single win would mean a whole lot to the moral of this football team.

Bulls Dominate Both Sides of Ball; Win Big at Home

With a 2-8 record coming into today’s contest against the Akron Zips, the University at Buffalo Bull’s football season had not gone the way the team, or head coach Jeff Quinn would have liked. They were able to put the past ten games behind them today as they played inspired football and played their best game of the season as they were able to pick up an impressive 51-10 win.

This was the first time the Bulls put up 50 points in a game since 1992. The game started off fast as Brandon Murie returned the opening kickoff 93 yards down to the Akron one yard line. That was followed by a quick one yard score by Brandon Oliver which made the score 7-0. Quinn said of that kickoff return, “I knew at that point, our kids were ready to play.”

The Bulls were far from done there as they quickly forced an Akron three and out. They then drove down the field in less than four minutes for a 9 play, 77 yard drive which was capped off by a ten yard touchdown pass from Chazz Anderson to Fred Lee. This was a common theme for the Bulls as their average scoring drive of the game was only 2 minutes and 54 seconds.

Brandon Oliver had a big day for UB as he rushed for 71 yards in the first quarter and 131 total in the first half. He added 4 receptions for 38 yards as well in that half. He ended the game with 235 yards on 29 carries, setting a new single game rushing record for the University. He broke the old record set by James Starks in 2007 when he rushed for 231 in a game against Toledo. “When you call his number, you just don’t even know what’s going to happen” said Quinn. “He just inspires you, and creates a positive energy on our sidelines.”

Efficient football was the best way to describe the Bulls today. They were able to score quickly and often all day and added multiple big stops on defense as they allowed 239 total yards, and only 85 in the first half.

Quarterback Chazz Anderson had a solid game for the Bulls throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He was helped by the running game today as it opened up the field for him to complete passes to seven different wide receivers. “When you run the ball effectively, you open it up for quick passes” said Anderson. The offensive line was helpful to Anderson and Oliver as the protection was great all day.

With all of the yards and touchdowns today, the defenses’ play may be overlooked, but it shouldn’t. They were active all day creating havoc as they got to the quarterback three times, had eight tackles for loss, and had one forced fumble. Sophomore standout linebacker, Khalil Mack in specific had a terrific game with two sacks, five total tackles, three of which were for a loss, and a forced fumble. Coach Quinn said of Mack’s performance; “That’s the Khalil I love… and I look forward to seeing him play next week.”

Maybe the most underrated part of today’s performance for Buffalo was the kicking of true freshman Patrick Clarke. Clarke recently replaced Peter Fardon after multiple weeks of heartbreaking losses with missed field goals and extra points. Clarke was 3-3 on field goals today as he made lengths of 26, 41, and 49. He was perfect on extra points as well and he looks like a find for Coach Quinn in the future.

The Bulls will finish their season out next Friday at home when they host Bowling Green at noon. They will look to play the same style of football next week as they will hope to carry this momentum further and into next season.

Penn State; everyone has to go

The State University of Pennsylvania may be temporarily tarnished, and yes it may be under extremely high scrutiny and questioning but for the football program itself, this goes way beyond the hash marks.

The rioting and outrage that happened Wednesday night after the Penn State Board of Trustees announced that Joe Paterno would no longer coaching the football team, effective immediately is being criticized quite harshly. This act, unfortunately is causing many to judge the entire University but it shouldn't. The irrational actions of a few hundred students should not be the representation of tens of thousands students and a University with such history and prestige.

Obviously, the move to fire Joe Paterno has been talked about for days and rightfully so. Paterno has been a huge part of Penn State and the football program over the past four plus decades. He is the all time division 1 leader in wins and is the definition of Penn State football.

He is NOT the victim.

The picture and image that is being painted in the media is Paterno as a victim and it couldn't be any more out of bounds. Joe Paterno, along with everyone throughout the football program, along with the "former" president, and athletic director, are just as much as fault as the accused Jerry Sandusky.

The accused acts of the former defensive coordinator Sandusky are despicable and obviously not approved by anybodies standards. The crimes the Sandusky allegedly committed are disturbing and can only be thought of as unforgivable.

With that, it only gives more reason that Paterno is the last person that should be painted as the victim. He was fired with good cause. When then graduate assistant Mike McQueary, now wide receivers coach witnessed Sandusky in the Penn State locker room showers sexually assaulting a young boy, he fled the scene and told Paterno the following morning. Paterno then relayed that information to Athletic Director Tim Curley (now resigned) who then did not alert authorities.

It is appalling that throughout the past decade and a half that nothing had been done and as soon as last week, Sandusky had been using Penn State facilities. Sandusky also runs a charity "The Second Mile" which is to benefit, of all things, young boys. To think that Penn State let this happen and did nothing to stop it is absolutely disturbing.

For those who say Joe Paterno didn't deserve to be fired, my response is that if Paterno had alerted authorities when he needed to, than multiple victims wouldn't have been harmed by Sandusky. Those kids didn't deserve to be harmed and sexually abused.

In ten years, those same kids who rioted Wednesday night will realize that and ask themselves "what was I doing?" They will know they had their priorities out of order.

In all due respect to the victims of these horrific crimes and their families, this may be a good chance for the Penn State institution but the football program in specifc to start over and rebuild. Paterno created a program, one of the best in the country and sooner or later his time had to come to an end. The football team really hadn't done much over the past decade, and in fact, in 2004, Paterno was asked to step down after multiple losing seasons. An offer he respectfully and easily declined.

At season's end this year, you can most likely expect Penn State to clean house throughout the football program to try and start the healing process. That isn't for a few months so for now, the healing process starts tomorrow as the 12th ranked Nittny Lions play host to the 19th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Penn State is in search of Big Ten title this year and beating the Cornhuskers would most likely seal the deal on that. This game however should not be about Joe Paterno, it should not be about the fans, it should not be about the school's reputation or legacy; It should be about football and only that. Obviously, this whole scandal goes way beyond football but this weekend's game should be a time where these players can go out and represent their school, play for themselves and each other, and win a championship that they have earned this year.

For the program itself, it will be different for many many years to come. Regardless of Sandusky's actions, he was a part of Penn State and the football program and community. If he committed these alleged crimes and no one did anything to stop it from occurring again, they're all at fault. Having the ability to stop something and not doing it, and letting it continue holds just as much blame and weight as the actual crime.

There's an old saying... "you win as a team and you lose a team," and unfortunately in this instance, Penn State lost as a team.