Frank Solich has made it clear that he is not a friendly guy to be around when the Ohio football team takes the field every Saturday.
I don't really have any friends leading up to a game
Solich said. I think most people in this business operate that way.
When the Bobcats get down to business tomorrow against Buffalo, however, it may be slightly more difficult for the second-year coach to maintain his misanthropic demeanor.
Standing on the opposing sideline will be Solich's former star quarterback and assistant coach when he was at Nebraska in Buffalo's first-year head coach, Turner Gill.
Gill was recruited by Solich in 1980 and played under the Bobcats' coach while he was still an assistant coach at Nebraska. After being named one of the finalists for the Heisman trophy in 1983, Gill returned to Nebraska six years later as a graduate assistant coach and was named the team's quarterbacks coach in 1992, a position he would hold until 2003, the same year Solich was fired as head coach.
Although both admit to their strong friendship off the field ' Solich actually helped Gill in making his decision to take the job at Buffalo ' they both said that their bond will have nothing to with what takes place on the field tomorrow.
In order to be in this business and stay in it for any length of time you better be a very competitive person
Solich said. When it comes time to compete
you expect your team to focus in
so you need to focus in and put your energy into developing game plans
and not let anything surrounding the game even creep into it.
It's going to be special to play against him
Gill said. But really it's more about his players and our players playing against each other and getting them to play hard and the best they can.Scouting the Bulls
After a promising win over Temple to start the season, the Bulls (1-5, 0-4 Mid-American Conference) are reeling, losers of five-straight heading into tomorrow's contest.
Led by second-year quarterback Drew Willy, the Bulls' offense has improved from last season when they won only one game. Buffalo ranked last in MAC last season, averaging a paltry 10 points per game. Although they still rank in the bottom half of the conference offensively, the Bulls have doubled their average, scoring 20.8 points per contest.
It was in last year's matchup between the two teams that Willy had the biggest game of his short career. In the Bobcats' 34-20 win at Buffalo, Willy, as a true freshman, threw for 293 yards and a touchdown, a performance that Ohio linebacker Matt Muncy has not forgotten.
Last year he had a pretty good game against us
Muncy said. He's got a lot of good tools
and if keeps learning their new offense
he's going to be very dangerous.
While Buffalo has improved on the offensive side of the ball, its defense has continued to struggle, allowing a MAC-worst 35.5 points per game. In their five losses this season, the Bulls have allowed more than 31 points in each of those contests.
If the statistics hold true, the Bobcats (4-3, 2-1 MAC), who have rushed for 381 yards in their last two contests, should have no problem rushing against a Bulls' defense that is allowing 227.7 yards per game.
Muncy said that the team's records or statistics coming into a contest mean nothing, however, especially in a conference with as much parity as the MAC.
On any given day
