On the surface, everything about this season is new for the UB Bulls.
The turf, the logo, the uniforms -- its all new.
Winning is nothing new to Head Coach Lance Leipold. But, entering his second season the systems and philosophies are in place and the Bulls are hoping for a bounce back year after a 5-7 campaign a season ago.
The seven losses are the most in any season during Leipold's tenure as a head coach. He lost a total of six as at Wisconsin-Whitewater before joining UB in 2015. He won 109 and six DIII National Championships.
"Finally, we get to go back to what we love to do and that's working with these young men and working toward the season," Leipold told reporters are the squad wrapped up its first day of Fall Camp on Sunday.
The quarterback battle that began in the spring between Tyree Jackson and Iowa State transfer Grant Rohach, will continue leading up to the season opener on September 2 against Albany.
Leipold reiterated there is no timetable to name starter and that he could go all the way up to first game before selecting the replacement for Joe Licata.
"I've very confident that whoever that starter is that we're going to be in good hands," he said.
Leipold didn't rule out having them split time against the Great Danes either, if the competition is close.
"I'd like a lot of guys to play in games because then it means things have gone our way," he joked. "Could we play two quarterbacks? Nothing is off the table at this time."
Jackson, who redshirted a season ago, is listed at 6'7" and weighs in just north 245 pounds. During the spring he measured in at 6'6".
"I think I'm done (growing). I'm good," Jackson joked after practice.
"He's 18 and he continues to grow," Leipold said with a laugh. "He's a big man and I keep saying, he has a bright future."
While he didn't play a snap for UB in 2015, sitting behind Licata allowed Jackson to get insight on what it takes to lead a program.
"The thing with Joe is he prepared like a pro. What he's doing now is what he was doing here and he taught that to me," Jackson said. "I still keep in touch with him every day. At the end of the day you just have to go out and compete and play football. People make it more than it is, but you just have to go out there and play football."
Rohach, who has been with the program since transferring in December, isn't focused on the QB competition.
"I know as a younger quarterback competing I always compared other guys throws. But, from doing this a while it doesn't matter about the other guy," Rohach said. "It's all about you, and you can only control yourself and that's the mindset I'm going to keep."
"We feel confident with whoever coach (Leipold) decides to put in there," senior receiver Marcus McGill added. "We feel confident with Tyree, we feel confident with Grant," he said. "We feel confident if he decides to go outside of those two. Whenever coach makes his decision on September 2nd, that's who we're going to roll with."
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