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Among Buffalo backfields there have been several groups which stand head and shoulders above the rest. In the 50's there by Willie Evans, during the 1960's was Leeland Jones and Jim Barksdale, and then in recent times James Starks and Branden Thermilus.
| Year | Yards | Leader | yds | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 2008 | 1858 | Starks | 1333 | 71.7% |
| 1959 | 2040 | Evans | 620 | 30.4% |
| 1967 | 1956 | Patterson | 666 | 34.0% |
This season the Bulls will likely lead with Branden Oliver and James Potts but behind them is a series of backs who have had the chance to prove themselves over the past several seasons due to various injuries. It's entirely possible that this seasons UB has the deepest backfield in the clubs history.
Branden Oliver's resume alone arguably makes this is one of the best backfields in UB History. While one can make an argument for James Starks, Willie Evans, or any one of several UB Backs as being "the best ub back of all time" the discussion is akin to debating favorite colors, its opinion. However at the end of the day Oliver's ownership over a host of UB records, and his an opportunity to grab a few more this season, clearly make him top 5..
Oliver was well on his way to beating his own records last season before an Injury against Kent ended his season. To make things worse UB was missing James Potts.
Potts has been at UB since 2010 but the promising pull from Florida has had issues getting on the field. Against Morgan State, for a brief moment, UB fans saw what Potts could do on a 49 yard touchdown scamper before a freak injury ended his season.
That is the likely one and two backs this season. But the injuries last year have given the Bulls an even deeper look into the back field.
Devin Campbell became the go to back once Oliver and Potts went down. The true freshman piled up 502 yards on 115 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 176 yards and a score.
Finally the fourth horseman is Brandon Murie, who put up 221 yards last season including a game saving performance against UMass. He also took a screen pass for 54 yards and a touchdown against UConn.
That's four potential weapons in the backfield that have already either been proven or have amazing potential for this season. Four exciting backs before we even get to Anthone Taylor and Jordan Johnson. Compared to past seasons, especially in the modern era, UB has an embarrassing amount of depth for this years campaign.