Newton, Starks Earn MAC Kudos

Start time, TV announced for Wisconsin game as well

James Starks

BUFFALO, NY - A pair of redshirt freshmen who played leading roles in the University at Buffalo’s 41-14 win over Kent State on Saturday earned Mid-American Conference honors today.

Tailback James Starks (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) and safety Mike Newton (Pasadena, MD/Calvert Hall) were honored as MAC East Division Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.

Starks set career highs for carries (24), yards rushing (162) and touchdowns (3) in pacing a UB offense that exploded for 38 points in the second half. The Niagara Falls product became the first Bulls’ player since Aaron Leeper in 2002 to rush for three touchdowns in a game. Starks scored on runs of six, 19 and 16 yards in the game and also added a career-long 54-yard scamper in the third quarter. It was the second time in his young career that he has rushed for over 100 yards in a game.

Starks leads the Bulls with 580 yards rushing (4.4 average) and has scored a team-high six touchdowns. He also leads Buffalo with 32 receptions.

Mike Newton

Newton, meanwhile, had several huge plays that helped UB’s defense limit Kent State to 298 yards and help the Bulls create five turnovers. Newton finished the game with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack and two interceptions. The interceptions came on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter after Kent State had moved into UB territory. The first came inside the five-yard line and the second was at the Buffalo 25-yard line, which Newton returned 59 yards to the Kent State 16, setting up Starks’ third and final touchdown.

Newton leads the Bulls with four interceptions on the year and ranks sixth in total tackles with 46.

In other football news, the Bulls last regular season road game at Wisconsin has been announced as a 12 noon (EST) start and will be broadcast on ESPNU. It will mark back-to-back weeks that the Bulls will appear on ESPNU as Buffalo travels to Akron on Thursday for a 6 pm start on the network.

11/06/2006