Bulls kick off 2016 season tonight at home tonight against Albany

A concert. Fireworks. Friday night lights. And lots of excitement. It can only mean one thing: UB football is back.

The Bulls kick off the 2016 season against Albany at 7 tonight at UB Stadium. Fans attending the game are encouraged to wear black. This will also be their first chance to see the new field that was installed over the summer, and which features UB’s new spirit mark – and the word “Buffalo” prominently displayed in each end zone.

Here’s the timeline of events for today:

• 4 p.m. – Stampede Square opens; UB Stadium ticket office opens
• 4:45 – Walk to Victory
• 5 – Tailgate Concert featuring country artist Jerrod Niemann
• 5:30 – UB Stadium gates open
• 7 – kickoff
• Halftime – fireworks show

The Bulls are beginning Year 2 of the Lance Leipold era. Leipold led UB to a 5-7 mark in 2015 (3-5 MAC), becoming the first UB head coach to win five games in his first season since Bob Deming went 6-3 in 1969.

The Bulls return 13 starters, including eight on defense.

Albany was 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season. The Great Danes were picked 11th in the CAA preseason poll. Albany leads the all-time series, 7-5. Buffalo won the last meeting, 51-14, at UB Stadium in last year’s season opener.

The Bulls are 8-2 in their last 10 home openers.

For the first time since November 2012, the Bulls will have someone other than Joe Licata lining up behind center. Licata had started the previous 40 games for the Bulls. After a strong fall camp, Grant Rohach and Tyree Jackson have emerged as the leading contenders for the job.

Rohach is a graduate transfer from Iowa State, where he started five games over his career with the Cyclones. He saw the most extensive action in 2013 when he appeared in seven games and started the final four of the season. He threw for 1,208 yards and eight touchdowns at Iowa State.

Jackson redshirted in his first season with the Bulls. At 6-7, he is an imposing figure who threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns over his last two years of high school.

After a strong junior campaign, splitting time with Anthone Taylor, Sweet Home High School product Jordan Johnson is ready to take over as the starting running back for the Bulls in 2016. Johnson rushed for 811 yards on 172 carries for a 4.7 yards per carry average last year. He had a knack for finding the end zone in 2015, scoring 12 rushing touchdowns. He tied for sixth in school history for a single season, four shy of the school record.

The Bulls placed three players on different preseason watch lists for the upcoming year. Senior cornerback Boise Ross was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award Watch, awarded to the nation's top defensive back.

Senior tight end Mason Schreck was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, given to the nation's top tight end. Sophomore James O'Hagan was named the Rimington Trophy Watch List, given to the best center in college football.

Tonight’s game will air on ESPN3. UB football can be heard locally on WWKB AM 1520.