AMHERST — University at Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn has named Jerry Davis as his starting quarterback heading into Thursday’s season-opening game against Rhode Island.

Davis, a redshirt sophomore who played sparingly last season, beat out redshirt freshman Alex Dennison in an open competition that lasted throughout spring practices and three weeks of training camp.

Quinn is implementing a spread offense at UB, and said Davis was more consistent than Dennison in delivering the ball to the right people and completing deep passes.

“Jerry won the job,” Quinn said after Thursday night’s scrimmage that marked the end of training camp. “That isn’t to say Alex lost it. Both showed a high level of commitment. But we really felt (Davis) was the most consistent and most productive.”

Quinn has stated throughout the summer that both quarterbacks are being prepared to contribute this season, and he won’t hesitate to use both in the same game.

“We’ve played five in a season and we’ve played three in a game,” said Quinn, who along with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Greg Forest, spent the past three seasons coaching at Cincinnati, three seasons before that at Central Michigan, and over a decade at Division II Grand Valley State. “Sometimes it’s injuries, sometimes maybe it’s just not clicking for whatever reason and you have to get somebody else in there.”

Grand Island graduate Alex Neutz is listed as starting receiver, along with Terrell Jackson and Marcus Rivers (Lackawanna), on the two-deep chart released Thursday. Neutz, a redshirt freshman, was on the second-team coming out of spring ball.

The most surprising aspect of the updated depth chart is that redshirt freshman tailback Branden Oliver is listed as a starter over the three veterans — Brandon Thermilus, Ike Nudka and Jeffvon Gill — who combined to rush for 1,400 yards last season.

There are no true freshman listed as starters and the only first-year players on the second team are center Jasen Carlson (Southwestern) and free safety Okoye Houston.

The Bulls have today off and will begin the first week of regular season practices Saturday.