CHEEKTOWAGA — Peel a one off the jersey and change some letters on the back, Turner Gill insisted on Thursday, and the University at Buffalo’s offensive juggernaut can continue full steam ahead.

With Drew Willy and his famous No. 16 gone to graduation, sophomore Zach Maynard stepped into the media spotlight prior to the team’s kickoff luncheon at the Millennium Airport Hotel, and Gill insisted a new signalcaller can capably guide the team in its Mid-American Conference title defense.

“We’re just changing the name of that person who’s going to be doing things as a quarterback. Zach Maynard is our guy,” Gill said of Maynard, who wears the number 6. “He deserves it and we anticipate that he’s going to be able to do a lot of great things for us.”

When the Bulls open at Texas-El Paso on Sept. 5, it’s expected UB will be more reliant on Niagara Falls product James Starks, who finished a stellar junior year with 1,384 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Starks insists he’s not worried about a bigger share of the offensive load because he feels the rest of the offense is up to the challenge.

“I don’t feel any pressure on myself. We have a lot of people around me who can do a great job. I’m ready to play. We’re ready to perform,” Starks said prior to the luncheon, which had TV personality Sean McDonough as a guest speaker. “A lot of people say that was a luck thing. We want to prove that we’re here to stay. We have a great team, with a lot of people coming back.”

Maynard has a little experience, but not much. Although he made appearances in seven of the team’s final eight games, he had just a single completion in three attempts.

“You really don’t know about a quarterback until they actually get in and play in a game,” Gill said. “There’s a difference between playing 80 snaps a game than maybe playing three or four. We’ll see what he’s going to do.”

Maynard seems to have the tools to make instant contributions. A good runner with a strong arm, Maynard has a solid receiving duo in St. Joe’s Naaman Roosevelt and Brett Hamlin, who combined for 142 catches and 1,861 receiving yards last season.

“It’s a little bit of a different style, he’s going to be able to do some things with his legs and he probably has a little bit stronger arm than Drew,” Gill said of Maynard. “But Drew’s going to be tough to replace.”

Gill said the anticipation leading up to the opener is building and he expects a solid reception when the team hosts Pittsburgh on Sept. 12.

“The excitement’s great. We’ve built the program to win championships and we’ve accomplished one. No we have the excitement to go after another,” Gill said. “Right now, we’re at a point in our program where people I believe now recognize that we are a winning program, now it’s time for us to continue to do that.

“It’s fun. And one of our mission statements is to enjoy the college football experience. But it’s time to go to work and get better.

“We’re ready for the journey.”

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.