AMHERST, N.Y. — University at Buffalo football head coach Pete Lembo came in with little time to prep and on a mission last year. He helped lead the UB Bulls to win over Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl and renewed excitement around campus up in Amherst.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but I like the attitude of this group. I like how things are starting to come together," he added. "We were also able to retain a lot of last year's team, which in this day and age of the transfer portal, is a little bit unusual at this level of college football. So I think that speaks a lot to the quality of the people we have and the culture that we're building."

So how does last year influence players deciding to come back in the day and age of NIL? 

"Well, we've got a great foundation in place and a core group of players that understand the expectations, understand the routine [and] the structure of the organization so they can really walk in this building every day and hit the ground running," Lembo said.

Spring practices signify the beginning of the next campaign. The Bulls will host their annual spring game on April 19. 

"Eventually, at some point in December or January, you'll want to look back and feel good that you maximize the potential of the group," Lembo explained.

Lembo says that for as good as last year's Bulls team was, he has his sights focused squarely on this season, which he hopes will go as good as, or better than, last year.

"We want more people to be a part of this journey with us," said Lembo. "You know, we're a large university, so there's always people to meet on campus and in the community. But the reception we've received, the relationships that we've started to build, you can really feel the needle being moved and we encourage more people to take advantage of having a big-time Division I football program here in Western New York. I think last year's team found a way to overachieve. Hopefully, this year's team will find a way to do the exact same thing."