Coming off a 12-1 record and Fiesta Bowl triumph in 2013, many expected the UCF Knights to take a step back this season due to the loss of quarterback Blake Bortles, Storm Johnson and several other key players. However, the Knights overcame an 0-2 start to win nine of their next 10 games and grab a share of the AAC title before falling to North Carolina State in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl to finish the year at 9-4.
Though the season ended with a loss, UCF fans have to be pleased with how the team fared in its second year as a member of the AAC. Here’s a look back on how the Knights performed in each specific area.
Offense: C-
Though UCF’s season was a success, George O’Leary’s team faced more than its fair share of struggles on offense, which isn’t too surprising given the losses of both Bortles and Johnson to the NFL. As a team, the Knights were mediocre to dismal in several statistical categories, including 106th in rushing offense (127.8 yards per game), 103rd in total offense (363.1 yards per game), 72nd in scoring offense (28.1 points per game) and 59th in passing offense (235.3 yards per game).
One of the biggest areas of concern for the unit was under center, where sophomore Justin Holman struggled to find consistency. Holman showed flashes of brilliance, helping lead the Knights to game-winning drives on more than one occasion, but also struggled mightily at times. On the season, Holman completed 56.9 percent of his passes for 2,952 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also didn’t get much help from his offensive line at times, as he was sacked a total of 27 times throughout the season.
Though Holman was often inconsistent, he still managed to be fairly productive and was aided by a talented receiving corps.
UCF had four receivers (Breshad Perriman, Josh Reese, J.J. Worton and Rannell Hall) finish with at least 500 yards on the season. Perriman, an All-AAC first-team selection, finished third in the conference in both receiving yards (1,044) and touchdowns (9).
Though the Knights did have a somewhat respectable passing attack, the same cannot be said about their run game.
UCF’s leading rusher was sophomore William Stanback, who finished the season with just 697 yards on 189 carries, though he did find the end zone 10 times and ended up being a first-team All-AAC selection.
Defense: A
With a mediocre offense, the Knights needed their veteran defense to pick up the slack a lot of times, and more times than not, they delivered. In fact, UCF boasted one of the best defenses in not just the AAC, but the entire country.
The Knights ranked highly in a number of statistical categories, including 5th in total defense (298.5 yards per game), 6th in rushing defense (104.3 yards per game), 9th in scoring defense (19.2 points per game) and 22nd in passing defense (194.2 yards per game).
Tyson Summers’ unit was led by redshirt sophomore cornerback Jacoby Glenn, who led the conference with seven interceptions. For his efforts, Glenn was named the AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the AP All-American second team.
Senior linebacker Terrance Plummer anchored the front seven, leading the team with 97 total tackles. Both Plummer and safety Clayton Geathers were also first-team All-AAC selections.
Special teams: B-
UCF’s special teams units were fairly solid during the 2014 season. Kickoff returns were an area of strength for the team, as the Knights ranked third in FBS with an average of 26.6 yards per return. Though Jordan Akins and Rannell Hall split duties for the most part, Michael Easton took one of his two returns on the year all the way back for a touchdown. On punts, they averaged 18.8 yards per return, tied for 51st in the country.
UCF was average defending kickoff and punt returns, ranking 64th and 49th in the FBS, respectively.
Senior kicker Shawn Moffitt made 17 of his 23 field goal attemps on the season, finishing his career as the Knights’ all-time leader in points scored (314) and field goals made (53).
Coaching: B
Given how much talent the Knights lost on offense from last year in Bortles and Johnson, it’s extremely impressive that they were able to grab a share of the conference title this season, and much of that credit belongs to the coaching staff.
George O’Leary continues to find great success in Orlando, as his teams have now won nine or more games in four of the last five years. Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers oversaw a stellar season for his unit, but decided in late December to leave the program to accept the same position at Colorado State.
Nevertheless, coaching will continue to be an area of strength for UCF as long as O’Leary remains at the school.
Overall: B+
Despite losing Bortles and Johnson, the Knights were able to finish with a 9-4 record and a share of the AAC title, which is all UCF fans could really ask for. The defense was outstanding all season long, and the offense was good enough to win a majority of their games. Though there were some low points, including the 0-2 start and a stunning loss to UConn, the 2014 season was, all in all, definitely a success for George O’Leary’s UCF Knights.
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