Two games stand in the way of Central Florida claiming at least a share of its second consecutive American Athletic Conference title.
This week, South Florida welcomes UCF to Tampa for the War on I-4 – the newest known rivalry game to college football. Since their inaugural meeting in 2005, the Knights have fallen victim to the Bulls’ wrath in the series first five matchups, losing four games to one. The Bulls’ 4-7 record suggests they’ll be a cakewalk for Central Florida; however, USF is capable of competing with anyone as it’s at least been competitive in eight of 11 contest this season.
UCF can’t fall for the play possum story again, as that mentality resulted in a loss a few weeks back to a much more inferior Connecticut team. The Knights are 12-point favorites against the Bulls, but South Florida isn’t a team that will lie down easily. It has a ton of potential in all three facets of the game and possesses the ability to shock the Knights for their final game of the season.
Here are the five keys to ensuring a UCF victory this weekend in Tampa.
1. Monitor Marlon Mack
True freshman Marlon Mack has been a workhorse for the Bulls this season. He leads the conference in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and is third on the team in receptions. Mack opened the year against Western Illinois with one of the greatest performances in school history, tallying 275 rushing yards, tying the mark set by Andre Hall back in 2004. Mack’s record setting pace slowed down from there as the level of competition has increased since opening day, but he still remains to be a threat against UCF’s stingy defense.
Mack turned down scholarship offers from top-tier programs like UCLA and Michigan, so, those wondering if he’s just a one-week wonder: Marlon is here to stay.
UCF’s defense must reduce the amount of big plays they give up to the freshman. Last week, Mack was able to break 100 yards rushing along with eight catches out of the backfield against division-leading Memphis. Saturday’s matchup will force senior linebacker Terrance Plummer to track down the versatile back out of Sarasota, Florida.
If the Knights plan on keeping their conference title hopes alive, halting Marlon Mack is top priority.
2. Andre Davis vs. UCF’s Secondary
The 6-foot-1 senior in Andre Davis missed four games this season and somehow still leads the Bulls in receptions, reception yards and receiving touchdowns. Davis also averages chunks of yardage per reception with nearly 17.9 any time he touches the pigskin.
UCF senior defensive backs Clayton Geathers and Brandon Alexander will have the privilege of covering USF’s top deep threat. Combined, the Knights’ safeties have four interceptions, 14 pass break ups and 18 passes defended. The most appealing thing about this matchup: Geathers and Alexander are the second- and third-best tacklers on the team. This means that the near 18-yards per reception that Davis averages could be negated by the cover and tackling skills by the Knights’ last line of defense.
3. Put Pressure on the Young Quarterback
Sophomore signal-caller Mike White has been inconsistent thus far this season for the Bulls, completing 51.2 percent of his passes and compiling only one more touchdown (8) than interceptions (7), through 11 games. With only two true big-play threats on the offensive unit in Mack and Davis, the amount of poise and focus needed for Mike White seems larger than life at this point. His 7-yards per passing attempt is glaring enough for the UCF defense to question if White can push the ball down field enough to really threaten the Knights defensive weakness: big plays resulting in scores.
Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers must keep his focus on South Florida’s glaring weakness: the passing game. Luckily, Summers has a defensive front who can pressure the young QB. The defense has totaled 24 sacks on the season, led by junior lineman Thomas Niles with five sacks and senior end Jaryl Mamea who has six. The defensive unit could be the true dictator of this interstate rivalry, and it all starts up front with the line making things uncomfortable for a young and struggling quarterback.
4. Blow Out the Bulls
The Bulls’ record insinuates that they aren’t that good of a team, at 4-7 many would consider their season a failure to this point. But the more we look we look into the games that South Florida has won, you begin to see a pattern. All four of their wins have been at least within one possession of the other team being able to tie or go-ahead. South Florida is a resilient bunch which shows the toughness and wherewithal to close games out in the fourth quarter; in the three conference games USF has won, it outscored its opponents 38-7 in the final 15 minutes.
In order for Central Florida to ensure a victory this week, it must take South Florida out of the game early and keep the score out of reach.
5. Be Cognizant of the Situation
This game means a lot more than many spectators may think. For UCF, it means a shot at another conference championship; for South Florida, it’s the last game of the season.
Mathematically, the Bulls are out of the postseason equation, so for them this is their chance to play spoiler and also an opportunity to play their personal own version of a bowl game. It’s also Senior Day, which means the stakes are even higher for USF to leave everything on the field for its departing teammates. The Knights need to be cognizant of what’s on the line for South Florida; even though their record signifies failure to this point of the season they still have a ton to play for.
Those 19 seniors on the South Florida roster definitely want to go out with a bang.
If UCF can execute all five of these areas, its chance at conference gold shouldn’t be too tough to conquer.
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