While clearly not the team they were a season ago with quarterback Blake Bortles and running back Storm Johnson paving the way, the UCF Knights have overcome a rocky start to the season and after winning their last three games by seven points or less are establishing their identity as cardiac kids.
The Knights struggled with a difficult schedule early in the season, dropping their first two games to Penn State and Missouri before prevailing in a tough conference opener on the road at Houston. Since opening the year with back-to-back defeats, the Knights have won their last four and are tied with East Carolina top the AAC standings with a 2-0 conference record (4-2 overall) and are still perfect in AAC play at 10-0 over two seasons.
With AAC play ratcheting up, here’s a look at UCF’s midseason grades on both sides of the ball.
Offense: C-
Despite the solid record and recent improvement, head coach George O’Leary wisely is approaching the progress of his squad one game at a time. The offense, which has struggled mightily at times, must generate more consistency. The unit has done just enough to win in recent weeks and has put far too much pressure on the defense.
The story of the season for the offense is told in the Knights’ FBS rankings. The Knights are 96th in passing yards, averaging 196.5; they are even worse in rushing yards, ranking 119th at 94.5 yards per game and are 100th in points at 23.8.
The play of quarterback Justin Holman is very much a study in contrast. He has led the Knights to game-winning drives and has also contributed to the offense’s woes. Despite flashes, Holman has struggled in completing passes underneath coverage and his miscues regularly put the defense in bad spots.
Opponents have capitalized on the offense’s turnovers this season, recording 40 points on UCF mistakes. All told, Holman is 82-for-147 for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns and he has thrown a touchdown pass in all six games. His inconsistent play will need to improve if the offense is going to execute cleanly the rest of the way.
In the win against Tulane last weekend, Holman shared snaps with Boise State transfer Nick Patti, the third signal-caller to see action for the Knights this season after Pete DiNovo was given the nod to start against Penn State in the Croke Park Classic. DiNovo was ineffective in his only start this year and was pulled in the second half in favor of Holman, who nearly rallied the Knights to a dramatic second-half comeback against the Nittany Lions in Ireland.
If the Knights can get improved play at the quarterback position, they have plenty of experienced weapons on the outside in wide receivers Breshad Perriman, J.J. Worton, Rannell Hall and Josh Reese. UCF’s talented pass-catchers create matchup challenges for opposing defenses, stretch the field and regular shake loose downfield. Perriman, who has a string of 24 consecutive games with a reception, leads the group with 398 yards and three touchdowns.
The rushing game has shown signs of life in recent weeks. Will Stanback, hampered by injuries early in the season, has 82 carries for 270 yards and four touchdowns to lead the running attack. With the offensive line showing improvement in recent weeks and Stanback hitting his best stride, the running game is bound to pick up steam, which in turn should translate to less pressure on Holman or Patti to take better advantage of their play-making receivers.
Defense: B
On the other side of the ball, the UCF defense has been pushed around the field some, but has been stingy when it counted most. The Knights’ red zone defense is one of the best in the country, ranking 18th overall. The unit is third-best in the FBS in red-zone touchdowns given up. The defense, ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed, is tied for fifth in the nation, allowing just three rushing touchdowns and trails only Louisville (1), Alabama (2), Stanford (2) and Mississippi State (2) in that category.
Much was expected of a defense returning a host of starters from last year’s squad. The unit struggled some to find its footing early, but has delivered of late, holding opponents to just 56 points in the last four games.
Terrance Plummer paces the Knights D. The senior middle linebacker boasts 61 tackles, 9.5 for a loss this season: he led the team last year with 110 tackles. Jacoby Glenn and Brandon Alexander anchor a solid secondary; Glenn has picked off four passes and is credited with four break-ups and Alexander has two interceptions for the Knights.
The Knights have been in a lot of close games this year mainly due to the inconsistent production of the offense. The defense, which has stepped up when called upon, has kept UCF in games thus far. A key point of emphasis moving forward will be improved execution on both sides of the ball for a talented team looking to contend once again in the American.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZYXojz42w?list=UUgp8zWRHZLNlO5Fv3t_rJfQ]Special Teams: B
UCF’s special teams have been solid this season. The Knights are one of just six FBS teams ranked in the top 30 in both kick returns (5th) and punt returns (30th) with Hall and Worton splitting those duties, respectively. Hall returns kicks and having already racked up 2,043 return yards in his stellar career is only 78 yards shy of moving into second on the Knights’ all-time list. Worton, an all-conference punt returner, also ranks among UCF’s all-time best.
Senior kicker Shawn Moffit ranks in the top five at UCF in field goals (5th), percentage (2nd) and points scored (4th). All told, the Knights have connected on field goals in 20 consecutive games.
Coaching: C
O’Leary faced a tall order this season following the best year in school history with 2013’s Fiesta Bowl win. Without standout leaders the equivalent of Bortles and Johnson, O’Leary has had to challenge his team week in and week out. With questionable play at the quarterback position, he continues to deny a quarterback controversy, saying that it is Holman’s team. Yet, Holman was yanked from the Tulane game to watch and observe the flow of the game while Patti led the offense to 10 points, including a 12-play drive.
Following a sloppy 20-13 win over the Green Wave last weekend, O’Leary went to a full-contact practice on Monday to bolster the team’s mental toughness ahead of this week’s game against a Temple team that is more than capable of pulling an upset.
Overall: C
With plenty of work left to do to contend for another AAC title, the Knights must continue to respond to O’Leary’s challenges. The offense will have to increase its intensity, sustain drives and stop placing so much pressure on the defense if the Knights are going to extend their four-game win streak and be in position to contend with East Carolina for a conference title at the end of the season.
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