April 2, 2005
ORLANDO - The UCF football team completed its first scrimmage of the spring in front of an estimated crowd of 500 fans Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights used a strong rushing attack in the scrimmage as both junior tailback Dontavius Wilcox and redshirt freshman tailback Chris Strother cracked the century mark on the ground.
"I thought it was a good day," commented UCF head coach George O'Leary. "I thought offensively they made some plays and sustained some blocks. Actually, we played better today than how we have been practicing. The difference was up front - I thought they sustained the line of scrimmage better."
The offensive line paved the way for Wilcox to run for 109 yards on 14 carries, including a 30-yard touchdown run vs. the first team defense. Wilcox had a strong scrimmage as he totaled four carries of 10 yards or more including a 20-yard scamper and the 30-yard score.
Strother, a reserve tailback, rushed for 128 yards on 14 carries vs. the second and third team defenses. The Miami native had the longest rush of the day as he scampered 35 yards for a touchdown.
Junior college transfer Jason Peters also had a good day on the ground, rushing 10 times for 46 yards. Sophomore tailback Curtis Francis chipped in with 39 yards on nine carries, including a four-yard touchdown run.
The offense scored three touchdowns and two field goals on the day.
All three UCF quarterbacks played well, led by junior Steven Moffett. The Winter Park product was 6-of-8 passing for 111 yards. His longest completion of the day was a 40-yard pass to Mike Walker, who made a terrific sliding catch on the play.
"I thought we threw the ball decent and we need to just continue to get better," added O'Leary.
Sophomore quarterback Kyle Israel was 8-of-12 through the air for 65 yards. Both Israel and Moffett also had one interception on the day.
The play of the scrimmage was crisp, as only three penalties were called by the officials.
Defensively, senior James Cook led the first team defense with six tackles and an interception from his linebacker position.
"Defensively, we need to tackle better," stated O'Leary. "Overall, anytime you get out of a scrimmage without any injuries, I think that is most important."
Junior cornerback Marlon Williams totaled three tackles and three pass breakups. The junior college transfer almost had an interception as well, but could not make the catch on the play.
Junior cornerback Ron Ellis also contributed five tackles and a pass deflection, which led to Cook's interception.
Sophomore corner Travis Holmes added an interception and three tackles for the second team defense.
The Golden Knights return to the practice fields Tuesday at 9:20 a.m.
Unofficial Scrimmage Statistics
RUSHING: Chris Strother, 14-128-TD; Dontavius Wilcox, 14-109-TD; Jason Peters, 10-46; Curtis Francis, 9-39-TD; Steven Moffett, 4-8; Kyle Israel, 2-5; Bruce Meeks, 6-23
PASSING: Steven Moffett, 6-8, 111, INT; Kyle Israel, 8-12, 65, INT; Ed Marynowitz, 0-1
RECEIVING: Blake Carter, 3-49; Mike Walker, 1-40; Javid James, 2-16; Willie Thornton, 2-12; Brandon Marshall, 1-12; Brooks Turner, 1-9; Andre Sumpter, 1-8; Darcy Johnson, 1-9; Chris Strother, 1-8; Dontavius Wilcox, 1-10
DEFENSIVE: James Cook, 6 tackles, INT; Marlon Williams, 3 tackles, 3 pass breakups; Renford Parkes, 3 tackles; Kareem Reid, 1 tackle, 1 sack; Ron Ellis, 5 tackles; Sha'reff Rashad, 4 tackles; Randy Dozier, 1 tackle; Paul Carrington, 4 tackles; Emeka Okammor, 2 tackles; Frisner Nelson, 2 tackles, 1 TFL; Ronnell Sandy, 3 tackles; Keith Shologan, 2 tackles; Travis Holmes, 3 tackles, 2 pass breakups, INT; Johnell Neal, 3 tackles; Anthony Willis, 4 tackles; Jordan Richards, 3 tackles; Rashad Mays, 2 tackles, pass breakup; Mike Graham, 1 tackle; Dennis King, 4 tackles, 1 TFL; Leger Douzable, 1 TFL; Clarence Howard, 1 tackle