Oct. 21, 2008
? Knights Football Central
?
? Listen Live
? Game Notes
UCF at No. 19/22 Tulsa
Sunday, Oct. 26 ? Chapman Stadium ? 8 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN (Eric Collins, Shaun King)
Radio: UCF ISP Sports Radio Network ? Marc Daniels (play-by-play), Gary Parris (color), Jerry O'Neill (sideline reporter), Scott Adams (reporter)
WQTM 740AM - Orlando, WMMV 1350AM Cocoa, WDCF 1350AM - Dade City, WROD 1340AM - Daytona Beach, WMMB 1240AM - Melbourne, WLVJ 1040AM/WKAT 1360AM - Miami, Fort Lauderdale, South Palm Beach), WPSL 1590AM - Treasure Coast/North Palm Beach, WZHR 1400AM - Zephyrhills
Internet: Live audio and statistics at UCFAthletics.com
When UCF (2-4, 1-1 C-USA) has the ball
When the Knights travel to Tulsa, they will be making the first of two-consecutive ESPN Sunday night appearances. Last season, the Knights won their only game on Sunday night when they defeated Southern Miss, 34-17 in Hattiesburg. The Knights come into the game having won the last two against Tulsa, including a 44-25 victory in the Conference USA championship game last December. This will be the Knights' first ever trip to Tulsa. The offense will be led by either junior quarterback Michael Greco, or freshman Rob Calabrese. Greco, who has been slowed by a knee injury, was given a clean bill of health by head coach George O'Leary. Wanting to control the clock to keep the Tulsa offense off the field, the Knights will need large contributions from the running game. Redshirt freshman Ronnie Weaver is still seeing the bulk of the carries, but O'Leary has said he would like to an increased workload from the other freshmen in the upcoming game. The receiving corps took another hit when they lost junior tight end Corey Rabazinski for the season due to a broken leg. Stepping up for the injured tight end will be redshirt freshman Adam Nissley and sophomore John Lubischer. The Knights will be competing against a Golden Hurricane defense that is third in rushing defense, and fifth in scoring defense in the conference.
When No. 19/22 Tulsa (7-0, 3-0 C-USA) has the ball
The Knights face a tough task going up against the number one offense in college football. The Golden Hurricane average an astounding 56.6 points and over 626 yards per game on offense. Even though the Golden Hurricane is second in passing offense, the Tulsa ground game averages a league best 267 yards per contest and is led by senior running back Tarrion Adams. Adams comes into the game averaging just under six yards per carry and leads the team with seven touchdowns. Leading the Golden Hurricane passing attack is senior quarterback David Johnson. Johnson waited patiently behind last year's C-USA Co-Player of the Year Paul Smith for his turn to run Tulsa's high-powered offense. Through seven games, Johnson leads the conference in passing efficiency while tossing 31 touchdowns. He is second in C-USA in passing yards with just under 2,400. Johnson has many weapons at his disposal, most notably in wide receiver Brennan Marion. The Knights' second-ranked defense in C-USA will need a consistent pass rush to counter against Johnson and the Tulsa offense.
Game changers
One of the key seniors in the UCF secondary is safety Sha'reff Rashad. Rashad leads the conference in passes defended with seven pass breakups and three interceptions. His ability to defend the pass will be counted on in the important conference game for the Knights. Rashad closed out the Knights' 31-17 victory over SMU on Oct. 4 with an interception in the closing seconds. The Knights lead C-USA in interceptions with 13. For the Golden Hurricane, Marion leads the team in receptions with 28 and averages 27 yards per catch. Marion is third in the conference averaging 108 yards per game. Last week, he helped Tulsa take the lead over UTEP when he had a 97 yard catch and run for a touchdown. Tulsa posted a 77-35 win over the Miners.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.