Oct. 31, 2008
Knights Football Central
UCF Game Notes
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Gameday Information
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ECU at UCF
Sunday, Nov. 2 ? Bright House Networks Stadium ? 8:15 p.m.
Television: ESPN (Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore)
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 (2-5, 1-2 C-USA) has the ball
When the Knights host ECU Sunday night, it will be the first game in nearly a month at Bright House Networks Stadium. This will be the second consecutive week the Knights will be featured in primetime on ESPN. With five games remaining in 2008, it is still possible for the team to win the Conference USA East Division. Freshman Rob Calabrese started last week against Tulsa and accumulated 124 yards through the air connecting with sophomore wide receiver Brian Watters on seven of his eight completions. Head coach George O'Leary noted Tuesday that Calabrese would continue to start unless junior Michael Greco had a better week of practice than the freshman. Leading the ground game for the Knights was rookie Brynn Harvey. Harvey ran for 91 yards on 24 attempts in his first game seeing significant playing time. O'Leary stated that Harvey had separated himself from the other backs in practice, and should continue to receive the bulk of the carries this week. The team looks to continue balancing the rushing attack with the passing game as it faces a stingy ECU defense. The Pirates rank second in the conference in total defense only allowing a little over 346 total yards per game. The ECU defense, which ranks first in red zone defense in the league, is anchored by junior defensive lineman C.J. Wilson. Wilson is third in C-USA with 10.5 tackles for loss on the season.
When ECU (4-3, 2-1 C-USA) has the ball
Sunday night will be the first time the Pirates play in Bright House Networks Stadium. In the first two weeks of the season, ECU made a name for themselves by upsetting No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 8 West Virginia back-to-back. Since those victories, the Pirates have gone 2-3. Commanding the aerial attack for the Pirates is senior Patrick Pinkney and junior Rob Kass. Pinkney leads the team with over 1,200 yards passing on the year, but Kass is due to see action in this week's tilt. ECU's most impressive player on offense this year has been sophomore wide receiver Dwayne Harris. Harris is fifth in the conference averaging just over six receptions per game and has accumulated 562 receiving yards on the season. The Pirates lead C-USA in red zone scoring, converting drives into points at a 90 percent success rate. The Knights, who boast the league's best pass efficiency defense, will need a big game from their all-senior defensive backfield. UCF still leads the conference with 14 interceptions, and has recorded a pick in 15 consecutive games.
Game changers
With the rash of injuries that has hit the UCF receiving corps this season, Watters has stepped up his game for the Knights. Leading the team in receptions, Watters has caught 27 balls for 386 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He has proven to be Calabrese's go-to guy accumulating 12 catches in his last two games. Leading the Pirates in tackles on defense is junior defensive back Van Eskridge. Eskridge has recorded 55 stops on the year, with 33 of the tackles being solo. He has also recorded two interceptions and forced fumbles on the season while recovering one of them. Eskridge is a large part of why the ECU defense has held opponents to 33 percent on third down conversions.
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.