April 4, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - The UCF football team held its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday afternoon at the team's Orlando practice fields. A large crowd was on hand on a beautiful sunny day to see the Knights.
Overall, head coach George O'Leary was pleased with the scrimmage. He commented afterwards to the media that he would like to see more consistency out of the offense but praised the unit's play as a whole this spring. UCF's defense played well today as well. The Knights came through the scrimmage healthy and look forward to their final four practices of the spring next week, including the annual Spring Game. UCF gets back to work on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
UCF will hold its conclusion to spring practice with its annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 11 at Bright House Networks Stadium. The scrimmage begins at 2 p.m. and general admission tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000, online at UCFAthletics.com, or in-person at Bright House Networks Stadium.
After the practice, UCFAthletics.com caught up with fifth-year senior wide receiver Rocky Ross from Jacksonville. One of the leaders of the UCF offense has seen plenty of highs and lows over his time as a Knight and he reflected on them, along with the current state of the team.
Going into your fifth year at UCF, what do you take from your experience so far?
"Like any program there are going to be ups and downs. We definitely had a couple of good years that are memorable but a person learns a lot about who you are and what kind of team you have when things aren't going right. Last year a lot of things didn't go our way but I think we stayed together. Even when we were losing we were still in it and we kept fighting. That is the kind of team you want to be on."
Do you view yourself as one of the leaders on this team?
"I think so. Being in my fifth year there are only a couple of us, so I think the coaches definitely look towards us. We try to get the underclassmen some experience to come lead with us. They expect us to be leaders and we expect ourselves to lead."
How was the scrimmage today?
"We did some things alright but we started slow. We made a huge mistake in not coming out ready. The offense really didn't do anything in the first half. We did some things in the second half but you can't come out like that and expect to win offensively. The defense did its part."
How is it being back on the field after missing last season with an injury?
"That is just the way of life for me. I have been playing football since the fourth grade. If I'm not playing I don't know what's going on. So being back out there is just a normal way of life for me."
How do you feel about the new offensive system under coach Taaffe? Has it been a challenge?
"It's a huge offensive package so it has been fun to be part of it. We are all excited to see what happens this season. Anytime you get a new coach in you need to individually study the plays. We have new terminology and you don't want to go out there and 10 guys do it right and one guy doesn't. You don't want to be that guy."
How are the wide receivers looking for this upcoming season?
"Once we get everyone back healthy we are a close unit. We all make plays using each other."
What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
"We just have to take it one game at a time. Right now we are working on the spring, but when camp starts we will be working on Samford. We will take it one game at a time and see what happens."