Oct. 13, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - After all the touchdowns are scored, and the big pass plays are celebrated, much of the credit can be attested to the five big guys up front on the offensive line. This year, UCF's offense is anchored by redshirt senior center Ian Bustillo (Miami, Fla.).
Bustillo was a blue chip recruit out of Killian High School in Miami. The offensive lineman was ranked in Florida's annual listing of top 100 high school players, and was also ranked No. 37 on Max Emfinger's list of top 50 players in the state of Florida. Among other accolades that Bustillo tallied included an invitation to play in the Florida-California Bowl and the All-American Classic in Louisiana.
After receiving little playing time, and redshirting, in his first few seasons with UCF, Bustillo quickly found himself with ample playing opportunity in 2008. Coming into 2009, Bustillo was slated as the starting center. The Knights can credit Bustillo, among the other offensive lineman, for the surge of success through five games. Going into this weekend's contest against No. 9 Miami, UCF's offensive line has helped lead the Knights to 641 yards rushing and six touchdowns, 957 yards passing and six touchdowns and only allowed 10 sacks.
As the Knights' prepare to face Miami in a Sunshine State Showdown this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., UCFAthletics.com caught up with Bustillo to get his thoughts on the Knights' offensive production this year and the difficulty of playing center.
After redshirting in 2005, you did not play much the following two years, but last year you moved into the starting lineup. Did you have to pay your dues and learn the system before playing?
"Definitely being a young guy here, I kind of lost focus at times and dropped back in the mix. Last year, I was given a great opportunity to step up and get more repetitions. This year, I basically assumed that leadership role and I am trying not to take that for granted."
Was it worth it to not play much the first few years since you are now a key component of the offense?
"It was definitely well worth it. A lot of the offensive lineman can forget the bigger picture of why they are here. They can seem to get frustrated at times and can get down on themselves. But being a senior this year, I try to help them out a lot to stay motivated and to work hard every day."
How difficult is it to play center?
"Center is a tough position, and it was brand new to me since I had never played it in high school. Centers have to be able to make all the read calls out there and recognize what the defense is giving us every play. I think the hardest part is getting to know the system. Once I got the system, then it was just blocking and moving my feet."
Do a lot of fans think that playing center is easy?
"Of course. They feel that center is a lot easier than they think, but it is difficult being able to make calls on the run. It does get real tough when the defenses throw blitzes at us, and centers have to be able to recognize where they are going. A lot of fans overlook us, but yes center is definitely hard to do."
How much film study do you do during a game week?
"I watch about an hour and a half before I go to class. Then some days after practices, the offensive line will come in and watch a little more game film and study our new plays for the week. Outside of watching film before practice, I would say we watch about five to six hours of film a week."
How is your on-the-field relationship with Brett Hodges?
"Brett is definitely a great guy. He is very composed back there and brought in a lot of experience. The offense is really comfortable having him back there. He does a great job of making the offense move and really click."
How do you feel the cohesion of the offensive line is this year?
"There have been a lot of rotations around us, but for the most part we have really gelled. We seem to show great chemistry together. Essentially, it is all about making holes. Brynn Harvey is a good running back, and as long as we make holes for him, we will continue to move the ball."
How do you feel that the offense has been doing so far this season?
"The offense is continuing to make strides with each game. Brynn did very well against Memphis and Brett continues to get better and better. I feel that this year's offense is a lot more balanced compared to last year where it was a lot more run."
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