Nov. 30, 2009
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
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Brett Hodges shrugs when there's mention of his storybook return back home to play for a UCF program he grew up rooting for and he scoffs at the notion that he's been an absolute savior offensively for the Knights.
But what Hodges doesn't discount at all is the coolness factor of helping UCF get to eight wins on the season and to a bowl game later this month.
It's been quite a four-month run for Hodges, progressing from little-known transfer from Wake Forest to UCF's starting star quarterback. And make no mistake about it, UCF pulled off a remarkable turnaround from 4-8 to 8-4 and are headed to a bowl because of the stability and play-making ability that Hodges brought to the Knights' offense.
``A lot of my focus at first was just to play; I had to get to that stage first. But it's a pretty cool feeling coming back, earning a job and now taking UCF to a bowl game,'' Hodges admitted after UCF's 34-27 defeat of UAB on Saturday. ``Hopefully we can win the first (bowl game) in school history now. It's just a pretty cool feeling all the way around.''
Cool is one way to describe Hodges, who rarely shows emotion regardless of the situation good or bad. UCF coach George O'Leary, who prefers that his quarterbacks be demonstrative and strong in the huddle, once described his quarterback's demeanor as being ``like he's asleep half the time.''
But the calmness of the fifth-year senior quarterback rubbed off on teammates. And they grew to trust that he'd make the same play and that he'd bounce back up from any sort of hit that he took.
``Brett's only been here for a couple of months, but I think it says a lot about him that guys already look to him as one of our leaders,'' wide receiver Rocky Ross said recently. ``We see on film some of the hits that he takes and he gets up every time. His toughness has been contagious.''
Hodges was so good that he is a strong candidate to win Conference USA's Newcomer of the Year award. Houston wide receiver James Cleveland, SMU tailback Shawnbrey McNeal, Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne and UAB safety Hiram Atwater are the other nominees, but they would have a hard time matching the charm of Hodges' story.
His parents both attended UCF, and as a kid growing up in nearby Winter Springs, he attended UCF games at the Citrus Bowl while often wearing a black Daunte Culpepper jersey. He transferred back to UCF from Wake Forest and was there when incumbent starter Rob Calabrese got off to a shaky start.
Hodges' impact on the UCF offense was immediate when he came off the bench in the first game against Sameford to lead the Knights back from three different deficits. He didn't become the full-time starter until the third game of the season, but still managed to throw for at least one touchdown pass in 11 of the 12 games he appeared in.
None of the TDs were bigger than the two he threw in the final six minutes of a 21-20 win against Marshall on Nov. 1. The final one lifted the Knights to one of their biggest wins of the season and set the stage for a late-season turnaround.
UCF entered the Marshall game at 4-3, and clearly the defeat of the Thundering Herd paved the way for what was to come next. UCF won its final three conference games and five in a row in Conference USA play over the final seven weeks of the season.
``It says a lot about us as a team,'' Hodges said. ``We were challenged at the midway point to have a second-half of the season and a season in itself and finish out strong and that's what we did. We took that challenge, the offense has been improving, the defense has been playing great and we're putting wins on the board. It's been great.''
Hodges completed 61.1 percent of his passes and threw for 2,263 yards and 15 touchdowns. He shredded UAB's defense on Saturday for 230 yards and two touchdowns. But his reaction to the victory was muted somewhat because of the two interceptions he threw in the red-zone and the offense's inability to put the game away.
O'Leary took the opportunity to jab his quarterback somewhat, but he doesn't discount the fact that Hodges has been vitally important to UCF's turnaround this season.
``He's very important, except for those two interceptions he threw,'' O'Leary joked. ``He's a heady kid, who makes good plays for the most part.''
And Hodges will get to continue making those plays in a bowl game. Playing in the postseason, he said, is a dream come true. Maybe he is starting to come around to his heart-warming story of leading his hometown school to success, after all.
``Getting to eight wins, it's huge. Going from 4-8 last year to 8-4 this year, that's a pretty good turnaround,'' he said. ``I think everybody has scattered opinions (about where UCF plays in the postseason), but me personally I'm just happy about being in a bowl. I really don't care who it's against, where it's at or what time. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to play in a bowl game.''
John Denton's Knights Insider appears several times per week on UCFAthletics.com. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.