Nov. 30, 2009
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
All Marshall had to do was get a yard. It was second down and the quarterback needed to fall forward. If the Thundering Herd get the first down the game is over and UCF loses. Instead, Bruce Miller may have saved a season.
Miller stripped Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson and UCF's super freshman Josh Robinson recovered. Eight plays later Brett Hodges hit Rocky Ross for a touchdown and the Knights grabbed a 21-20 win.
Yes, the Texas game came the following week and the physical game against Marshall forced Brett Hodges and Brynn Harvey sit out with injuries. But if the plan was to have them as healthy as possible for a showdown with nationally-ranked Houston and the rest of the conference schedule, the plan worked.
UCF beat Houston and shutout Tulane and finished the regular season with a road win at UAB.
UCF did not win the east division, but did post the longest conference win streak at six and is playing as good if not better than anyone in Conference USA.
Brett Hodges played flawless football in his final four games. He threw for 342 against Marshall and outplayed Case Keenum of Houston. He was solid against Tulane and was superb early against UAB before taking a few hits that limited his play.
As for Harvey, he ran for 139 and 3 TDs against Houston and then added three more scores and 129 yards vs. Tulane and added 130 against UAB with another score.
UCF outscored its final three opponents 120-59 and its defense continued to make play after play.
But what would have become of the season if Miller and his teammates come up with the strip against Marshall? Who knows if UCF would have come back after Texas and beat Houston and finished the year as strong as it has.
Every football season can be defined by a play or two. For UCF fans, the Houston game is one of the biggest wins in the program's history because it was the first win against a ranked team.
But one could make the argument that the Marshall win and the strip saved a season.
At 8-4, UCF heads into its bowl game on a roll and as confident as they were at the end of the 2007 regular season. The Knights are truly a balanced team. While the defense has made plays all season, the offense is now a threat on the ground and through the air.
Everyone wishes the Knights were playing this week for the conference championship and there is nothing wrong having that expectation every season. But if someone had told you before the season the following:
? a new player named Brett Hodges will become the starting quarterback
? the secondary will have three true freshmen starting
? a starting tight end, linebacker and cornerback will miss the season
? the team will start the conference schedule 0-2
.....and will finish 8-4 and play in a bowl game, would you believe?
UCF now focuses on winning the school's first bowl game. And the future certainly looks bright. While a new quarterback is needed, the top five running backs come back. UCF loses one wide receiver and gets back everyone else. The offensive line brings back three and the defense gets nine players back who started at some point throughout the season.
No one knows for sure what might have been if UCF lost to Marshall, but one play never seemed so important to a football team that is playing its best ball.
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF-ISP Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts "The Beat of Sports" on ESPN 1080 in Orlando from 9-11 a.m.