Dec. 19, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
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Here are Knights Insider John Denton's five keys for UCF to win today against Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef `O' Brady's:
1. Be physical and run the football. This game features two of the best run defenses in the country. UCF ranks fourth in the nation at stopping the run, while Rutgers is the nation's 20th against the run. UCF coach George O'Leary said the Knights are going to try and run the ball, and they have full confidence that the much improved offensive line can open holes for tailbacks Brynn Harvey and Jonathan Davis.
2. Pick up the pressure, get rid of the football. Rutgers biggest strength as a defense is its ability to get to the quarterback through a variety of blitzes and stunts. UCF has spent much of the past three weeks, studying Rutgers' blitz packages. Being able to recognize those stunts at the line of scrimmage will be key. O'Leary wants quarterback Brett Hodges to get rid of the ball quickly and focus more on moving the chains that hitting big plays.
3. Stop Rutgers ``wildcat'' package. The Scarlett Knights' rely heavily on their speed and misdirection offensively, utilizing the ``wildcat'' offense to create confusion. Rutgers has plenty of speed on the outside and wide receivers are often the top ball carries. UCF defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable said the Knights have faced similar offenses from East Carolina and UAB, and recognition and tackling well are the keys.
4. Tackle Rutgers' speedy receivers. Tim Brown and Mohamed Sanu are two of the fastest wide receivers in the country, both running sub-4.4-second times in the 40-yard dash. Brown caught 51 passes for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns this season, averaging 20.6 yards a catch and having an 81-yard score. Sanu caught 47 ball for 542 yards and two scores. UCF's young secondary must keep those players in front of them and limit Rutgers' yards-after-catch plays. Limit Rutgers' breakaway speed and the Knights have a chance to shutting down the Scarlett Knights offense.
5. Utilize the homefield advantage. UCF could have as many as 20,000 fans at the game and that could plenty advantageous inside the noisy dome at Tropicana Field. The game will have much of the same feel of Bright House Stadium all the way down to announcer Erik Kohler serving as the stadium announcer for ESPN. O'Leary hopes that the crowd will be raucous on third down, aiding a UCF front seven that ranked fifth in the nation in sacks and 11th in the country in tackles for loss.
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John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.