Sept. 19, 2010
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - There were audibles at the line that were missed, throws that went to the incorrect places and certainly other freshmen moments on Saturday night for UCF phenom quarterback Jeff Godfrey.
But after coaches reviewed the Knights' 24-10 defeat of Buffalo on Sunday, Godfrey was given mostly passing marks for winning his first-collegiate start and handling the pressure of playing on the road as a true freshman.
Godfrey ultimately avoided the big mistake and calmly directed the Knights on a 15-play, 90-yard scoring drive that allowed UCF to take the lead for good. And UCF head coach George O'Leary said on Sunday that Godfrey did enough to hang onto the starting quarterback job for the foreseeable future.
``He's confident, but not cocky. He had a couple of plays where he messed up and guys let him know about it,'' O'Leary said. ``But what I really like about him is the way that he can take a bad play and make something good out of it. And he's just going to get better with more and more experience.''
Godfrey will continue to get that experience next Saturday when UCF (2-1) faces Big 12 powerhouse Kansas State (3-0) in Manhattan, Kan. The game will be the Knights' fourth and final non-conference game before they begin Conference USA play on Oct. 6.
O'Leary pushed for this kind of schedule - bunching all of the nonconference games early in the season so that the Knights could focus on winning a second C-USA title down the stretch. O'Leary is delighted that the Knights have played better early in the season this year and he's putting a lot of emphasis on going on the road again this week and knocking off the undefeated Wildcats.
``I'd much rather do (the schedule) this way. With the non-conference games we've put a big emphasis on it because it's important to our season and for the conference,'' O'Leary said. ``I watched NC State go out and dismantle Cincinnati and that (NC State) game is one we'd have a shot at winning if we didn't turn the ball over. Each game that we're playing we're getting stronger.''
Undoubtedly, the elevation of Godfrey to the starting quarterback position has helped breathe life into the UCF offense. He completed 15-of-24 throws for 130 yards and he ran another 13 times for 44 more yards versus Buffalo.
Most importantly, Godfrey was at his best when the Knights needed it most. He converted seven of 15 third-down conversions. And on the go-ahead drive, one capped by a 14-yard touchdown burst by Ronnie Weaver, Godfrey converted two key third downs and also rushed for a first down on fourth down.
O'Leary briefly pulled Godfrey after a hot and cold first half, giving the first two possessions of the second half to Rob Calabrese. O'Leary said he was trying to calm Godfrey's nerves, while giving Calabrese a shot at moving the offense.
``I spoke to (Godfrey) at the half and told him I was putting Rob in and I wanted him to settle down and watch what was going on,'' O'Leary said. ``Some of the plays he was reverting back to the bad habits and doing things that weren't called for. He missed some checks and audibles at the line, but overall I was happy with him. He got stronger in the second half as he settled in and I liked that.''
O'Leary also liked how reserve backs Ronnie Weaver and Brendan Kelly ran in place of starter Jonathan Davis. Playing back in his native New York, Kelly ran for 40 yards and had a 12-yard rumble at one point. And Weaver, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship with his gritty play on special teams, had TD bursts of 14 yards and 1 yard and ran for 59 yards on eight carries.
``Kelly got in there and ran very hard and Ronnie really hit the holes that he was supposed to hit,'' O'Leary said. ``I was talking to Jonathan (Davis) about needing to sometimes creating things on your own. He was kind of tentative hitting the line of scrimmage, which he doesn't do much. (Davis) said he had a bad night, but the blocking was better than we got on some of those plays.''
Running backs will be the focus this week what with Kansas State's Daniel Thomas ranking among the leaders in the country in rushing. The Wildcats beat Iowa State 27-20 behind 181 rushing yards from Thomas on Saturday. Kansas State threw the ball just 12 times and instead gave the ball to Thomas a career-high 34 times. The senior tailback from Hilliard, Fla., has run for 234, 137 and 181 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in three games.
``He's a very good player, he runs hard and he cuts really well,'' O'Leary said. ``And they use him in the Wildcat too, so that makes him tough to defend. (Thomas) is a really good player and they make good use of him.''
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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.