Aug. 28, 2011
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The player sits in front of a locker. His uniform is tailored to fit perfectly. His eyes roam around to see his teammates preparing for battle. Each has their own means of focusing on the task at hand. The player listens to a form of music that, in his mind, is generating a level of anticipation and excitement. The volume is loud enough that players to the left and right can easily feel the beat, whether the music would be a choice of theirs or not.
The seconds on the clock click ever so slowly and the time to do what you have been preparing for seems to stand still.
When the moment arrives, the heart beats faster than anything heard on an IPod. The player stands and pulls a helmet over his head and suddenly his independence becomes secondary. He turns his attention to his teammates and the feeling that engulfs the room. A large group becomes one and the moment builds.
There is a growing noise that gets louder and louder. It begins to drive an adrenaline rush throughout this room where this group now is eager to be close to that roar heard just above them.
Time has come and doors open and the slow walk towards the tunnel begins. The pace is almost slow motion but the anticipation is dripping. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. There is a sea of fans standing and feeding the moment.
The player stands before the entrance and awaits the call to march forward. The stadium bounces. Fans scream at levels they would never reach on any other day. And then the moment arrives, the moment the player has waited for all week. With one simple motion by the team leader, the player storms out of the tunnel with the people he has dedicated himself to be the best. The volume in the stadium reaches a peak and the battle has not yet started. The player must now find a balance of his emotions and the strategy of a plan to reach success.
It's a game, but it's more than that to many and to understand that is not simple. We come to the stadium for many reasons. We do not play, but we watch with a passion and we cheer. We make that moment for that player one that he will remember forever. It's more than a simple walk from a tunnel for the player and for all of us.
Three things to watch vs. Charleston Southern
The start of the game: UCF will want to set the tempo early. There are many first-game unknowns and UCF hopes to get its offense in rhythm early. UCF will always try to establish the run but don't be surprised if Jeff Godfrey goes deep early. Charleston Southern lost every skill player from last season's team and the UCF defense will try to make things challenging early. Look for UCF to try and stuff the run and get early pressure on Charleston Southern quarterback Malcolm Dixon, who started three games last season after injuries at the position.
UCF offensive line vs. Charleston Southern defensive front: UCF believes its offensive line is good and there will be bigger tests as the season goes along, but this group should be able to open holes for Ronnie Weaver, Brynn Harvey and Latavius Murray. But pass protection will be the long term key for this unit. One mission for Jeff Godfrey this year is to stay in the pocket longer. Look for that in this game. This is a game where UCF should be able to provide Godfrey extra seconds to look at second and third options in the passing game.
New Knights who play early: There are several true freshmen and other newcomers who have a chance to play key roles and this is a game to get that critical game experience. Receivers J.J. Worton and Josh Reese need good starts to the year. Tight end Justin Tukes could see early action in the passing game. Defensively there are number of players who will see time in this game. Linebackers Leilon Willingham and Terrance Plummer have run with the first defense a lot this camp and will be active early. Get a glimpse of newcomers at defense end in Toby Jackson and Cam Henderson, who were teammates in junior college last year and will be the next two years at UCF.
Football fact about Charleston Southern: In 2010, Charleston Southern's opponents intercepted 12 passes thrown by Buccaneer quarterbacks for an average return of 21.1 yards. Charleston Southern's defense had 13 picks for an average of 0.9 yards.
Non-football fact about Charleston Southern: The school was originally called Baptist College and was founded in 1964
Knights notes and more: I am back for a 17th season of calling UCF sports and could not be more excited for the new season. Former UCF great and Super Bowl champ, Mike Gruttadauria, returns for his second season as our color analyst. Jerry O'Neill roams the sidelines for his 17th season and we encourage you to ask him if he will have exclusive coverage of the coin toss this season. Scott Adams will handle scoreboards and other hosting duties on the broadcast when he is not giving away millions as the host of PowerBall. UCF alum Brian Fritz returns as our producer for his eighth season and engineer Frank Lovre, another UCF alum, is back for his 21st season, which means he saw UCF games in black and white he has been doing it so long. Radio pregame begins at 5 p.m. this Saturday and we are right outside on IOA Plaza so come on by and say hello. We do accept your tailgate dishes to sample. The crew is always hungry...Final thought: Why does the tv meteorologist have to roll up his sleeves and loosen his tie when giving hurricane updates? Does he not think the large circular object headed towards a big land mass with winds over 100 miles-an-hour makes me realize this is important?
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 Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.