Oct. 10, 2011
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Facebook
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Making its first trip to Dallas since 2007, UCF will battle Conference USA West Division leader SMU Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FSN. UCF has won seven-consecutive games against teams from the C-USA West Division.
Game Details:
Saturday - Dallas, Texas - 3:30 p.m. ET
2011 Records:
SMU - 4-1 Overall, 2-0 C-USA
UCF - 3-2 Overall, 1-0 C-USA
Stadium:
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000)
Series:
UCF leads, 3-0
Live Coverage:
740-AM, UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_FootballSID
Television:
FSN
Team Notes
GIDDY UP
? After securing career-win No. 100 against Marshall Oct. 8, UCF head coach George O'Leary will be looking to stay perfect against the Mustangs this weekend as the Knights are 3-0 all-time vs. SMU.
? UCF has won seven-consecutive games against teams from the C-USA West Division, and six-straight conference games against teams from the Longhorn State (2-0 vs. SMU, 2-0 vs. Houston, 2-0 vs. Rice).
? SMU outgained UCF in total yards in each of the previous two meetings, but the Mustangs were held to under 100 rushing yards in those two games.
? The Knights lead the overall turnover battle by a plus-7 margin.
STAY OUT!
? Through five games, UCF has allowed only six touchdowns overall, and just three of them are against the Knights' defense.
? Opponents' touchdowns against UCF in 2011:
1) at FIU - 51-yard fumble recovery
2) at FIU - 4-yard run - drive started on the UCF-8
3) at BYU - 16-yard run - drive started on the UCF-38
4) at BYU - 93-yard kickoff return
5) at BYU - 6-yard run - drive started on the UCF-23
6) vs. MAR - 12-yard fumble recovery
? The 38-yard drive at BYU stands as the defense's longest touchdown drive given up all year.
ALL ABOUT THE RUN GAME
? The Knights sit eighth in the nation in rushing defense (77.40) and 29th in rushing offense (198.20).
? Five schools in the country rank in the top 10 in rushing defense and the top 30 in rushing offense: UCF, Alabama, Texas A&M, Cincinnati and Illinois.
BUSTING OUT EARLY
? The Black and Gold has outscored its opponents in the first quarter, 41-6, and in the second quarter 36-7.
? In the second half, UCF trails in the third quarter, 30-21, but recovers in the fourth quarter with a 37-7 advantage.
BOTH SIDES DOING THEIR JOB
? UCF held a 40:14-19:46 advantage in time of possession vs. Marshall, marking the second-straight season it held onto the ball for at least 40 minutes against the Thundering Herd.
? Since joining the FBS in 1996, UCF had never posted a TOP of at least 40 minutes until last year's win against Marshall. Prior to 2010, the last time it finished a game above the 40-minute mark was a 41-14 win over Samford on Oct. 7, 1995 (40:43-19:17).
? UCF has won the time of possession battle in all five games this year, and ranks fourth in the country with an average TOP of 35:11.
? In all, the Knights have controlled the ball more than their opponents in 16 of their last 17 games with the lone exception coming in last year's AutoZone Liberty Bowl where UCF defeated Georgia.
? The Black and Gold has finished with at least 32 minutes of possession time in every game in 2011. In 2010, UCF had six games where it posted at least 32:00 in TOP.
Offense Notes
HE'S BACK!
? Junior Brynn Harvey missed the entire 2009 season with an injury, and in his first four games of 2011 he had yet to carry the ball at least 15 times or rack up over 70 yards in a game.
? That changed during the rainstorm of Oct. 8 vs. Marshall. Receiving his first start since the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl, Harvey tore up the field for 180 yards on 30 carries, including a 50-yard scamper to open the game.
? It was Harvey's seventh-career 100-yard rushing day, which ranks in a tie for sixth all-time at UCF.
? Harvey's 100-yard rushing games:
at Marshall - Nov. 15, 2008 - 33 ATT - 150 YDS
Samford - Sept. 5, 2009 - 31 ATT - 111 YDS
Memphis - Oct. 3, 2009 - 42 ATT - 219 YDS
Houston - Nov. 14, 2009 - 35 ATT - 139 YDS
Tulane - Nov. 21, 2009 - 16 ATT - 129 YDS
at UAB - Nov. 28, 2009 - 24 ATT - 130 YDS
Marshall - Oct. 8, 2011 - 30 ATT - 180 YDS
? Harvey's 180 yards vs. the Thundering Herd ranked in a tie for 15th on the UCF single-game chart.
? Harvey joined Kevin Smith, Marquette Smith and Willie English as the only four Knights in UCF history who recorded 180 rushing yards or more in a game at least twice in their careers.
VETERANS AT THE TOP, BUT FRESHMEN STEP UP
? Junior Quincy McDuffie (18), senior A.J. Guyton (17) and senior Adam Nissley (11) pace the receiving corps in receptions, however a pair of freshmen are climbing the chart as well.
? Josh Reese pulled in a team-high four receptions in the season-opener, but was left without a catch in the next three games. He answered at Marshall, though, with a game-high four receptions and 42 yards.
? J.J. Worton continued to demonstrate his ability to catch anything thrown his way with a pair of receptions for 36 yards against the Thundering Herd.
? The freshmen duo has combined for 16 receptions and 283 yards (Reese 8-144, Worton 8-139).
GODFREY IN THE AIR
? The Knights' offense has produced more rushing yards than passing yards in three of five games, however sophomore quarterback Jeff Godfrey remains consistent.
? In a league where 2011 was billed as the "year of the quarterback," Godfrey ranks fifth with a 134.69 efficiency rating. He also has amassed at least 100 passing yards in 15-straight games.
? Godfrey has thrown just two interceptions and he is on pace to finish the 12-game regular season with only five picks. UCF's record for fewest interceptions thrown is seven during Daunte Culpepper's senior year (11 games played).
GODFREY ON THE GROUND
? After collecting two more at BYU, quarterback Jeff Godfrey has eight rushing touchdowns this year.
? Godfrey's game-by-game rushing TDs in 2011:
Charleston Southern - 3 - (tied UCF QB record)
Boston College - 2
at FIU - 1
at BYU - 2
Marshall - 0
? There are only two quarterbacks in UCF history which rank in the all-time top-10 in rushing touchdowns: Daunte Culpepper and Godfrey.
? The sophomore has 18 rushing touchdowns in just 19 total games with the Knights, while Culpepper had 24 in 44-career games.
? UCF's career top-10 in rushing touchdowns:
1) Kevin Smith - 45 - 2005-07
2) Willie English - 38 - 1989-91, `93
3) Alex Haynes - 27 - 2001-04
4) Daunte Culpepper - 24 - 1995-98
5) Mark Giacone - 22 - 1987, `89-90
6) Mike Grant - 20 - 1995-98
7) Elgin Davis - 19 - 1983-86
7) Marquette Smith - 19 - 1994-95
7) Gerod Davis - 19 1992-95
10) Jeff Godfrey - 18 - 2010-pres.
10) Latavius Murray - 18 - 2008-pres.
RUN AROUND
? Last year, UCF posted at least 235 total rushing yards in a game four times. In 2011, it already has three contests where it collected 235 yards or more.
Defense Notes
JUST DOING OUR THING
? UCF, Alabama and Michigan State are the only three schools in the country which rank in the top-10 in the five major defensive categories: rushing, passing, passing efficiency, scoring and total.
? Highlighted by holding down the No. 1 spot in passing and passing efficiency defense, UCF averages a 2.8 national ranking in those five categories. MSU stands at 2.2 and Alabama is at 2.4.
? Through five games in 2010, UCF also ranked in the top 10 in each category except rushing.
FBS School - Passing Defense
1) UCF - 100.20 YPG
2) Michigan State - 109.40 YPG
3) South Carolina - 128.50 YPG
FBS School - Passing Efficiency Defense
1) UCF - 71.15 Rating
2) Michigan State - 83.40 Rating
3) Alabama - 85.04 Rating
FBS School - Total Defense
1) Michigan State - 173.40 YPG
2) UCF - 177.60 YPG
3) Alabama - 191.33 YPG
FBS School - Scoring Defense
1) Alabama - 7.00 PPG
2) UCF - 10.00 PPG
3) Michigan State - 10.20 PPG
3) Wisconsin - 10.20 PPG
FBS School - Rushing Defense
1) Alabama - 39.83 YPG
...
7) Texas A&M - 76.80 YPG
8) UCF - 77.40 YPG
DON'T EVEN BOTHER THROWING IT
? Last weekend, UCF entered as the lone school in the country which had yet to permit a passing touchdown.
? And after 60 minutes against Marshall, the Knights were still able to boast that statistic.
? Fewest passing touchdowns allowed in the FBS:
1) UCF - 0
2) Maryland - 1
3) Penn State - 3
3) Wisconsin - 3
3) Temple - 3
MORE ON THE PASS DEFENSE
? UCF has allowed fewer than 100 passing yards in three games this year, which already ties the school's FBS-era record for most games giving up less than 100 yards in a single-season (first year at the FBS level was in 1996).
? Most games where opponents did not reach the 100-yard mark in passing since 1996:
1) 2011 - 3
1) 2008 - 3
3) 1998 - 2
3) 2000 - 2
? Only one team (FIU) has managed a completion percentage greater than 50.0 against the Knights.
RUNNING THE BALL HASN'T WORKED EITHER
? The Black and Gold has permitted just two teams (FIU, BYU) in the last eight games to record at least 100 rushing yards.
? A total of three rushing touchdowns have been scored on the Knights. Only Alabama (one), Stanford (two), Michigan State (two), Louisville (two) and Utah (two) have issued less than UCF.
NO POINTS ALLOWED
? In only five games, UCF has held opponents to single-digits three times and to 17 points or less in four contests.
? Most games allowing less than 10 points in a single-season:
1) 1979 - 6
2) 1981, `86, `87, `90, `00, `01, `10 - 4
9) 2011 - 3
? Most games allowing 17 points or less in a single-season:
1) 2010 - 10
2) 1990 - 8
3) 1987 - 7
-- 2011 - 4
? Dating back to last year, UCF has surrendered 17 points or less in eight of its last nine games.
PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON
? UCF forced Marshall's Rakeem Cato to complete just 11 passes while he had 18 incompletions Oct. 8.
? Finishing with only 87 passing yards, Cato watched as UCF broke up seven passes and had eight quarterback hurries, including four by Victor Gray and three from Troy Davis.
? A total of 10 of Marshall's 13 offensive drives lasted three plays or less, and 11 took up fewer than two minutes on the clock.
GETTING IN THE WAY
? Junior cornerback Josh Robinson leads C-USA with nine passes defended thanks to two interceptions and seven break-ups.
? He currently ranks fifth all-time at UCF with 10 interceptions, and sixth with 28 break-ups.