Nov. 21, 2011
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - It wasn't supposed to be like this. There was supposed to be a chance at another conference title and there was supposed to be a bowl game, if not in Memphis, certainly somewhere. But that will not be the case. The 2011 season for UCF will end this Friday night against UTEP. It will be only the Miners who will play for a chance to get a sixth win and become bowl eligible.
What went wrong? How did a season so promising come to this? That is what offseasons are for and the evaluating process will begin after the clock shows 0:00 Friday night.
Six of UCF's seven losses have been by seven points or less. Two special teams mistakes played significant roles in the losses at FIU and BYU. There was the costly pass interference call on third and 16 after an incomplete pass for UAB at the UCF 31 that allowed the Blazers to kick a game-winning field goal. There was first and goal at the five against Tulsa with overtime waiting, but the Knights could not score. The two-point conversion for the win at Southern Miss that fell short and then four tries from the East Carolina 14 for a game-tying score but not getting the equalizer.
Coaches say one or two plays can be the difference is a ball game. About five or six plays are the difference from a great season to where the Knights stand today.
There is no postseason awaiting so Friday's game becomes a test of program pride and a chance to send out the seniors with a positive feeling about a career that has been filled with great wins and a conference title last season.
Each senior has their own story about their journey at UCF. Ronnie Weaver is among those who will play their final college game and perhaps the final football game of his career. A player who just wanted a chance to play at the college level, Weaver did anything and everything asked of him and he didn't just make the team. Ronnie Weaver became a starter and the ideal player a coach would want. He would do it all and never complained. He just wanted a chance to play.
So as the Knights take the field for the final time this season on Friday against UTEP, it's a chance to end the year on a positive note. It's a chance to show appreciation to a group of seniors who have made their mark and deserve a chance to run out of the tunnel and hear the roar of UCF fans one more time.
Knights notes and more: I am humbled by the many of you that have said so many kinds words about me and broadcasting my 200th UCF football game this past weekend. I am so privileged to be part of the UCF family and honored to sit behind the microphone to call games for the Knights. I hope to be here for another 200 games and see so many more great moments. Thank you all...Actress Mila Kunis accepted an offer to be the date of an officer at the Marine Corp Ball. Where was that ball? That would in Greenville, N.C., this past weekend where many attendees stayed at the same hotel as UCF...Ron Dowdy popped in to the broadcast booth at East Carolina. The ECU grad is also a huge supporter of UCF and admits his loyalty is split right down the middle. Dowdy, wearing an ECU shirt in the stadium that bears his name, is a big reason UCF has a football program. Dowdy's large donations in the early years allowed UCF a chance to grow into the team it is today...Kudos to Amanda Cromwell's women's soccer team for its amazing weekend in Gainesville in which they beat Florida and then North Carolina to advance to the Elite 8 where they will face Wake Forest next weekend...Kudos as well to Bryan Cunningham's team. Despite a tough 2-1 loss to USF, Cunningham's men's soccer team had a great season and the program has become one of the best in the country...Final thought: Great. I just found the amount of tryptophan in a turkey is not as much as people think and most poultry has same amount. So now what is my excuse for falling asleep so quickly after we eat on Thanksgiving?
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.