Nov. 7, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After a pair of home games vs. Memphis and Tulsa, UCF now looks ahead to road trips at No. 25/23 Southern Miss and East Carolina. The Knights first take on the Golden Eagles Saturday at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Game Details:
Saturday - Hattiesburg, Miss. - 8 p.m. ET
2011 Records:
No. 25/23 Southern Miss - 8-1 Overall, 4-1 C-USA
UCF - 4-5 Overall, 2-3 C-USA
Stadium:
M.M. Roberts Stadium (36,000)
Series:
USM leads, 5-1
Live Coverage:
740-AM, UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_FootballSID
Television:
CBS Sports Network
Team Notes
PREVIEWING SOUTHERN MISS
? The matchup with the Golden Eagles marks UCF's first game against a top-25 school since Nov. 14, 2009, when the Knights stunned No. 13/12 Houston, 37-32, in Orlando.
? This will be UCF's first road game against a ranked school since Nov. 7, 2009, at No. 2 Texas (lost 35-3). It also is the Black and Gold's first road conference game vs. a ranked foe since Oct. 26, 2008, when No. 19 Tulsa defeated the Knights, 49-19.
? Southern Miss has won three-straight meetings with UCF, and owns an overall 5-1 lead in the series. The Knights' lone win came in a 34-17 decision in 2007 on the Golden Eagles' home turf.
? The winner of every game in the series has won the turnover battle. USM currently has a plus-6 advantage in turnovers vs. UCF.
? The Knights have been held to under 200 passing yards in each of the last five games vs. USM.
? Opening the year with a 1-1 record including a loss to Marshall, No. 25/23 Southern Miss (8-1, 4-1) has since won seven-straight with six of those victories coming by at least 18 points.
? Senior quarterback Austin Davis has thrown for 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions, averaging 238.6 yards a game, and USM ranks first in C-USA with 206.8 rushing yards per contest.
? The Golden Eagles are second behind only UCF in scoring defense (19.6) and total defense (343.4). USM has 70 tackles for loss, 19 sacks (Sr. DE Cordarro Law has 6.5) and 13 interceptions.
BREAKING DOWN THE STARTERS
? UCF has started 37 different players this year:
Freshmen - 8
Sophomores - 9
Juniors - 12
Seniors - 8
? The Knights also recently have been going with a true freshman on field-goal attempts in Shawn Moffitt.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
? The Black and Gold is averaging 416.0 yards in total offense, while the defense is surrendering only 268.6 yards a game.
? UCF has never finished a season where it averaged 400 yards of offense and gave up less than 300 yards a contest on defense.
TIME OF POSSESSION
? UCF's time of possession chart in 2011:
Quarter - Average
1st - 9:40
2nd - 9:05
3rd - 7:45
4th - 8:06
Overall - 34:37
? UCF has dominated the time of possession in the first quarter thanks to receiving the opening kickoff in eight of the nine games this season.
? The Knights have controlled the ball for at least 10 minutes in a quarter 10 times this year.
? UCF ranks third in the nation in average of time of possession. It posted at least 40 minutes of ball control vs. Marshall and vs. Memphis.
? FBS leaders in TOP:
1) Kansas State - 35:08
2) Texas - 34:43
3) UCF - 34:37
Offense Notes
THE LOWDOWN ON THE WIDE RECEIVERS
? Junior Quincy McDuffie entered the year with 21-career receptions for 270 yards, but currently leads the Knights with 28 catches and 352 yards.
? A pair of redshirt freshmen are right behind McDuffie, as J.J. Worton has 25 receptions (338 yards) and Josh Reese has 22 catches (335 yards). Senior A.J. Guyton also has posted 22 receptions.
? Meanwhile, senior tight end Adam Nissley recorded 17 receptions and 230 yards from 2008-10, yet has 20 for 232 yards in 2011 alone.
? Most receptions of at least 10 yards in 2011:
T1) Quincy McDuffie - 15
T1) Josh Reese - 15
3) J.J. Worton - 14
? Most receptions for a first down in 2011:
1) J.J. Worton - 18
T2) Quincy McDuffie - 14
T2) Josh Reese - 14
? Most third-down or fourth-down receptions which result in a first down in 2011:
1) J.J. Worton - 8
2) Latavius Murray - 5
3) Adam Nissley - 4
? Most first-half receptions in 2011:
1) Quincy McDuffie - 20
T2) A.J. Guyton - 12
T2) J.J. Worton - 12
? Most second-half receptions in 2011:
1) Josh Reese - 17
2) J.J. Worton - 13
3) Adam Nissley - 11
? Jeff Godfrey's favorite receivers in 2011:
1) Quincy McDuffie - 26
2) Adam Nissley - 20
3) A.J. Guyton - 19
? Blake Bortles' favorite receivers in 2011:
1) Josh Reese - 9
2) J.J. Worton - 8
3) Latavius Murray - 4
? Last season, only six Knights finished the entire year with at least 10 receptions. In 2011, eight players already have 10 catches or more through nine games. It marks the first time since the 2003 campaign in which eight Knights collected at least 10 receptions through the first nine games of a season.
NOT PLAYING LIKE FRESHMEN ANYMORE
? UCF's all-time top freshmen wide receivers:
Player - Season - Receptions
1) Sean Beckton - 1987 - 40
T2) Kamar Aiken - 2007 - 33
T2) Mike Dickinson* - 1989 - 33
4) Shantel Roundtree* - 1988 - 26
T5) J.J. Worton* - 2011 - 25
T5) Reginald Doster* - 1995 - 25
T5) Mark Nonsant - 1995 - 25
T5) Bobby Joe Plain - 1979 - 25
9) A.J. Guyton - 2007 - 23
T10) Josh Reese* - 2011 - 22
T10) David Rhodes* - 1991 - 22
T10) Bob Ross - 1979 - 22
* - Redshirt Freshman
Player - Season - Yards
1) Kamar Aiken - 2007 - 584
2) Sean Beckton - 1987 - 421
3) Todd Cleveland* - 1994 - 385
4) David Rhodes* - 1991 - 382
5) Mike Dickinson* - 1989 - 371
6) Shantel Roundtree* - 1988 - 361
7) Reginald Doster* - 1995 - 350
8) J.J. Worton* - 2011 - 338
9) Mike Sims-Walker - 2003 - 337
10) Josh Reese* - 2011 - 335
* - Redshirt Freshman
? The longest reception by a UCF freshman receiver was 72 yards by Kamar Aiken in 2007. This year, Josh Reese's long stands at 48, while J.J. Worton has a 41-yard catch.
? David Rhodes leads the way with 54.6 yards per game in 1991 (382 yards in seven games). Reese stands at 41.9 and Worton is at 37.6.
TOTAL OFFENSE
? UCF's top seasons in terms of total yards per game:
Season - Average - Yards - Games
1) 1998 - 487.7 - 5,365 - 11
2) 1992 - 478.8 - 4,788 - 10
3) 1994 - 444.5 - 4,889 - 11
4) 2002 - 436.1 - 5,233 - 12
5) 1993 - 424.3 - 5,091 - 12
6) 1999 - 417.2 - 4,589 - 11
7) 1997 - 417.1 - 4,588 - 11
8) 2011 - 416.0 - 3,744 - 9
? This year's 416.0 average is UCF's highest under George O'Leary (since 2004).
KEEPING INCOMPLETIONS AT A MINIMUM
? Jeff Godfrey currently ranks first all-time among UCF quarterbacks with a 67.6 completion percentage. Daunte Culpepper finished his career at 63.9.
? The sophomore has posted at least a 60.0 percentage in seven of nine contests in 2011, highlighted by his 82.4 percent (14-for-17) vs. Memphis and 80.0 percent (20-for-25) vs. Boston College.
? Combining Godfrey and Blake Bortles (70.2), UCF stands at 12th in the nation with a 68.25 completion percentage.
? All-time best completion percentages for a single-season at UCF:
1) 1998 - 73.4
2) 2011 - 68.3
3) 2010 - 64.5
Defense Notes
UCF CONTROLLING OPPONENTS' IMPACT PLAYERS
? The Knights' defense has routinely held opposing quarterbacks and running backs to under their per-game average in 2011 (the players listed below are those who are currently leading their respective teams in overall passing or rushing yards).
Quarterback - 2011 Average - vs. UCF
CSU - Malcolm Dixon - 109.7 YPG - 50
B.C. - Chase Rettig - 163.3 YPG - 70
FIU - Wes Carroll - 207.6 YPG - 127
BYU - Jake Heaps - 171.5 YPG - 133
MAR - Rakeem Cato - 131.0 YPG - 87
SMU - J.J. McDermott - 279.4 YPG - 358
UAB - Jonathan Perry - 134.0 YPG - 327
MEM - Taylor Reed - 157.1 YPG - 97
TLS - G.J. Kinne - 233.1 YPG - 203
? The only two quarterbacks to throw over their per-game average were SMU's J.J. McDermott and UAB's Jonathan Perry.
Running Back - 2011 Average - vs. UCF
CSU - Malcolm Dixon - 42.3 YPG - 5
B.C. - Rolandan Finch - 71.0 YPG - 0
FIU - Kedrick Rhodes - 89.3 YPG - 89
BYU - JJ Di Luigi - 46.1 YPG - 38
MAR - Tron Martinez - 51.8 YPG - 33
SMU - Zach Line - 121.0 YPG - 82
UAB - Greg Franklin - 27.3 YPG - 43
MEM - Billy Foster - 46.2 YPG - 20
TLS - Trey Watts - 63.1 YPG - 63
? The leading rushers for eight of nine opponents were all held to under their average vs. UCF.
GEATHERS PROVING HIMSELF
? Earning the starting strong safety position in the spring, redshirt freshman Clayton Geathers has lived up to the hype in the fall.
? The Hemingway, S.C., native ranks second on the team with 43 tackles and four break-ups, and first in solo tackles with 26. That was highlighted by a team-high 13 tackles against Tulsa Nov. 3.
? The last freshman to rank in the top two in tackles for UCF in a single season was Jason Venson in 2005 when he led the Knights with 85 tackles.
? Top freshmen tacklers year-by-year under George O'Leary:
Freshman - Season - Tackles - Rank on the Team
Clayton Geathers - 2011 - 43 2nd
Victor Gray - 2010 - 33 - 11th
Kemal Ishmael - 2009 - 70 - 4th
Ronnie Weaver - 2008 - 5 - 24th
Derrick Hallman - 2007 - 50 - 7th
Chance Henderson - 2006 - 32 - 9th
Jason Venson - 2005 - 85 - 1st
Renford Parks - 2004 - 42 - 6th
TOTAL DEFENSE
? UCF's top seasons in terms of total yards per game:
Season - Average - Yards - Games
1) 1979 - 225.4 - 1,803 - 8
2) 1980 - 264.5 - 2,381 - 9
3) 2011 - 268.6 - 2,417 - 9
4) 1989 - 276.3 - 2,763 - 10
5) 1987 - 276.5 - 3,594 - 13
? Since joining the FBS in 1996, UCF's top single-season performance in fewest yards allowed per game was 307.4 in 2001.
OVERALL DOMINANCE
? UCF ranks fifth in the country in total defense (268.56) and scoring defense (15.33), joining LSU and Alabama as the only three schools to rank in the top five in both categories.
THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS
? Opponents are successful on just 30.83 percent of its third-down conversions, as UCF's defense sits at 11th in the FBS and first in Conference USA.
? If the season ended today, that 30.8 percent would set UCF's all-time record.
? Lowest third-down conversion percentages in UCF history:
1) 2011 - 30.8
2) 1985 - 30.9
3) 1998 - 31.0
4) 2000 - 32.0
5) 2008 - 35.4
Special Teams Notes
HALL FINDING A RHYTHM
? True freshman Rannell Hall currently averages 31.0 yards on 12 kickoff returns. Three more returns will qualify him for UCF's single-season list, and the 31.0 average would rank second behind only Quincy McDuffie's 32.2 mark set last season.
? UCF's single-season chart for average yards per kickoff return (minimum 15 returns):
Player - Average - Season
1) Quincy McDuffie - 32.2 (869/27) - 2010
2) Paul Miranda - 30.7 (644/21) - 1998
3) Ted Wilson - 29.3 (732/25) - 1983
-- Rannell Hall - 31.0 (372/12) - 2011
? UCF entered the UAB game Oct. 20 ranked 100th in the nation in kickoff returns, and now ranks 17th with Hall individually ranking eighth in the FBS.
? In just his second game returning kicks, "Speedy" took back four for 160 yards against UAB, but only had one return vs. Memphis since UCF shutout the Tigers.
? In seven of Hall's first eight kickoff returns of his career, UCF's offense ultimately put the ball in the endzone. The only time the Knights did not score six points after a Hall return was when their final drive of the UAB game started with 14 seconds remaining and UCF had time to run just two plays.
ANOTHER TRUE FRESHMAN TAKES OVER
? Shawn Moffitt, an Orlando native and Dr. Phillips graduate, has impressed midway through the year.
? Although Moffitt is 0-for-3 from 40 yards and out, he is 5-for-6 from 20-39 yards, and is 17-for-17 on extra-points in his first-collegiate campaign.