June 29, 2012
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By John Denton, Knights Insider
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The start of preseason drills is less than six weeks away, so football season at UCF is right around the corner. And for many here in the football-crazed Sunshine State, that moment can't get here soon enough.
From now until drills begin in August, we here at UCFAthletics.com will be highlighting a UCF player to watch for the coming season and the expectations for that player.
The Knights open the season Aug. 30 at Akron. A week later the Knights travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State and new coach Urban Meyer. The home-opener at Bright House Networks Stadium is Sept. 15 against FIU. And the Knights will close the non-conference portion of the schedule on Sept. 29 with a marquee home game against Missouri.
UCF football season tickets are currently available for as low as $140, while single-game tickets are also on sale. For more information and to place an order, call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
Here is a closer look at one of the key Knights expected to make a big impact this season:
NAME: Latavius Murray
POSITION: Tailback
NUMBER: 28
HEIGHT, WEIGHT, CLASS: 6-3, 225, senior
2011 STATS: Despite having to split carries with Brynn Harvey and Ronnie Weaver, Murray ran for 549 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He also caught 17 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. His 5.6 yards a rush was tops among the regulars and he averaged 14.2 yards a reception.
BEST MOMENT: As he did late in the year as a sophomore when he won the MVP awards for the C-USA title game and the Liberty Bowl, Murray finished the 2012 season with a bang. He ran for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the season-closing 31-14 defeat of UTEP. Murray's rushing total was the fourth-most in school history and UCF's first 200-yard rushing day in two seasons. He also caught a touchdown, accounting for three scores in the lopsided victory.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: Murray will undoubtedly enter fall drills as the top tailback on the depth chart. He sometimes has an unwillingness to pound the ball up inside, but he is clearly UCF's most talented back when it comes to making defenders miss and breaking off long runs. Murray has the size, speed and vision of a player who can play at the next level, and it's up to him to have a solid senior season if he hopes to get a shot at playing in the NFL. His pass-catching skills, second only to maybe J.J. Worton on the squad, also make him a multi-dimensional threat out of the backfield. Murray could very well be chosen as a captain next season, so it's up to him to become more of a leader for the Knights.
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.