September 2012 Archives
After playing the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, the Knights are now focused on starting a new chapter of the season - conference play.
UCF ended the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 2-2 record and will face the East Carolina Pirates in its first Conference USA game of the season on Thursday night at Bright House Networks Stadium.
"We can always take positives [from] plays and positive things out of each game," sophomore running back Storm Johnson said in his post-game interview. "Our main focus is getting better as a team and moving forward."
Senior linebacker Ray Shipman said the team will watch film on ECU Saturday night and the coaches will grade the team's performance against Missouri. The whole team is now focused on getting a win against the Pirates.
"We have to move forward now because we have a short week," senior defensive back Kemal Ishmael said. "After this day, the game is over. We're just getting ready for ECU now."
The Pirates have already played two Conference USA opponents this season and faced the likes for North Carolina and South Carolina in non-conference play. Both ECU and UCF have played challenging non-conference schedules and both hope they helped prepare them for C-USA play.
UCF doesn't plan to loss its focus on ECU after its loss to Missouri.
"We're going to get in, watch film and at the end of the day, forget about it," Johnson said.
@UCF_Football (2-1) vs. @MizzouFootball (2-2) Bright House Networks Stadium (45,323) - @CityBeautiful - 12 p.m. Watch it live on @FoxSports Network. You can listen on WYGM @740thegame (flagship), WFLF 540-AM (Maitland), WDCF 1350-AM (Clearwater), WROD 1340-AM (Daytona Beach), WWCN 770-AM (Fort Myers) Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_Football and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well to see pictures from the season opener. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
Sergeant Matt Garland is one of many U.S. military personnel who are currently stationed overseas. Garland is in the United States Army and is serving his country in Afghanistan. Garland went to his first Knights game in 2005 and has been a loyal UCF fan ever since.
Following the Knights football team is one thing he enjoys during his free time. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the season-opener in person due to his deployment. But he was able to take part in the game. He was able to watch the game with his wife live through Skype. Garland's wife Stephanie was sitting with her family in Section 130.
"It added him into the game," UCF graduate Stephanie Garland said. "He was away, but it made it more like he was there and we can joke with him and have fun with him."
Stephanie and Matt were able to Skype for the majority of the fourth quarter.
"He loved it," Stephanie said. "He loved being able to actually see it happening because on the computer it was just the Game Tracker."
Stephanie had never tried to Skype at a game before the FIU contest. She is a middle school teacher in Orlando and told many of her friends and colleagues about what she was able to do.
"Many of them were at the game and I said to them 'Yeah, we Skyped him,'" Stephanie said. "For some reason, we were able to get cell phone reception. They said that's amazing he was able to see the game."
Even though Matt won't be back to watch any of the Knights' games in person this season, he still has his season ticket. Stephanie says she is looking forward to Matt being back in the United States to watch the Knights live next season.
"It's his ticket. That's his spot," Stephanie said. "If I give it up I'm going to have to get it back next year. So I may as well hang onto it and invite friends and family of his to take joy in what he's not able to."
Following the Knights has helped the couple's relationship grow and has helped Matt and Stephanie get through not seeing each other for months.
"We get through it," Stephanie said. "If we're down and we're said it doesn't get him home any quicker. We try to keep it on the positive side. We do talk about football and things we enjoy together. It keeps me busy and puts me in a positive atmosphere, because I can come out and cheer for the Knights."
When the Missouri Tigers come to Orlando Saturday, it will mark the first time UCF will host a Southeastern Conference opponent at Bright House Networks Stadium. A win against the Tigers would go down in UCF history.
"You've got to win those games if you want to get any notoriety," UCF head coach George O'Leary said during his weekly press conference Tuesday. "It's an important game. I think any time you can bring the SEC into your house it should be a big deal with your fan base and everybody else concerned with the game."
The Tigers (2-2, 0-2) are coming off a 31-10 loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
"Looking at them, they looked a little bit out of sync against South Carolina," O'Leary said. "But they're a very, very good defense. They got a bunch of guys back that play a lot of ball for them. I think they've got some outstanding players on defense."
The Knights have had success against SEC schools in the past. Back in 2000 UCF defeated Alabama 40-38 in Tuscaloosa and in 2010 the Knights defeated Georgia 10-6 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
O'Leary knows how physical SEC teams can be and he expects the Tigers to to be just that.
"They are a talented football team," O'Leary said. "They have everything that's supposed to happen - athleticism, size and speed. So we are going to have our work cut out for us."
Saturday's contest will also be UCF's final non-conference game of the season. A victory against Missouri would give the Knights a lot of momentum heading into Conference USA play.
"It is important because we start our conference right after in four days with East Carolina on Thursday," O'Leary said. "So it's always a better Sunday when you get a win on Saturday, especially with a short week."
Preseason college basketball preview magazines are starting to hit newsstands. Expect UCF senior Keith Clanton to rack up plenty of recognition from the publications.
Clanton, who averaged 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game a year ago, is a Conference USA Player of the Year candidate. Lindy's Sports had one of the first preseason magazines released this year and Clanton was named to its Preseason All-C-USA First Team. The power forward was also named the 19th-best post player in the country.
On the web, SBNation.com's Mike Rutherford recently listed the top-100 players in the country and Clanton made the list at No. 63. Clanton and Adonis Thomas of Memphis were the only C-USA players to make the list.
Redshirt freshman Kayla Keller exploded on the scene last September as a true freshman when she recorded a 12 kills, 13 digs double-double in her first ever college match vs. then-No. 3 USC. Keller earned a starting role at outside hitter and was on the road to stardom before an ankle injury prematurely derailed her promising freshman season after just 12 matches and earned her a medical redshirt.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Keller worked hard to rehab her injury and come back better than ever. She recorded a 13 kill, 13 dig double-double against Fairfield on Sept. 8 and set a new career high in digs with 15 against Dartmouth later that same day. Known primarily a skilled offensive player, Keller has made great strides as a defender as she leads all non-defensive Knights in digs per set with 2.03.
Off the court, like many of her non-Florida native teammates, Keller can handle the Florida heat, but dislikes the summer rain storms. She also enjoys local hibachi restaurant Kyoto and scary movies at the theater.
Make sure to tune in every week to get to "Know Your Knights"
After getting some time off to rest after last week's bye week, the UCF Knights feel prepared to take on their first ever SEC opponent at Bright House Networks Stadium. After defeating FIU in week three, the Knights got a couple of days off to rest and then it was back to work.
UCF will take on the Missouri Tigers for the first time in school history and the Knights liked where last week's bye fell on the schedule.
"It just gives us extra time to prepare and mostly get our bodies rested," senior running back Brynn Harvey said. "We work on trying to keep it consistent. The blockers concentrate on blocking. The running backs focus on finishing and [for] the receivers catching the ball. Simple things."
"The extra days have helped us," senior linebacker Ray Shipman said. "Being able to go up against the UCF offense more gives us a better look and being more physical."
In the team's game against FIU, all of the Knights were pleased with the way the first half went. UCF scored 23 points in the half including two touchdown passes from Blake Bortles and one touchdown on the ground from Harvey.
"We want to carry over the way we played in the first half in the FIU game and bring that over into this game," Shipman said.
Bortles has already thrown for seven touchdowns this season, which is one more than he had all of last season. Both coach O'Leary and the rest of the Knights have been impressed with the Oviedo native this season. Despite, the six interceptions Bortles has thrown this season, the team feels the sophomore quarterback is more focused than ever.
"He doesn't let anything [get to him]," Harvey said. "He knows that he makes mistakes and he's going to come back and help us pick up where he left off against FIU. The interceptions don't get to Blake. You can tell he's a poised guy and he keeps us poised."
This past bye week also gave the team a chance to do something it doesn't get to do very often. Watch a live football game.
Over the weekend, Missouri lost to South Carolina 31-10. The Knights admitted it was a different perspective than they were used to.
"The linebackers came to my house and watched the game," Shipman said. "The score [of the game] was kind of misleading, but they have a really good team...We're definitely going to play to the best of our ability."
During Tuesday's State of the University Address, senior offensive lineman Jordan Rae was honored for the successes he's had on and off the football field. Rae was one of a handful of students recognized by UCF President John C. Hitt.
"To hear all of those compliments were definitely awesome," Rae said. "I've done so much and the work is finally paying off."
The senior offensive lineman graduated with his degree in finance last school year and is a three-year starter on the football team. He is also a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded each year to the best center in the nation.
As an undergraduate, Rae made the honor roll in six of his eight semesters and he is currently working on his master's degree in business.
"All of the qualities that we taught him came out and that's really important to us," Jordan's mother Dayle Rae said. "This is really the proof of all we taught him."
On the Missouri game carrying more weight:
"People have found out that Akron and FIU are better than people thought. I think the big thing is that you play Ohio State, you're playing Missouri. They're SEC, Big Ten teams. You got to win those games if you want to get any notoriety. The players understand it is the fourth game. It's an important game. I think any time you can bring the SEC in to your house it should be a big deal with your fan base and everybody else concerned with the game. To me it is important because we start our conference right after in four days with East Carolina on Thursday. So it's always a better Sunday when you get a win on Saturday especially with a short week."
On Missouri's spread offense and past games:
"Everybody we face is no huddle. ... I think everyone is in spread now. I still like contact in the box and stuff like that. The good teams, even though they're spread, are running the ball better than they're throwing it when you really break them down and look at them. I think Missouri is that kind of club. I think they have great, big receivers out there but they run the ball extremely well between the box, in between the tackles. Their running back is the fastest kid on the team and the backup is second-fastest. So, they got some juice at running back that can hurt you especially with the type of offense they run. You try to defend everybody else on the field. It breaks down to where your front five or front six, they got to make plays. They got to be a gap and a half, not just their own gap. They got to play another half-a-gap to make up for the people that are in coverage. But Missouri is that way. When you look at them for the Georgia game, I think the score of the game is not even the case of the game. I think they're right in to that game and then they have a couple of turnovers which broke the game open. They were right in to that game the whole time. Arizona State, they're up (24-7) and Arizona State came back on them. I just think, looking at them, they looked a little bit out of sync against South Carolina. But they're a very, very good defense. They got a bunch of guys back that play a lot of ball for them. I think they got some outstanding players on defense. Offensively, they have weapons out there. Obviously, it starts with the quarterback making the right plays and the right reads in the passing game and run game. They are a talented football team. They have everything that's supposed to happen - athleticism, size and speed. So we are going to have our work cut out for us."
On putting pressure on Missouri QB James Franklin:
"It bothers most quarterbacks when you put pressure on them. ... The big thing in this game is that when you have the opportunity to make a play, you cannot miss it. You got to make the play. Whether it is in the open field or attacking the quarterback, whatever it is you can't have missed assignments or missed plays when you have the opportunity to make them. That's the difference in the game."
On the status of RB Latavius Murray:
"He's practicing this week. He got Okayed by the doctor last Friday to go out. He's still in a yellow shirt. He's taking hits and stuff. He's in the game plan on the offensive side of the field. On how much he plays, I don't know. We'll see how the week develops as far as where he's at. He missed three weeks. He definitely won't start in the game unless he shows something really tomorrow or on Thursday. But I think he has to play this weekend. I think he will play."
On ball security:
"They really do. They have a big CPR (club, punch, rip) team. We've been preaching it. We have our show teams which are the scout teams and they'll do all the CPR drills and strip them every chance they get. Ball security, I think, is very [important] especially if you get down field. The backside guys are coming in; they're looking to strip right down. We've mentioned it to the players; we're working out in practice. Again, in the heat of them game you just got to remember 'high and tight.' As I tell them, you don't have to worry about it if you got hats on hats. This is a big week for "BOB" - body on body. You don't worry about all this CPR if you got body on body in the run game. Pass game is the one I'm concerned about where receivers catch and put it away when somebody else is coming."
On poise being a concern for QB Blake Bortles:
"Well I don't know if it was poise as much as he was staring guys down (at Ohio State), which is a lack of experience. I think the picks he threw, two were tipped. That basically means the defense is getting a jump on you so you must be staring the stuff down. I think that's a matter of just experience. You got to be able to look stuff off. I think he's done a better job with that. But I think the picks that he's been involved with, one was just he should have ate the ball in the Akron game. You get picked trying to make a play when he wasn't there. And in the Ohio State game, I thought two of them were tipped because he was staring it down. Again, you can't do that. But that's just a matter of experience and how many snaps you've been behind the quarterback. He's had three games behind center as a starting quarterback. And I have no problem with Blake. I think he basically has the ability to make a play and I just don't think he can have bad plays. He still has the ability to take a bad play and make a good play out of it which is the sign of a quarterback developing."
On the play of punter Jamie Boyle:
"I think Jamie Boyle has really done a great job for a first-year punter coming through. He had five inside the 20 and three inside the 10 the last game which keeps the offense on a long field which is what you are looking for defensively. He's done a great job under tough situations too. So, I've been very, very pleased with him."
On the identity of the UCF defense:
"Well, I hope it's the identity of us in the first half against FIU. That's what we need to see for 60 minutes. I think it comes down to consistency. I still get disturbed with some guys out there. Football is a contact-speed game. We still have some areas that I think we need to improve on. It's very hard to hide a guy that doesn't want to mix it up on defense or offense. We got to get better at the wide receiver position as far as blocking, contact and speed. We just can't be sticking our hands out. You got to be able to deliver a blow. I think we got to improve on that. That leads to long run plays when you get those second-level guys blocked. Again, the identity I don't know defensively. I think we got some big-play potential guys but we got to get more out of them. If I was to put them in situations that could help them, as far as they get some one-on-ones. We got to get our hands on more balls from an underneath coverage standpoint. That's the other thing. I look at deflected balls. That tells your underneath coverage is getting to the ball. I think it's going to be a whale of a game Saturday. I think Missouri is a good football team. They have played two tough teams in the SEC and both games they've showed enough talent to concern me as far as what they can do offensively and defensively."
On MLB Terrance Plummer:
"He needs to play better in my opinion. He may have all those tackles, but I'm looking for how many tackles-for-losses does a defense have. That's what the one item that we are missing, I think, on defense right now after three games. We've had some sacks and all but it's the TFLs that put the offense behind the chains. That's where we need to improve. That usually goes with your front or your linebackers. I got a lot of linebackers that are making tackles 10 yards down field. I'm looking at the other side. Who makes them on the other side of the line of scrimmage? That's where we need to improve. But I think Terrance - for a young kid, sophomore - has done a good job. But I expect more, each game, from him."
On being physical:
"The SEC is that kind of conference. They run as much as spread as anybody else but their spread is a little different from some of the other conferences. They pass it just to see how much run they got. I think you got to be able to bone up and get off blocks and make plays. When they have the ball in space, you have to secure the tackles. What I've seen and been impressed with by this Missouri team is their hidden yardage after the catch."
On the impact of the fans for this type of game:
"It's big. I think the fan base is critical at a home game, any home game. I think the players react to it. The fans get excited to it. Football is a game of momentum and that's started by the stands. A big play on defense or offense, where the fans get all excited. That's what generates a lot of enthusiasm. That's what the game is about. The fan base Saturday is going to be critical."
On competing with big schools:
"We've competed with everybody. I think we can line up and hold our own throughout the country. I think the big thing is that we need to get more productive plays and chunk plays out of our offense. You can't grind it out against equal personnel all the time. You got to be able to make a guy miss and make some chunk plays out of some plays. I think Charlie (Taaffe) has done a good job of trying to tag stuff so certain guys are involved in certain plays."
While the entire UCF community is looking ahead to this Saturday's noon kickoff with Missouri at Bright House Networks Stadium, the Black and Gold's next contest will be only a few days away as it hosts East Carolina Thursday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m.
You couldn't ask for better weather to kick off the fall baseball season Monday afternoon on the campus of UCF. The Knights, who will be looking to make their third-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2013, began their first team practice just before 2 p.m. with a lot of familiar faces as well as plenty of newcomers.
Check out the full practice photo gallery on Facebook
The hour-and-a-half practice saw the squad go through its warm-ups, positional drills and end with a few fundamental infield-outfield exercises. The first scrimmage this fall will take place Tuesday from 2:15-5:45. All practices are open to the public.
As they do each and every fall, the Knights will culminate their month-long team workouts with the Black & Gold World Series. The three-day event will take place Oct. 24-26.
Prior to Knights hitting the field, head coach Terry Rooney broke down what he would like to see from his team by the end of the fall.Senior infielder/catcher Chris Taladay also spoke about his summer in Alaska as well as improving his play and leadership in his final season.
The Central Florida Miracle League is a baseball league for
physically and mentally disabled children.
But the league is not just about playing baseball and softball. It's
about building self-esteem, making new friends and making dreams come
true.
"Sometimes when we volunteer and participate in community service and outreach we expect to be the ones giving and teaching and we end up coming away with a new found sense of appreciation and respect for the lives we live," senior catcher Alena Murgatroyd explained. "We learn more than we could have ever imagined thanks to these amazing kids."
To help the athletes, the Miracle League uses "Angels in the Outfield," a buddy system pairing each player with an able-bodied volunteer. The UCF softball team routinely takes part and volunteers to be helpers for the children. What results is a bond that cannot be described.
"We are all so blessed to be among such a great group of girls, teammates and sisters, and for the opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than just ourselves," Murgatroyd continued.
For more information on the Central Florida Miracle League, please use any of the following channels listed below.
Website: http://www.cflmiracleleague.com
Address: P.O. Box 664
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com)- The Knights return to the field after a bye week and welcome the first SEC team to play at Bright House Networks Stadium when the Missouri Tigers visit with a noon kickoff.
The Tigers fell to South Carolina this past Saturday 31-10. Ironically, South Carolina is scheduled to play at UCF next season. The Tigers have averaged more than nine wins a season over the last five years, of those being in the Big XII Conference.
Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel is in his 12th season and before arriving to Columbia to guide the Tigers, he was head coach at Toledo for a decade. He had left for Missouri before UCF arrived to play in the MAC.
The game will mark the fifth straight and second straight on the road. The Tigers play seven consecutive games before their bye week. After UCF, Mizzou faces Vanderbilt and Alabama at home.
A fact to know: Coming into the 2012 season, Missouri has played more overtime games at the Football Bowl Subdivision level than anyone else. The Tigers have played in 14 overtime games.
UCF will be looking for its second all-time win at Bright House Networks Stadium against a current member of a BCS league. The Knights routed Boston College last season 30-3.
Radio coverage, on the UCF/IMG Radio Network, will begin at 10am in Orlando on Saturday. The kickoff is set for noon.
Major League Soccer recently released a list of the top 24 players in the league under 24 and former Knight Sean Johnson was recognized near the top rankings. The Chicago Fire goalkeeper earned the No. 4 spot on the list. Johnson was recently called into U.S. National Team camp and has excelled for the Fire in 2012.
Johnson played for the Knights from 2008-09 and was selected by Chicago in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
Click here to read more about Johnson and the MLS 24 Under 24 list.
For the first time since the end of last season, some members of the UCF men's basketball team suited up in their uniforms Thursday. The regular season is a month and a half away from tipping off and the Knights will travel to Tampa to take on in-state rival USF in their season opener on Nov. 10.
On Thursday, upperclassmen Keith Clanton, Isaiah Sykes, Calvin Newell and Tristan Spurlock took part in the team's first promotional photo shoot for the 2012-13 season.
"I feel like I'm really ready to go out and play," Clanton said. "I know this is my final season so I want to have my best effort. When we run out there we're going to give 100 percent."
The Orlando native is one of only two seniors on this year's squad. Last season, Clanton led the Knights in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He was also an All-Conference USA First Team selection.
The team has several goals set for this season and is most focused on winning a Conference USA regular-season championship before the Knights move to the BIG EAST next season.
"Just playing the right way and going out there and running the system the way coach [Donnie] Jones wants and winning," said Spurlock. "Everyone came to UCF to win. We still have goals to accomplish. We want to be conference champs."
The Knights' first home game will be Tuesday, Nov. 13, against Alabama State. It will be one of 20 home games for UCF.
"The fans are a huge support for us," said Spurlock. "When they're there and we have the crowd behind us and it's blacked out in the arena, it makes it really hard for other teams to play and concentrate."
UCF head coach Donnie Jones said this year's conference is the most balanced he's seen in his six years as a head coach in C-USA and is coaching his team to its full potential.
"Preseason workouts have been going really well," said Clanton. "Everybody is trying their hardest. Everybody is pushing everyone to get better and everybody wants to win. We're just coming in focused on the season."
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
The Knights have won 11 of their last 13 home openers with the 33-20 win over FIU...
The victory was the 98th for UCF at the Football Bowl Subdivision (or what we know to be D-1) level and the 195th all-time win in school history...
After no catches in the first six quarters of the season, JJ Worton has 11 catches in the last six quaters...
Blake Bortles' first quarter touchdown pass to Billy Giovanetti was his first scoring pass at Bright House Networks Stadium...
What is 15, 6, 11, 8 and 11? That would be where the punts of Jamie Boyle were marked inside FIU's 20-yard line. Boyle's 39.0-yard average per punt does not tell how good a day it was for the first year punter...
FIU deferred to the second half after winning the coin flip. UCF took the ball and it marked the 36th time in the last 42 games the Knights received the opening kick of a game...
Before Missouri visits Bright House Networks Stadium in two weeks, the Tigers play a key SEC game at South Carolina. Mizzou beat Arizona State at home this past Saturday without starting quarterback James Franklin. Franklin sat out with a shoulder injury. It is the same shoulder on which he had off-season surgery. Missouri expects Franklin back for their game in Columbia, S.C. Saturday...
While Missouri will be the first SEC team to play at Bright House Networks Stadium, they won't be the last. South Carolina is set to visit Orlando in 2013...With the bye week, the George O'Leary radio show will not air this week. There will be a television show at our normal time.
Following its match against Jacksonville Friday, the Knights will have a long break before their next contest - the team will play at Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. The break will sure come in handy for the Knights, who will need to plan for a formidable opponent.
The Eagles went 12-6-2 last year and posted an impressive 2-1 win in September of 2011 over the then-No. 8 Knights in Orlando. The teams met again in the first round of the NCAA Championship and the host Knights won 1-0 in double overtime.
Florida Gulf Coast is 3-3 this season, but has faced a challenging schedule. The Eagles began the campaign with a contest at No. 2 Akron, and then played at No. 16 Georgetown. The team owns a 3-0 neutral-site win over South Carolina, and has also defeated Iona and Bucknell.
TopDrawerSoccer.com lists Florida Gulf Coast at No. 38 in its Tournament 48 Rankings.
During the offseason, UCF worked hard to improve its play on special teams. During Saturday's game against the FIU Panthers, the Knights showed all of that hard work during the summer is paying off.
Punter Jamie Boyle dropped all five of his punts inside the FIU 20-yard line. That punting coverage combined with good kicking coverage, allowed UCF to put pressure on the FIU offense and dominate field of position for much of the contest.
"That creates good momentum for us," senior defensive back Kemal Ishmael said of the special teams creating good field position.
It wasn't just the special team, either .The talented sophomore duo of J.J. Worton and Rannell Hall also helped put the Knights in great field position. Worton returned four punts for 48 yards and Hall returned three kickoffs for 96 yards. Hall had a 44-yard return in the second half.
"That's something they've done for a while now," sophomore quarterback Blake Bortles said of the special teams."When they do stuff like that it helps us out tremendously."
Junior wide receiver Jeff Godfrey helped reward Worton for his hard work by tossing him a touchdown pass after a handoff from senior Rob Calabrese.
"It was great out there," Godfrey said. "The defense did a great job of stopping those guys and making them punt. J.J. Worton had some nice punt returns and the field position was great."
After the Knights spent the first two game days of 2012 in the
state of Ohio, Knights fans will get to experience UCF's first home game of the football season today.
Fans began setting up their tailgates as early as 5 a.m. and continued to fill areas outside Bright House Networks Stadium, Memory Mall and all over campus.
"It's an exciting atmosphere here at UCF," 1973 graduate Steve Purifoy said. "I'm a Black and Gold guy through and through. When I watched the game we played up in Akron I was like 'man, we can do some good things.'"
This is the first of a four-game home stretch for the Knights and it's the third non-conference game UCF has played this season.
"We've looked forward to it since spring time," long-time UCF fan Paul Chinaris said about the first home game. "You soak up the atmosphere and the energy that happens here. It's a wonderful campus and a wonderful stadium and the fans are great."
Long-time Knights' fan Cory Hibbs purchased season tickets for his entire family. One thing he enjoys about home-opener is spending time with his wife, children and friends.
"We've been coming for the last five years," Cory Hibbs said. "It's our last year in Conference USA and next year we're going to the Big East. I think there's a lot of excitement heading into a new conference and playing some new teams in the future."
Hundreds of Knights fans came out for the Friday Knight Lights pep rally at Bright House Networks Stadium Friday to prepare for UCF's first home football game of the season. Fans, students and cheerleaders filed into the student section and got their game day faces ready for Saturday.
"It is wonderful," junior cheerleader Leah Moen said. "I'm so excited for the game...They're all (fans) as excited for the game as we are."
There was a steady downfall of rain throughout the pep rally, but that didn't scare away the Knights fans. There was also a DJ set up at the very front of the student section to get the UCF faithful ready to take on their in-state rival.
"It's going to take way more than that to keep the Knights down," UCF junior Gabriela Iglesias-Mendoza said about the weather. "Stuff like this (pep rally), we love it."
Iglesias-Mendoza said she has been attending Knights games since her freshman year. Her friend Max Benton transferred to UCF from another Florida school and will experience his first game on Saturday. Benton says he's excited to experience "Zombie Nation" in the student section.
"I'm stoked," said Benton. "There were a bunch of students. It was awesome. It was a good turnout, a bunch of good music and it was a fun time."
Kickoff for Saturday's game against FIU is set for 4 p.m. Complete coverage of the game can be found right here at UCFAthletics.com.
Knights fans can get an inside perspective of UCF football each Sunday at 12 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network. Inside UCF Football and UCF Sports Today with George O'Leary will deliver feature stories on players, coaches and events covering the Knights all season long.
This Sunday, running back Brynn Harvey and H-back Dontravius Floyd will join Inside UCF Football's host, Erik Kohler, on the show. Also, returning for his second year at UCF, running backs coach Danny Barrett will be joining the show's line up to talk about his role with the team. This week the show will also be featuring a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to travel with the Knights.
UCF Sports Today with George O'Leary will follow at 12:30 p.m., hosted by the "Voice of the Knights," Marc Daniels. Together, these two will sit down and recap the game vs. FIU.
On Tuesday, both shows will air statewide on Sun Sports, starting at 4:30 p.m.
As always, if UCF fans aren't close to a television set, both shows will be available for free each Monday at 1 p.m. in the All-Access player on UCFAthletics.com.
UCF will open its 2012 home schedule with familiar in-state opponent in FIU this Saturday. It will be the second matchup between the two schools that are separated by 237 miles and UCFAthletics.com has you covered with how to follow all of Saturday's action, including 10 Twitter tidbits to tweet out to all of your followers.
? @UCF_Football (1-1) vs. @FIUFootball (1-1)
? Bright House Networks Stadium (45,323) - @CityBeautiful - 4 p.m.
? Watch it live on @CSSsports and also on @BHSN, channel 1147 . You can listen on WYGM @740thegame (flagship), WFLF 540-AM (Maitland), WDCF 1350-AM (Clearwater), WROD 1340-AM (Daytona Beach), WWCN 770-AM (Fort Myers)
? Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_Football and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well to see pictures from the season opener. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
10 Tweetable Tidbits
? On Sept. 15, 2007: #UCF opened its first on-campus stadium against No. 6 Texas in front of a packed house of 45,622 fans #ZombieNation
? This is the first home opener to be played in front of a national TV audience since Bright House opened in 2007 #HeyMomSendMoney
? #UCF is kicking off a four-game homestand, the longest since the Knights hosted four-straight back in 1999 #LetTheGamesBegin
? The last time #UCF sported a 1-1 record it won the @ConferenceUSA1 title and the @AZOLibertyBowl #ThePowerOf1
? #UCF is 24-9 all-time in Bright House Networks Stadium and 7-4 against non-conference opponents #HomeCookin
? Did you know that since 2009, #UCF has received the opening kickoff in 35 of the last 41 games? #GimmieTheBall
? Of the 209 players on #UCF & #FIU's rosters, 155 hail from the Sunshine State. 9 sets of HS teammates reunite #ShareALittleSunshine
? As a team, #UCF has attempted 40 passes or more in a contest 10 times since 2004 - a span of 103 games #BallControl
? Since joining the FBS ranks in 1996, the Knights recorded seven turnovers in the first 2 games of the season #IwillTakeThat
? Record Watch: Rannell Hall cracked the top 10 in kick-return yardage and is 41 yards shy of Shawn Jefferson for No. 8 #RunSpeedyRun
Freshman setter Dana Faught, who came up just short in a fierce preseason camp battle for the lead setter spot, has steadily impressed the Knights' coaches in practice and earned more playing time. Faught, who has now made two starts and got the nod in the Knights' most recent match, set new-career highs with 34 assists and 8 digs in a five-set thriller against Fairfield.
A native of Round Rock, Texas, Faught had no idea that she would be returning home to play less than a month into her first semester of college. With all of her friends and family planning to be in attendance, Faught will look to impress against the Knights' only two nationally-ranked opponents and only nationally televised match of the season.
While she has excelled on the court, Faught has fallen victim to the Florida humidity and the summer rain showers on numerous occasions thus far off the court. She does not even bother doing her hair in the mornings anymore because she knows the humidity and the rain will likely just ruin it.
Make sure to tune in every week to get to "Know Your Knights"
George O'Leary has been the Knights' head football coach for nine seasons. During that time he has helped build UCF Football into the program it is today. One way O'Leary plans to continue building the program is by putting together a challenging non-conference schedule, which includes playing schools from Florida.
On Saturday, the Knights will play FIU in the second game of a four-year series. Last year, the Panthers defeated the Knights 17-10 at FIU Stadium. O'Leary is hoping his team will send Knights fans home happy after their first home game of the season.
"I mentioned to Todd [Stansbury] that I'd like to play in-state schools," O'Leary said. "I'd like to keep that up when we head to the Big East, whether it's them (FIU) or someone else."
Next season, UCF will face two Sunshine State rivals. As part of its move to the Big East, UCF will play USF as part of the conference schedule. The Knights will also return to Miami to take on FIU in 2013.
"I think it's great for the fan base. I think it's great for the state. I think it's great for our kids," O'Leary said. "There are a lot of rivals there and a lot [of players] from the same high schools."
O'Leary and the rest of the Knights expect a large, energetic Bright House Networks Stadium crowd on Saturday. While O'Leary and the Knights would like to see a different result from last year, they know that once they step between the white lines, a result from last season has little bearing on the game at hand.
"I think all losses should sting. I remember every one of them in 44 years," O'Leary said. "We have another opportunity to face them this Saturday and we're working hard to get things done right, but I don't get into that stuff from last year. I personally avoid that with the team. I always talk about their team is different and our team is different. That's the way I look at those things."
Head Coach George O'Leary
Opening Statement...
"Just to recap the Ohio State game ... basically we didn't win the game, we lost. I thought the effort was good. We just can't make the mistakes that we made down in the red zone and give up points. That game is behind us; we made our corrections on it. That quarterback was an exceptional player and a better athlete than the guys we had chasing him. But again I think turnovers were a big point in that game. I told the kids that as for fighting for 60 minutes I thought they did that. I always tell the kids there are four things to every game: play hard, play together, play to win and play smart. We did the first three, we didn't do the last one - play smart at times. I think that's the difference when you play teams like that. All four have to hit to be successful."
On facing another running QB this week...
"Well, I think we faced three now. The first Akron kid was a running kid too. I think he's going to be a good player too. Watching tape, I think they (FIU) are good at what they have. No. 12 (Jake Medlock) is a steady quarterback, hurts you with his feet, hurts you with his arm. So, we'll have our work cut out defensively. Again, I think it's the more reps that you can see of those things the better you should play."
On if his players are fired up for this game...
"No, not really. I think all losses should sting. I remember every one of them in 44 years. Name the game and I can tell you what happened. I think it's the old saying that every time you lose, you die a little and it's true, from a standpoint of what happens on the field and how much effort you put in a game. Again, we have to take care of what we have to do. Last year was a game that we did nothing offensively. Defensively we did enough to win the game, but you can't give up six sacks. ... We didn't play well on special teams either. Again, we get another opportunity this Saturday to face them and we are working hard to get things right, and again I don't go into last year. I personally avoid that stuff with the team. I always talk about how their team is different and our team is different and that's the way I always look at those things. So, again it's another opportunity, it's the third game, third season of the year and we know we have an opportunity to come home for four-straight games. That's what I have been talking about. We are going to play in front of the home crowd for a change."
Updating Latavius Murray...
"He's out. He's not in this game plan and is week-to-week. Hopefully he's back for the Missouri game. That's what I'm triggering right now with the bye date, and that would have been three to three and a half weeks. Hopefully, he is back for that game."
On playing at home...
"It's great to be home. Hopefully, we have a good crowd and we get after it up there. That's what I'm promoting with the players. They got two on the road ... then, we got four at home in a row. It will be a good week and you always want to get a win before the bye date. We have the bye date after this and we will give the players some time after that. But all of our game plans are for FIU and what we have to do to get points on the board and what do you have to do to stop them from getting points on the board. Again, I think there's a mature group of kids we have. I lean on the senior class to make sure they understand every game is a big game. The fan base understands that better than they have in the past. Once Ohio State was over it's over. When Akron was over it's over. Everything right now is FIU and what we need to do to win."
After opening the regular season with two games on the road, the Knights will get to play in front of their home crowd on for the first time in 2012 Saturday. UCF will face in-state rival FIU at Bright House Networks Stadium and the team is hoping to see a packed stadium on game day.
"I think they're going to be out there in numbers," senior offensive lineman Jordan Rae said. "We need them to make some noise and cheer us on because we react to that and we feed off of that."
"I expected for it to be packed," senior defensive back A.J. Bouye said. "I love our fans. They've always been there for us."
Last season, UCF traveled to Miami and dropped a 17-10 decision to the Panthers in the first matchup ever between the two squads. The Knights are looking to return the favor this season.
This is the first game of a four-game home stand for the Knights.
"I feel we have some good home games that we can win, especially with the fans behind us," Bouye said. "I'm looking forward to it."
"I love playing at home and protecting the house," Rae said. "I'm really excited. I can't wait to get this home stretch stared."
One key for the Knights to come away with a victory is to contain FIU signal caller Jake Medlock. He will be the third dual-threat quarterback the Knights have faced in their three games this season. Last week,UCF squared off against one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation in Ohio State's Braxton Miller.
"We're expecting to see some of the same things," Bouye said about facing Medlock. "He's pretty good. He has a nice arm and can run. As far as coverage we have to make sure we're where we're supposed to because he can run and he has good athletes who are trying to get open."
"They have big, talented athletes down there," Rae said. "We can't take them lightly. It's an important game. This is a championship for us and that's how we have to treat it. We have to come out and prepare better this time than we did last time."
UCF head coach George O'Leary has said he enjoys playing Florida schools because he feels it's good for the program and good for the state. That mentality has rubbed off on the players as well.
"Any in-state school we play should be a rivalry," Rae said. "It's good for the state and it's good for both schools. We're looking forward to it and I'm sure they are."
When UCF released its 2012-13 schedule in late August, the slate was filled with big-time home contests. The Knights will host in-state rivals Miami and USF in non-league play, and then welcome Southern Miss, Marshall and Memphis for notable Conference USA contests. There are also non-league games against Middle Tennessee and Belmont, two strong squads that participated in the postseason a year ago.
I wondered if this year's home slate is the best in program history. When I think of UCF's best home schedules, 2007-08 immediately comes to mind. The Knights' inaugural year inside the new UCF Arena featured non-league matchups with Nevada, Ole Miss and UConn. But only one of those teams made the NCAA Tournament (UConn). The C-USA home schedule that season did not feature Memphis, the league's only NCAA Tournament squad in 2008.
Time will tell if this year's home slate is the best in program history, but it is clear that UCF will face plenty of tough tests at the UCF Arena in 2012-13.
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The Knights played before almost 105,000 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Props to the Ohio State University Marching Band who before aligning for the famous "Dot the I" portion of their pregame show, formed the stacked "UCF" logo and played our fight song ...
Storm Johnson showed big play potential when he ripped off his 48-yard run in the second quarter. Fellow back Brynn Harvey showed his strength with a big run despite nearly being stopped after one yard but surging forward with a wall of offensive linemen and Ohio State defensive players in a pile that didn't stop until it turned into a 21-yard gain ...
After not making a catch for six quarters, JJ Worton had seven second-half receptions against Ohio State ...
UCF tight ends have recorded touchdown catches in consecutive games, as Justin Tukes pulled in the Knights' first score at Ohio State ...
UCF kicks a stretch of four straight home games this Saturday vs. FIU. The last time the Knights played four consecutive games at home was 1999. Those four games came after UCF opened that season with four straight road games. All those games were against ranked opponents, including three in the top 12. One of those teams was 12th-ranked Georgia Tech, which was then being coached by George O'Leary ...
The last five times UCF has come off a two-game road swing, they have come back home and picked up a victory ...
FIU is picked by most as the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference. While UCF is headed to the Big East for the 2013 season, FIU is headed to Conference USA ...
FIU Coach Mario Cristobal is in his 6th season as coach of the Golden Panthers and the team has played in consecutive bowl games ...
While the UCF-Ohio State game featured just four combined punts, FIU's overtime win over Akron this past Saturday had 20 combined punts ...
Radio coverage of UCF vs. FIU begins at 2 p.m. on our flagship radio station, 740 The Game/WYGM in Orlando. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
One group of UCF graduates and fans drove all the way from Orlando to support the Knights.
"Overall the ride wasn't too bad," 2008 UCF gradaute Anthony Vento said. "We had to come up here and support our team."
Another group drove 12 hours from New York watch the game, including the brother of UCF senior Rob Calabrese. This was a game Rob's brother marked on his calendar at the beginning of the season.
"I know he had a chance to play at Texas a while back. We wanted to try and go to that, but we weren't able to make it," Michael Calabrese said. "It's nice to get to a big stadium. It's a great experience."
The UCF faithful showing up at nationally-televised games like this one can do nothing but help the growth of the program.
"The fans showing up shows the bowls that we travel well," 1992 UCF graduate Philip Greenwald said. "It's big for the team."
Weather Report
Saturday's forecast includes a 60-percent chance of showers, along with a possible thunderstorm in the morning, then partly cloudy conditions later in the day. The forecast high is 72 degrees.
Kickoff is set for 12:01 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and the UCF-IMG College Radio Network. At the top of this blog is a quick preview of Saturday's game with "The Voice of the Knights" Marc Daniels and UCF color analyst Mike Gruttadauria.
UCF sophomore coxswain Katherine Kutash will be providing a behind-the-scenes look into the Knights varsity rowing team each week on the KnightLines blog with "Kat Out of the Bag".
By Kat Kutash
This week, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with two very important members of the UCF women's rowing team: captains Camille Everett and Calena Illan. Everett is a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major from Queens, NY. Illan is a junior from Orlando, FL majoring in Psychology. Both rowed in UCF's Varsity 8 last spring. Camille and Calena are two of the most competitive and charismatic athletes I have ever had the chance to work with and I have no doubt that they will lead us to a great year!
Kat: How did you get into the sport of rowing?
Illan: Growing up, my best friend and I
were attached at the hip, when we hit high school we were zoned for different
schools and wanted to find a middle ground we both could walk on, thankfully
that happened to be the Orlando area rowing society. The rest is history really;
I fell in love with the sport and got to keep my best friend. Win-win.
Everett: My mom gave me an ultimatum between
rowing and the violin.
Kat: What is your best rowing memory?
Illan: My best rowing memory was when my high
school eight beat our rival team for the first time, who doesn't love it when
the underdog wins?
Everett: My best rowing moment was getting
third in the semifinals at club nationals and beating out CRI.
Kat: What is your favorite class you've
taken at UCF so far?
Illan: My favorite class that I have taken at UCF has been Personality Theory and
Research with Diane Robinson Ph.D. If you have an interest in psychology, this
class is awesome!
Everett: My favorite class at UCF thus far was Anatomy. I loved learning about
the body, but I'm taking SOP 2772 this semester and that will most
likely pass the Anatomy class!
Kat: What are you most excited for in
the upcoming season?
Illan: I am most excited for conference this year. We have many fresh faces
ready to race, and the attitude among the team is so positive. Throughout the
year were all going to push each other past our limits and also become a close
nit family that by the end of the season I honestly believe we will be a force
to be reckoned with.
Everett: I'm most excited about
the possibility of racing at the San Diego Crew Classic!
Until next time!
-Kat
UCF's return to the Buckeye State this weekend is one for the record books. It will be the first time the Knights and No. 14 Ohio State meet on the gridiron and UCFAthletics.com has you covered with how to follow all of Saturday's action, including 10 Twitter tidbits to tweet out to all of your followers.
UCF (1-0) at No. 14 Ohio State (1-0)Ohio Stadium (102,329) - Columbus, Ohio - 12 p.m.
Watch it live on ESPN 2 and Watch ESPN . You can listen on WYGM 740-AM (flagship), WFLF 540-AM (Maitland), WDCF 1350-AM (Clearwater), WROD 1340-AM (Daytona Beach), WWCN 770-AM (Fort Myers) Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_Football and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well to see pictures from the season opener. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
10 Tweetable Tidbits
Dating back to 1979, the Knights have never defeated a ranked non-conference opponent #AlwaysTimeForAFirst#UCF has won two-straight against schools from automatic-qualifying BCS conferences - #UGA in 2010 and #BC in 2011 #PartyCrashers
The Knights will face a #Big10 opponent for the first time since traveling to Wisconsin and Penn State in 2004 #ThatsABig10_4
2012 marks the fifth time #UCF opens the season with two-straight road games. The last time was in 2005 at South Carolina & USF #Aloha
Saturday could be the fourth time #UCF has played in front of a crowd of at least 100K #IAlwaysFeelLikeSomebodysWatchingMe
Dating back to 2009, #UCF has led in time of possession in 27 of its last 32 contests #PoundTheRock
Now juniors, twins Jordan and Justin McCray started their first game side-by-side at right guard and right tackle vs. Akron #HeyBrother
Dating back to 2009, #UCF's defense has held opponents under 100 yards rushing 22 times #RoadBlock
After three fumble recoveries last week against Akron, #UCF now has half the amount (6) it recovered in 2010 & 2011 #Opportunistic
Record Watch: Quincy McDuffie is one kick return shy of third (75) all-time at #UCF. He needs 15 more to be No. 1 #BringEmOut
The UCF men's basketball program will hold a walk-on tryout on Sept. 17. The tryout will begin at 3 p.m. on the team's practice court.
UCF students interested in participating in the tryout must visit the men's basketball office prior to Sept. 15 to fill-out paperwork. For more information about the tryout, contact director of basketball operations Craig Brown at cbrown@athletics.ucf.edu.
The games will give the programs, and their fans, a preview of the future. UCF and USF should meet twice each season during league play once the Knights join the BIG EAST next year.
UCF junior forward Tristan Spurlock shares his thoughts on the games with the Bulls.
It was a long time coming for redshirt sophomore Loren Cory who saw the first action of her UCF career as she played in all three matches this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Select/UCF Classic. Cory impressed in eight total sets as she hit a tremendous .458 en route to picking up 12 kills.
Cory's size, an imposing 6-foot-5, caught the eye of the UCF coaching staff and they offered her a scholarship as a transfer athlete after a season at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia. After redshirting in 2011, Cory was finally able to show off that size as well as the attacking ability that the she and the coaching staff knew that she had.
A native of Queensland, Australia, Cory joked that having teammates from Latvia and Luxembourg made her the "least international" of the group and when teammates try and replicate her Aussie accent, they just sound British.
Make sure to tune in every week to get to "Know Your Knights"
George O'Leary's teams have written a lot of records in the history books at UCF and have helped build the football program into what it is today. On Saturday, the Knights will have another chance at history when they face the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
If UCF wins it will be the team's first ever victory against a ranked, non-conference opponent. A win against a team with the type of success Ohio State has had will earn the Knights national attention and will continue to build UCF's strong reputation in the college football world.
"We're still trying to strive to that and I think we have an opportunity to go out and at least on that football field that day have an opportunity to go out and show what we can do," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. "That's the challenge I'll present to the kids."
The opportunity to play Ohio State was something O'Leary didn't want to turn down. During his weekly press conference, the longtime UCF head coach even said he is willing to play any team in the nation.
"It's why you play Division I football," O'Leary said. "To play in games like this and that's the challenge I'll pose to the team as far as practice is concerned and the game is concerned."
The Knights received 11 votes in this week's Top 25 USA Today's Coaches Poll and four votes in the Top 25 AP Poll. The team is riding a lot of momentum following its 56-14 season opening victory at Akron.
Sophomore quarterback Blake Bortles threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns against the Zips, while sophomore receiver Rannell Hall caught four receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights will need both of those players to play well to increase UCF's chances for a win.
"I think they're eager to play good competition," O'Leary said. "I think most competitors are like that. I always say you respect everybody and fear none. I think that's the motto I've always had with the team."
"You give respect because they certainly deserve it," O'Leary continued about OSU. "They've had a long history of winning [and] winning championships."
Speaking of championships, the Knights are working towards their third and final Conference USA Championship, before they join the Big East next season. A game like this will help prepare UCF for the competition it will face in the conference.
"In the non-conference, I always try to get a schedule that's very competitive," O'Leary said. "Players win big games. I think coaches try to get them in the right spots, but players have to make plays in big games. That's what it's all about."
Kick off against the Buckeyes is set for noon on Sept. 8th in Columbus, Ohio.
Senior DE Troy Davis
On moving forward from Akron to Ohio State...
"We just need to correct the things that we messed up on in the Akron game and focus on this weekend [by] getting better at the things we didn't do well."
On how to counter the athleticism of Ohio State QB Braxton Miller...
"He's a good quarterback and he can beat you two ways. He can throw the ball and he's a mobile quarterback as well. We just need to be prepared for whatever he can bring to the table."
On playing in a "big game" atmosphere...
"You live for the games - the ones with big stadiums, the away games. Everyone loves playing at home but you got to be able to play away too. It's 90,000 but we've played in stadiums just as close. It's going to be a great game. We're not going to let the atmosphere get to us."
Senior OG Theo Goins
On sustaining blocks...
"It was a good game for the offensive line. We got our running backs yards and got a couple of big pass plays, but we got to work on the small things. We need to go back to technique like footwork. That's one thing we stress all the time. So, we got back to that this week. We brushed up on some things that we might've missed in the Akron game to go strong into the Ohio State game."
On Ohio State's defense...
"They're a good defense. We just got to step up our efforts and do what we have to do to try and win the game."
On the physical preparation for Ohio State...
"Well, every game for the offensive line is physical. It's always physical in the trenches. There's not one play where you're not hitting somebody so it's definitely physical for us. We want to try and out-physical these guys. You know, we're in the weight room just like they were but we believe we've been working harder. So, we just got to use that in our advantage and go up and try to win the game."
On playing in front of a big crowd...
"We've played in big games before so we're not letting that stress us. It's football. You get kind of used to that environment even when you're at home. 45,000 people screaming is still loud, it's just loud noise. If someone has jitters, we'll get it off the first couple of snaps and just go from there."
Head Coach George O'Leary
On gaining attention from a game with Ohio State...
"I like playing non-conference games against tradition schools like Ohio State. They have a great, long history of winning and great tradition as far as the program is concerned. We look to every game with an opportunity to win it and that's what I told our players at the beginning of the season. We expect to play 14 games this year. We got to perform to get that done. I think, with Ohio State, that they're a very good football team and they recruit extremely well. You have Urban [Meyer] taking over for Jim Tressel, who's no slouch in recruiting and he brought a lot of good players to that program. Again, watching them, I think, they're a very solid defense. I think they have good athletes, good line of scrimmage play and good coverage skills. I think offensively, obviously, they have great athleticism at quarterback with No. 5 [Braxton Miller]. We'll have our hands full on both sides of the ball. Again, as I told our kids it's a great challenge. You go up to every game with an opportunity to win and that's exactly what we look at. It's the second game of the season. We have to do things that we have to do, and I don't worry as much about Ohio State doing the right things as much as we do the right things within our schemes of offense and defense. But let's see where that game is in the fourth quarter and I think that's what you go to look at. We're going to have to tackle better. We're going to have to sustain blocks better. We're going to have to make some chunk plays out there. Again, I'm going to count on our seniors to handle the crowd and the noise and all that stuff. We don't travel with a lot of freshmen so everybody out on the travel squad has pretty much been in big stadiums. That's why you play Division I football is to play in games like this. That's the challenge I propose to the team as far as practice is concerned and as far as the game is concerned."
On replicating QB Miller's mobility in the offense...
"We moved someone else into that spot; Drico Johnson is [our] No. 5. He's about 6-foot-2, 215 lbs. and an athlete that can do things. He's done a really good job for us but I don't think he can replicate No. 5. I think he's an exceptional quarterback that, basically, is everything they talk about at Ohio State. He's a very good player that has a great surrounding cast around him - it's just not him. He has great athleticism at wide receiver. He has a big running back and you can't always tackle those fellas. We're going to have our work cut out especially with the no huddle and fast tempo stuff they're doing. We'll line up and let's check it out. I'm looking forward to it. I always look forward to big games like this and I think the team will too. You'll have to stable some of it but I'm more concerned of us doing the right thing than I am with Ohio State and with what they do. We're practicing to get better at what we do."
On the players not fearing Ohio State...
"I think they're eager to play good competition. I think most competitors would like that. I always say you respect everybody and fear no one, and I think that's the motto I've always had with the team. You give respect because they certainly deserve it. They've had a long history of winning, winning championships up there, a great fan base. Everything you want for a program they have. We're still trying to strive for that and I think we have the opportunity to go out and show what we can do. That's the challenge I put up for the kids."
On what to expect from head coach Urban Meyer...
"I think they're always fairly-well drilled. I don't think he's playing with chopped liver, I think he's playing with great athletes out there. I think he utilizes them very well and he gets his good athletes the ball in space and lets them do the work. They'll be solid on special teams. I think he does a lot of things you need to do to win football games very well as far as what I've seen. He's got a great touch in getting guys that can make plays."
On RB Latavius Murray's gameday status...
"I think he's week to week. He didn't practice today, in fact, he was just in a helmet. That'll be a week-to-week deal but if they don't practice Tuesday or Wednesday, I don't include them in the game plan. I don't expect him to play this week."
On turnovers...
"That's the thing we didn't do last year. [Takeaways] were rare. We always call them takeaways on defense and turnovers on offense. Last year, I thought we were too sloppy ball security wise on offense as far as protecting that ball."
On QB Blake Bortles' demeanor...
"He's had two days of practice. Blake is a pretty poised guy and in some sense that's great and in some other sense it's bad. He doesn't get rattled a lot. I think he commands control of the huddle and he commands control of the field. He understands the game plan and the thing I like about Blake right now is that he'll take what the defense gives but he's sure not afraid to take a shot down the field. ... We're basically a 60-40 team - 60 percent run, 40 percent pass. But that's basically the philosophy that we're going to control the line of scrimmage and see if we can run it and go after people. But if not, we have the ability to throw. I feel more comfortable this year with the drop-back game than I have in any year, last year or the year before. The reason is that Bortles has good arm strength, he can see down field. I think we have some receivers, we play with six of them that can go out and get the ball."
On trying not to do too much against Ohio State...
"I think it comes down to responsibility and accountability. You have a job to do so just do your job and don't worry about the guy next to you. I think that's when you start getting yourself in trouble and let the coaches coach and let the players play. I have two coaches on the field and that's the quarterback and the MIKE linebacker. They take charge on the field. You know, we're young at MIKE with sophomore [Terrance Plummer] there but Blake has to take charge. He's the quarterback on the field, and let the coaches make corrections on the sideline. You just worry about your responsibility and you getting your job done."
For the first time ever, UCF will face Ohio State in one of the largest stadiums in the nation - the 102,000-seat Ohio Stadium. It's an atmosphere that can be intimidating for opposing players, but the Knights are preparing for matchup with the Buckeyes no differently than any other game.
"We've played in big games before," senior offensive lineman Theo Goins said. "We're not going to let that stress us with the crowd and everything. It's football. We're used to that environment."
A UCF victory over the No. 14 Buckeyes would mark the program's first victory over a ranked, non-conference opponent. The last time the Knights defeated a Top 25 team was in 2009 when they beat the No. 15 Houston Cougars at Bright House Networks Stadium.
"You live for games in big stadiums," senior defensive end Troy Davis said. "Everyone loves playing at home, but you need to be able to play away, too. It's going to be a good game.
"Just go out there and whatever coach tells you to do just do it," Davis continued. "I remember my first year and my first game. Sometimes being in a big stadium you get big eyes, but as far as talking to the younger guys and helping them, I think they're ready."
Many of the seniors on the team have experienced what it's like to play in front of a huge crowd. Back in 2009, UCF traveled to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to face the then-No. 2 Texas Longhorns.
"You strap on your pads, put on your pants, you go play football," Goins said.
"I feel like they're a good football team and we're a good football team," Davis said. "As far as the underdog aspect, I don't believe in it."
UCF's all-time leader in sacrifice flies, Hillary Barrow returned home and joined the Knights as an assistant coach this past week.
"It's great coming back to UCF," Barrow explained. "The team has done so much in the last year and the program has grown so much. I'm just excited to be a part of it again and I'm happy Coach Gillispie gave me this opportunity."
A native of Miami, Fla., Barrow was a member of the UCF softball team from 2007-10, and ranks in the top in in several major offensive categories including games (4th), runs scored (7th), hits (9th), doubles (2nd), home runs (8th), RBIs (4th) and walks (6th).
Aside from records, Barrow was a key member of the 2008 Conference USA Championship team and also the 2010 NCAA Tournament team. Barrow was named to the All-Tournament team in both of those seasons, proving her worth as a clutch player.
Even though she was no longer a player, Barrow was never really away the program. With her younger sister, Hayley, en route to a Conference USA All-Freshman team selection in 2012, Hillary was her biggest fan and became a fixture in the stands during both home and away games. Routinely the loudest cheering fan at the complex, Barrow was fresh in coach Gillispie's mind when it came to finding the newest member of the coaching staff.
"I found out that there was an opening in late June and I was immediately interested in the position," Barrow continued. "I called coach Gillispie right away and asked her if I could come by and just spend some time with her and the players. I got offered the spot in late August and here we are."
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The 2012 UCF football season kicked off with a 56-14 win at Akron Thursday. The Knights grabbed a 35-0 halftime lead and got a chance to play a lot of players in the final two quarters ...
The last time UCF opened a season on the road, the Knights won at NC State 25-23 in 2007. That year, UCF captured the conference title and made its first appearance in the Liberty Bowl ...
The 56 points scored vs. the Zips are the fourth-most scored in an opening game. The 1992 team began its season with a 71-21 win over Gardner-Webb ...
Rannell Hall's four receptions against Akron equaled the total number of catches he posted in 2011 ...
The last time UCF opened a season with two straight road games was 2005. UCF played at South Carolina for Steve Spurrier's debut as coach of the Gamecocks and the Knights were at USF the following week. After dropping both games, UCF then won eight of the next nine and appeared in the first ever Conference USA title game and the school's first bowl game ...
While UCF opened its 34th season of football at Akron, this week's opponent is playing its 123rd season. Ohio State played football as a varsity sport for the first time in 1890. The Buckeyes rank fifth all-time in college football victories ...
Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer coached in the MAC when UCF was a member. Meyer was at Bowling Green from 2001-2002, The Knights were MAC members from 2002-2004. However, UCF did not play Bowling Green in 2002. Meyer was the coach at Florida in 2006 when the Knights played in Gainesville ...
Two players who have started at quarterback for UCF caught passes at Akron -- Jeff Godfrey and Rob Calabrese. Calabrese's catch went for a touchdown ...
Redshirt freshman Thomas Niles posted a sack at Akron. Niles played both tackle and end in the opener. In case you didn't know, Niles was a goalie on his high school lacrosse team in Gainesville, Georgia ...
For a game preview of UCF-Ohio St. be sure to check www.ucfathletics.com this Friday as UCF radio color analyst Mike Gruttadauria and I will preview the game Friday afternoon at the UCF walk-through from Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Many teams that advance deep in the post season have more than likely won some close games. The UCF women's soccer team is hoping to make another deep run into the post season and head coach Amanda Cromwell says winning close games will help her team accomplish that.
Last year, the Knights went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday's 1-0 overtime victory against Georgia was UCF's second overtime win of the season. The other win came against then-No. 12 Miami (FL) and three of the Knights' five victories this season have been by one goal.
"In practice, we train for that," Cromwell said. "So when post season comes we'll feel calm and collected about things and we can play our game."
Senior forward Tishia Jewell scored the game-winning goal against the Bulldogs with under one minute left in overtime. It was her first goal of the season.
"We come together as a team and we never give up," Jewell said. "We keep on going for it and we don't stop. You have to learn how to play no matter what situation we're in."
Cromwell says winning close games is also about staying focused and working together as a team, but there were some other adjustments the team made against UGA increase their chances to succeed.
"We changed the formation at the end of the game to put some pressure on them and we kept that going into overtime," Cromwell said. "We just want to keep doing what we're doing."
The women's soccer team's next opponent is at Boston College on Sept. 9.
Losses are something teams never want to deal with, but there can be value in learning from them. Despite the UCF men's soccer team's 2-0 loss to No. 11 Old Dominion Saturday night, head coach Bryan Cunningham knows playing against one of the top teams in the nation can only help his squad.
The defeat was the Knights' first of the season.
"We'll be better because of this game," Cunningham said. "We have a good team and we're only going to get better. You learn from wins and you learn from losses."
According to College Soccer News, four of UCF's upcoming opponents are currently ranked in the Top 30 national poll. The Knights' next opponent - California - received votes in the CSN ranking. Playing a daunting schedule will benefit the Knights in the post-season.
"You always want to play the best so you can move up the rankings and get into the [NCAA] Tournament," senior forward A.J. Nelson said. "Getting those good tests will help us come tournament time. It's a good thing for us and we'll get some good results out of it."
Old Dominion was the first ranked team the Knights faced this season.
"It's tough, but it's a good test early," Nelson said. "Hopefully we can learn from it and move forward."
The Knights will play at California this Friday.
MOST RECENT POSTS
- Focusing On East Carolina
- 10 Tweetable Tidbits for #UCFvsMizzou
- Following The Knights Overseas
- UCF Grad Eager For Flyover Saturday
- A Historic Contest
- Preseason Honors Start Rolling in for Clanton
- Know Your Knights - Kayla Keller
- Taking Advantage Of The Bye
- New Jersey's Record Highlights Maldonado, Trujic
CATEGORIES
- Baseball (13)
- Football (161)
- Knights Without Borders (11)
- Men's Basketball (127)
- Men's Soccer (25)
- Rowing (5)
- Softball (14)
- Track (20)
- Volleyball (28)
- Women's Basketball (15)
- Women's Soccer (30)
ARCHIVE