ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – Entering Week One, the UCF football team had questions to answers, one of which was who would emerge alongside Tre'Quan Smith as targets from a young receiving corps.
Last Thursday night, everyone got their answer, as the Knights aired it out for 439 passing yards in a 61-17 romp over FIU. With the American Athletic Conference opener coming up Friday night, four freshman wide receivers will look to take another step forward against Memphis.
"We've got a stable of receivers," quarterback McKenzie Milton said following the win. "We had a lot of young guys that got their feet wet in the college game, and it was awesome."
Freshmen Gabriel Davis, Otis Anderson, Emmanuel Logan-Greene and Marlon Williams ran ragged over the Panthers secondary, racking up 11 catches for 133 yards and one touchdown. Davis was called on almost immediately, catching a pair of passes on the opening drive, which later led to a 22-yard Milton to Jordan Akins connection for the first score of the year.
"I had been waiting to get out on that field all camp," Davis said. "I was a lot less nervous than I thought I would be. I've always been a hard worker and gone above my own expectations. The players were a little bit faster and the hits were a little bit crisper, but I was excited to get that first game under our belt."
While Milton's 16-for-21, 360-yard performance with four scores was not a surprise for the UCF coaching staff, the rookie receivers were waiting for their first opportunity to shine under the lights. Offensive Coordinator Troy Walters, who also serves as the receivers coach, was hardly shocked at his crew's performance.
"I wasn't surprised at all about the play of the young guys," Walters said. "As freshmen, they're capable of everything they did last week, and they're capable of even bigger things. I think the more they play and get their feet wet, the better they'll get each week. We have four freshmen receivers who can compete for us, and that will allow us to be really deep at the wide receiver position."
When the Knights entered camp, each receiver received one guarantee – a position battle. Four weeks in and the freshman quartet earned its spot in the rotation. Smith, the team's leading receiver the last two years, has been impressed with his young counterparts' desire to improve.
"I didn't realize that I was the oldest receiver on the field last week," Smith said. "Knowing that a lot of the young guys are looking up to me, I have to do my best to prepare each week the best I can. The freshmen are always trying to get better. They ask me a lot of questions about so many things. I'm excited that they want to compete and get better every day."
After checking in at fifth in the country in passing yards during the opening week, the rookie receivers will have their hands full with an experienced Memphis secondary this Friday. Senior Jonathan Cook returned to lead a Tigers defense, after starting all 13 games a year ago with one interception. Seniors Shaun Rupert and Christian Slaughter moved into starting roles after appearing in 13 outings last year, while TJ Carter became the first true freshman to start in the secondary for the Tigers since 2011.
"It's going to be tough," Anderson said. "Our coaches have given us a game plan, and it's up to us to go out there and execute it. We were really good in our first game, but we have to focus on our next challenge."
Among the challenges that freshmen face is establishing themselves in the starting rotation. The next step for these newest Knights is to maintain and expand upon their success.
"Being young and having experienced guys with you, you have to maintain that standard," Logan-Greene said. "We have to be reliable for this team and trust in our coaches. It's very important for us to be productive week in and week out. We're here to contribute and help carry this program back to the national stage."
RISE AND CONQUER
The second season of UCF Football under head coach Scott Frost is now underway. Fans can explore all of the new ticket options at Spectrum Stadium by visiting WeRiseandConquer.com or calling (407) 823-1000.
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