ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – UCF sophomore Adrian Killins Jr. is the college football equivalent of lightning in a bottle – in a couple ways.
For opposing defenses, trying to contain Killins is akin to trying to capture lightning in a bottle. For UCF head coach Scott Frost, calling plays for Killins is like opening the bottle once you've captured that lightning. If it gets out, it's gone in a flash.
Killins showed his electric ability once again in Saturday night's victory over Memphis. With his team clinging to a 9-7 lead and backed up to its own 4-yard line, Frost called for a handoff to Killins going up the middle. Both guards Chavis Dickey and Samuel Jackson drove their man to the right, while center Jordan Johsnon walled off his man, creating a narrow seam.
Killins hit that seam, split two Memphis defenders at the 25-yard line and out-raced the entire Tiger defense to the end zone. Ninety-six yards later, Killins had set new American Athletic Conference and UCF records for longest rush, longest rushing TD and longest play from scrimmage. More importantly, the long touchdown run gave the Knights all the momentum in the contest. Memphis never recovered.
"I believe I'm the fastest guy in college football," Killins said after the game.
He wasn't boasting. He said it with no ego. It was a matter-of-fact statement.
Who's going to argue with him? The Memphis defense who couldn't catch him Saturday night? The Michigan defenders who saw him go 87 yards in the Big House last season? The East Carolina kickoff coverage team he ran through en route to a 100-yard score last year? Most of them would likely agree he's among the fastest, if not the fastest.
Despite how important the long TD run against Memphis seemed to observers, Killins was humble about the impact of his big play. Before answering a question in the post-game press conference about it, he even credited the UCF Sports Medicine staff for helping him get through an injury last season, which allowed him to be successful this year.
"To be back and doing the things that I'm doing for my team to win games is a blessing," Killins said. "It's just nothing but great things. My o-line is working hard. Our team is working hard and we expect to be players like that in this offense. It's a great feeling. Like I said, in this offense, we expect to make big plays. To set the record at UCF is a great accomplishment."
As the offensive play-caller, Frost knows what can happen if he pops the cork off that proverbial bottle of lightning often enough.
"He's a big play waiting to happen," Frost said. "It happened a bunch last year. He's not the biggest guy, if you haven't noticed, so we can't force feed him 40 carries a game. But, man, if he touches it 12 times, something good is going to happen. We're going to give it to him as much as we can."
While opposing defenses are likely nervous about potential electrical burns, UCF fans are eagerly anticipating that next power surge that comes when Killins touches the football.
