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On a three-game winning streak and coming off a win at No. 17 Tulane, UCF returns to the Bounce House to face Navy this Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Knights, No. 17 in the latest AP Poll, dropped a 34-30 game at Navy last season. The Midshipmen are one of the few college football teams that employ an option offense, which is always a challenge for opposing defenses.
Here's what head coach
Gus Malzahn had to say at his weekly press conference on Monday.
Opening statement:
"First of all, I just learned earlier about the situation at the University of Virginia. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and the players affected by that. Terrible tragedy.
"We got Navy this week. Obviously last year we played them on the road. Extremely tough loss, the way we lost it. Went down to the very end. Got beat. Look at them this year, very similar. Offensively, they do a few more things. They've kind of opened up their offense a little bit as far as that goes. You look at their defense. I think they're No. 6 in the country in rushing defense. That will be a really good challenge. They're No. 10 in rushing offense. That's really going to be a big key to the game.
"This is obviously a very, very important game. We're playing back at home. It will be Senior Day. The crowd was unbelievable and helped us win last week (at Tulane). We need the same thing this week. Tough task. You're talking about a team that had a chane to beat Notre Dame last week. I think Notre Dame had one first down in the second half. They got after them really good in the second half. It went down to the very end. We know we're going to get their best. It left a bad taste in our mouth last year, losing to them the way we did on the road."
What can you say about your running back depth and how you utilized them last Saturday? R.J. and Johnny played a lot in that first half and in that fourth quarter you really leaned on Isaiah.
"We're very blessed to have very quality running backs. Isaiah, when the game is on the line he's a savvy guy. He willed his way. The line did a good job. He protects the football. R.J. and Johnny both did some really good things also in that game. When you've got three guys that are all a little bit different, I think that really helps with the versatility."
What can you take away from last year's game at Navy?
"Wow. I looked at the film a little earlier. We were a pretty beat up team. There was no doubt. We had a bunch of new faces out there. Bottom line, we had an opportunity to win and we couldn't get it done at the end. We had a punt blocked. That was really a huge play in the game. We had trouble getting off the field. Then we got down there at the end and couldn't get it in. That left a real bad taste in our mouth."
Is that something the players are talking about this week?
"I don't know. That was last year. Maybe the older guys. I just know from my standpoint it left a really bad taste in my mouth. Year to year. They're a different team. We're a different team. We've got a good challenge ahead of us."
You got another road win out of state. Do you feel the confidence with this group is getting better?
"I think we learned a good lesson at East Carolina. We've been completely different since then. We've got a veteran, mature team. We've got really strong leaders. We just prepared a little bit different, there's no doubt with that. We had success against Memphis, the way we won. We played a really good team on the road and came away with a win. A top 20 team on the road which is extremely hard to do."
You've talked about Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee - talk about the character of those two guys supporting each other.
"I think it really starts with the quarterbacks. Most teams it starts with the quarterbacks, their approach and their attitude. Both those guys have handled themselves extremely well. Both of them have respect of the team. They've earned that. Both of them are really tough guys. They're competitive guys. We've got two starters. I've said that all along. I think you've seen that when both of them have been on the field. That's a really good thing for us."
What are your thoughts on the 11 a.m. start time this week?
"We'll get up early. We'll be ready to go. It is what it is, when they tell you what time you'll play. We're going to look at it as a positive. I encourage our fans to get up a little earlier. Get up a little earlier, be loud and all that stuff. It is what it is."
Does it accelerate or change your weekly routine at all?
"No. It really won't. Our meetings, we'll just have to get up a little earlier. We'll have to wake up. Last year I think we had an 11 o'clock kick, maybe a 12 o'clock kick at Temple. We got our guys up earlier, turned some music on and got our blood pumping. Played pretty good then. Hey, we could play out in the darn Wal-Mart parking lot at 7 a.m. That's just the way it goes. I just think about our fans. That's what I think about. Just making sure they can get up early and get ready to go. This time of year, we need everybody's A game."
What is Mikey Keene's role going forward? Are you still cognizant of the four games to redshirt? If there's not an injury, would you still consider playing both quarterbacks?
"Each week we'll cross that bridge as we go. I told you a couple weeks ago, that was my plan early on. If we can get that done. Now we're getting towards the end of the year. We'll see what happens. Both those guys are ready to go. Thomas (Castellanos), we're very sensitive with that situation too. We're to a point where we're trying to win a championship right now. Our guys understand that. I think all of them will be ready."
What's the status of Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Divaad Wilson and Quadric Bullard?
"Quadric Bullard, we lost him for the year. Real unfortunate with his knee injury. He was an impact player on defense, special teams, punt block and all that. That's a big blow. There's no doubt. The other two are day to day. We weren't able to have those guys (at Tulane), two of our better defensive players against a top 20 team on the road and still won. That was really good. It's kind of next man up mentality. We've been talking all year about us developing quality depth. I think you saw that last Saturday."
Navy's offense is really unique. From a preparation standpoint, what do you do to prepare?
"They're unique. There's no doubt about it. Our staff was able to see them firsthand last year. Our players too. It's just adjusting. I know we've been having those guys on our mind all the way from the summer about getting a plan together and all that. But yeah. It definitely presents different challenges. Nobody we play is similar."
Is Timmy McClain the scout team quarterback?
"He's been the scout team quarterback all year."
How important is it for him and those guys to give you as much of a quality look as possible?
"He's a real scout team quarterback. He's done a great job all year. Unique offense like this with a running quarterback and all that, it will definitely be a benefit to have him in there."
The challenge to your defense playing Navy when they keep pounding at you, wearing you down.
"You've got to play assignment football and you've got to try to get off the field. These games are about getting off the field. They're one of the best teams in time of possession in the country. Every defense they face, about getting off the field. Not letting them control the tempo of the game. That was a big point last week. Last week we controlled the tempo of the game. That will be a big deciding factor in this one too."
You talk about focusing on the next game, but with the rivalry game coming up and possible conference championship, how do you focus on just the game?
"That's the only thing we're talking about. That's what I told our guys the other day. We've got our hands full with this group. Last home game. It's really important for our seniors and our program. It happens to be a really important game in the conference. That's all we're talking about. That's all we're talking about. We're not thinking about anything else."
Ricky Barber and the performance he had vs. Tulane, how important is he for this matchup?
"He's a dominant player. When he's playing at his best, he's hard to block. He played really good against the run. He hit the quarterback. He played at a really high level."
On preparing for Navy, is this something you practiced for in spring and the preseason? How much prep work goes into it before you get to game week?
"Quite a bit this summer. Obviously left a bad taste in our mouth last year. We'll be a little better prepared this time."
Senior Day is on Saturday. What can you say about the senior class?
"First of all, they're such a blessing to coach. We've got some fantastic young men that we're able to coach. These seniors are great leaders. They're real stable. They're very consistent. They're very focused. They love their teammates too. It's a blessing to coach those guys."
What more can you say about this offensive line? It seems they're really hitting their stride and playing their best football down the stretch.
"They really are. It was a thing of beauty what they did Saturday against the best defense in our league. We've got to continue that now. This bunch we're playing, they present a lot of challenges. They move and groove and come off the edge. Blitz everybody. Play a lot of zero. They do all kinds of stuff. We'll have to do a really good job up front."
John Rhys didn't show much rust on Saturday. How does he open up your offense?
"You saw Saturday. There's not a lot of quarterbacks around the country who are running like him. It really opened up things. Opened up some things on the perimeter later in the game. He played at a real high level."
Playing a military academy on Saturday. It's military appreciation. We're coming off Veterans Day. Talk about that and how much respect for the guys at Navy and what they do.
"There's no doubt. Have a lot of respect for them. All the veterans for that. Like I said, we're looking forward to playing them."
You've stressed about trying to improve as the year has gone on. What particular facets have you seen in the last few games that has gotten better?
"I think it's really coming together and developing our identity and sticking to it. The guys playing at a high level. It's probably all of the above."
The last couple weeks have you not practiced on Sunday? Late in the season, the wear and tear, so are you being strategic in how you practice?
"Our guys have played hard. They've played extremely hard and physical. We're trying to be strategic. We've got a veteran team. We've got to make sure we're as fresh as we can at this time of season. We've kind of taken it off of them the last two weeks as far as the Sunday practice. It's the right thing to do. Get these guys fresh for the game."
