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For UCF, Saturday's game at Tulane is essentially the game of the year.
In the latest AP Top 25, the 8-1 Green Wave are No. 16 and the 7-2 Knights are slotted at No. 22. Beyond the rankings, the winner of this game will move one step closer to solidifying a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
At Monday's press conference, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn talked about the matchup, last week's win at Memphis, the quarterback situation and more.
Opening statement:
"Obviously a big game coming up this week against a very good Tulane team. Defensively, they lead the conference in total defense. They lead the conference in scoring defense. Real impressive when you watch them on film with their run fits and how hard they play. Very good tacklers. They cover well too.
"Offensively, they've got a very balanced team. Passing efficiency is top 20 in the country. They ran for 357 last week. Their quarterback is a dual-threat guy. Very impressed with him. High completion percentage. A veteran guy.
"Playing at their place. This is a big one. We had a big road victory last week. Real pleased with our guys. Last night we kind of took it off our guys. We didn't practice last night. We let our guys rest and recover which was well needed. Our coaches got a head start on Tulane which is needed too. I like where we're at. This is the type of game you look forward to. Our guys have put themselves in this position and we're playing one of the better teams in the country at their home place. We know we're going to get their best."
What's the quarterback situation heading into this week?
"We'll play that day by day and see where we're at."
What will go into that decision?
"Really what we feel gives us the best chance of winning. Both guys, like I've said, we've got two real guys. You know that. Everyone knows that. That's a great luxury."
Was ECU a wake-up call?
"That was a learning experience like we talked about. We responded well on the road. There were a lot of ups and downs last week. Our guys responded like champs. That was a pretty good environment too at Memphis. Our guys found a way to win. They'd won a whole lot of games at home."
Some coaches think you don't sit a player because of injury. What's been your philosophy?
"It just depends. Every situation is different. When you have a head injury, obviously that's different within its own right. You protect your players. You make decisions you feel like is best for them and your team. That's what we did."
Can you talk about the depth with a few guys going down with injuries?
"We were fortunate earlier in the season to play some of those younger guys. Some of those less experienced guys. That really helped us at this time. This time of year very few teams are completely healthy. You have to have depth to have a chance to win a championship. We are banged up somewhat. Hopefully we'll heal up this week. We'll be very strategic in how we practice. It's next-man-up mentality. We've been talking about that. Guys have handled that and stepped in so far well."
R.J. Harvey has really capitalized on his opportunities.
"He's coming into his own. He's starting to really get a feel for playing the running back position. The great thing is we've got quality depth. We've got three, four or five guys we feel good about."
What's most impressed you about the way Mikey Keene has handled the past two games and the situation in general?
"Mikey's a champ. It was a close, hard-fought battle when we named John Rhys the quarterback. He'd been waiting his turn. He's been preparing like he's going to play every week. It didn't surprise me. It probably didn't surprise anyone that he played like he did the last two games. Very efficient. Very impressive to see."
I know it's early in the week, but do you have updates on guys like Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste and Divaad Wilson who went out (at Memphis) and Quadric Bullard who we saw on crutches.
"I really don't at this point. We're taking it day by day with our doctors and training staff. Hopefully we get to Thursday and we'll have a better idea."
With such key starters, are you concerned about your depth on defense?
"It's next man up like we talked about. The good thing is we do have depth and I think we have quality depth. The good thing is we've got a lot of guys that have played quality football. It's not like if somebody can't play we're going to put somebody out there for the first time. I think they've played a lot of football. They understand Coach T-Will's defense. Their position coach, what they're asking them to do."
Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt, what do you like about him?
"He's a dual-threat guy. He can make plays with his feet. He can make plays in the passing game. He's been very efficient. They spread the ball around. They've thrown it to more people than anybody else in the country which makes it more of a challenge defensively."
On last year's injuries:
"It's completely differently than it was last year. I really don't know if there's anything you carry over other than this is a new year. It's kind of a new team. We're not near as banged as we were last year and that's a good thing. This time of year, a lot of guys aren't 100 percent. You answer the bell and find a way to get it done."
You've had various games this year when penalties creep up on you, turnovers, points left on the field against Cincinnati. With a quality opponent on the road, you've got to play a mistake free game as possible.
"There's no doubt. They do a great job. They're one of the more disciplined teams. They don't turn the ball over a lot. They make people beat them. That's why they're one of the best teams in the country I feel like. They've got quality players and quality coaches. They've managed the game as far as not beating themselves. They do a good job of making you earn it."
The first true road game against ECU felt like the team didn't match the energy. Looked way better vs. Memphis. What do you have to do to match that environment at Tulane?
"We're expecting it to be a great environment. Our guys understand that. You could tell last week. Our guys understand what we're dealing with. We're going on the road. One of the better teams in the country. Probably as big a game as they've had at home in a long time. We know what it's going to be. It's on our players and coaches to match that. I expect us to do that."
What do you think of Tulane and what they've been able to do this season?
"Last year when we played them. They were one and something. When we got done playing them I said that team right there is a good team. Defensively, that guy does a super job. They got after us. We were fortunate to win that game last year. It doesn't surprise me. Their head coach is an outstanding head coach. Their defensive coordinator is really good. It doesn't surprise me. They've got a lot of really good players. They were close last year. They've got guys that have been playing a whole lot of football. Even when I was at Auburn that last year we played Tulane. Some of them guys are still out there playing and they were playing pretty good then."
I was listening to Marc Daniels interviewing Houston Nutt. He's going to be a speaker tonight at the Orlando Touchdown Club. They were talking about how you were there at Arkansas in 2006 and running the Wildcat with Darren McFadden. I don't think at that point Wildcat was as popularized as it is now. What do you remember about deciding to do it? I remember the Miami Dolphins did something around then too?
"That was the year we put the Wildcat in there.
Darren McFadden made it famous.
Felix Jones,
Peyton Hillis. We were trying to find a way to put all three on the field at the same time. The Wildcat, that's how it kind of came to what it is. It was a lot fun. It was a huge advantage. Now everybody has got their own version of the Wildcat. We still kind of go old-school and do that same version."
Was that something you cooked up spring ball? Did you think teams wouldn't be expecting it?
"We ran our quarterback in high school, some versions of it. We just decided to do an unbalanced version. That's how everything kinda came about."
How did you like Isaiah Bowser's pass?
"I thought it was pretty good. It was real good. We've been working on that for over a year and waiting for the right moment. That was the right moment. That was a big play on third down and four."
How much interaction have you had with Tulane coach Willie Fritz?
"He's a football coach. Everybody in the coaching world knows he's a real football coach. The way he's come about. I've always been impressed with his teams. He's an old-school tough guy, man. That's really what stands out to me. Doesn't surprise me they're in this situation with him being the head coach."
I know It's tunnel vision with coaches. Do you talk about the conference ramifications with this matchup?
"No, I don't think I have to. Our guys know this is a huge game. We're just taking it one game at a time. We've got our hands full with this one. That's all we're thinking about."
Colton Boomer came into this Memphis game 10 for 10. Do you give him an asterisk on that miss?
"What do you think? Yeah, I'm giving him an asterisk. That wasn't real wise of me probably even trying to draw a guy offsides right there, looking back. I don't think that will happen again. I'm going to give him a big asterisk."
SMU beat Houston 77-63. I'm sure you didn't watch the game, but what's your reaction when you see a score like that?
"Golly. Rhett (Lashlee) was my old quarterback. We had a playoff game one time that we won 70-64 in nine overtimes. We were texting back and forth and he said he kinda reminded him of that game. SMU, they've got a great offense. Rhett is one of the best offensive minds in all of college football. I think it shocked everybody to have that many points."
Your defense came up with a couple interceptions at Memphis. What more do you need to see from them at Tulane?
"We talked about turnovers. We got two big turnovers. Both of them were huge in the game. I think that's great. Just trying to put more pressure on the quarterback. We didn't hit the quarterback very many times the other night. We've got to do a better job of disrupting the quarterback. We got two interceptions and that was really big."
What did you think of the one with the ball bouncing around?
"It bounced around four or five times. The guys up top said we picked it off. Yeah."
Can you talk about Alec Holler and how valuable he's been to your program?
"That's a position that is very important in our offense. It takes a guy that really understands football and adjusts. He'll also give me information on certain plays and certain things that helps me call plays after certain things or certain plays are called. He's like a coach on the field. He's very valuable. Obviously he made probably the play of the game last week on the third down and nine when he made a guy miss and then he hurdled a guy. That was a big-time play."
You like Cajun food?
"I'm not going there. You got me in trouble that last time."
Shrimp Creole? Gumbo?
"I recruited down there. I'll eat all that stuff. I like a little of everything. How about that."