Wide receiver Brandon Johnson spent the previous four years at Tennessee, but couldn't help but notice UCF's innovation with the Space Game uniform concept. Now playing as a Knight in his final season, Johnson can't wait to don this year's Space Shuttle-inspired jerseys for Friday's game against Memphis.
Here's a rundown of everything Johnson had to say during his interview availability.
What's the biggest challenge as a player getting ready for a team on a short week?
"We need to have a quick turnaround. Probably the biggest challenge is making sure you're fresh for the next game. Doubling down on the treatment. As far as the preparation goes, it's still going to be physical but you have to be locked in mentally. Coach probably wants to save our legs. I'll spend a lot of time in the training room."
I know you caught a touchdown. Outside of Ryan O'Keefe, it seemed the receivers were lacking big plays. Do you think you need to play better as a group without Jaylon Robinson?
"There's always room for improvement. For all of us in every position group. As far as not having Flash, it's next man up mentality. We could definitely improve, but we need to improve all around as a team."
What kind of challenge was it playing the Cincinnati secondary?
"It was a great challenge. I tip my hat to those guys. It's a really good position group. They're very well coached. Playing against guys like that, you've got to bring your game. You've got to be yourself. You've got to rely on your training and do what you were coaching to do. Just rely on your training."
What progress are you seeing from Mikey Keene?
"I'm seeing a lot of progress. I'm seeing a lot of progress as far as his confidence. He looks more comfortable to me at least from when I first got here and saw him. He looks very comfortable now. I'm excited to see what he'll do moving forward."
Can you talk about Titus and some of the other younger receivers.
"Same thing. A lot of growth. From routes to off the field maturity. Coach Wyatt does a great job of instilling in us the principles we need to uphold as receivers at UCF. I've seen a whole bunch of growth from Titus as well as the other young receivers. Confidence wise and off the field."
You're a veteran and leader on the team. Final six games, four at home. What do you tell the rest of your group to finish strong?
"Exactly that. We've got to finish strong. Like Coach says, this is the start of the second half of the season. A lot of teams make a big jump. Make a big progression. Or they slip down and slide. We're looking to turn it around 180 degrees. Really turn it up. Do what we've got to do for the last six games."
Have you seen frustration from teammates when you see how injuries in particular have impacted thing? You come into a season with such high hopes, then the starting quarterback goes down, running back, wide receiver, now KD is out for the year.
"We just lean on Coach Gus for that kind of stuff. Coach Gus is always preaching that we're not going to cry about what we don't have. We're going to make due with what we do have. With those guys being gone, we never looked at it, oh, we're missing him now. Personally, I've never had to get guys up to play just because we're missing people. It's a next man up mentality. We don't flinch or blink. That's why I love this team."
What has Jaylon Robinson been able to do? Is he around the team?
"He's always around. Jaylon, when he's not out there he's like a player-coach. He's coaching me up on reps. The rest of the receivers. He's a player-coach when he's not out there."
What's the biggest challenge Memphis will pose to your offense?
"Great group. Very talented group. Talented all around. I look forward to the challenge. I can't wait to get out there."
This is your first space game. What are your thoughts on the uniforms and this tradition?
"It's amazing. I've always looked at it from afar and admired the uniforms. Being a part of it now, it's crazy. I'm not gonna lie. I can't wait to get into those threads."
What was the reaction when you saw the uniforms?
"Everybody was really pumped about that. They were crazy uniforms. Everybody was really excited."
You've played a lot of road games to this point. The bulk of your final six will be at home beginning this Friday.
"That's really exciting. the Bounce House, the fans, provides a lot of energy for us that we can feed off of. You can't ask for anything better than that. It's really exciting."
