It's all on the line this Saturday night.
A UCF win against Cincinnati would clinch the American Athletic Conference East Division and the rights to host the conference championship game two weeks from now, plus keeping dreams alive for a top postseason berth. And of course keeping the nation's longest winning streak intact, currently at 22 games.
They'll get to do it on college football's biggest stage with the national prime time television coverage from ABC in addition to being the host site for ESPN's iconic College Gameday show.
Here's what Josh Heupel had to say on Monday during his weekly press conference.
On accomplishing objectives vs. Navy and staying healthy:
"We came out healthy. Excited that we'll have everybody that played last week back and ready to go. Coobs (Michael Colubiale) was held. Worked out well that we were able to get a win with him having a chance to get healthy and get ready to go for this week."
On managing distractions with Gameday, etc.:
"There's a lot of distractions with this week. It's exactly what we want too as a program. You want the spotlight on you. You want each that you play to get bigger. That indicates that you're doing the right things inside your program and you're winning football games. Kids will be excited about going out and playing a really good football team. Talked about this morning just about all the outside noise. At the end of the day, that has no bearing on what's going to happen on Saturday. Focus on what we can control. Let's go prepare the way that we have. Let's prepare our best this week. And control today and that will lead us to Saturday night."
On the platform Gameday and ABC prime time provides:
"It's a great opportunity for us to put our logo in front of the entire country. Gameday coming here, they're going to have an opportunity to see what our game atmosphere is like, the passion and energy that resides within our program here within the city of Orlando but also across the state. Great opportunity for recruits to see what this environment is like every Saturday night. It's going to be electric in there, but it's been electric all season long. The passion resides 365 days out of the year. It's going to be a lot of fun. I think the people surrounding our program are obviously really excited about it."
On areas to improve after Navy:
"The big thing, the emphasis that we had was starting fast in all three phases of the football game and we did that. It was critical just the way the game unfolds against them and their ability to run the football and eat the clock. Playing from ahead was important in that ballgame. From there, there's some things that all of us can do better in all three phases. Excited about going 1-0 and come back Monday, watch film and get better, move forward."
On where Cincinnati ranks vs. teams they've played:
"They're a really good football team. We've played a few teams that are really good. This football team is playing like their coach has embodied. They're physical, they're tough. They compete hard. They don't hurt themselves. They make you earn it on the defensive side. It's a huge test. Their front four, defensively, are really good. Their quarterback is making a bunch of plays. The young kid they're playing back there. Their running back is physical and has the ability to make you miss as well. In all three phases it's a huge test. They're an extremely good football team."
On players not getting too hyped up:
"Talked about being the same type of mature competitor up until this point of the season. We don't need to do anything different than what we've done. There's going to be a ton of emotion in the ballgame. The atmosphere is going to be electric. At the end of the day, it's still going to be 11-on-11. It's 11 guys operating as one. It's everybody doing their job. Don't try to do something extraordinary. Just do the ordinary at a really high level. If we get 11 guys doing that, then we're going to be all right. Yes, we've got to be mature competitors and not get caught up in the emotion of the game."
On whether he feels comfortable about that:
"I think our kids have been very consistent in what we've asked them to do and the way they've approached every game day, but also the days that lead up to it. The energy inside of our building wasn't a whole lot different than what it's been every Monday. Yes, there's a lot of outside noise but I think our kids have a pretty good ability of just focusing on the task at hand."
On his personal experience with ESPN College Gameday and whether he used to watch it:
"Typically, because of your routine, most of the time you're not able to watch Gameday as a player. You wake up and eat breakfast, get the kids moving around and then we go into meetings and some walk-throughs in the morning. As players, you typically don't get a chance to watch that show. You get a chance because of a night game to watch football beforehand."
More on the UCF's success following the winless season:
"You talked about the one season which is anomaly compared to the rest of the seasons. This program has won five conference championships in 10 years. Two New Year's Six bowl wins in the last five years. This program is in the midst of continuing to be built, but it's been successful for a really long time. To me, the platform that we have is an opportunity to showcase our university, our city, our program and put our best foot forward and just show what it's done in the past and what we're currently building. You look at the facilities being built here. The landscape of what we have and who we're going to be is changing so much so quickly. It's the most unique story in college football in my opinion because of that."
Whether he's happy with the where the team is:
"No coach is every happy with where they're currently at. You're striving for perfection. You understand perfection will never be achieved. You go back and watch the tape and go back and coach your players every single day. Am I happy with where we're at? Yeah. I'm happy we find a way to win each and every Saturday. That's ultimately how you're judged on your performance. You walk off the field every day and you look up and you're either good enough or you weren't. There's a lot of good things you have to correct, but you gotta find a way to be plus-one on the scoreboard. Our job, our mission is solely on Cincinnati. One game. One 60-minute ballgame and find a way to be plus-one."
On whether he is concerned personally about getting out of his routine:
"I don't have any problems staying inside of my routine. There will be a couple extra media things I have to do, but I'm a mature enough competitor to get myself focused and be ready on game day."
On Willie Martinez who coached at Cincinnati last year:
"The benefit of having Coach Martinez on our staff is his experience as a coach. All the different places he's been. Being a coordinator, his experiences in all the different conferences and his expertise in the defensive backfield and as a former defensive coordinator. I think he brings a ton of knowledge to what we're doing."
On players embracing the attention:
"Our players embrace big games. They embrace opportunities. I don't think anybody, if you've been around our program, thinks that our kids shy away from anything. They understand. I don't have to stand up there and talk a whole lot about it. They understand the opportunity we have on Saturday night."
On OL Sam Jackson seeing his first action:
"Sam will continue to be a part of the rotation there on the interior offensive line. It'll be good to have Hoody (Tyler Hudanick) back at full strength this week. Just really happy for Sam. You go back to the injury happening in the middle of spring ball and the work he's put into it to be back in the time frame that he is and to play as well as he did. It was a first game for him and he was in mid-season form there by the end of the game. Excited for him and all the energy he's put into it."
