Where to start?
It's been a while since I've let a UCF game feeling like I did. Mostly shock. I wasn't fully aboard the "reload" bandwagon going in though. There were simply too many pieces to replace to expect a 9 or 10 win type season. I was thinking 8-4, 7-5 type range. Maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see what I did last night. I hate to pile on the negative, but probably the worst home loss of the Bright House Networks Stadium era.
Disclaimer: I haven't watched the DVR yet other than the final series, my vantage point may be close but not optimal since many plays you're looking through a camera lens.
Highlights:
-Justin Holman and the wide receivers. I can't believe there's people knocking Holman's play, especially seeing that he had absolutely no running game to work with. Did he have a few errant throws? Of course. But for the most part he was on target and likely could have won UCF the game had the coaching staff not taken the ball out of his hands. He had absolutely no running game to work with.
The trio of top receivers (Jordan Akins, Tre'Quan Smith, Chris Johnson) performed well enough. I think Akins and Smith will be special - interesting how both ended up with the same number of catches (nine) and yards (104). The difference is Akins had the two touchdowns. I've believed for a long time that Sean Beckton is the best position coach on the staff. He may not always have the best talent, but he will get the most of it. That said, the depth is clearly not there beyond Akins and Smith, at least not until the freshmen get up to speed. Tristan Payton saw some action in the first half though, didn't register a catch.
-Caleb Houston punted the heck out of the ball. Got distance, placement, everything. This in spite of some shaky snaps.
-The attendance. Specifically, the students. They took a projected crowd of 34,000 and pushed it to nearly 40,000 for a 6 p.m. game on a Thursday night. Kudos to them. You just hope they'll come back. Speaking of the crowd, it was as lethargic and unenthused as I've ever seen. I totally understand why. The intense sun in the first half likely zapped the energy of East-Siders, and the game dictated the rest.
-Knight Fan Stan. I can't say enough about the man. A few months ago he was diagnosed with colon cancer, then a few days after surgery he was at the stadium for the spring game. And this week he underwent his first round of chemotherapy (drip), got his port removed at 4 p.m. and then rushed over to the stadium. And he was active, running around to every section, holding up his signs. He certainly could have taken it easy and just enjoyed the game, but found the energy to push through. Here's to you, KFS. He's my Game MVP.
-The Banana Guys running around the stadium.
Lowlights:
-The offensive line. That was my biggest concern going into this season. Just because the same people who were average a year ago were coming back doesn't necessarily mean they'd be better this season. That was one of the most troubling things from the evening. FIU has a good (for C-USA) defense but we aren't talking about Stanford or South Carolina athletes. 46 yards on 30 attempts? Horrendous. I can only guess the coaches thought eventually they'd "wear down" the FIU DL and start breaking through for longer gains, but it clearly wasn't working.
-The defense. Again, I need to watch the replay again, but FIU marched the ball down the field much too easy. Lack of talent shows at linebacker. FIU Alex McGough had way too much time sitting back in the pocket on some throws. At the end of the day, 15 points isn't too bad (should have been 17, have no idea what Ron Turner was thinking) so they certainly did enough for UCF to win. I need to watch the DVR recording to get a better handle on that side, though.
-Taking the foot off the pedal for the only thing good offensively all night (Holman's final drive) and playing for a "chip shot" field goal that ended up being 47-yard yards from a kicker making his first career kick. He's looked pretty good in practice from what I hear, but I'd trust Holman to get a few more yards (or score a TD) so it truly was a "chip shot" if a kick had to be made. The "drain the clock" argument is worthless if you don't take the lead.
-The 4th-and-1 that was stopped at the last second to review the spot, then the resulting attempt was a fumbled snap and turnover on downs. Major turning point.
-A few officiating calls, namely the no-call safety and face mask.
-Booing. People are free to do what they will at a game, it was just sad to see it. It was pretty ugly there at the end of the game, with exiting West-Siders dishing at yells and insults. From what I heard, directed towards the coaching staff. It was just surreal to me, seeing the final plays unfold and the chorus of boos beginning with the decision to run Stanback for no gain and then a loss.
Other Stuff:
-Jordan Franks did not dress. For that matter, I didn't see him at all. Injury is what some had indicated.
-There were no football recruits at the game. None. Early Thursday night game pretty much derailed any hopes for visitors.
-UCF no longer has a full-size, magazine-style game program. Instead, it's a digest-sized free publication.
-Gold jerseys do not look good on TV. Can't see numbers and they blend in with the white jerseys.
It's been a while since I've let a UCF game feeling like I did. Mostly shock. I wasn't fully aboard the "reload" bandwagon going in though. There were simply too many pieces to replace to expect a 9 or 10 win type season. I was thinking 8-4, 7-5 type range. Maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see what I did last night. I hate to pile on the negative, but probably the worst home loss of the Bright House Networks Stadium era.
Disclaimer: I haven't watched the DVR yet other than the final series, my vantage point may be close but not optimal since many plays you're looking through a camera lens.
Highlights:
-Justin Holman and the wide receivers. I can't believe there's people knocking Holman's play, especially seeing that he had absolutely no running game to work with. Did he have a few errant throws? Of course. But for the most part he was on target and likely could have won UCF the game had the coaching staff not taken the ball out of his hands. He had absolutely no running game to work with.
The trio of top receivers (Jordan Akins, Tre'Quan Smith, Chris Johnson) performed well enough. I think Akins and Smith will be special - interesting how both ended up with the same number of catches (nine) and yards (104). The difference is Akins had the two touchdowns. I've believed for a long time that Sean Beckton is the best position coach on the staff. He may not always have the best talent, but he will get the most of it. That said, the depth is clearly not there beyond Akins and Smith, at least not until the freshmen get up to speed. Tristan Payton saw some action in the first half though, didn't register a catch.
-Caleb Houston punted the heck out of the ball. Got distance, placement, everything. This in spite of some shaky snaps.
-The attendance. Specifically, the students. They took a projected crowd of 34,000 and pushed it to nearly 40,000 for a 6 p.m. game on a Thursday night. Kudos to them. You just hope they'll come back. Speaking of the crowd, it was as lethargic and unenthused as I've ever seen. I totally understand why. The intense sun in the first half likely zapped the energy of East-Siders, and the game dictated the rest.
-Knight Fan Stan. I can't say enough about the man. A few months ago he was diagnosed with colon cancer, then a few days after surgery he was at the stadium for the spring game. And this week he underwent his first round of chemotherapy (drip), got his port removed at 4 p.m. and then rushed over to the stadium. And he was active, running around to every section, holding up his signs. He certainly could have taken it easy and just enjoyed the game, but found the energy to push through. Here's to you, KFS. He's my Game MVP.
-The Banana Guys running around the stadium.
Lowlights:
-The offensive line. That was my biggest concern going into this season. Just because the same people who were average a year ago were coming back doesn't necessarily mean they'd be better this season. That was one of the most troubling things from the evening. FIU has a good (for C-USA) defense but we aren't talking about Stanford or South Carolina athletes. 46 yards on 30 attempts? Horrendous. I can only guess the coaches thought eventually they'd "wear down" the FIU DL and start breaking through for longer gains, but it clearly wasn't working.
-The defense. Again, I need to watch the replay again, but FIU marched the ball down the field much too easy. Lack of talent shows at linebacker. FIU Alex McGough had way too much time sitting back in the pocket on some throws. At the end of the day, 15 points isn't too bad (should have been 17, have no idea what Ron Turner was thinking) so they certainly did enough for UCF to win. I need to watch the DVR recording to get a better handle on that side, though.
-Taking the foot off the pedal for the only thing good offensively all night (Holman's final drive) and playing for a "chip shot" field goal that ended up being 47-yard yards from a kicker making his first career kick. He's looked pretty good in practice from what I hear, but I'd trust Holman to get a few more yards (or score a TD) so it truly was a "chip shot" if a kick had to be made. The "drain the clock" argument is worthless if you don't take the lead.
-The 4th-and-1 that was stopped at the last second to review the spot, then the resulting attempt was a fumbled snap and turnover on downs. Major turning point.
-A few officiating calls, namely the no-call safety and face mask.
-Booing. People are free to do what they will at a game, it was just sad to see it. It was pretty ugly there at the end of the game, with exiting West-Siders dishing at yells and insults. From what I heard, directed towards the coaching staff. It was just surreal to me, seeing the final plays unfold and the chorus of boos beginning with the decision to run Stanback for no gain and then a loss.
Other Stuff:
-Jordan Franks did not dress. For that matter, I didn't see him at all. Injury is what some had indicated.
-There were no football recruits at the game. None. Early Thursday night game pretty much derailed any hopes for visitors.
-UCF no longer has a full-size, magazine-style game program. Instead, it's a digest-sized free publication.
-Gold jerseys do not look good on TV. Can't see numbers and they blend in with the white jerseys.
