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Season is done!! Time to Start all the promising underclassmen

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Bronze Knight
Jan 6, 2008
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This Senior laden team are a bunch of cupcakes. The most underperforming team with so much experience, yet they play so mentally soft.

The new blood need the experience in getting their feet wet. Let them take their lumps now And hopefully it pays dividends next year.
 
Why would the underclassmen want to do that When they can save their red shirt and play for another team next year
For the opportunity to Start next year. That's what they want, playing time and all the glory.
 
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Why would the underclassmen want to do that When they can save their red shirt and play for another team next year
hard to transfer with no tape though. it's not like those currently redshirting are blue chip prospects. blue chip guys like john walker can transfer because he has a lot of tape to go on.
 
We can blame play calling all we want, but at the end of the day UCF's athletes do not match up to the Big 12, that's it. Coaching end especially play calling can only mitigate that so much. It won't be until year 3 that UCF will have a full cycle of B12 recruiting to match up.. the concern is what does the college Football landscape look like in 3 years and does UCF play themselves out of any consideration for further brand consolidation in college football..
 
We can blame play calling all we want, but at the end of the day UCF's athletes do not match up to the Big 12, that's it. Coaching end especially play calling can only mitigate that so much. It won't be until year 3 that UCF will have a full cycle of B12 recruiting to match up.. the concern is what does the college Football landscape look like in 3 years and does UCF play themselves out of any consideration for further brand consolidation in college football..
Bullshit!! If that was the case, Gus wouldn't have been saying he believed we could run the table after the OU game. He just failed. Again. On his birthday. On homecoming.
 
what coach is going to say “we don’t have the talent”?? Just watch the play on the field..UCF defensive line has been manhandled, the offensive line isn’t doing JRP and Harvey any favors but the overall QB play has been average. UCF has about 3-4 studs on offense , 3-4 on defense…most of the B12 teams have almost double if not more.
 
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This Senior laden team are a bunch of cupcakes. The most underperforming team with so much experience, yet they play so mentally soft.

The new blood need the experience in getting their feet wet. Let them take their lumps now And hopefully it pays dividends next year.
Give ‘em 4 games of experience without burning a year of eligibility.
 
We can blame play calling all we want, but at the end of the day UCF's athletes do not match up to the Big 12, that's it. Coaching end especially play calling can only mitigate that so much. It won't be until year 3 that UCF will have a full cycle of B12 recruiting to match up.. the concern is what does the college Football landscape look like in 3 years and does UCF play themselves out of any consideration for further brand consolidation in college football..
bullshit, he needs two 4 year cycles, so 8 years.
 
what coach is going to say “we don’t have the talent”?? Just watch the play on the field..UCF defensive line has been manhandled, the offensive line isn’t doing JRP and Harvey any favors but the overall QB play has been average. UCF has about 3-4 studs on offense , 3-4 on defense…most of the B12 teams have almost double if not more.
I have watched the play on the field and I've watched my team lose numerous games that they could've won. It's so frustrating watching a coach call run plays almost 99% of the time on 1st and 2nd down and 90% of the time on 3rd and long! His only element of surprise is an occasional trick play.
 
College football is all about matchups. UCF doesn't match up against power rushing teams. It's that plain and simple. The Knights can compete with finesse passing teams like Chokelahoma, which finally lived up to its name. But even Chokelahoma could run the football against UCF in crunch time.

UCF cannot win games because its G5 laden roster isn't up to snuff. Amari Kight (uat), Kobe Hudson (Auburn), Javon Baker (uat), Jason Johnson (FCS), and RJ Harvey (Virginia) are the only transfers capable of competing at this level week in and week out. The rest have to play above their heads every game. Some of the underclassmen are capable; some are not.

Gus has to do a better job of recruiting P5 talent to Orlando through the transfer portal. UCF cannot "afford" to miss players or settle for lesser talented players. The Knights need to sign underclass linemen who start or are capable of starting for P5 programs. Center Matthew Wycoff (https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/matthew-wykoff/22664) of Texas A&M was available at one point. UCF may even need to take a kid with a checkered past from time to time like Clay Webb https://jaxstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/clay-webb/5718 UCF has to have horses to win at this level and they do not all have to be choir boys.

Lastly Gus does need to upgrade his coaching staff.
 
College football is all about matchups. UCF doesn't match up against power rushing teams. It's that plain and simple. The Knights can compete with finesse passing teams like Chokelahoma, which finally lived up to its name. But even Chokelahoma could run the football against UCF in crunch time.

UCF cannot win games because its G5 laden roster isn't up to snuff. Amari Kight (uat), Kobe Hudson (Auburn), Javon Baker (uat), Jason Johnson (FCS), and RJ Harvey (Virginia) are the only transfers capable of competing at this level week in and week out. The rest have to play above their heads every game. Some of the underclassmen are capable; some are not.

Gus has to do a better job of recruiting P5 talent to Orlando through the transfer portal. UCF cannot "afford" to miss players or settle for lesser talented players. The Knights need to sign underclass linemen who start or are capable of starting for P5 programs. Center Matthew Wycoff (https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/matthew-wykoff/22664) of Texas A&M was available at one point. UCF may even need to take a kid with a checkered past from time to time like Clay Webb https://jaxstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/clay-webb/5718 UCF has to have horses to win at this level and they do not all have to be choir boys.

Lastly Gus does need to upgrade his coaching staff.
Our G5 roster was up to snuff against Auburn in 2017. Our independent roster also was in 98 when we should've beat yall. Stfu and leave.
 
Our G5 roster was up to snuff against Auburn in 2017. Our independent roster also was in 98 when we should've beat yall. Stfu and leave.
Did you play Auburn, Thuga, uat, lsWho, Arky, Ole Piss, etc., back-to-back-to-back-to-back...

If not, you do not know what you are talking about. Playing an unmotivated Auburn that should have been playing for a national championship is not the same as playing a REAL Big 12 schedule.

This is the "real world" where the boy doesn't always get the girl. There will be growing pains. Those too will pass. Cincinnati doesn't like getting blasted either.
 
Did you play Auburn, Thuga, uat, lsWho, Arky, Ole Piss, etc., back-to-back-to-back-to-back...
Tired P5 elitist arguments.

When we have a 12-team playoff next year, wait for it whenever an sec team loses a playoff game: "but our regular season!!!"

Playing an unmotivated Auburn that should have been playing for a national championship is not the same as playing a REAL Big 12 schedule.

So the world's greatest coach couldn't motivate his team to play in a NY6 bowl?

 
Did you play Auburn, Thuga, uat, lsWho, Arky, Ole Piss, etc., back-to-back-to-back-to-back...

If not, you do not know what you are talking about. Playing an unmotivated Auburn that should have been playing for a national championship is not the same as playing a REAL Big 12 schedule.

This is the "real world" where the boy doesn't always get the girl. There will be growing pains. Those too will pass. Cincinnati doesn't like getting blasted either.
Yes, we did play numerous back to back to back games against SEC schools in the late 90s and early 2000s when we were independent. Competed better than your nut daddy Gus during some of those seasons too. Growing pains my ass. He just sucks. Out here in the "real world."
 
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Tired P5 elitist arguments.

When we have a 12-team playoff next year, wait for it whenever an sec team loses a playoff game: "but our regular season!!!"



So the world's greatest coach couldn't motivate his team to play in a NY6 bowl?
Gus is 3-6 in bowl games.
 
Great coaches adjust their schemes to the players they have. Malzahn forces players into his schemes.
 
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Tired P5 elitist arguments.

When we have a 12-team playoff next year, wait for it whenever an sec team loses a playoff game: "but our regular season!!!"
Not talking about SEC. Talking about P5 in general.

My point is Alec Holler would not be a Team Captain on uat's team, and if Zack Wojan has one career snap at UCF, it is one more than he would have gotten at uat.
So the world's greatest coach couldn't motivate his team to play in a NY6 bowl?
Yes. Gus is not the best motivater. Don't have to be a football genius to see that. He probably needs to hire a team psychologist like sabahr did about a decade ago. And yes, I am being serious.
Yes, we did play numerous back to back to back games against SEC schools in the late 90s and early 2000s when we were independent. Competed better than your nut daddy Gus during some of those seasons too. Growing pains my ass. He just sucks. Out here in the "real world."
Competing and winning are two different things. UCF went from a pass happy spread under HYPEl to a run-oriented spread team under Gus. It takes time, especially when you go to the P5 with a roster not built for your offense.

Those teams you mentioned (a) probably had years under the same coach who had his own players and (b) probably were not restricted by the NCAA practice rules of today that give a district advantage to the teams with the most talent over teams with the best coaches.

Exa: When TCU had time to prepare for Michigan, it pulled the upset with X's and O's. With about a week of real practice time against Thuga, TCU was outmatched by Jimmy's and Joe's.

A TCU Thuga semifinal would have been much, much different.
Gus is 3-6 in bowl games.
Listen man. Nobody and I do mean nobody -- outside of a program that is 1-10 in bowl games in the last decade -- gives a sh*t about bowl games. I have literally NEVER went to a bowl game. Not even either of Auburn's National Championship Games.
Malzahn forces players into his schemes.
This is slightly true. Malzahn does have a little wiggle room.
 

Competing and winning are two different things. UCF went from a pass happy spread under HYPEl to a run-oriented spread team under Gus. It takes time, especially when you go to the P5 with a roster not built for your offense.
Right. This is what I always say. Gus ran off the players that could play a passing (ie: interesting and fun to watch) offense and tried to install a running offense with players he didn't have, players which _everyone_ says are hard to get in the G5.

Why is that "genius?"

We had a blueprint for winning with players that could be recruited in this area for this type of G5 team. Why do coaches have to come in and run their own system, leave their own mark? Are they all just afraid of the "well he didn't really invent that scheme" commentary?

What if a coach said in the opening press conference, "well we know you've had some success, but I'm going to tear it down and rebuild it the way I like to do things. It'll take some time, and some players you love will quit, and we'll lose some head-scratchers for a while, but then we'll get back to winning, later, I promise." You'd be able to crowdfund his buyout before the first game if he said that. But you're saying this behaviour is to be expected.

"We're a run-first team no matter who we play." In some sense that says it all, but this past game we did throw the ball down field. It worked when it wasn't picked off. Oh well.

I'd still rather lose a game throwing three picks than lose a game throwing behind the line of scrimmage.
 
Right. This is what I always say. Gus ran off the players that could play a passing (ie: interesting and fun to watch) offense and tried to install a running offense with players he didn't have, players which _everyone_ says are hard to get in the G5.

Why is that "genius?"

We had a blueprint for winning with players that could be recruited in this area for this type of G5 team. Why do coaches have to come in and run their own system, leave their own mark? Are they all just afraid of the "well he didn't really invent that scheme" commentary?

What if a coach said in the opening press conference, "well we know you've had some success, but I'm going to tear it down and rebuild it the way I like to do things. It'll take some time, and some players you love will quit, and we'll lose some head-scratchers for a while, but then we'll get back to winning, later, I promise." You'd be able to crowdfund his buyout before the first game if he said that. But you're saying this behaviour is to be expected.

"We're a run-first team no matter who we play." In some sense that says it all, but this past game we did throw the ball down field. It worked when it wasn't picked off. Oh well.

I'd still rather lose a game throwing three picks than lose a game throwing behind the line of scrimmage.
You are correct. Gus threw out the baby with the bath water on offense when UCF was in the G5's AAC. It made no sense when he did it.

But it makes sense now. Teams can run the ball in the Big 12. UCF is better equipped to compete on offense.

But....

Gus kept the 4-2-5 defense, which doesn't make sense. I have no answers for what Gus is doing on defense.
 
We can blame play calling all we want, but at the end of the day UCF's athletes do not match up to the Big 12, that's it. Coaching end especially play calling can only mitigate that so much. It won't be until year 3 that UCF will have a full cycle of B12 recruiting to match up.. the concern is what does the college Football landscape look like in 3 years and does UCF play themselves out of any consideration for further brand consolidation in college football..
We seemed to match up ok against the top team in the conference in Oklahoma on the road. Also hung with the 2022 conference champ on the road into the 4th as well. But when we play shitty teams that haven’t had a top 40 recruiting class in a decade and get embarrassed at home then the excuses start flying. The problem is precisely that we aren’t orders of magnitude worse than the top of the conference. But you wouldn’t know it based on how we look against terrible teams. Navy 2021 and 2022 wasn’t a fluke.
 
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We seemed to match up ok against the top team in the conference in Oklahoma on the road. Also hung with the 2022 conference champ on the road into the 4th as well. But when we play shitty teams that haven’t had a top 40 recruiting class in a decade and get embarrassed at home then the excuses start flying. The problem is precisely that we aren’t orders of magnitude worse than the top of the conference. But you wouldn’t know it based on how we look against terrible teams. Navy 2021 and 2022 wasn’t a fluke.
I don't know. The take on OU is their running game is not good, and I tend to agree. I think the results show that. Our defense did some things against their rushing game because they're not good running the ball. Every team we've played that have an average or better rushing game have gashed our defense.

Match ups matter of course, but I think 95% of our issues are on the defensive side of the ball. If it doesn't improve by the end of the season, I think we could see a new DC. No heat on AD, I think he's a good guy, but I think this job was too big for him, given where the program is atm. If he had spent a few more seasons as a position coach, maybe. But he's way out of his depth.
 
Not talking about SEC. Talking about P5 in general.

My point is Alec Holler would not be a Team Captain on uat's team, and if Zack Wojan has one career snap at UCF, it is one more than he would have gotten at uat.

Yes. Gus is not the best motivater. Don't have to be a football genius to see that. He probably needs to hire a team psychologist like sabahr did about a decade ago. And yes, I am being serious.

Competing and winning are two different things. UCF went from a pass happy spread under HYPEl to a run-oriented spread team under Gus. It takes time, especially when you go to the P5 with a roster not built for your offense.

Those teams you mentioned (a) probably had years under the same coach who had his own players and (b) probably were not restricted by the NCAA practice rules of today that give a district advantage to the teams with the most talent over teams with the best coaches.

Exa: When TCU had time to prepare for Michigan, it pulled the upset with X's and O's. With about a week of real practice time against Thuga, TCU was outmatched by Jimmy's and Joe's.

A TCU Thuga semifinal would have been much, much different.

Listen man. Nobody and I do mean nobody -- outside of a program that is 1-10 in bowl games in the last decade -- gives a sh*t about bowl games. I have literally NEVER went to a bowl game. Not even either of Auburn's National Championship Games.

This is slightly true. Malzahn does have a little wiggle room.
We didn't just compete, we beat Alabama, or uat as you call them, in 2000. With our independent, non P5 players. So stfu still.
 
Gus has done a miserable job this season, but this board does overrate this team’s current talent. Where is the NFL talent that we’re used to? Gus bears some responsibility because this is Year 3 for him and he’s had time to at least get a few studs in here.

Just think about all the UCF alums from recent years that have no equivalent on this roster:

Gabe Davis
Dillon Gabriel
Tre’Quan Smith
Cole Schneider
Josh Robinson
Shaquill Griffin
Shaquem Griffin
Nate Evans
Bruce Miller
Terrance Plummer
Josh Sitton
Matt Lee
Jacoby Glenn
McKenzie Milton
Blake Bortles
Kalia Davis
Aaron Evans
Joe Burnett
Breshad Perriman
Richie Grant
Clayton Geathers

Etc.

Those guys were all playmakers.

Our current defense can’t even force turnovers. We lose the turnover battle almost every week.

It’s not just about G5 vs. P5. Gus’s team is less talented than previous teams, period. And part of that is development. GOL turned 2-stars into NFL prospects. But I just don’t see the same talent.
 
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Gus has done a miserable job this season, but this board does overrate this team’s current talent. Where is the NFL talent that we’re used to? Gus bears some responsibility because this is Year 3 for him and he’s had time to at least get a few studs in here.

Just think about all the UCF alums from recent years that have no equivalent on this roster:

Gabe Davis
Dillon Gabriel
Tre’Quan Smith
Cole Schneider
Josh Robinson
Shaquill Griffin
Shaquem Griffin
Nate Evans
Bruce Miller
Terrance Plummer
Josh Sitton
Matt Lee
Jacoby Glenn
McKenzie Milton
Blake Bortles
Kalia Davis
Aaron Evans
Joe Burnett
Breshad Perriman
Richie Grant
Clayton Geathers

Etc.

Those guys were all playmakers.

Our current defense can’t even force turnovers. We lose the turnover battle almost every week.

It’s not just about G5 vs. P5. Gus’s team is less talented than previous teams, period. And part of that is development. GOL turned 2-stars into NFL prospects. But I just don’t see the same talent.
don't expect gus to turn 2 or 3 stars into NFL players. at auburn he had a hard time turning 4 and 5 stars into NFL players.
 
Gus has done a miserable job this season, but this board does overrate this team’s current talent. Where is the NFL talent that we’re used to? Gus bears some responsibility because this is Year 3 for him and he’s had time to at least get a few studs in here.

Just think about all the UCF alums from recent years that have no equivalent on this roster:

Gabe Davis
Dillon Gabriel
Tre’Quan Smith
Cole Schneider
Josh Robinson
Shaquill Griffin
Shaquem Griffin
Nate Evans
Bruce Miller
Terrance Plummer
Josh Sitton
Matt Lee
Jacoby Glenn
McKenzie Milton
Blake Bortles
Kalia Davis
Aaron Evans
Joe Burnett
Breshad Perriman
Richie Grant
Clayton Geathers

Etc.

Those guys were all playmakers.

Our current defense can’t even force turnovers. We lose the turnover battle almost every week.

It’s not just about G5 vs. P5. Gus’s team is less talented than previous teams, period. And part of that is development. GOL turned 2-stars into NFL prospects. But I just don’t see the same talent.
What about guys like Dredrick Snelson? Never made it in the NFL, but definitely one of the best wide receivers in UCF history. Baker and Hudson are somewhat on that level. Just mismanaged in my opinion.
 
Gus Malzahn to hire an off the field coach that has proven experience in talent evaluations. Gus could not get guys into the NFL from Auburn…last year zero UCF guys got drafted. 2021 only one guy got drafted (he played zero snaps for Malzahn).

Look at the army of transfers Malzahn has brought in. Top recruits and transfers want to play in the NFL…they ain’t going to a place that won’t get them drafted.
 
We seemed to match up ok against the top team in the conference in Oklahoma on the road. Also hung with the 2022 conference champ on the road into the 4th as well. But when we play shitty teams that haven’t had a top 40 recruiting class in a decade and get embarrassed at home then the excuses start flying. The problem is precisely that we aren’t orders of magnitude worse than the top of the conference. But you wouldn’t know it based on how we look against terrible teams. Navy 2021 and 2022 wasn’t a fluke.
Honestly, I'm getting sick of this type of revisionist commentary. Let's face it Oklahoma tried to gift wrap the game for us on a silver platter and we sent it back. Any team with half a pulse and Oklahoma gift wrapping that game wins.
 
We have 45 players that are: 5th year, RS Sr or Sr this year. Almost all these players are gone next year.

That is being replaced with 18 incoming Fr so far (gap of 27 players right now).

15 listed as Jr or RS Jr.
24 listed as So or RS So.
34 listed as Fr or RS Fr.

We are going to be a ridiculously young team next year…you should know what that means.

We need to go all in with like 25 or more incoming from recruiting…if you don’t know what to get, grab big OL and develop them. That would still leave a big hole to fill with transfers, and that doesn’t even include an unknown number of our guys transferring out that will need to be replaced.

Teams need to have a full time couple of people hired to just focus on roster mgmt and scouting for talent.
 
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Honestly, I'm getting sick of this type of revisionist commentary. Let's face it Oklahoma tried to gift wrap the game for us on a silver platter and we sent it back. Any team with half a pulse and Oklahoma gift wrapping that game wins.
The refs jobbed us before halftime. That was not PI. That erases three off their score.
 
What about guys like Dredrick Snelson? Never made it in the NFL, but definitely one of the best wide receivers in UCF history. Baker and Hudson are somewhat on that level. Just mismanaged in my opinion.
SNelson’s best season was 46 catches for 695 yards and 8 TDs (his stats weren’t even that good the next season). Not even anywhere near top 10. He made a bad decision not coming back for 2019 and maturing in the position. We had a lethal WR corps in 2019. The addition of him might have got us over-the-top in the three games we lost (all by three points or less).
 
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We have 45 players that are: 5th year, RS Sr or Sr this year. Almost all these players are gone next year.

That is being replaced with 18 incoming Fr so far (gap of 27 players right now).

15 listed as Jr or RS Jr.
24 listed as So or RS So.
34 listed as Fr or RS Fr.

We are going to be a ridiculously young team next year…you should know what that means.

We need to go all in with like 25 or more incoming from recruiting…if you don’t know what to get, grab big OL and develop them. That would still leave a big hole to fill with transfers, and that doesn’t even include an unknown number of our guys transferring out that will need to be replaced.

Teams need to have a full time couple of people hired to just focus on roster mgmt and scouting for talent.
very much this. although if gus is letting the offensive coordinator do his job then he would have enough time for roster management to be his responsibility.

there is so much talent in FCS, the NFL finds them. there should be a person who just watches at least one game tape of every FCS team each season.
 
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don't expect gus to turn 2 or 3 stars into NFL players. at auburn he had a hard time turning 4 and 5 stars into NFL players.
I keep saying, “There are coaches that can recruit. There are coaches that develop. There are few that can do both across the roster.”

Gus does seem to be the type that recruits but doesn’t develop. Of the two, I’d take this side of the coin. At least if you have to change coaches the talent would still be there (haha…well, maybe not with the portal). GOL couldn’t recruit but could develop players…once he had Taaffe we developed across the entire roster. Dennis the Menace and Heup weren’t around long enough to really know what they are.
 
Gus Malzahn to hire an off the field coach that has proven experience in talent evaluations. Gus could not get guys into the NFL from Auburn…last year zero UCF guys got drafted. 2021 only one guy got drafted (he played zero snaps for Malzahn).

Look at the army of transfers Malzahn has brought in. Top recruits and transfers want to play in the NFL…they ain’t going to a place that won’t get them drafted.
Let's see how many get drafted this year.

Top transfers want $$$ and UCF cannot afford to pay coaches or players, per "CanesLegacy."
 
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