This game just felt different. Finally being part of a Power 5 conference. In the past we would have been trying to prove ourselves against a P5 team now we are just playing conference games. We have come a long way and i love it. Before the season started and had this game circled as a loss. When JRP went down after BSU i thought for sure it would be a loss. Then Timmy played well last week and i thought we had a punchers chance. In the end the game flow (defense on field too long), injuries (lost at least 3 defensive starters), penalties and bone headed plays did us in but make no mistake about it, we had a chance here, we could have very easily won this game despite JRP and all the crap above, that gives me plenty of encouragement moving forward, proud of our boys...
UCF Fast:
UCF Slow:
UCF Fast:
- Kobe Hudson: Been on fire these last few weeks, played great tonight, no drops i remember from any of the receivers which was great, another big night for Kobe, three straight 100+ yard games.
- Richardson: Dude only touched the ball (not counting kick returns), SIX times. Avg 13 yards a touch. Really need to make it a point to get him double digit touches EVERY game. He had a big time run to start the game, then an incredible kick off return to set us up mid way through and then one of the filthiest things i have ever seen on that 4th and forever delay hand off he converted. That should NEVER happen. Only JR converts that type of play. He did that before for us. Just need to feed him more.
- Timmy: Ok, let me explain here, for a back up QB who sat out all of last year, starting for only his 2nd game this season, on the road against the Big 12 champs, he had his moments, both good and bad. The good, he kept his eyes down field, made several completions way late in the play, some dimes down field. Got robbed on that sweet 3rd and long conversion over the middle by that awful holding call on Grable (on a 3 man rush) that may have changed the game. Of course the pick was awful on 1st down, the play he ran out of bounds for the 12 yard loss taking us out of fg range when he had plenty of time to throw it away was inexcusable but i 100% expected some of that. Overall i thought he was more good then bad. He was absolutely gassed at the end and he kept fighting. If JRP had this game i wouldn't give JRP a fast but for the 2nd stringer he gets it. Grading on a scale. I also thought we could have taken advantage more of our WR down field, i didnt feel like KSU could cover us and Timmy was throwing well early. I would have leaned into that even more from a play calling perspective, something hopefully they will see on tape and try to exploit with Timmy the next few weeks assuming JRP is still out.
UCF Slow:
- Run Defense: BRUTAL. Giddens was like watching Chris Johnson in that ECU game 10 years ago or whenever that was. He was KSU's entire offense, had over 293 yards from scrimmage. One man wrecking machine and he was the 2nd string guy? That is nuts. I would have to watch it back but it seemed like the linebackers and the safeties coming up were NOT helping. The defensive line didnt look all that bad. I thought we got push and made some plays. Alexander with the great knock down, Walker was impressive early, Hunter leading the team in tackles as big as he is, all that was solid. Celiscar didnt have his best game. Drop not so much. Another issue here though was the game flow, they ran double our plays, we were GASSED and INJURED. Barber, Thornton, and others all going down didnt help, we dont have the depth to sustain that.
- Drop: That roughing the passer penalty was BRUTAL. We desperately needed to get our defense off the field there. Great 3rd down stop and he hits the QB late. I think the call was close but in this day and age you have to hold up ESPECIALLY on third down. You want to send a message on 1st down who cares but 3rd down that is bone headed. That penalty was big time. Continued to gas the defense, turned into points, really impactful play.
- Penalties: We had a run in that 2nd half that was really a killer to the game flow. The Drop roughing was the worst but the holding by Grable to negate the big third down conversion. the hands to the fact by hunter, ANOTHER off sides on the kick off (3rd one in two weeks), have to clean that up on the road with your back up QB in Big 12 play
- Harvey: Was playing hard to the end but had two plays that i really didn't like, the first was the fumble out of the wildcat. You would think with him taking the snap and controlling the ball through the run it would be LESS likely to fumble yet he coughed up a big one there. The 2nd was later in the game he looked like he easily was going to convert that 3rd down to the right side and he just seemed to run hesitant and got tackled two yards short and Gus punted it. If RJ runs better there i think we easily get 1st down or at least it is so close that Gus likely goes for it but to come up two yards short with that run set up i thought was unacceptable from a back as good as RJ is. He also has to do better then avg 3.4 yards a carry when JR is avg 12.7. Props to Harvey though on the first TD, had two solid catches.
