Whelp, that was pretty damn awesome. So awesome that I ended up taking my old ass out to a college party at Knights Station (I think that is where it was). Played beer pong, drank hunch punch (the Everclear consumption was a miscalculation), lost what was left of my voice, sang, danced, ate some very questionable couch pizza, potentially had a #metoo thing happen (I am unsure of the current rules of engagement). Anyways all worth it to see my Knights do what they do… WIN
UCF Fast:
· DJ Mack: For me this is the best part of this game. We all wanted Mack to deliver but it was natural considering how great KZ was that we all expected a significant drop off with DJ. He started off with two brutal fumbles that KZ just wouldn’t have had that put us in a serious hole but after that DJ blew UP. He had an absolutely ridiculous stat line. He accounted for 6 TDs and it would have been 7 TDs had he not had that third fumble that Colubiale jumped on. That is absurd. I also heard Mack through for more yards in this game then KZ has in any game this season. Just an amazing game from a RS Freshman coming in under those circumstances. Makes me feel confident in the bowl game again AND makes me feel really good about next season. He will only get better and that is scary. Best thing is if we need two or less yards he is getting it every time. Reminded me a little of Vince Young
· McCrae: I think this was his 3rd 200+ yard game this season for a kid that wasn’t even on scholarship earlier this year. He is the truth. Has all the elements you want in a top running back, vision, patience, balance, acceleration, hands, speed. Love him. Going to have a monster 2019.
· Hill: He didn’t seem to be in their early, not sure what the deal was with that but he absolutely took the game over in the 3rd and 4th quarters. He couldn’t be blocked, threw people off him and runners to the ground like rag dolls. He was always the guy I thought would be the early exit to the NFL and this game showed why. The way he chased the QB to the side line late in the game to prevent an easy first down scramble was a thing of beauty. You know he was gassed but he outran a guy 100lbs lighter then him. Most linemen of his size would have not exerted that energy there. Probably his last game at Spectrum. I hope not but if you are going to go out that is a pretty great way to do it.
· Snelson/Davis: Both had 100+ yard games and showed they were physically talented beyond who was covering them. Davis got rolled up on and didn’t play late, hope he is ok for the bowl game. Only critique is that a lot of the deep balls they caught going down vs. keeping their feet but I rather them catch in then drop it trying to keep going so I am not complaining about that but some of those you thought were going to go for 6.
· UCF Fans/Crowd: What was unique about this game was the atmosphere in the beginning. It seemed like the fans knew with KZ out that we needed to play our part. Everyone came ready to scream from the first play. When Memphis went out for their first series we were all standing and screaming like we do on 3rd downs late in the game. That continued all game even when Memphis was rolling us up early. Fans stills stayed with the team learning that a lot of football was still left to be played. Well done fam.
· KZ: He didn’t play in this game but his spirit was everywhere. It was incredible to see all the custom-made shirts, leis, #10s, support from other teams, praise, etc… He was in everyone’s heart and minds all game and kept these guys going when it was tough. Love me some 10
· Heup: I know he deserves so much more credit then he gets because folks still feel in way that Frost has a hand in the success we are having but for me I feel like last night Heup had a moment. We needed him to call a pretty flawless game without KZ and he didn’t let down. He handled his business. But when he was walking down the field pumping up the crowd and the refs had to push him aside after a 50 yard stroll was incredible. Not just anyone could do what Heup did this year for UCF. He was a perfect hire by DW and has done everything we could have asked and more. Hats off to you sir. Hope you are here for a very very very very long time.
UCF Slow:
· Otis: As if fair catching those two punts inside his own 5 was bad enough (especially the 2nd one he had to Willy Mays it) he then muffs a crucial punt before half leading to another 7 Memphis pts which at the time may have been the game. We had a chance there to get that game with in 3 before half or at least hole the line and get the ball back down 10 and the worst thing possible happens and we go in down 17 because he muffed a rather routine fair catch. I am happy he got the TD pass from Mack later in the game and then went on to have an awesome 50 yard punt return so he certainly had mixed results. Interesting coaching move though to keep him back there. He had done this before in the Cincy game and for me I would have pulled him after the first one this game and maybe that saves the muff but then maybe you don’t get those two plays late. Glad he came around. Otis is too good to pull that shit.
· Run Defense 1st Half: WOOF. Not sure what else I can say. We looked about as bad as a team could look trying to stop the run. Much worse even then the first game. Memphis basically came out, lined up in a wild cat, told us exactly what they were going to do and then repeatedly did it over and over and over again and there was NOTHING we could do about it. Gibson and Grant were taking horrible angles, missing tackles, out of position, etc… Maybe the only saving grace is that a few sprints early may have worn down the other guys, kind of like a puncher punching himself out. I mean they were on pace after the 1st quarter for 1,600 yards of offense, that couldn’t happen right? Whatever it was I am grateful for the adjustments and the 2nd half which we were lights out. Just crazy how that happens.
· Refs: I do not normally bitch about the refs and ultimately this game the calls went both ways and I am not upset with them but the lack of holding calls in the 1st half allowed some of those huge runs to not get called back. They were mugging Tito and others on most plays even on the pass rushes late. Very surprised more of those calls didn’t happen and maybe it would have slowed them down early.
· Establishment: I woke up and started watching 7am Sportscenter. Had to wait over 30 minutes for the UCF highlights. They drooled over all the other games first and then showed NBA highlights before getting to us. At least we got in before UAB, barely. The worst part is that they completely dismiss us in the discussion for who should be in the 4th spot. They don’t even include us on the list of teams in the graphic. I think they do that on purpose because the average person may notice they have teams with 1 and 2 losses ahead of us with 0. Hard to explain graphically. Just incredible to me though that half of the heads were spewing bullshit about Georgia either staying at 4 or moving up to 3 after LOSING to Alabama. I am sorry but that is insanity. They give Georgia the benefit of the doubt to the millionth degree. Georgia had what UCF wanted this week. They had the chance to earn a spot on the field, despite already losing a game and they LOST. They also got crushed by LSU earlier in the season. This quality loss stuff is insane to me. How about the team that hasn’t lost in 25 games for two seasons? Maybe just a mention? Even though both UCF and Georgia are likely out of it how about you give us a bit of that benefit of the doubt, maybe just something about how doing everything we possibly could do right in winning 25 games in a row is possibly at least as impressive as Georgia losing by 7 to Alabama’s back up QB?
· Memphis Team: I absolutely respect Memphis, they are a great team but when they go to sleep at Knight they must only hear one thing… UCF UCF UCF UCF UCF UCF. We own them about as much as you can own any team. In almost every game we play them at some point we basically have no business winning the game. Think back to the Stanback hit we needed to pull that one out or last year’ championship game or the game at Memphis earlier this year where we had to pull a rabbit out in an absolute monsoon and this game they had us down and they couldn’t finish us off. In the back of their mind they always knew they were going to lose. I felt it start to change right there before half time. The Otis muff delayed it a bit, but I could see it on the way they were playing. They knew what was going to happen and they let it happen. They submitted. If this was a UCF fight they tapped, boxing fight they threw in the towel, prison fight… well you know how that would end.
I am going to wrap this one up without some crazy long rant. I would love to bitch more about the National Media but I am not going to let them take this game/season away from us. They may not recognize UCF but I do. I know Tony Kornheiser said this and I am sure other people did as well (great if we had a video montage) … “if UCF goes undefeated for a 2nd straight season do they get it? YES, absolutely, how could you keep them out after that.” Well you are about to see that happens folks. So we will do what UCF does. We will travel well, we will support our team and UCF will go out there and hand it to another CFP darling and they will say some shit about them not being motivated after being left out of the CFP but whatever. I am going to enjoy it, I am going to scream, lose my voice, party, eat couch pizza, I don’t care. Just keep winning baby, Go Knights!!!!
UCF Fast:
· DJ Mack: For me this is the best part of this game. We all wanted Mack to deliver but it was natural considering how great KZ was that we all expected a significant drop off with DJ. He started off with two brutal fumbles that KZ just wouldn’t have had that put us in a serious hole but after that DJ blew UP. He had an absolutely ridiculous stat line. He accounted for 6 TDs and it would have been 7 TDs had he not had that third fumble that Colubiale jumped on. That is absurd. I also heard Mack through for more yards in this game then KZ has in any game this season. Just an amazing game from a RS Freshman coming in under those circumstances. Makes me feel confident in the bowl game again AND makes me feel really good about next season. He will only get better and that is scary. Best thing is if we need two or less yards he is getting it every time. Reminded me a little of Vince Young
· McCrae: I think this was his 3rd 200+ yard game this season for a kid that wasn’t even on scholarship earlier this year. He is the truth. Has all the elements you want in a top running back, vision, patience, balance, acceleration, hands, speed. Love him. Going to have a monster 2019.
· Hill: He didn’t seem to be in their early, not sure what the deal was with that but he absolutely took the game over in the 3rd and 4th quarters. He couldn’t be blocked, threw people off him and runners to the ground like rag dolls. He was always the guy I thought would be the early exit to the NFL and this game showed why. The way he chased the QB to the side line late in the game to prevent an easy first down scramble was a thing of beauty. You know he was gassed but he outran a guy 100lbs lighter then him. Most linemen of his size would have not exerted that energy there. Probably his last game at Spectrum. I hope not but if you are going to go out that is a pretty great way to do it.
· Snelson/Davis: Both had 100+ yard games and showed they were physically talented beyond who was covering them. Davis got rolled up on and didn’t play late, hope he is ok for the bowl game. Only critique is that a lot of the deep balls they caught going down vs. keeping their feet but I rather them catch in then drop it trying to keep going so I am not complaining about that but some of those you thought were going to go for 6.
· UCF Fans/Crowd: What was unique about this game was the atmosphere in the beginning. It seemed like the fans knew with KZ out that we needed to play our part. Everyone came ready to scream from the first play. When Memphis went out for their first series we were all standing and screaming like we do on 3rd downs late in the game. That continued all game even when Memphis was rolling us up early. Fans stills stayed with the team learning that a lot of football was still left to be played. Well done fam.
· KZ: He didn’t play in this game but his spirit was everywhere. It was incredible to see all the custom-made shirts, leis, #10s, support from other teams, praise, etc… He was in everyone’s heart and minds all game and kept these guys going when it was tough. Love me some 10
· Heup: I know he deserves so much more credit then he gets because folks still feel in way that Frost has a hand in the success we are having but for me I feel like last night Heup had a moment. We needed him to call a pretty flawless game without KZ and he didn’t let down. He handled his business. But when he was walking down the field pumping up the crowd and the refs had to push him aside after a 50 yard stroll was incredible. Not just anyone could do what Heup did this year for UCF. He was a perfect hire by DW and has done everything we could have asked and more. Hats off to you sir. Hope you are here for a very very very very long time.
UCF Slow:
· Otis: As if fair catching those two punts inside his own 5 was bad enough (especially the 2nd one he had to Willy Mays it) he then muffs a crucial punt before half leading to another 7 Memphis pts which at the time may have been the game. We had a chance there to get that game with in 3 before half or at least hole the line and get the ball back down 10 and the worst thing possible happens and we go in down 17 because he muffed a rather routine fair catch. I am happy he got the TD pass from Mack later in the game and then went on to have an awesome 50 yard punt return so he certainly had mixed results. Interesting coaching move though to keep him back there. He had done this before in the Cincy game and for me I would have pulled him after the first one this game and maybe that saves the muff but then maybe you don’t get those two plays late. Glad he came around. Otis is too good to pull that shit.
· Run Defense 1st Half: WOOF. Not sure what else I can say. We looked about as bad as a team could look trying to stop the run. Much worse even then the first game. Memphis basically came out, lined up in a wild cat, told us exactly what they were going to do and then repeatedly did it over and over and over again and there was NOTHING we could do about it. Gibson and Grant were taking horrible angles, missing tackles, out of position, etc… Maybe the only saving grace is that a few sprints early may have worn down the other guys, kind of like a puncher punching himself out. I mean they were on pace after the 1st quarter for 1,600 yards of offense, that couldn’t happen right? Whatever it was I am grateful for the adjustments and the 2nd half which we were lights out. Just crazy how that happens.
· Refs: I do not normally bitch about the refs and ultimately this game the calls went both ways and I am not upset with them but the lack of holding calls in the 1st half allowed some of those huge runs to not get called back. They were mugging Tito and others on most plays even on the pass rushes late. Very surprised more of those calls didn’t happen and maybe it would have slowed them down early.
· Establishment: I woke up and started watching 7am Sportscenter. Had to wait over 30 minutes for the UCF highlights. They drooled over all the other games first and then showed NBA highlights before getting to us. At least we got in before UAB, barely. The worst part is that they completely dismiss us in the discussion for who should be in the 4th spot. They don’t even include us on the list of teams in the graphic. I think they do that on purpose because the average person may notice they have teams with 1 and 2 losses ahead of us with 0. Hard to explain graphically. Just incredible to me though that half of the heads were spewing bullshit about Georgia either staying at 4 or moving up to 3 after LOSING to Alabama. I am sorry but that is insanity. They give Georgia the benefit of the doubt to the millionth degree. Georgia had what UCF wanted this week. They had the chance to earn a spot on the field, despite already losing a game and they LOST. They also got crushed by LSU earlier in the season. This quality loss stuff is insane to me. How about the team that hasn’t lost in 25 games for two seasons? Maybe just a mention? Even though both UCF and Georgia are likely out of it how about you give us a bit of that benefit of the doubt, maybe just something about how doing everything we possibly could do right in winning 25 games in a row is possibly at least as impressive as Georgia losing by 7 to Alabama’s back up QB?
· Memphis Team: I absolutely respect Memphis, they are a great team but when they go to sleep at Knight they must only hear one thing… UCF UCF UCF UCF UCF UCF. We own them about as much as you can own any team. In almost every game we play them at some point we basically have no business winning the game. Think back to the Stanback hit we needed to pull that one out or last year’ championship game or the game at Memphis earlier this year where we had to pull a rabbit out in an absolute monsoon and this game they had us down and they couldn’t finish us off. In the back of their mind they always knew they were going to lose. I felt it start to change right there before half time. The Otis muff delayed it a bit, but I could see it on the way they were playing. They knew what was going to happen and they let it happen. They submitted. If this was a UCF fight they tapped, boxing fight they threw in the towel, prison fight… well you know how that would end.
I am going to wrap this one up without some crazy long rant. I would love to bitch more about the National Media but I am not going to let them take this game/season away from us. They may not recognize UCF but I do. I know Tony Kornheiser said this and I am sure other people did as well (great if we had a video montage) … “if UCF goes undefeated for a 2nd straight season do they get it? YES, absolutely, how could you keep them out after that.” Well you are about to see that happens folks. So we will do what UCF does. We will travel well, we will support our team and UCF will go out there and hand it to another CFP darling and they will say some shit about them not being motivated after being left out of the CFP but whatever. I am going to enjoy it, I am going to scream, lose my voice, party, eat couch pizza, I don’t care. Just keep winning baby, Go Knights!!!!
