Nobody on UCF's staff has a better knowledge of Cincinnati than Willie Martinez, who coached on the Bearcats' staff last season.
Martinez, who coaches the Knights' safeties and has the title of assistant head coach, says there will be definitely be some emotions going up against Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and his former players, saying it's akin to trying to win against your own family.
Being a Florida native, Martinez jumped at the offer to return to his home state when offered a job by Josh Heupel last December.
Earlier this week, local media caught up with Martinez, who actually first coached at UCF more than 20 years ago when the program was transitioning from I-AA to I-A.
It's an interesting week for you. You were coaching at Cincinnati last year and obviously are very familiar with their coaches and players. What's it like this week getting ready for Cincinnati?
"It's been like any other week getting prepared for an opponent that's very good and very sound in all phases. Obviously looking forward to the opportunity to continue what we've been doing."
What's your perspective of the turnaround Luke Fickell has orchestrated there?
"Good coach. Very good coach and very good coaching staff. They've done a great job. They know who they are. Not surprised at anything that they're doing, really, to be honest with you."
A lot of the cornerbacks there are new now. I know one you coached last year was Coby Bryant? What did you see from him last year?
"Great athlete. It's great to see him all the success he's having right now. Obviously he's got a bright future."
What do you remember about the rain-shortened UCF-Cincinnati game last year?
"That we weren't doing very well. We obviously needed to play a lot better. That's what I remember."
You were here in the 1990s. To be there then and to see where UCF is now, what's been the biggest difference?
"They've had some great teams leading up to where we're at at this present time. Not surprised because of what we thought it could be. You're sitting in the middle of the state of Florida. You don't have to a good chance unless you get good players and being able to attract student-athletes to come here is kind of easy. It's in the middle of the state. It's a great campus. That's what's happened. People want to stay close to home. Why leave when we can actually win championships and have an opportunity to compete at a high level? That's what's kind of happened. I'm not surprised. Obviously it's tremendous where it's gotten to. To see it grow is kind of cool. I said that when I first got back here and it continues to. Obviously our athletics director and our athletics administration has a great vision and they continue to help us."
How have you seen Richie Grant blossom as a player this season as a full-time starter now. Looks like he's stepping up as a leader and doing a lot of good things out there.
"He's consistent. That's the thing we're asking of every player. To be the same guy every day. He works at it. He works on the practice field. He works at it off the field. And it just carries over to playing. That's the reason why I think he's had the season that he's had. We tell the players all the time, be the same dude every day. Get up, come to work and show up ready to go. Richie has been one of those guys."
Do you remember your recruiting pitch when you were at UCF in the 1990s?
"Not really. The only thing I can remember the last time I was here is we were able to recruit a really good player by the name of Daunte Culpepper. We were just concentrating on making sure he signed that dotted line. We knew if we had great players we'd have a chance. You can see what's happened with his career and what he did when he was here."
When you see what Daunte did at UCF and you see what McKenzie Milton is doing now, do you see similarities between the two?
"Again, they are two different types of players. I don't like comparing guys. They're both winners. They're great leaders. They're very competitive. Obviously the size is different. Their style is different. But the one thing that's consistent is the leadership. The players respect them. That's important when he's the guy that's handling the ball on every snap."
What are the biggest challenges when you look at Cincinnati and what they've been able to do offensively this year?
"It starts with the quarterback. (Desmond) Ridder is just having a great year. That's not a surprise because we saw him last year tear us up on defense. That starts right there. Just like we have a great quarterback. They have a great quarterback. It starts with the leader of the offense. Michael Warren is a physical runner. They've basically got the three-headed horse so to speak. They've got great wide receivers, a great running back and a great quarterback. They obviously have a solid line. It all starts with the guy touching the ball on every snap. That's what has given them a chance to be where they're at and they're having a great year."
What advantages are there, if any, being a coach that has experience and knowledge of the Cincinnati personnel?
"It won't matter other than me saying, 'Hey look, I know this guy and this guy.' All you've got to do is turn on the film. When you watch the film and you see their style of play, they're physical, they're fast, they're athletic and they make plays. That's really what we want to show the kids. That's what matters. It doesn't matter what I say. It's really what we do. The film speaks for itself and the kind of year they're having. It's going to be a great game."
What would you like to see out of the defense in this game?
"We can improve on a lot of things. Specifically is to obviously, a great quarterback like Ridder, is trying to get to third down. The best thing is third-and-long situations, not third-and-shorts. It starts with doing a good job on first and second down. You can't really stop a kid like that, but you can contain him. Not just him, but also do a good job against the running back. Obviously philosophically, any defensive coach would say you don't want them to run the ball on you. You've got to make them one dimensional the best you can. That will be a major challenge for us because he's a really good back and one of the top offenses in the country as far as rushing."
Does it help that you've faced two really good backs already?
"We're in our 10th ballgame. They're in their 11th. You've obviously improved in certain things and there are areas to improve on. We've seen some really good players. This one, he's a little bit different player. But yeah, you get some confidence and also things that hurt you comes back to light. Obviously you see that on film and opponents see that. You've got to improve on it. Whether that's wrapping up or playing with great leverage. The scheme will take care of itself. You've got to make some great plays in the open field to not let the explosive plays happen."
Will you have any emotions facing those guys on Saturday?
"I have a tremendous amount of respect. That's the first thing I can say. You're talking a first-class organization. It starts with the head coach, Luke Fickell, who I've known for a very long time. He's not only a great coach, but a great person. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He's got a great staff. It's going to be a challenge to us. It's no different than trying to win against your own family. You want to win. We have unbelievable respect for him. It will be a major challenge for us."
