The UCF football season is approaching, and Kravitz and I aren't completely sold that the Knights will be fully ready to go by their Aug. 31st "First Bounce" against Kent St.
Now don't get me wrong, the 10-win team from a season ago should have no problem handling their first few weeks of competition with home games vs Kent St. and Villanova, and an away game at Boise St. It's the in-conference play of UCF's inaugural season into the Big 12 Conference that concerns me.
1) The Big Boys Up Front
UCF is experiencing heavy turnover this season, with over 30 new players on the roster through transfers and freshmen. Luckily for those players but perhaps unfortunately or the team as a whole, it comes at a cost, with many veteran players graduating or transferring out. The offensive line took one of the biggest hits. This season, UCF will be without Samuel Jackson (graduation), Mathew Lee (transferred to Miami), and Ryan Swoboda (graduation).
The Knights return two seniors in Lokahi Pauole at RG, and Tylan Grable at LT. Outside of them, it's all new faces up front for the Knights. Joining them will be transfer seniors LG Amari Kight (Alabama), center Bula Schmidt (Fresno St.), and transfer junior RT Marcellus Marshall (Kent State).
2) Can't Play Overly Reserved
UCF was a drag to watch at times last season. A what felt like play it safe approach on offense led to a ton of plays on the ground, passes short of the first down markers, and lack of big time deep ball plays that we have come accustom to seeing with a UCF offense. With Darin Hinshaw taking over as offensive coordinator, we have a chance to see real change. Tight end Alec Holler addressed the media on Wednesday about Hinshaw's goals of creating more verticality and space in the Knights offense.
On the defensive end was more of the same. UCF played a ton of drop coverage, allowing a ton of space for receivers to make a catch on a quick route, and even time to make a move on the defender to turn it into a big play. We know that UCF is capable of playing strong defense on all areas of the field, but the red zone was the only place UCF truly felt at home. The Knights had by far the best red zone defense scoring percentage last season in the American Athletic Conference, so the question becomes 'how can we translate that success over to the other 80 yards on the football field?' Perhaps new defensive coordinator Addison Williams has the answers.
3) Run the Ball Smarter, Not Harder
I feel that it is really time for this UCF offense to get back to a big-play mentality. Obviously not in a reckless fashion, but they have the playmakers that can produce a high scoring attack. We saw this against Temple last season where UCF hung 70 points on the Owls. Now Big 12 competition demands more concern, but the box score reflects what we should see more often than not from this UCF team. JRP was 18/22 for 373 yards and 4 touchdowns. Unfortunately, it's unfair to expect this stat line every game, but we should expect the same aggressiveness. The run game is there to assist the passing game. One should not be dictated by the other unless you are experiencing uber success. It blows my mind that the same man who threw for nearly 400 yards on Oct. 14 last season, threw for only 49 on 8 completions two weeks prior vs Georgia Tech. This issue goes beyond JRP, it falls heavily on the coaching and play call.
Which leads me to my sub-point with the UCF offense. The Knights have to run the ball with more intelligence. That goes from situationally - no designed running plays on 3rd & 8, to running the hot hand - why did Johnny Richardson only get double digit carries in ONE GAME ALL OF LAST SEASON? He averaged nearly seven yards a carry. Isaiah Bowser graduating will open up opportunities for guys like Richardson, R.J Harvey, and Clemson transfer Demarkcus Bowman.
It's a a new season, a new team, and a new conference. 8 days until kick off. Check out the podcast below for further discussion on this UCF football team from myself and Brandon Kravitz.