Rob Calabrese said all offseason he was a different quarterback.
He proved that Saturday against South Dakota.
The junior threw for 176 yards and a touchdown and looked calm and poised in the pocket, leading UCF to a 38-7 season opening win over South Dakota on Saturday in front of 34,373 fans at Bright House Networks Stadium.
“He managed the offense really well, made the right checks and threw against some pressure,” head coach George O’Leary said. “I was happy to see him play well and hopefully he will grow with some confidence.”
Here is my post-game analysis:
Why UCF won the game
The reason is simple. No. 4 was on his game. For UCF to be successful this season, Calabrese has to come out and manage the game. He led the Knights down the field on the opening drive of the game, giving them their first score on the first possession to open the season since 2007. He started the game 9-of-9 before his first incompletion and continued to throw the ball accurately to his receivers.
Why South Dakota lost the game
They couldn’t keep the Knights out of their side of the field. UCF was 6-of-6 in red zone opportunities and had all eight drives in South Dakota territory. The Coyote defense couldn’t find an answer for both Calabrese and Jonathan Davis while the UCF offensive line just dominated the d-line of South Dakota.
Game Ball:
This one’s a no brainer. Calabrese was the man in this one. He proved a lot of doubters wrong and looked like a different quarterback than years past. He was efficient, accurate and composed. He gets my game ball.
What this all means:
UCF is 1-0 on the season, but they did see some promising signs. Again, this is South Dakota, a Division I-AA football team, so this doesn’t mean the Knights are going to go undefeated. The positives are that Calabrese and Davis looked good, the Knights didn’t turn the ball over and the defense made adjustments.
Up Next:
ACC opponent N.C. State. They’ve been deemed the game to be on the schedule. It will be the test to see if the offense we all saw today is what to expect the rest of the season. I expect the players to be ready for a dog fight.
Notable stat:
Davis and A.J. Guyton both had career highs in the game, with Davis rushing for 107 yards and Guyton snagging 127 reception yards.
