The University of Central Florida Knights take American football to Ireland with the storied Penn State Nittany Lions for both team’s season openers. The game will take place at Croke Park, the Headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), in central Dublin. The international contest will be the first time in program history that UCF will be playing outside the United States. The Croke Park Classic will kick off at 1:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. EST) and air on ESPN2.
This will be the fourth meeting between the Knights and the Nittany Lions on the gridiron, with Penn State currently leading the series 2-1. However, Head Coach George O’Leary looks to carry momentum into this year from last season’s 34-31 victory, and even up the series.
Penn State starts the 2014 season with seven returning starters on both offense and defense.
Sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg secured a wealth of experience last year, passing for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns. The backfield is also loaded with significant expereince, returning senior running backs Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak, and sophomore Akeel Lynch.
The Nittany Lions return a talented group of tight ends but its wide receiving corps is young, having lost two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson, a second round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft.
They are also severely lacking in depth along the offensive line, returning only one player with starting experience, left tackle Donovan Smith. This could prove to be PSU’s Achilles’ heel, protecting the quarterback against a well-seasoned Knights’ defensive line.
UCF will return this year with 49 players from the roster, including 15 starters (nine on defense, six on offense). Thus, experience should infuse the team with confidence and determination. It’s sophomore William Stanback who will lead the rushing attack after gaining 443 yards on 105 carries and six scores in 2013.
With Bortles gone, UCF turns the quarterback reins over to redshirt freshman Pete DiNovo. Unlike Hackenberg, UCF quarterback starter DiNovo lacks any game day experience at all and has not thrown his first pass for the Knights. His high school success, however, was highly recognized, winning the 2012 Tampa Bay Times Suncoast Player of the Year as a senior at East Lake High School.
Head Coach George O’Leary, now in his 11th season at UCF, tabbed him QB during fall camp. Coach O’Leary boasts a career record of 124-89 and is 72-56 at the helm of UCF.
Come gametime, UCF fans hope to have Irish and Knights eyes smiling. With their wealth of talent, the Knights should not need any four leaf clovers, just a repeat performance of last year’s monster wins over Penn State, Louisville and Baylor. If the Knights play to their potential and talent, their trip over the pond should be one for the ages.
