ESPN analyst and College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit reacted on Twitter Thursday to the Fiesta Bowl outcome between LSU and UCF.
The Tigers overcame UCF by eight points on New Years. While the Knights’ offensive line struggled and their quarterback fell short of potential, Herbstreit, among others, believes UCF to be a strong team. The brand the Orlando team built over two seasons continued to grow despite a lashing from fringe users on social media.
Played great considering they had some players that didn’t play and got down early. Beat a very good team. Great win. At same time think UCF helped their brand by taking on LSU without their alpha and playmaker M.Milton. UCF helped themselves with how they battled. https://t.co/Jg66vCceT8
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 4, 2019
LSU lacked their full defensive roster while UCF lacked its Heisman-contending quarterback. Still, Herbstreit believed the Knights helped themselves with how they battled.
Darriel Mack, Jr. may not have built the skill to defeat LSU his second game as a starter, however, the UCF faithful are not down for the count. A 2019 offseason stocked with returning playmakers still gives UCF an edge in the American Conference and another reasonable shot at a New Year’s Bowl.
Four-star Defensive end Tre’Mon Morris-Brash announced his decision to sign with UCF after the Under Armour All American game – that’s in addition to the several four-star 6’2″+ freshman linemen (DT – Cameron Goode; SDE – Keenan Hester; DE / OLB – Raymond Cutts) the Knights signed in December.
UCF’s Fiesta Bowl Loss is Still A Win For Group of 5 Schools
