UCF will take on the Temple Owls Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Bounce House, and after coming off a bye week, here’s a breakdown of what UCF fans should look out for.
This will serve as the fifth conference game of the season for both teams — UCF is 3-2 in American Athletic Conference play, while Temple is 1-4 in conference play. Temple heads into the matchup with a 1-4 overall record, while UCF is 4-2 overall.
The Knights have won their last three matchups against the Owls. Last year’s game at Lincoln Financial Field included a big 63-21 UCF win in. UCF leads the all-time series versus Temple 5-2.
HOW WILL UCF LOOK AFTER THE BYE?
How will UCF look after a week of rest? Were there any adjustments made to the game plan on either side of the ball?
The last time we saw the Knights take the field, they put up a 44 point effort behind 681 total yards of offense against Houston. It will be interesting to see if the offense misses a beat after having some time off.
More importantly, was UCF able to utilize the time to get healthy and get some of their guys back?
During a Thursday press conference, UCF head coach Josh Heupel said the guys looked great during the week.
“We’ve got to be ready to go play extremely hard,” he said.
THE RETURN OF TRE NIXON
UCF redshirt senior wide receiver Tre Nixon seemed to be primed as the top pass catcher for the Knights early on before suffering a shoulder injury in the second quarter against Georgia Tech in September.
During the first game of the season, Nixon was on the receiving end of four passes for 94 yards and two scores. If Nixon is able to return against Temple, expect the Owls to have trouble matching up against UCF’s foursome of speedy receivers.
UCF quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said on Wednesday that Nixon has been practicing and looks great on the field.
“Fast — Tre looks really fast, I’m hoping we can see him again at some point,” Halzle said. “… He obviously wants to be out there, but it’s our job to make sure that he’s in a position where he’s safe when he’s out there as well.”
WILL MARLON WILLIAMS REACH 1,000 YARDS THIS GAME?
Heading into the matchup, UCF senior wide receiver Marlon Williams will only need 160 yards to eclipse the century mark in receiving.
Williams has recorded over 150 receiving yards in three contests this season, so this task might not be too tough against a Temple defense that has allowed 223.4 passing yards per game.
Williams has already registered 840 receiving yards within the course of six games which ranks first overall in the entire NCAA.
DILLION GABRIEL’S DOMINATION
The Knights’ offense has been nearly unstoppable this season, largely in part to star sophomore quarterback Dillion Gabriel.
Gabriel has thrown 21 touchdowns on the season and ranks No. 5 in the Football Bowl Subdivision for passing touchdowns — four other quarterbacks are tied for the top spot with 22 touchdowns each.
The Knights have posted up the number one passing attack in the nation this year with 417.7 yards per game. Gabriel’s 2,506 passing yards rank him 3rd amongst qualifying Quarterbacks.
Temple is ranked No. 78 in the country in total defense, so a solid showing from Gabriel should be certainly expected.
WILL THE GROUND GAME CONTINUE TO CONQUER?
Last week against Houston, the Knights gashed the Cougars for over 300 yards rushing. Two of UCF’s backs ran for over 100 yards in the Knights’ 353 yard effort.
This is not the best news for Temple — the Owls have given up 210.6 rushing yards per game to their opponents thus far, making this matchup favorable for UCF. Temple’s defense is also allowing 6.1 yards per play to their opposition.
If UCF’s offense is able to complement the passing game and control the clock with a balanced running attack, the Knights’ should win this one handsomely.
“I think this year — not just with Temple — with everybody you have to have flexibility in the way you prepare because you don’t know, ultimately, who you’re going to see in any phase of the game,” Heupel said. “You’ve got to be willing to adjust during the course of the game as well.”
Temple redshirt senior QB Anthony Russo has thrown for 868 yards and nine touchdowns with six interceptions at quarterback.
Redshirt sophomore Re-al Mitchell also contributes behind the veteran starter, but Heupel emphasized the flexibility put in preparation when asked about Temple’s QB room on Thursday.
Heupel said Russo and Mitchell are different in their skill sets, but said the team will be prepared, but Owls Daily reports Russo did not travel to Orlando.
According to the Owls Daily, the redshirt senior QB is in COVID-19 protocol and Mitchell will start the game against the Knights.
The Knights will face the Temple Owls at 7:30 p.m. at the Bounce House, and the game will air on ESPNU.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect new information about Temple QB Anthony Russo. Check back with Knight News’ social media for live game coverage and KnightNews.com after the game.
