The college football season has hit the midway point and has been nothing short of exciting with some big upsets, crazy twists, and plenty of storylines to follow. The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide suffered their first loss in two years, losing to South Carolina, while Oregon, Boise State, and Oklahoma have been battling for the number one spot as they have all remained undefeated. The mighty Florida Gators have completely fallen out of the rankings after three straight SEC losses.
Auburn and Michigan State have looked impressive as they remain unbeaten and the Florida State Seminoles are looking rejuvenated in their first season without Bobby Bowden as their leader as they sit at the top of the ACC standings. There has been a plethora of Heisman potentials with Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, Michigan’s Denard Robinson, and Oregon’s LaMichael James all making cases to win the prestigious award.
With the season half way over, teams true colors are starting to show and it’s becoming clear which teams are going to go bowling this year.
The UCF Knights have started off their season pretty strong, with a 4-2 overall record, and a perfect 2-0 slate in Conference-USA. They endured some very close and heartbreaking losses in the beginning of the year, but have looked a lot better as the season has progressed, winning their last two games in a row by a large margin.
The obvious storylines of the Knights season so far has been their nationally ranked defense and the emergence of true freshman quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey. Godfrey, the eighth best ranked dual-threat quarterback out of high school, has ignited a spark in the UCF offense and replaced junior Rob Calabrese as the Knights starting quarterback. The freshman phenom is a product of Miami Central High, where he broke all of current Miami Hurricanes QB Jacory Harris’s records.
Godfrey took over as QB after the Knights were down big at home against NC State early in the season. With Calabrese struggling, Godfrey entered the game late in the second half and orchestrated a near comeback with the freshman rushing for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get the Knights within seven points. Although they ended up losing the game, head coach George O’Leary saw enough from Godfrey to start him the very next game against Buffalo, where he turned in a fine performance and helped the Knights get a 24-10 road victory.
With Godfrey as the starter, UCF is 3-1, with the only loss coming against a powerful Kansas State team on the road. However, the Knights dominated the game on both sides of the ball, shutting down Daniel Thomas on the ground and driving down the field without much of a problem. Unfortunately, the Knights were doomed by their red zone offense, with kicker Nick Cattoi missing two field goals and UCF failing to convert on several touchdown opportunities.
The Knights still managed to look good in their two defeats, both coming against BCS conference schools (the ACC and Big 12). With UCF’s non-conference schedule behind them, the Knights are now focusing on league play. They have started off on the right foot with back-to-back blowout victories over UAB and Marshall and in front of a national audience, as both games were broadcasted on ESPN in Wednesday night showdowns.
Here is the midseason report card for the UCF Knights:
Offense:
There is no doubt that the UCF offense has struggled at points in the season. They have had trouble converting in the red zone and still lack that explosive playmaker that would make their offense a reliable threat. However, the emergence of Godfrey has started to change that for the Knights.
He has brought a flare to the UCF offense that the team has been missing since Kevin Smith’s departure for the NFL. Godfrey, recruited by some big name schools like Miami, Florida State, USF, and Tennessee, has ignited the offense with his running capabilities. He has a knack for being able to avoid the sack and using his feet to gain extra yards and keep the drive alive.
Godfrey is second on the team in rushing with 310 yards and four touchdowns, to go along 669 passing yards and a touchdown. He has given the offense a dynamic weapon and will only get better as he matures.
Preseason Conference-USA selection Brynn Harvey has been sidelined all season while recovering from a torn ACL. Harvey, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, was expected to be one of the team’s top playmakers, but has had a slower than anticipated recovery.
In his absence, junior Ronnie Weaver has stepped up and been a big surprise for UCF. He has rushed for over 100 yards twice this season, including last week’s 150-yard performance, and leads the team with 405 yards and five touchdowns. He has been efficient with short runs and has been able to hack away at the defense to drive down the field. The Knights now need to decide if they should shutdown Harvey for the rest of the season and have him fresh and ready for next season, as Weaver continues to thrive.
The combination of Godfrey and Weaver has given UCF a strong ground attack and they have become a run heavy squad that sees success. The Knights rank second in the conference in rushing yards at 202 per contest and sit at 28 in the nation in that category. They also have the 34th most rushing yards in the nation. The team hasn’t even come close to those type of rushing numbers since 2007 when Kevin Smith dominated pretty much every rushing statistic that year.
The passing game has been the issue for UCF as they have a lot of difficulty moving the ball through the air. While the receiving corps of Brian Watters, A.J. Guyton, Kamar Aiken, and Jamar Newsome has looked decent, they have accounted for just three touchdowns combined compared to 15 rushing touchdowns.
Overall, it has been the Knights rushing attack that has done the bulk of the work on offense.
Grade: B-
Defense:
UCF’s defense has been the team’s strong point. The Knights boast a fierce defense that ranks tops in the nation in most defensive categories. Led by a sensational senior unit that includes Bruce Miller and Derrick Hallman, the defense has been very stingy this season and kept the Knights in games with its ability to make key stops and produce touchdowns.
The Knight defense leads Conference-USA in nearly every category. Not only are they the top defense in C-USA, the UCF defense ranks among the best in the nation. It only gives up 13.8 points per contest, which is good enough for eighth best in the nation. Also, it allows only 264.8 yards per game, which is also eighth best in the nation.
The Knights secondary has been very stingy, allowing 161.2 yards per contest, putting it at 10th best in that category and it allows a mere 44.8 percent of passes to be completed, which ranks them number one in the country.
UCF’s rush defense has also been very powerful. It limits opponents to just 103.7 yards per game on the ground, which is 17th best in the country and it has allowed a meager four rushing touchdowns so far this season.
In addition to its impressive statistics, the UCF defense has accounted for 10 touchdowns this season, including three interceptions returned for a score. Defense end Bruce Miller, last year’s C-USA defensive player of the year, is having a stellar senior year. He has 26 tackles, three sacks, and one interception that he took to the house.
Troy Davis, A.J. Bouye, and Kemal Ishmael have also been remarkable this season with each having an interception. Senior defensive back Reggie Weams also has two interceptions this season.
The Knights defense has been a major factor in the team’s success this season and it’s something that UCF really prides itself on as opponents know they will have a tough time scoring on this talented and experienced unit.
Grade: A-
Special Teams:
The UCF special teams have been one of the major downfalls of this football program so far this year. The special teams haven’t seen any “special” plays other than Quincy McDuffie’s 93-yard kickoff return touchdown against NC State.
Punter Blake Clingan has endured trouble getting the ball down the field and often kicks the ball short, which gives opponents favorable field position.
Junior kicker Nick Cattoi has really struggled this season, converting only four out of his eight field goal attempts. His longest field goal all season was a 39-yarder against Buffalo. Against Kansas State, he missed two crucial field goals, including one from only 23 yards out that could have been the difference maker in a 17-13 loss.
Since the Knights have had a weakness scoring in the red zone, they need to be able to rely on the special teams, especially in close games. Cattoi will need to step up his game in the second half of the season to give the Knights a shot in close games.
Grade: C-
Overall:
Overall, the UCF Knights have had a respectable first half of the season. They have shown flashes of greatness and an ability to produce late game comebacks, as well as the talent to compete with elite conference teams, such as the NC State Wolfpack and Kansas State Wildcats.
UCF undoubtedly boasts one of the top and most ferocious defenses in the nation that has been a huge reason why they sit at 4-2 right now. The Knights offense has also shown some encouraging signs as of late, with the emergence of true freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey and runningback Ronnie Weaver. If junior Brynn Harvey returns from injury, the Knights will have another dynamic weapon on offense that could make them a real dangerous team on the ground.
UCF’s remaining schedule is all conference play and they will need to capitalize on that. With ECU sitting at 3-0 in the conference, they will be the Knights primary threat in the East division. UCF has a matchup against the Pirates at home in two weeks and will need to come away with a victory if they are going to take the conference.
Other than ECU, the Knights have tough matchups against Houston on the road and Southern Miss at home. UCF will also face Rice, Tulane, and Memphis, who are all bottom dwellers in C-USA.
The Knights have been a very solid team at Bright House Networks Stadium so far with a 2-1 record. When the Knights get large attendances, such as the UAB game, they have shown that Bright House Networks Stadium can be very hostile territory for opponents. They will need big numbers when ECU and Southern Miss come to Orlando.
The Knights have a legitimate shot at winning out and becoming Conference-USA champions for the second time in four years. If their defense continues to dominate, the offense becomes more consistent, and if they can correct some of the mistakes that have hurt them so far, UCF will have an excellent opportunity to take the conference and be in a respectable bowl game.
Expect the Knights to go bowling this season!
Overall Grade: B
