The scoreboard showed 27-6, but it wasn’t the final score that mattered in the White team’s (UCF starting offense, reserve defense) win over the Gold team (UCF’s reserve offense, starting defense) in the UCF football’s 2011 spring game on Saturday.
UCF got to see just how grown up reigning Conference USA freshman of the year quarterback Jeff Godfrey has become over the last year, and they got to see some emerging starts on the defensive side of the ball as well. Here are my notes:
Best Performance: Jeff Godfrey
UCF’s sophomore-to-be quarterback looked mature and poised in the pocket during the scrimmage, something he’s picked up after such a successful freshman campaign with the Knights. Godfrey finished the day 18-of-23 for 165 yards passing and picked up 70 yards on the ground. He looks fluid and in sync with the offense. It’s scary to think he could be even better than he was in 2010.
Best on Defense: Troy Davis
The Knights are looking for a pass rushing presence to replace Bruce Miller, and they may have found one after the spring game. Troy Davis finished the day with five sacks total and 2.5 tackles for loss. He was around the ball all afternoon and could fill that void for Miller on defense.
Most impressive: Brynn Harvey
Coming off surgery last season, many weren’t sure if Harvey would return to his 2009 form where he was one of the best running backs in the conference. In the scrimmage, he showed flashbacks of his old self by escaping tackles and showing off his speed on the edge. He really looked good with Godfrey and the first team, including reeling off a 38-yard run early in the game.
Biggest area that needs improvement: Kicking game and center position
Same old story for the UCF kicking game. Nick Cattoi struggled and so much so that head coach George O’Leary made him kick two 50-yard field goals at the end of the game, of which he made one of two. As for the center position, numerous snaps were over the heads of quarterbacks, which wasn’t a good sign.
