No. 23 UCF (5-1,2-0) heads into this weekend’s conference home opener against UCONN (0-6,0-2) undefeated against AAC teams after pulling off the program’s biggest upset in history last Friday in Louisville.
A win Saturday would make UCF officially bowl eligible for the fourth time in the past five seasons, a significant milestone on the road to a BCS bid, and would continue the six game win streak owned in conference home openers.
The Knights will be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since being handed a nail-biting loss against South Carolina in September.
It will be a matchup of two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum in this conference’s first year. UCONN, who has never played at Brighthouse Networks Stadium, is looking to find stable ground as they fight for their first win of the season.
UCF on the other hand, is riding and emotional high right now after the huge win against the then ranked No. 8 Cardinals. The victory was enough to vault the Knights to the top of the conference and into the top 25 for the first time since 2010.
Storm Johnson should capitalize on a run defense that is giving up a whopping 171 yards per game. It will be a great opportunity for Johnson, who is coming off a multi-faceted performance of 188 yards from scrimmage and two scores, augmented by Will Stanback’s two rushing touchdowns.
On defense, it will be the Huskies’ pass attack that commands the attention of UCF, as the UCONN rushing game is ranked last within the conference. The Huskies are averaging a respectable 230 yards through the air each week, enough of a threat to keep the Knight’s defenders busy all afternoon.
With half the season over and their biggest matchups behind them, UCF must finish the season strong, making every week their most important week. They cannot afford to lose one more game, and the home crown will play a vital role in the team’s success.
Asked about the fans’ influence, left tackle Torrian Wilson sounded excited when he told us that, “It’s always fun to play in front of your home crowd, UCF fans are crazy.”
O’Leary acknowledged their importance as well, saying that he’d be, “disappointed if we don’t sell out. Now they have a reason to show support for this team, they really do.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM on Saturday afternoon at Brighthouse Networks Stadium, and the tailgate will begin promptly at 7:00 AM.
