DUBLIN — Just hours after touching down in Dublin, the Knights held their first practice about a 30 minute drive from the city center, at the prestigious Carton House Training Facility.
“This is a really unique place,” O’Leary said of the practice ground. “The national team practices and stays here.”
Indeed, the grass is even the same as Croke Park, a huge advantage in readying the team for Saturday.
There’s a theory for such a quick turnaround after a long flight across the pond, something Terrance Plummer said he was very aware of.
“We’ve got to hit the ground running, ‘cause that way we can sleep better tonight, just try to get acclimated to the schedule, which is happening right now,” he said.
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It is imperative for UCF to get a quick start, as they have only one more substantial practice before Friday’s walkthrough at Croke Park and Saturday’s game. O’Leary said that both Monday and Tuesday were excellent practice days, but that the next few are essential in carrying out the game plan against Penn State.
“I treat it like any time I travel, we don’t go anywhere unless the game plan’s there. Now we just have to go out and execute today and tomorrow,” O’Leary said.
Luckily for UCF, the weather was an unseasonably warm 60 degrees with a sun hidden completely by the clouds, and as O’Leary happily pointed out, “This is football weather.”
With only one more practice day before one of the most hyped regular season opener in recent memory, it’s all business from here on out for the Knights.
“We have an opportunity to go out there and do what we’ve practiced since July 30,” O’Leary said.
Only Saturday’s game will determine whether or not it was enough to handle the Nittany Lions.
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