For Maryland’s upcoming game against UCF, we wanted to get the lowdown on everything you need to know about the Knights. So we went out and contacted three people who are experts on the team: Shannon Green of the Orlando Sentinel, Juan Toribio of 247Sports and Tyler Graddy of KnightNews.com.
So the million dollar question with UCF is how they went from 12-1 and winning a BCS bowl to going 0-12 in the span of two years. Is there a simple explanation for how that happened, or were there a lot of factors that caused such a sudden drop off?
Shannon Green, the Orlando Sentinel: Ha! Do I get a million dollars for getting this answer right?
The simple answer is UCF hit the lottery in bad luck last season. Injuries to key players (the team saw four starters go down to injuries for various lengths of time last season before conference play even started), they had the youngest offense among FBS teams last season, several players on the roster from their junior class were walk-ons – a byproduct of earlier NCAA sanctions, and an overall lack of cohesive leadership that started bled from the top down.
UCF was in the midst of a transitional period as it was no big secret that George O’Leary, who was 69 at the time, longed to retire. Like any other long-time coach, he wanted to retire on his terms and set up a platform to transfer to once his coaching career was complete. When the team started to collapse, the fan support dipped dramatically, and that forced several personnel changes behind the scenes, including the hiring of a new athletic director, which forced O’Leary – who was serving as an interim AD and head coach – to the side.
You can’t deny all of this had an impact on the players on the field. You could literally write a book on what happened last season, but for the sake of time and space, that’s a brief synopsis of what went down.
What was your opinion of head coach Scott Frost when he was hired, and what’s your opinion of him after seeing coach two games and getting a chance to recruit?
Tyler Graddy, KnightNews.com: Well, in the way the late Dennis Green would have put it, he is who we thought he was. Frost arrived to UCF with the aura of fast paced, modern, Oregon-style football behind him. We expected a jolt of energy to the program and a total resurfacing of its image.
He has delivered on every level, even surpassing many expectations in many ways. UCF Football has grown more aware on social media, has included recruits more and more during on-field appearances, and the players have 100% bought into the “UCFast” mentality. Seeing his first two games as a head coach it is clear that though it may take time, this program is trending upwards once again.
What has been the biggest positive you’ve seen from UCF in their first two games? The biggest negative?
Juan Toribio, 247Sports: The biggest positive is easily the play of the defense. All the buzz was around the offense and the defense has really stepped up and done a great job this year. The defensive line was a question mark coming into the season, but they have answered those questions through two games. Jamiyus Pittman anchors the middle of the defensive line, with freshman Trysten Hill and redshirt junior Tony Guerad next to him.
The biggest negative of the team has been the play out of the quarterback position. Frost’s system requires a certain type of guy to run his offense and the two UCF quarterbacks — Justin Holman and Nick Patti — are still trying to figure it all out. UCF will need better play out of their starter if they want to make some noise this season.
Who’s a player on offense you’d want Maryland fans to keep an eye on? A player on defense?
Graddy: Just in terms of offensive production alone I’ll give you two names to watch in the coming week. Quarterbacks Justin Holman and Nick Patti. Holman went down with a non-contact injury in the first half of the Michigan game, and details have yet to be confirmed on whether or not he will play this coming week.
The offense operates on two barometers depending on who is under center. If Holman is healthy it will be business as usual, with the full playbook and deep pass attack available. If Patti is behind center expect more designed quarterback runs and a shorter style of aerial assault.
Defensively there are a few players to watch — but none more interesting than the Griffin twins [Shaquem and Shaquill]. Starting at linebacker and cornerback, the two are all over the field, quick to make adjustments, and hungry to make an impact.
What does UCF need to do to beat Maryland?
Toribio: UCF beats Maryland if they dominate the line of scrimmage.
I know that’s a simple answer, but UCF is going to need to run the ball effectively to beat Maryland. Holman could be limited because of a hamstring injury he suffered against Michigan, so the running game is going to have to pick him up. UCF has really struggled to protect the quarterback on obvious passing downs, so it’s crucial for them to get into manageable third downs and run the ball effectively. If they can’t run the football, Maryland will easily win this game.
What do you think UCF will be able to do well against Maryland? What will they have issues with?
Green: They should be able to run the ball quite well. Last week against No. 5 Michigan, UCF tallied almost 300 rushing yards against a top 30 defense. Granted, rankings shouldn’t mean too much in week 2 when no one has played anybody yet, but Michigan and Jim Harbaugh are well respected so that performance on the ground should count for something. UCF’s run defense is stout.
The areas of concern will be pass defense especially with the talented receivers Maryland has. UCF also needs to clean up its special teams performance after seeing two punts get partially blocked last week and a blocked field goal. Field position almost killed them last Saturday.
