(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
Sept. 26, 2017 at Wayne Densch Center
Availability: DC Erik Chinander, OC/WR coach Troy Walters
- The University of Central Florida is coming off a 38-10 win over the University of Maryland.
- UCF’s defense held a Terps rushing attacking that was averaging 315 yards per game in their two previous games to just 42 yards.
- In the passing attacking, Maryland was averaging 193 yards per game and was held to just 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
- The Knights are off to a 2-0 start through four weeks of the season.
- Two games were cancelled: the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets matchup and the game against the University of Maine.
DC ERIK CHINANDER: “I loved how many hats got to the ball. I loved the effort. I loved the communication by the guys. I loved the sideline demeanor. I just loved how ready we were to play that game, how the guys felt confident, how the coaches felt confident that if we did our job, we would have a good day.”
“Yeah, and that’s a credit to the kids. I know Coach [Scott] Frost said it in the postgame deal, but I was sitting in my office before we loaded the bus, and the players were having a players-only meeting. And I kinda walked by looking in, and I’m like, ‘What are you guys doing?’ I see ‘em making the calls off my call sheet, and they’re all talking. And I’m like, ‘I’m not gonna screw this deal up.’ And I just got out of there. And I just said, ‘Hey, five minutes, I’m gonna let you guys know, time to get on the bus.’ So they guys did an unbelievable job preparing. The assistant coaches did an unbelievable job preparing their guys, and it was a good game plan and good execution, and we had a good day.”
“I think so. [The culture’s] changing dramatically where the players are taking ownership. They understand this is not my team, it’s not Coach Frost’s team—it’s their team. And if they want it right, they gotta be the ones in charge. It can’t all come from the head coach. It can’t all come from the coordinators—it’s gotta come from within. You know, great teams—good teams disciplined by the coaches, great teams disciplined by the players, and I think they’re taking that role.”
OC/WR COACH TROY WALTERS: “Man, first thing, we competed. So proud of the guys, the work they’ve put in, really, dating back since we got here. You know, I think this victory was really a two-year process. And the work they put in to buy in. The belief of what us coaches are preaching, and they bought in, went in there with confidence and played a heck of a game. Proud of us on offense. You know, we ran the football better than we did against [Florida International University]. Didn’t turn the ball over, which was a critical factor that we knew was gonna be important going into the game. You know, McKenzie [Milton] made the plays he had to make. And we finished. You know, there were times, probably times last year, where we were up 21—what was it, 21-3. They scored, it’s 21-10, and I think we answered. And that was big. Last year, we may have folded and let them back in the game. But, this year, you know, we kinda put the hammer down and finished them of. So, proud of overall team effort.”
“Somewhat. You know, honestly after watching the tape, we were very sloppy. And we were very sloppy. A lot of mistakes. And it just shows how potent we can really be on offense. ‘Cause with all of the mistakes and some of the sloppiness, it was almost like our first game. That’s what it felt like after watching it. It was like our first game. We had some—you know, just weren’t crisp in some areas. And we still, you know, did what we did. So, that’s the scary part. The guys understand that. The guys understand we have to be a lot better against [the University of Memphis], a great team. And as we move forward, we gotta be better. And we can be, and that’s exciting.”
- On defense, Chinander’s defense also reeled in two interceptions: a Mike Hughes pick-six and Kyle Gibson’s first collegiate interception.
- Defensive lineman Jamiyus Ptitman led the D-line with two sacks and two tackles for loss.
- Linebacker Chequan Burkett tallied four total tackles, 0.5 sacks and a tackle for loss.
- Defensive lineman Tony Guerad added a sack and two tackles for loss.
DC ERIK CHINANDER: “Yeah, I think [our depth] held up. And I think we can even do a better job of getting guys in. I think some guys have shown, now, that—like, that second crew of linebackers. All four spots, that second crew of safeties and some of the corners. We can continue to get those guys in. I know the D-line cycled in more than anybody else, but I think all the other positions we can get those guys in. ‘Cause they’ve shown they can handle it, and they did a nice job when they got in.”
“Oh, I thought [the D-line] was awesome. I mean, any time you can hold a team to under 100 yards rushing, it’s really, really good. I’m not up in the box; I’m on the booth. Those guys up in the box told me, ‘Man, you know, it was just creating [a] new line of scrimmage at all times.’ And any time you can do that, I think you’re gonna have success, whether you’re playing four down or three down, or whatever kind of defense you play. When the defensive line wins, that sets the tempo for the whole team.”
“So far, they’ve done good, you know? I think we’re coming in—I think, you know, we’ve had a pick in each game. Haven’t given up too many big balls. I know there was one in the first game. But they played pretty good coverage in the last game, and I’m kinda proud about how those guys are playing. They’re communicating well, they’re playing aggressive, they’re tackling well, and they’re covering people down.”
“[Hughes’s] done a tremendous job studying. Getting involved with the team. He’s not like a guy that got here five days ago and is an outcast. He’s part of the team. Everybody’s welcomed him with open arms. They’ve been teaching him the defense. The DBs have been working extra with him. He’s done a great job picking things up and helping us out. Obviously, he’s done a tremendous job out there.”
- As for the offense, it generated 31 of the Knights’ 38 points.
- Milton threw for 178 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions on 18-for-30 passing.
- In 2016, Milton had an interception and lost three of his six fumbles in his first collegiate start.
- Taj McGowan and Adrian Killins carried the rushing load, scoring two and one touchdowns, respectively, after starting running back Jawon Hamilton suffered a potentially significant leg injury early in the first quarter.
- The Knights rushed for 250 yards behind Milton’s team-leading 94 yards and long of 55 yards.
- In Week 1, UCF ran for just 148 yards on 45 carries.
OC/WR COACH TROY WALTERS: “We gotta improve every game. Every week, we gotta get better. And we should. And, you know, I think the running backs hit the hole a lot harder than they did the first game. The offensive line finished. I think we were just average on the perimeter blocking. We can be better. And so, you know, the run game goes hand in hand. Everyone has to participate; everyone has to do their job. And I think guys understand the schemes, and where the hole’s gonna be and all that. Now it’s just about effort, finishing and some of the little details. And we’ll get that ironed out and be better this week.”
“Yeah, it was a bubble, and Marlon [Williams] kinda came off his guy and hit the corner and really popped him and took him off his feet and knocked him on his back. And, you know, Marlon is a powerful guy. He’s, you know, 6-foot, 215, 220. He’s explosive, and you just see him dunk a basketball. And so he has those capabilities. And that’s why he really played a lot more than some of the other receivers. Because he’s physical on the outside. It was more of a physical run-type game where you have to block bubbles, and those guys were physical. Maryland was physical. So we had to match them, and he’s the right guy to do that. So, you know, you’re gonna see more of him, and, as an offense, we’re a lot more physical than we have been in that past, so that’s exciting.”
- The Knights turn their attention to facing Memphis on Saturday, the Knights’ first American Athletic Conference opponent of the season.
- Both teams were originally scheduled to play each other in Week 2, but the game was rescheduled because of Hurricane Irma.
- Memphis is averaging 43 points per game and allowing 35 points per game through three games.
- The Tigers’ most impressive win so far is a victory over the then-No. 25 UCLA Bruins in Week 3.
- Through three games, Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson has thrown for 783 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions on 55-for-99 (55.6 percent) passing.
DC ERIK CHINANDER: “You know, I think on offense—I’m not really sure on offense, you know, what exactly happens. I know, on defense, we had a good plan going in before, I thought. But then [Memphis] played two more games, and they showed some other things that they’ve done. So, we gotta tweak some things; we gotta make some changes, but some of the game plan holds up, some of it doesn’t. You know, who knows? After we get through tonight, we’ll see if it can hold true, but they’ve done some nice things the last two games. So, we need to get some adjustments made.”
“Yeah, absolutely [having two more games to watch helps]. You know, seeing ‘em play a good team like UCLA helps. You know, when they’re matched up against a team that they think is pretty good and what might they do, what they might do differently. So, it was good to see some of that.”
“Well, No. 1, I think they have an outstanding quarterback. I think [Ferguson’s] as good as probably anybody in the country. I think he’s a Sunday player. So he’s obviously a guy that you gotta control. You know, he’s different than some of the guys we play. He’s not really the runner; he’s not really—he’s a dual threat in a way that he pulls the ball to get defenders sucked in, and then he makes some plays on the perimeter. So we gotta control him. They’ve got a stable of running backs, and they got a nice receiver [in Anthony Miller] who can really do some good things. So, I think you got a few skill guys you need to contain, then the quarterback’s really dangerous with his arm.”
OC/WR COACH TROY WALTERS: “You know, they’re better than they were that first game. You know, they played UCLA tough and this last week. The defense flies around. They’re multiple like our defense. So they’re gonna give you different looks up front. They’re gonna attack you. Linebackers are probably the strength of their defense. They’re downhill guys, [Genard Avery] and [Curtis Atkins] and [Cade Mashburn]. And then in the secondary, they’re gonna challenge you. They’re gonna get up in your face and press you and try to make you beat them over the top. So, we got our hands full. A conference game—we know this game is more important than last week. So, I think the guys realize that. You know, they enjoyed last week but put it behind ‘em when we came to work Monday, and we’ve had two good days of practice.”
“I don’t know [if I expect a shootout]. We know they have a great offense, but we got a great defense as well. So, we go into every game thinking we gotta score. We gotta out-score the opponents. And so our goal is to execute, do our job, and we have total trust and faith in the defense that they’re gonna do what they have to do, and, you know, if it’s a low-scoring game, we gotta score one more. If it’s a high-scoring game, we gotta score one more. So, either way, we’re gonna show up, and we’re gonna be ready to go.”
“Lot of buzz. We can’t wait to come back home and play in front of our fans. And we know the electricity; we know the atmosphere—primetime game. ESPN2. Night game. It’s all that we want. But we also understand that the crowd is not gonna help us win. You know, we’ve gotta execute, we’ve gotta prepare, and then we gotta go out and play well. And play better than we did against Maryland. If we do that, then there should be some excitement in the stands Saturday night.”
- The last time the Knights brought home any championship hardware was when they earned a share of the AAC title in 2014.
- One year before the conference title in 2014, the Knights were crowned conference champs and earned their first and only BCS bowl in the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
DC ERIK CHINANDER: “Yeah, and, you know, every time when you get a championship team, you know, it’s kinda what happens in these big games, you know? We played a big game last week. You get a good game plan, and you perform well in that game. And then if that can continue the next couple games, then the ball starts rolling, and things just start going your way. You know, everybody that is a championship team, it’s not like they just dominate every game. There are some tough games along the way. But it seems like when you get that momentum going, and you got that championship feeling—when you expect to win, when you expect good things to happen, they just do. And so we’re moving onto these next couple weeks. If we can continue to stay rolling, then things start bouncing our way, and that’s when you kinda know if you got one or not.”
For more on the Knights, as they prepare to host their first conference opponent of 2017, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
