(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review | Video by Victor Tan, Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
Oct. 2, 2017 at Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership
Availability: RB Adrian Killins, DL Seyvon Lowry, TE Michael Colubiale, ATH Otis Anderson
- The University of Central Florida defeated the University of Memphis 40-13 in its conference opener on Sept. 30.
- For the first time since 2013, UCF is ranked in the top 25.
- At 3-0, the Knights are No. 25 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
DL SEYVON LOWRY: “Honestly, we didn’t talk about it. We’re not thinking about ranking. The main thing we was focused on was just moving forward. You know, that was a good team we beat, and, yes, it was an exciting win, but, at the same time, we still have eight more games. So, we just gotta keep moving forward one game at a time.”
“It’s the same thing. We treat it all the same. It’s really no different preparation, you know, it’s the same thing every week.”
“Yeah, it is [nice to see the team ranked]. But, at the same time, it doesn’t matter. A lot of teams start strong, and then they start thinking about the success they got now, and then they don’t do the preparation that got them there. So we’re not thinking about that stage. We just going one step at a time, and, you know, leading up to a conference championship.”
“Well as soon as the game was over, [head coach Scott Frost] called us all up and said, ‘This is a good win, but now it’s 0-0, as far as our season goes.’ So we’re not focused on rankings right now. We just think about taking that next step to win the conference.”
TE MICHAEL COLUBIALE: “Oh, [being ranked is] awesome. I was here in 2013 when we were ranked, and I haven’t seen this much excitement around the program in a while. So, it’s really exciting to see that, but I think we’re more mainly focused on winning the conference. That we’re just taking it one game at a time.”
“Oh, well, any time that you’re ranked, you’re doing something right. So, I think it’s more positive, like, we’re focused on one game at a time. And everyone knows what they’re doing, and there’s time left. So, everyone is happy, so it’s pretty great.”
“Well we’re not really focused on it. And Coach Frost said this morning that we really haven’t done anything yet. Like, we’re not content yet. And we’re focused on one game at a time, so our record is 0-0 right now. We’re just mainly focused on [the University of Cincinnati], and we’re trying to stay out of the press readings.”
“We try to stay away from knowing we’re ranked. And really on one game at a time. And we’re 0-0 right now. So that’s our mindset.”
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “It wasn’t really a part of the vision. I knew we were gonna be good. But it was really the commits that came with a vision. We knew what [Frost] wanted to do. He didn’t really have to pitch it to us. We just knew if we came in and bought into what he wanted us to do, we would end up where we’re at now.”
“Yeah. Really, that was our goal. So, now that we got it, we want something bigger. I think that’s gonna make us work even harder than what we had been working for. You know, Coach Frost is a great coach. The defense—this is my favorite defense I’ve ever been around. So, just watching them work and do what they do and then watching [starting quarterback McKenzie Milton], even when I’m on the sideline, and watching A.K. It’s just great to be a part of this team. So, as far as rankings and stuff, we try to look past it.”
- UCF travels to Ohio to take on Cincinnati on Saturday.
- This will be UCF’s first road conference game of the season.
- Cincinnati (2-3) is 0-1 in the conference and lost 38-21 to Marshall University in Week 5.
- The Bearcats allow an average of 401.2 total yards per game and 237.8 rushing yards per game.
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “Everyone flipped the script great. Practice today…is a great day for us to get into the next playbook and install the offense. ‘Cause everyone is hungry. So every practice is full of energy and guys competing at every position. So, the next opponent—I feel sorry for ‘em. Because this team is out for revenge.”
“[Cincinnati’s] just another game, honestly. And the rankings is great, like I said. But, at the same time, we’re not looking at the rankings. We’re taking each game game by game and just getting every opportunity to win each game that we can.”
“First conference road game of the season, people look at as always a tough game. But you can’t take any game for granted, too, so you gotta play your all and give it all you got.”
DL SEYVON LOWRY: “Oh, [Cincinnati’s] a great team. We watched a lot of film on them already; got a little more in yesterday. They’re a great team. They went in there against a good [University of Michigan] team. It’s gonna be a great game.”
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “They tell us not to look back. You know, we’re on Monday. We played Saturday. We have to flush it. It’s pretty hard, but you always have to worry about the team you’re about to play. Just because of their record shows, or just because of their stats, you really don’t understand until you get on the field. So, we really have to work just like we working for Memphis or Maryland or any other big schools that we’re gonna play against.”
“As a player, you want to [get excited for a defense that allows as many yards as Cincinnati does], but, you know, you have to stay even keel. So, we really have high expectations every game, no matter who we play against. We’re gonna work just as hard as we worked for Memphis, any other team. So, as far as expectations, no we don’t really have ‘em, any extra expectations just because of their rushing yards.”
- Killins rushed for 115 yards on nine carries with a touchdown in the team’s blowout of Memphis.
- After tying the school record for longest rushing touchdown with an 87-yard dash against Michigan last season, Killins set a new record with a 96-yard rushing score in the second quarter.
- The sophomore also caught five balls for 64 yards and a touchdown in the win.
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “[Being named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week] is a great accomplishment, man. I have to give credit to my O-line ‘cause, without them, I would have never got offensive player of the week. I didn’t find out I got offensive player of the week when my O-linemen—they thanked me, but I had to thank them. They said, “Thanks, A.K, for getting offensive player of the week.’ But without them pancaking guys and cutting guys and doing what they do every day in practice, I would have never got that accomplishment.”
“As an O-line, they’re buying into everything [offensive-line coach Greg Austin] and the whole staff is trying, we’re trying to do on the offense. This offense can only go as far as they can take us, and they’re gonna take us a long way this season, I can already tell. As long as everyone stays healthy and stays dialed into the playbook and trust the process that the coaches are instilling into us, we’re gonna go very far. We’re gonna do great things here at UCF.”
“I didn’t even find out ‘til about around 2 o’clock [that I won AAC Offensive Player of the Week]. The ranking is great, but, at the end of the day, we’re trying to go game by game and win every game that we can. And the ranking is a great accomplishment, but at the same time, we know our objective, and know our goals this year, for this season.”
TE MICHAEL COLUBIALE: “I played against Mainland [High School] a bunch, so I knew who [Killins] was and that he was pretty fast. But I was on the sideline, and I didn’t expect anything less from him. I knew no one was gonna catch him as soon as he hit a little bit of open field. So, it’s nice to see him doing well, and he’s a really good player.
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “Me knowing A.K. for so long, I didn’t expect anything less. I really wanted to run on the field with him. That’s my boy. So, I was proud that he ended up getting the record. That just makes us feel better as a whole. It helps the team out a lot. Everybody knew he was a weapon, but now they really have to worry about him. That makes me feel good.”
- UCF has the No. 7 ranked offense in college football in points per game (46.3) and total yards per game (550.8).
- The Knights’ No. 7 rankings in points per game and total yards per game make them the No. 1 offense in the AAC.
- Against Memphis, UCF rushed for a season-high 350 yards.
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “I contribute (sic) [the offense being first in the conference] to everyone just knowing exactly what they’re doing. From the quarterback to running back to center to guard [to] tight end—when everyone on the offense know what we’re doing and all 11 people on the offense are doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, this offense is unstoppable. And like I said, the O-line, the receivers and the quarterbacks and the running backs—we all have great chemistry with each other. We hang out with each other outside of football as well. So, when you have that great comradery, you can’t break us; you can’t break a football team up.”
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “I mean, obviously [350 yards] says we have a lot of depth. We have a lot of players that we can depend on. Losing [running back Jawon Hamilton] really hurt us, but now we play with a chip on our shoulder for him.”
- UCF’s defense ranks seventh in the country in points per game, allowing only 13.3 through three contests.
- The Knights rank 22nd in yards allowed, giving up 390.3 per game.
- UCF caused four turnovers against Memphis, including 3 interceptions.
- Lowry had his second-career interception against Memphis.
- Last season, Lowry had his pick-six called back because of a celebration penalty.
DL SEYVON LOWRY: “You know, that’s a big man’s dream. You know, getting an interception. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take it all the way, but I was just excited to get the turnover, get the defense off the field, and, you know, the offense finished the job.”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to repeat that [pick-six-negating penalty]. That could’ve affected the game. But, fortunately, the offense helped me out again, and they scored that drive as well. But I wasn’t trying to celebrate that time.”
“I think the work you put in during the week, leading up to the game, you know, during practice, we all get an equal amount of reps in practice. So, it’s not like when we come in the game, it’s all new. Everyone know (sic) what’s going on, and we all fresh, you know? So, we got a good rotation going, so our legs fresh so we can go fast, UCFast.”
“I think, for the most part, we all look at Joey Connors [for a leader]. Joe, I think, is the smartest out of all of us. He keeps us together, you know. Once we feel like we’re kinda drifting off, he make (sic) sure everyone staying on the same, right mindset.”
“I’m not sure. [Frost praising my offseason improvements] kinda surprised me. I don’t know. I was just thinking I wanna be—you know, contribute to the team’s success. I made sure I put in the work in offseason. Spring ball, weight room—I made sure I made strides, as far as that goes.
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “When [our defense makes] a big stop, we make a big stop. So we run on the field and celebrate with them before we get our plays. Just being on the sideline with them, after they make something like that is great. So, they are a big part of us.”
- Four of the seven FBS Florida schools are ranked in the AP Top 25.
- The University of Miami is No. 13, the University of South Florida is No. 18, the University of Florida is No. 21, and UCF is No. 25
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “[Being the team to beat], that’s great. For us to be an underdog last year, and everyone will most likely put us on their schedule next year. It’ll be great for us to compete against great teams and just try to bring a great legacy here to UCF.”
“Yeah, it’s always great football in the state of Florida. You got multiple schools here. They have great football teams, but, at the end of the day, like I said, ranking is just a number. All those rankings go out the window when those teams get on the field.”
DL SEYVON LOWRY: “Oh, yeah. Growing up, you hear about Florida State, Florida, like, Miami—all those good schools. And I think UCF’s become a powerhouse, and we can play with any other team in the state of Florida. So, any time you’re compared to any teams like that, they have that much history, it’s pretty incredible.”
- Following UCF’s win over Memphis, Killins thanked the UCF sports-and-medicine department for helping nurse an undisclosed injury he suffered during the 2016 season.
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “The sports-medicine program here is awesome. They got me back to where I was supposed to be: running full speed and doing great things and helping the team win. Ms. Mary [Vander Heiden] and Ms. Sheila [Klausner] and the whole staff here—I love them. And their thing is to just get everyone healthy here and keep everyone on the same track, so we can have a championship football team.”
“I’m not sure when I felt the injury, but I know, at a certain point, things weren’t going well in my body. And that’s when I took the steps to do things we had to do to get my body right.”
- Frost became the head coach of UCF in 2016 after a 0-12 2015 campaign.
- In his first year, the team went 6-7 and lost to Arkansas State University 31-13 in the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl.
RB ADRIAN KILLINS: “From last year to this year, Coach Frost—he’s letting the coaches coach, and he’s just letting the players play. And it all goes from having great practices and everyone knowing what they’re doing. We know what we’re doing. The offense is rolling the defense is rolling, special teams as well.”
“Most definitely [Frost is more comfortable]. Coach Frost’s first year here—I’m sure it’s always pretty hectic and pretty challenging. But, at the same time, in life, we learn to do things the right way. And I’m sure he learned. His first year and his second year, he had the bar risen too.
TE MICHAEL COLUBIALE: “Well it starts up top. We did this thing over summer called “The Program.” And there’s no such thing as bad teams, only bad team leaders. So the leadership of this team is incredible, as well as 2013. The seniors are stepping up, a bunch of young guys are stepping up, and everyone’s buying in.”
“[2013’s staff and the current staff are] two really different coaching staffs. So it’s hard to say about that. But Coach Frost—we’re all having fun playing, as we were in 2013 as well. But, I mean, it’s a different atmosphere. We’re still having fun.”
“Well any time you get thrown into a new position, here was his first year being a head coach, so, I mean, that’s gonna be a lot of getting used to. So, it’s become more comfortable, like as a team. Like, obviously we are clicking a lot more on offense, and everyone knows what they’re doing. But, yeah, Coach Frost has really grown into his head-coaching position.”
ATH OTIS ANDERSON: “Coach Frost is real even keel. I mean, he’s a great coach. He’s pretty much silent most of the time until he has to step in and teach a new technique. But he’s just a great coach to be around. He cares about his players. Not just on the field, but off the field. He makes sure everyone’s in the right spot at the right time and that everyone’s okay.”
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for their first conference road game in Cincinnati, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.
