(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – Saturday will be a day of firsts for the University of Central Florida. It will be the first time UCF has played the Navy Midshipmen in school history, and, in turn, it will be the first time the Knights go against a triple-option offense all year.
The No. 20 UCF Knights (5-0, 3-0 in American Athletic Conference) travel to Maryland for the second time this season to take on the Navy Midshipmen (5-1, 3-1 in AAC) and their triple-option offense.
“It’s exciting when you go against a new offense,” redshirt senior linebacker Shaquem Griffin said after practice on Oct. 16. “We’ve been going against spread offenses and speed so much. And now we get to actually slow it down a little bit. And get more—little aggressive when it comes to the run.”
Navy is one of five teams in college football to run an option-heavy offense. With that comes lopsided numbers in the run game. Navy has the No. 1 rushing offense in the nation, gaining 397.5 yards per game.
The triple-option offense gets its name from the three options a quarterback has on any given play. Once the ball is snapped, the quarterback can either keep the ball, hand it to the fullback or pitch it to his running-back. With a multitude of possibilities on one play, the Knights know assignment football becomes that much more important.
“I think the key to defeating this team is discipline,” redshirt senior linebacker Chequan Burkett said after practice on Oct. 16. “They’re so disciplined themselves in what they do, so we gotta be just as disciplined as them. So Coach is stressing that make sure everybody doing their assignment. Reading their keys and everybody playing the play within the play. So, we just focused on that: being disciplined and staying tuned into our keys.”
Entering the 2017 season, the Knights were scheduled to play two triple-option teams: Navy and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Head coach Scott Frost and his team have been preparing for those games since the spring.
While the Georgia Tech game was canceled due to Hurricane Irma’s impact on Florida, a one-loss Navy team stayed on the docket. Leading up to the Week 8 matchup against Navy, UCF has utilized a number of different scout-team quarterbacks. Suspended wide receiver Tristan Payton and true freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. have taken most of the reps, but Frost, a former option quarterback with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, has involved himself, too.
“Of course we [practiced for the option in the spring],” Burkett said. “That was a great idea by the coaches, knowing that we had those teams to face during the season. So, we didn’t have to wait ‘til the season came around, so it’d be just new now in our minds and playing skills. But we went over it during spring ball and during summer camp and even, like, touched points during [Hurricane Irma]. So, it’s not too new to us, you know? But now we can truly dial in on the triple option.”
Said Griffin on Frost at scout-team quarterback “It’s kinda funny ’cause he put on a helmet with no chin strap. So, when you see that, you’re not really prepared, but he’s that quarterback. I said, ‘Maybe this must be a back-in-the-day thing.’ You know, don’t worry about the chin strap, you don’t need it.
“But it’s kinda exciting to see him running around. You’re not gonna get a better look than having Coach Frost in there. ‘Cause, obviously, he knows what to expect and the expectation of what we gonna see from Navy. And just to see him in there and running around getting us prepared, and it’s crazy ’cause he’s running so fast that you gotta be ready. ‘Cause if you are slacking, it’s gonna show. And when you see Coach Frost out-running you, that means you doing something wrong.”
“[Frost’s] been in there lately. It’s kinda funny ‘cause, he put on a helmet with no chin strap. So, when you see that, you’re not really prepared, but he’s that quarterback. I said, ‘Maybe this must be a back-in-the-day thing.’ You know, don’t worry about the chin strap, you don’t need it. But it’s kinda exciting to see him running around. You’re not gonna get a better look than having Coach Frost in there. ‘Cause, obviously, he knows what to expect and the expectation of what we gonna see from Navy. And just to see him in there and running around getting us prepared, and it’s crazy ‘cause he’s running so fast that you gotta be ready. ‘Cause if you slacking, it’s gonna show. And when you see Coach Frost out-running you, that means you doing something wrong. It’s kinda good when you get a good look form your head coach, and it’s gonna make you work throughout practice.”
In Navy resides the No. 1 rushing offense in the nation, as the Midshipmen run for 397.50 yards per game. But the Knights’ No. 19 run defense gives up just 110.2 yards per game. This is the second time this season the Knights will face a team averaging over 300 rushing yards per game.
Before UCF thumped a quarterback-depleted Maryland Terrapins team 38-10, the Terps were averaging 315 rushing yards per game. The Knights held Maryland to 42 yards rushing.
“We got guys like Jamiyus Pittman and Tony Guerad and Trysten Hill who’s ready to get down and dirty with the run,” Griffin said. “And, you know, I’m kinda excited for ‘em ‘cause I’m ready to stick my head in there also. So it’s gonna be a fun game, and it’s gonna be very aggressive. But I feel like we got big guys in front of us who’s excited to get down and dirty. And I’m right along with ‘em.”
UCF faces off against Navy on Saturday at 3:30 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
For more on the Knights, as they travel to Maryland for the second time this season, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.
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