Notes & Quotes | Scott Frost Not Taking Austin Peay Lightly

(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)

Oct. 23, 2017 at Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership

Availability: HC Scott Frost

• The University of Central Florida defeated the Navy Midshipmen 31-21 on Oct. 21.
• UCF had 483 total yards, including 247 rushing yards.
• Sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton has only been sacked three times in six games.
• Otis Anderson ran for 56 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and caught two passes for 47 yards.
• Seven different players for UCF have carried the ball at least 14 times this year.
• Fourteen different Knights have caught at least two passes in 2017.
• Fourteen Knights have caught or run for at least one touchdown.

HC SCOTT FROST: “I think the big lesson, when you take a look at it, is to make sure we limit out own mistakes. I give a ton of credit to [Navy], and I always will, but we should’ve scored a few more times in the first half, and the game would’ve been different. We shot ourselves in the foot with a fourth down and some penalties that killed another couple drives. We’ve had too many penalties this year, and that’s gonna be one of our focuses going forward.”

 

“I think the offensive line has improved light years from last year. A lot of it is their attitude and their confidence. They expect to get the job done. I think they’re disappointed when they don’t. The job that Coach [Greg] Austin and those guys have done has been remarkable. Going from where we were last year offensively to where we are now, a lot of that has to do with the guys up front giving us time to throw and getting the holes open for running-backs. I’m really happy for those guys and thrilled that they’re playing to the level that they are.”

 

“Otis is just a good football player. You know, we kinda let out assistant coaches kinda decide for their position, who’s going in when. Coach [Ryan] Held is really the only one I talk to about it because there is a few different plays for some running-backs that we would run compared to others. And going into that last drive, he told me he was going with Otis. A.K. had had a bunch of reps, and I think [he] was a little bit tired. We trust a lot of guys to go in, but it says a lot about a freshman when you’re gonna put him in in that situation. He didn’t disappoint us. He had a really good drive and then found a little crease on that last touchdown. And that really sealed the game for us.”

 

“We’ve done a good job, I think, of mixing it up offensively this year. We have a lot more playmakers this year than we did a year ago. I think that makes it tougher on defenses, but that being said, I think Navy did as good a job as anyone we’ve played this year of changing things up. Maybe keeping us guess a little. And, at the end of the day, I think we had the athletes that were superior enough to get the job done. But we gotta keep mixing it up. We gotta keep being fresh. The great thing about coaching this offense is we got five or six skill guys on the field at all times that can make a big play. When you have that, it doesn’t matter who the open guy is. That guy has a chance to break something and score points for you. So, we don’t have to design anything to get it to one certain guy or another certain guy when you have that many playmakers on the field. And the emergence of some of these guys has given us that luxury of depth and playmaking.”

• Navy ran for 248 yards against UCF, and quarterback Zach Abey was the first player to run for 100 yards against the Knights so far this season.
• The Midshipmen threw for 171 yards in the UCF win, 90 more than their season average.
• UCF forced two interceptions and recovered a fumble in its closest win to this year.
• Linebacker Pat Jasinski led the defense with 14 tackles, and Chequan Burkett was second with 13.

HC SCOTT FROST: “I thought the defense played great. It’s tough to stop everything that they throw at you. Really, I thought they did a fantastic job against the run game. We lost—our eyes were bad on a couple plays, and we lost our assignments and dropped a couple receivers. And really, when you look at the tape, the two or three pass plays are what got them in scoring position and set up points for them. I think if they had to just run the ball all the way down the field, they would’ve struggled because our guys were playing well. We just need to be a little more disciplined with our eyes.”

 

“Brandon Moore’s play was the play of the day, no question. The game was in real jeopardy. I think we were up three with them driving. Coach [Erik] Chinander made a good call and trapped our corner to their pitch man. The quarterback, I’m sure, shouldn’t have pitched it. When he did, Brandon Moore made the play, and he was able to get the recovery, too. We went down and got points, and that really put the game away. So, I can’t say enough about how he’s played as a redshirt freshman. And he had his biggest moment on Saturday.”

 

“I think Pat had 14 or 15 tackles. I think Burkett had 12 or 13 tackles. Both those guys are doing an unbelievable job. We’re so glad to have Burk back. Pat had really elevated his game from last year, and he’s a leader for us. And, that being said, a lot of credit for this game should go to our defensive line, too. They ate up a lot of blocks, took care of the dive so our linebackers could go flow over the place and make plays. We had seven or eight defensive linemen that played really well in that game in order to stop their run attack. So, Pat and Burk are gonna collect a lot of the tackles, but it was definitely a team effort.”

 

“Coach Chinander and his staff emphasize turnovers all the time. And I know a lot of people do that, but our guys have really bought into it. A lot of football is taking care of the ball on offense and taking it back on defense. I think we’ve got some playmakers. We’ve got some defensive backs that can play the ball. And, a lot of times, some of your DBs can, and some of your DBs can’t. I think we got a group of DBs who are ball hawks. I think we got a front line that can apply pressure and some guys that are really intent on getting the ball out of people’s hands. But, you know, Coach Chinander and the guys really emphasize that every week. And, you know, it shows up in practice, and it’s carrying over to games.”

• UCF plays Austin Peay State University (5-3) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
• Austin Peay, an FCS school, has lost both of its games against FBS opponents this year.
• Austin Peay has given up 296.4 yards per game on defense, ranking No. 14 in the FCS, and is 26th in points per game allowed, giving up 19.9 points per game.
• The Governors’ offense ranks 65th in FCS in total yards, gaining 365.8 yards per game, and scores the 61st-most points per game (25 points per game).
• Austin Peay has recorded 17 sacks in eight games, tying them for No. 53 in FCS.
• In losses to the University of Cincinnati and Miami University, the Governors averaged 291.5 yards per game and scored 24 total points.
• Since a 31-point outing over Navy, UCF has become tied with Ohio State University at 47.3 points per game as the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation.

HC SCOTT FROST: “We’re gonna approach this game just like any other game. We’re going out to win it. We’re going out to give them our best shot. We’ll see how the game goes. Any game where you can get a bunch of guys to play is a good game. But we’re not gonna go in with that mindset. We’re going in with the mindset that we need to do what it takes to win. We need to play our best to win. And we’ll figure the rest out if and when we get to a different situation.”

 

“We never put more emphasis on one game than any other. And that works for us in big games, that works for us in other games. This is a big game for us. Any time you’ve accomplished what we’ve accomplished to this point, the last thing in the world you wanna do is have any kind of letdown. This is a team that I think is a really good FCS team. They gave Cincinnati everything that Cincinnati wanted early in the year. We gotta approach this just like any other game, and that’s the way our kids showed up to go to practice today. So, we need to be at our best. And I told the guys a bunch of times, ‘Every time that we go out on the field, we need to make sure that the opponent gets our best shot.’ And we’re gonna prepare in order to give ‘em our best shot.”

 

“[Austin Peay] is a good team. I think they’re really multiple, which makes ‘em difficult. They run more formations, personnel groups and plays than I think we have in our whole offense this year. Defensively, they get a lot of guys up close to the line of scrimmage, make it hard on you to run, give you a lot of different looks, bring pressure. Really impressed with a couple of their edge rushers that are active players and very productive. And they play hard. You know, this is gonna be like a Super Bowl for them. They’re coming down here and treating this like a bowl game. And I’ve been on a team like theirs when I was at [the University of Northern Iowa]. And when you get to play an FBS team, there’s nothing in the world you want more than to knock a team off and beat ‘em. So, I know they’re gonna come down here hungry, and our guys have to be ready.”

 

“Our guys have put in so much work that they deserve to be able to play games. And losing two games earlier in the year, we didn’t want to have a 10-game season. We wish we could have 12. As it worked out, we had 10. I’m grateful that they found another game. Eleven still isn’t enough, but 11 is better than 10. Our guys are excited to play. They love playing football, and every opportunity they can get, they’re gonna cherish it.”

• In the second quarter of the Navy win, Milton left the game for a series after injuring his hamstring.
• True freshman backup quarterback Noah Vedral replaced Milton for a drive and went 1-1-for-1 for three passing yards.

HC SCOTT FROST: “McKenzie’s gonna be fine. Little bit of a tweak of a hamstring. And he came back in and ran a lot better than I thought he was going to be able to in the second part of that game. So, I’m sure he’ll get a lot of massages and whatever else they use to take care of minor strains. But he was out running fine today. So I don’t see any problem going forward.”

 

“We feel great about Noah. On the sideline, I kinda marked all the plays that I feel good about Noah running. There’s probably some things that we would run with McKenzie we wouldn’t with Noah. But there was also some things we’ll run with Noah that we might not with McKenzie. So, he’s gonna get a bunch of reps this week, like he does every week. But Noah and Darriel [Mack Jr.] have had unbelievable progression this year. They’re both head and shoulders better than they were during fall camp. If that maturation and improvement continues, I know we’ll have a couple more really good quarterbacks on our roster.”

• The win over Navy was UCF’s first win by less than 27 points all season.
• UCF’s win over Navy was the first time an opponent was within one possession of UCF in the fourth quarter..

HC SCOTT FROST: “Well, you know, it’s good this game fell when it did. The guys are a little bruised and battered. Any time you play a team like Navy, you’re gonna come out of it a little bit sore. It was a blood bath up there. Especially for our defense. But this is the time of year, anyway, where we start to roll it back just a little bit, as far as practice goes. I feel like the guys know what they’re doing well enough that we can take a few reps off ‘em and try to let ‘em recover a little bit physically. While still getting ready and prepared for the next opponent. So, we’ll start that process this week of backing off just a little bit. And the onus is gonna be on the players to make sure they’re just as prepared, even if they get a few less reps then they normally get.”

 

“I thought [my team] responded [to adversity] well. I saw a lot of frustrated guys, particularly on offense early in the game when we weren’t finishing drives. That put us in a situation where we were in a dog fight. And you never know how a team’s gonna respond to one of those games until you get in one. I thought our guys did enough in the end and competed well enough in the end to get the job done. And we made some big plays at the end of the game. That’s great to see, and it’s probably gonna be a good lesson for us going forward.”

 

“I was really impressed at the demeanor on the sideline, even when we were in a close game. I didn’t see anybody panicking. Sometimes, particularly with us not having been in a close game yet, you can get a little tight and start to worry a little bit. I thought a couple of our best drives and best performances on both sides of the ball were later in that game when it was tight. And that’s good to see. That means there’s not a lot of guys holding on too tight, getting nervous at the end, letting that affect their play. They were just excited to get back out on the field. And that’s what you want in a competitor, and I saw a lot of that Saturday.”

 

“I think [the mental toughness comes from] just the process of being around guys, letting guys enjoy one another. Guys learning how to strain and push themselves past the point of being uncomfortable in the weight room and on the field. Over time, those things add up to a group of guys who are unwilling to quit. We also did some things with the roster to make sure we had the right guys on the team and the wrong guys weren’t around. Love the unit we have now and the guys that are here. They’ve really bonded together. Between getting a lot tougher and putting in so much work, they’re not willing to give up. I think both those things have added up a really good culture on our football team.”

• This is the Knights’ first-ever 6-0 start in program history.
• UCF is No. 18 in the AP Top 25, its highest ranking since 2013.
• Last year, after six games, the Knights were 3-3.

HC SCOTT FROST: “It’s hard not to notice the polls, but I don’t go out of my way to look for it. Wins are gonna take care of all of that. And all we need to focus on is continuing to show up on Saturdays and play well so we can try to get more wins. The rest will take care of itself. And outsiders’ opinion of the program doesn’t matter to me as much as getting our team ready to play every week.”

 

“Yeah I didn’t hear one word about [becoming bowl eligible], to be honest with you. I think the guys are taking it one week at a time, but I think, in the back of their minds, they have bigger goals than to just make it to a bowl game. So far, they’ve done what it’s taken to get ‘em to the point that they can have bigger goals that that. So, we’re gonna focus on this one right in front of us. It’s no different than normal. But every time you play a new team, that’s gonna be the most important game of the year. And we’re looking at this one that way.”

• In the offseason, junior wide receiver Tristan Payton and redshirt sophomore defensive-back Nevelle Clarke received six-game suspensions for failing NCAA drug tests.

HC SCOTT FROST: “We’ll see [how Payton and Clarke reintegrate with the team]. They both have a few things they have to do in order to be reinstated and eligible again. Those guys will have to get back in the mix and earn any playing time they get going forward. You know, they’ve been doing a really good job while they were not able to play, being good teammates. So, assuming they get everything taken care of, we’ll sprinkle ‘em back in the mix and see where they fall.”

• So far, UCF has 15 players committed in its 2018 recruiting class.

HC SCOTT FROST: “We’re always gonna be able to recruit well here. This is such a beautiful campus, and the city of Orlando is the best college town in the state of Florida, in my opinion. We’re building something pretty special here, and there’s recruits everywhere around us. So, we’re gonna keep working hard to keep adding more talent to a group of guys that’s already fairly talented. Really talented. And we should be able to add more pieces every year we’re here. And looking forward to coaching this group of guys and adding more pieces that are gonna help us down the road.”

• On Oct. 17, UCF Athletics announced the Football Excellence Campaign Fund.
• The goal for the fund is to raise at least $1.5 million annually for the next five years.

HC SCOTT FROST: “UCF has unlimited potential. And, sometimes, to reach that potential you have to take bold steps forward. And I think Danny White’s been doing that since he’s been here. Trying to push this program forward and this athletics department forward. We have some really, really talented assistants. Some guys that I wouldn’t want to do my job without. If we’re gonna keep those guys long term, we gotta make sure they have a reason to stay. There’s other things surrounding the program that I think, if we’re gonna treat ourselves like a big-time football program, then we need to be able to match some of the people that are. And I think Danny’s leadership and [UCF] President [John] Hitt’s leadership have been tremendous. And I think they’re very forward-thinking in making a move to make sure that we continue the progress that we started.”

• Frost and his wife Ashley are expecting their son to be born soon.

HC SCOTT FROST: “I’m trying to coach Ashley to make sure she’s got about 11 more days to get this done before we take off for [Southern Methodist University]. So, if she listens to me as well as the players have, then hopefully we’ll be parents before SMU week.”

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for a Week 9 matchup that was originally a bye week, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.