Bowser’s absence not very easy to overcome
Knights’ ground game suffers when senior RB is out against Louisville
UCF suffered its first loss of the season Friday night in dramatic fashion, 42-35 to Louisville at Cardinal Stadium. The three things we learned from the game:
1. UCF’s run game struggles without Isaiah Bowser: With 9 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the first quarter, senior running back Isaiah Bowser was hit hard in the knee as Louisville brought pressure on the rush. The Northwestern transfer was out the rest of the first half before eventually returning for a handful of plays to open the third quarter.
Bowser didn’t last the entire opening drive of the second half while Trillion Coles finished at running back (eight carries, 51 yards).
Coles shared time with Auburn transfer Mark-Antony Richards (two catches, 10 yards) and sophomore Johnny Richardson, who led the team with 101 yards rushing on just nine carries.
“He’s an impact player,” Malzahn said about Bowser. “I was proud of the way the guys came in.
“Coles did a good job, Johnny Richardson finished the thing off [and] Mark-Antony got some touches ... so it was by committee.”
Although UCF finished with more than 200 rushing yards, it was clear the Knights struggled to run at times when Bowser was out. It’s unknown how serious the knee injury is, but UCF needs Bowser to have real success running the ball.
“He tried to come back in,” coach Gus Malzahn said. “Give him credit. He’s a tough guy.”
2. Bye week comes at a perfect True time for backup QB, others: freshman quarterback Mikey Keene will need the extra time to prepare as Dillion Gabriel’s replacement. Gabriel fractured his left collarbone on the final play.
UCF also was without more than Bowser on offense. Despite warming up, starting center Matt Lee didn’t play a snap. Lee tweaked his ankle in the first half against Bethune-Cookman last week.
After Bowser went down, UCF lost cornerback Corey Thornton, linebacker Tatum Bethune and receiver Jaylon Robinson.
“I would say so,” wide receiver Brandon Johnson said when asked if it was a good time for a week off.
“It just gives guys a chance to take a lot off their bodies. Everybody’s banged up.”
3. Trick plays will be part of Malzahn’s offense: Twice against the Cardinals, Malzahn went to trick plays. The first worked, but the second did not.
With 10:59 remaining in the third quarter, Gabriel caught a 20-yard pass from receiver Ryan O’Keefe that resulted in a touchdown. As Malzahn took advantage of O’ Keefe’s high school experience at quarterback, Louisville’s defense looked bewildered on the double-pass play. Later on, however, the Cardinals didn’t fall for a reverse pass.
UCF had forced a turnover on downs and was in a prime position to take a lead early in the fourth quarter. The momentum shifted as Joey Gatewood lined up in the Wildcat formation before flipping the ball back to Gabriel, whose pass to O’Keefe fell incomplete.
The next two plays were incomplete passes as well and the Knights punted.
“That was a big possession that we had some momentum after that,” Malzahn said. “It would have been nice to score.”
Louisville scored on the following drive, going 91 yards in just four plays to lead 35-28.
The second trick play wasn’t a success after the first trick fooled the Cardinals defense, but deceptive plays like those should be expected in the future from Malzahn.