Knights prepare for first AAC test
The UCF football team took a wide range of pop quizzes leading up to its first American Athletic Conference exam against East Carolina Saturday.
The past four weeks served as somewhat of an observation period, allowing the staff to see how the once struggling Knights would handle their new offensive and defensive systems in 2016 under first-year head coach Scott Frost. And unlike the team’s more challenging tests against Big Ten foes Michigan and Maryland, there will be no grading on a curve when conference play starts.
“We come into each week pretty much the same, just coming to get better,” UCF senior running back Dontravious Wilson said. “But obviously it’s conference week, so now we’re more dialed in and the intensity will pick up.”
It’s a football cliché to call the upcoming contest the team’s most important game on the schedule. But there is a heightened level of significance between UCF (2-2) and the Pirates (2-2) that goes beyond just a conference victory.
For the Knights, it would be a clear affirmation of how they can grade out among a pretty evenly stacked conference outside of Houston leading the pack.
“Since I’ve been here, our goal has been to win the conference championship and we didn’t accomplish that goal last season,” offensive lineman Aaron Evans said. “And even though we have a new coaching staff this season, my goal is still to win the conference championship and we’re just now starting conference play. We’re improving each and every week. We had pretty much a stalemate against Maryland and this is what this week is gonna be a slugfest. And I’m excited for this season and for this opportunity because last year was a fluke.”
On a smaller scale, it could start to shake up the perception of UCF’s progress outside of Orlando. The Knights have been ranked No. 10 among the conference’s 12 teams in the AAC media power rankings during the past three weeks. East Carolina, also led by a new coach in Scottie Montgomery, is currently ranked No. 6.
UCF got a nice confidence boost during its climb back toward the upper echelon of the AAC last Saturday with its first blowout victory in two years, rolling to a 53-14 rout of FIU.
The win highlighted the Knights’ stout run game — even without co-starting running back Jawon Hamilton, who left the contest early due to an apparent knee injury. Frost said on Monday he was “hopeful” for Hamilton and the staff would “see where it goes for him” when asked about his playing status.
Overall, UCF saw six rushing touchdowns, with three of those coming from Wilson in a game where the team collected 501 total yards of offense.
On defense, the Knights held FIU to just 189 total yards of offense and forced the Panthers to punt the ball nine times. UCF senior safety Drico Johnson also collected an interception.
“This is a different team than the one I saw when I got here and today was our best practice ever. Our best Monday ever. These guys are buying in and understanding,” Frost said. “…I think last Saturday was huge for this program because it starts to give us our confidence . . . . I think the guys are starting to understand what it can look like if we continue improving like we are.”