UCF sets sights on return to title game
As spring football camps open across the country, the American Athletic Conference is looking to capitalize on a momentous season. The league had five teams finish with double-digit win totals, four of which were ranked in the final Associated Press top 25 poll.
Check out a few storylines to keep an eye during the spring:
Memphis starts title defense: Memphis faces a new set of challenges as the Tigers work to defend their conference championship. Ryan Silverfield was promoted to head coach following Mike Norvell’s departure to Florida State and his familiarity with the program should provide stability during the coaching change. The program returns nearly three-quarters of the Tigers’ production from last season, including a 4,000-yard passer (Brady White), a 1,000-yard rusher (Kenneth Gainwell) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Damonte Coxie). The defense, meanwhile, features a couple of All-AAC honorable mention players in defensive linemen Joseph Dorceus and O’Bryan Goodson as well as cornerback T.J. Carter.
Knights look to bounce back: UCF finished with its third straight double-digit win season, yet the Knights fell short of reaching their goal of a third straight conference championship. Adding to the frustration was the fact that the three losses the team suffered, the most since 2016, were by a combined seven points. The good news for Josh Heupel’s team is UCF returns talent and experience in 2020. The Knights’ roster includes quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who passed for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns as a true freshman as well as the majority of a defensive unit that was ranked in the top 35 in total defense in the nation.
Scott Era begins at USF: Memphis isn’t the only program opening spring with a new coach. South Florida tabbed former Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott to run its football program. Scott inherits a program that lost 16 of its last 18 games and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2014. The Bulls were a mess last season, ranking last in the conference in total offense after allowing a league-worst 45 sacks. USF returns a fair amount of production from last season, but Scott has already declared an open competition at nearly every position. USF also added a handful of transfers, including quarterback Cade Fortin (North Carolina), running backs Lavonte Valentine (South Carolina) and Darrian Felix (Oregon), and defensive lineman Bo Peek (Stanford).
Bearcats building on momentum: Cincinnati avoided some major heartache when head coach Luke Fickell turned down overtures to become the next Michigan State coach. That’s good news for the Bearcats, who are coming off their second straight 11-win season, a division crown and a backto-back seasons ranked in the top 25. The defense returns three first team All-AAC selections in defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and defensive backs Ahmad Gardner and Darrick Forrest. That doesn’t include the 10 defensive players the program signed as part of the top recruiting class in the AAC.
Cougars look to improve: The best-laid plans can go awry. Just ask Houston’s Dana Holgorsen, who pushed to redshirt quarterback D’Eriq King last season with the hope of having him ready to lead the Cougars in 2020. Instead, King’s decision to transfer to Miami is a huge blow for a program looking to bounce back from a disappointing 4-8 campaign. It’s not all doom-and-gloom as the program returns 83% of its production from last season, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. That includes quarterback Clayton Tune, who led the team with 1,777 yards, as well as standout receivers in Marquez Stevenson and Keith Corbin. On the defensive side of things, Houston hopes an influx of talent via the transfer portal will provide a boost for a secondary that was one of the worst in the conference last season.