Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
UCF’s Killins expects Knights’ speed to give Auburn trouble
Most UCF football players admitted they felt the toll of a long college football season with no true bye week.
Senior linebacker Shaquem Griffin said his legs felt like they were wading through quicksand in the last few weeks of the season. Left tackle Aaron Evans said he slept for almost 12 hours Saturday after the team’s thrilling victory against USF Nov. 24. And quarterback McKenzie Milton said he enjoyed sleeping in for the first time in about five months after the No. 12 ranked Knights won the American Athletic Conference championship Dec. 9.
But Adrian Killins didn’t blink an eye when asked how his body felt after a long season.
“My body was good,” he said. “Coach [Scott] Frost and the whole staff, [strength] Coach [Zach] Duval, they made sure that we were up to full speed every game.”
Killins, UCF’s top speed threat featured in its No. 1 scoring offense, has taken his share of bumps and bruises while escaping past the trenches. But if the elusive tailback feels any pain, it’s not his style to talk about it.
Instead, he’s focusing his energy of using his trademark speed to beat Auburn (10-3) and its’ top-10 ranked defense in the Peach Bowl Jan. 1.
In fact, Killins — along with freshman wide receiver Otis Anderson — said the Knights’ speed will be a critical weapon.
Killins leads UCF with 762 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 112 carries. During just two years of college football experience, he’s already built an impressive résumé of long touchdown runs with his 96-yard sprint against Memphis Sept. 30 setting a new UCF and conference record for longest play from scrimmage.
“SEC football doesn’t have a lot of speed, honestly, so Auburn hasn’t seen any speed the way we have here. So I would say they’re in for a rude awakening because UCF football, we’re UCFast and UCFierce,” Killins said. “Defense will put 11 hats to the ball fast and furious and offense, we have a lot of guys that can go up and get the ball and make you miss and make good plays.” distraction. Most of his players, however, fail to share Frost’s affinity for the franchise, which opened Thursday night.
Only one out of five players asked Thursday said he was a true “Star Wars” fan.
“I love ‘Star Wars’, I have to see it,” UCF receiver Tre’Quan Smith said. “I’ll probably watch it twice so I can get an understanding of everything.”
Linebacker Pat Jasinski said he didn’t plan on catching the film soon after its release.
“We’ll see,” he said. “I may be breaking down some film instead.” is among four AAC defensive linemen who received invitations to compete in the game. He joins SMU’s Justin Lawler, UConn’s Folorunso Fatukasi and USF’s Deadrin Senat.
“It makes me want to work harder. [I’ve] still got a lot to prove so it’s going to allow me to prove myself,” Pittman said of the game invitation. “… My clock is ticking, so I have to do what I have to do to get right before I get out of here.”