Knights count on Gowan, Maxwell

UCF scrambles to offset loss of Moore after his season-ending surgery

Tay Gowan credits Brandon Moore for helping familiarize him with UCF’s defensive scheme.

Once the junior-college transfer cornerback arrived on campus in January, Moore was in his ear while they split reps during practice, telling Gowan what to do in certain formations, where to be on the field, how to improve his technique and that, when his time comes, he better be ready.

“He was like a second coach to me,” Gowan said of Moore.

Gowan will look to use all that knowledge as the Knights move forward without Moore, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Knights’ season-opening win over Florida A&M on Aug. 29. A lot will be put on Gowan’s plate in the weeks ahead, but he exudes self-assurance.

“I’m not going to let nobody down in this program,” he said.

Gowan describes himself first and foremost as a ball-hawk. He

picked off six passes last year at Butler Community College in Kansas. And he is licking his chops now that he is playing in the pass-happy American Athletic Conference.

“In JUCO, I barely got thrown at, and when I did, it was an interception,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to translate here — let them know don’t throw this way.”

The change in scenery has required a change in Gowan. Like many of his teammates, he went through a physical transformation during the offseason. He came to UCF at 160 pounds. As of Monday, he weighed 182 pounds. That gain was achieved through countless hours in the weight room and a level of conditioning that the 6-foot-2 junior never experienced even while spending 2016 and 2017 at another Football Bowl Subdivision program: Miami (Ohio).

Now in the best shape of his life, Gowan said he is more willing to make tackles he may have shied away from at his previous weight.

“At my last [school], I wasn’t even working like this,” he said. “… I’m ready to go hit somebody.”

Zamari Maxwell is another cornerback being asked to do more now that Moore is out. He appeared in 12 games as a reserve last season. Everything is coming easier to the redshirt sophomore in his second year in the system, but he is continuing to work on his technique.

The speedy Maxwell said cornerbacks coach Corey Bell has been harping on him to use his hands and be more physical within the first five yards of the line of scrimmage. That and improving his footwork and eye discipline. Practicing against UCF’s offense has proven to be the best primer.

“They have definitely picked up the tempo,” Maxwell said of the offense. “It’s frustrating, but you play a fast offense like that and then you go against teams that don’t have a tempo as high as ours, the game slows down a little more.”

Heading into Saturday’s game versus FAU when he likely will see more snaps, Maxwell has a very direct mindset: “Stay focused, lock in and just get comfortable. Don’t panic. Can’t panic.”

However, the burden to replace Moore’s contributions won’t fall on the shoulders of just two players. UCF secondary coach Willie Martinez said it will take a position-wide effort to pick up the slack. That could include moving nickelback Aaron Robinson, perhaps the Knights’ fastest defensive back, from the slot to back out wide at cornerback. Robinson earned the defense’s game ball following his fivetackle performance against FAMU.

“We know that we have to finish the season out for [Moore],” Maxwell said. “… Just knowing that this setback happened, we know it hurt him a lot. So we’ve got to play for him.”

Moore won’t be on the field again this season, but he will be around the program consistently.

“We’ve got a brotherhood in the DB room,” Gowan said.