UCF to show off high-speed offense against Louisville
Louisville is looking to cap off another short week of preparation with its second straight win.
The Cardinals (1-1) will need to be quick on both sides of the ball to keep pace with UCF on Friday night. The visiting Knights haven’t allowed opponents time to adjust to their fastpaced offense. They’re averaging nearly 86 plays, 50 points and 681 yards per game, posing an even bigger task for a Louisville defense that couldn’t keep up with Mississippi in a 43-24 loss in the season operner.
“They move really fast and are not worried about trying to get the best play like some teams,” Louisville coach
said this week in comparing the Knights’ tempo to the Rebels. “They run fast plays and hope to catch the defense not lined up.
“Hopefully we learned some things to do good and correct from the Ole Miss game.”
Louisville bounced back with Saturday’s 30-3 victory over FCS Eastern Kentucky, the second of three contests over a 12-day stretch. Quarterback Malik Cunningham passed for two of his three touchdowns as the Cardinals nearly doubled up the Colonels in yardage (441235). Braden Smith’s 49-yard punt return for a touchdown demonstrated their big-play potential.
Meanwhile, UCF enters its first road game seeking a win over a Power Five school, which could help the Knights crack the AP Top 25 after just missing out last week.
UCF hired former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn during the offseason and is still fielding the same highoctane unit in recent years. The Knights have outscored opponents 99-45, a number skewed a bit by last week’s 63-14 shellacking of FCS Bethune-Cookman.
Of course, the Knights might have had a little extra motivation a day after becoming a future Power Five school themselves. UCF accepted an invitation from the Big 12 Conference to join by July 2024.
One of three American Athletic Conference schools invited last week along with BYU, the program has been eager to prove it can compete regularly in a Power Five league.
Malzahn cautions that that’s a few years away — maybe sooner — and that his team must focus on the present. Which happens to be UCF’s only Power 5 opponent this season.
“It’ll be a really good test of where we’re at,” said the coach, who could earn his 80th career win. “Just looking forward to seeing how our guys respond on the road against a very solid team.”
MCARTHUR GRAD LEADS BY EXAMPLE
When the Maryland football staff reviewed film of the season opener, the coaches noticed how Ruben Hyppolite II’s skill set shined. He’s a speedy and disruptive inside linebacker, but some of his most important moments came between plays.
Fa’Najae Gotay, a veteran in the linebackers room, left the game early with an injury. Hyppolite ensured the unit continued functioning properly, even with a pair of players new to the program joining him on the field. Hyppolite relayed the defensive calls and made sure his teammates lined up correctly. Then the sophomore handled his own job, too.
This is the role Hyppolite envisioned, and it’s why he traveled far from Broward County where he starred at McArthur High to take part in coach Michael Locksley’s effort to rejuvenate the Terrapins. Hyppolite hoped to lead, and he knew he would have a chance to handle important on-field tasks early in his time at Maryland.
The Terps (2-0) kick off their Big Ten slate Friday night at Illinois after beginning the season with wins over West Virginia and Howard.
As a four-star recruit, per 247 Sports, in the 2020 recruiting class, Hyppolite attracted scholarship offers from SEC and ACC schools that have had far more recent success.
Hyppolite transferred to McArthur after years at American Heritage, a private school with a strong football program. The switch allowed him to graduate early and arrive at Maryland the winter before his freshman year. Hyppolite credits the change for teaching him how to guide his teammates on and off the field.