Ex-player tries to inspire 0-7 Knights
It’d be naïve to believe the UCF football team’s 0-7 record hasn’t taken a mental toll on players fighting to add some positive momentum to a program that just two years ago made national headlines as a BCS game winner.
But as hard as it has been for current players, it’s equally challenging for former players who once took the program to another level.
The fact that Houston, ranked No. 21 by the Associated Press, is coming to Bright House Networks Stadium Saturday afternoon for UCF’s homecoming just adds more salt to an open wound that won’t seem to close.
“It’s really disappointing, to be honest with you, because we set the bar, especially for us being freshmen coming in. When we were freshmen, we went 5-7 that year and then turned it around and went 10-3, 12-1, 9-4. We set the standard, especially on defense, for us to be in the top 10 two years in a row to having it be
this and it hurts for us to watch it,” former UCF defensive back Brandon Alexander said. “Especially when they come out in the first half and they play pretty good ball in the first half and then in the second half, it’s like where did that team go? And we don’t know what happened. It’s very disappointing to watch.”
Weeks like this are particularly hard for Alexander. The former safety, after all, helped create the “Cardiac Knights” nickname after providing game-saving plays against the Cougars in 2013 and 2014.
And he’s had an up-close view of the Knights’ current losing season while finishing up his degree on campus. Earlier in this year, Alexander pulled some players to the side for a heartfelt speech.
“I told them, there might
not be a next season for you. And I’m not saying that to scare you, but things happen in life where people tear their ACLs and people get hurt,” Alexander said. “I was just telling them, look at [the] receiver that y’all had, he had a tremendous first game and he tears his ACL and he can’t play for the rest of the season. Look at Demetris Anderson, [he] tears his ACL and can’t play for the rest of the season. That could be you and I don’t want it to, but that could be you and once the game of football is over, it’s over.”
Last week, UCF’s defense showed some fight against Temple, which leads the American Athletic Conference East Division. Shaquill Griffin made the team’s first interception of the season and his pick-six was the program’s first since 2012.
Iowa State transfer T.J. Mutcherson also gave an inspired performance during his first start of the season, recovering two fumbles.
UCF’s offense, however,
turned in one of its worst performances of the season, scoring just three points after four Temple turnovers placed it inside of the opponents’ territory.
“I think we just gotta take it one game at a time and learn from our mistakes play by play and we’ll get better off that,” UCF receiver Chris Johnson said.
The Knights will have to dig deep to have a shot at contending for an upset against Houston, but even just one victory can be enough to start the rebuilding process.
“The biggest thing, especially when you’re starting to lose a lot, players realize that, ‘Oh, I have another year to play and we’ll build it up next year.’ But in order for you to build it up next year, something has to click now,” Alexander said. “And the biggest thing I told them is you have to care about what you’re doing.”