UCF football players
UCF excited to play; UConn eyes big upset
can hardly contain their excitement as they get ready for tonight’s season opener at Connecticut.
HARTFORD, Conn. — It was hard for UCF players to hide their excitement while discussing the Knights’ season opener tonight.
“[I’m] very excited, man. It’s been a long time coming,” UCF senior defensive lineman Titus Davis said. “We’ve been working hard for like eight months. It’s time to get out there and show the world what we’re about.”
Added linebacker Pat Jasinski, “There was a lot of time since that last game and I think we’ve just been waiting for this opportunity all winter, spring and summer.”
No. 21 UCF (0-0, 0-0 AAC) kicks off he 2018 season on the road in a nationally broadcast contest against American Athletic Conference foe UConn (0-0, 0-0 AAC) at Pratt & Whitney Stadium.
More than 240 days have passed since UCF last stepped on a football field to face off against an opponent, and during that time the team has enjoyed the spoils of a perfect 13-0 season.
They’ve participated in parades and ring ceremonies, celebrating winning a national championship.
But soon after dusting off the confetti, the Knights turned their attention to the challenge of a new season under a new coaching staff knowing all opposing teams would be gunning
for them every week.
“That’s part our preparation in knowing that the guys are gunning in for us, everybody in this conference and outside of the conference,” Davis said.
UConn players are fired up for the opportunity to prove themselves against a quality opponent like UCF.
“We need to have a high expectation of ourselves going into Game 1 against an undefeated team in our conference in the East Division,” Huskies linebacker Marshe Terry said during American Athletic Conference football media day. “I think it’s very important. It’s very exciting. I know a lot of guys are fired up. I’m fired up, coaches are fired up … our fans fired up. It’s going to be a great game.”
UConn redshirt junior tackle Matt Peart added, “From a whole team standpoint, we’ve got to come ready. UCF had great success last year; everyone knows it. They’re not flying under the radar. They’re at the top of the conference. We can’t have a lackadaisical approach. Everybody has to be ready to go. Even if you’re a sixth man, if your number is called, you’ve got to be ready to go.”
UConn coach Randy Edsall is familiar with UCF’s potential after watching the Knights jump out to a 28-10 halftime lead last season before cruising to a 49-24 victory thanks in part to two rushing touchdowns by Otis Anderson and two touchdown passes by McKenzie Milton. But for Edsall, there are concerns among his own team.
“We have a lot of young kids that are going to be playing for us this year and you know that always can be exciting and it can be challenging in the same breath,” he said.
For UCF, the challenge is in preparing for a team with several new players and a brand-new offensive coordinator, all without the luxury of game film to watch.
“It is difficult because they’ve had almost an entire calendar year to change who they are,” new UCF coach Josh Heupel said.
Then there is handling a hostile crowd in a road environment on a Thursday night.
“[We] have to be ready to make a lot of adjustments during the course of the ballgame,” Heupel said.
The Huskies may be more than a three-touchdown underdog, but UConn players know that if they can somehow snap UCF’s 13-game win streak, it would do wonders for the program and this season.
“It would be amazing,” Peart said. “They have had nothing but tremendous success in this conference and what they’ve been able to do last year phenomenal. It would be a great showing of what we’ve been trying to do all summer. It would set the tone. We’re here and ready to play.”
Added Terry, “Confidence. We already feel we can beat anybody but starting off a season that way this year we definitely feel like we could beat anybody at that point.”