Like the ever wise BAR predicted, my being banned from Covers is increasingly feeling like a blessing in disguise.:tiphat: I'm always surprised how somebody who is from the area of one of the teams I happen to be capping pops in and is able to set me straight without being a jerk like most of the guys on Covers and make for some extra good discussion. :cheers3:BOL :tiphat:
FIU Lacks the Weapons To Keep Up With UCF
UCF is currently favored by 17 points in their season opener on Thursday at home vs FIU. UCF enjoys multiple match-up advantages against FIU that should help them procure an easy win.
UCF: An Offense Growing in Respectability
Under Scott Frost, who became Head Coach for UCF last season, UCF went from being a winless team in 2015 to a 6-win team in 2016. A big reason for the improvement was the transition to a "UCFast" system: UCF's offense was 38th in plays per game last season because Frost wanted them to pick up the tempo. A fast tempo makes it difficult for an opposing defense to make necessary adjustments and make substitutions, meaning that defenders will become more quickly fatigued. The thing is, a quick-paced offense takes a lot of practice to run. UCF returns key offensive players who will enter their second year under Frost. Beginning Thursday, we should see an even more efficient UCF.
Efficiency is key because UCF lacks that Heisman candidate, that big playmaker or even a quarterback with a big arm that can take over a game by himself. UCF has a number of tools that will help them dominate the game by controlling a lot of time of possession. McKenzie Milton is UCF's rising Sophomore quarterback. The dual threat talent has drawn comparisons to the likes of Marcus Mariota and caught the attention of former Pro Bowl quarterbacks such as Donovan Mcnabb. He won't get the ball down the field, but he is a playmaker who makes use of the talent that he has round him.
Milton has another rising Sophomore talent behind him in Adrian Killins. Killins was a reserve player last year. But he showed a lot of speed and athleticism that helped him average 6.5 yards per carry and break off a few big plays, including an 87 yard run. Against FIU last season, he ran for 86 yards (61 of which came in one run) in 6 carries and a touchdown.
Milton's best target is Tre'Quan Smith. He is the undisputed number 1 receiver, partly thanks to departing talent and Tristan Payton's suspension. Smith is best known for his big-play circus catches and produced a very respectable 853 yards last season. The versatile Killins also provides another target out of the backfield.
UCF's offensive line is not reliable, but also doesn't create a huge problem because of Milton's mobility and Killins' big-play ability. UCF has a strong rushing attack and is profiting from the developing chemistry between Smith and Milton. FIU returns most defensive players, but the ones they do miss include their leader at linebacker, Davison Colmon, and some meat in the interior line. I expect FIU to have problems dealing with Killins up the middle, especially because Killins also has the speed to break outside. UCF's rush attack should keep FIU's defense honest. But even though FIU's secondary is very experienced, they were somewhat of a joke last season in terms of number of yards allowed and turnovers forced. FIU's defense was punished for not being able to get itself off of the field.
Can FIU Keep Up with UCF?
A large part of UCF's success last season stemmed from their strong defensive play, but they lose all four starters from the secondary. UCF's most exciting new face in the secondary will be Alabama transfer Shawn Burgess-Becker who UCF coaches have been touting as an offseason standout. FIU does not have the offensive firepower with which to exploit UCF's developing weaknesses.
FIU does return a lot of experience on offense, but also brings in a new coaching staff. The offensive coordinator is new, as is the defensive coordinator and the Head Coach. I love Butch Davis as a coaching selection in the long run because he has proven to be able to turn teams around--has anybody forgotten the 2001 Miami Hurricanes? But this is Davis' first year. Besides having to teach his old dogs new tricks, Davis will have to deal with players that he didn't recruit.
Davis' first disappointment will be quarterback Alex McGough. McGough boasts all of 3 career 300-yard passing games in his career at FIU. So he's not the guy that one wants to exploit a weakened secondary. The rising senior is also coming off of his worst career season, where he threw almost as many interceptions (11) as touchdowns (13). Training reports have it that McGough went back to the basics during the offseason.
While FIU does have a respectable running attack with the speedy duo of Alex Gardner and Anthony Jones, they share UCF's problems up front with blocking. While UCF's offensive line will not get punished for their deficiencies because of Milton's mobility and FIU's own weaknesses and departures on the defensive line, the same cannot be said for FIU. UCF's strength will be its defensive line. They were one of the nation's most underrated last season in their first season with defensive coordinator Erik Chinander's 3-4 system. They possess a heavy proportion of talent and depth with which to rotate players in order to keep them fresh. Tony Guerad surprised last season by leading the line with 62 tackles. He will be helped by senior Jamiyus Pittman and a lot more.
The Verdict
The key is in the trenches. UCF can run down FIU's throat with Killens and Milton, while FIU lacks the interior line to put up a fight. FIU lacks the big play quarterback to keep up with UCF's trio of Milton, Killens and Smith. But FIU will also struggle to mount a rushing attack behind an offensive line that will be outmatched by the depth and talent of UCF"s defensive line.
UCF -17
FIU Lacks the Weapons To Keep Up With UCF
UCF is currently favored by 17 points in their season opener on Thursday at home vs FIU. UCF enjoys multiple match-up advantages against FIU that should help them procure an easy win.
UCF: An Offense Growing in Respectability
Under Scott Frost, who became Head Coach for UCF last season, UCF went from being a winless team in 2015 to a 6-win team in 2016. A big reason for the improvement was the transition to a "UCFast" system: UCF's offense was 38th in plays per game last season because Frost wanted them to pick up the tempo. A fast tempo makes it difficult for an opposing defense to make necessary adjustments and make substitutions, meaning that defenders will become more quickly fatigued. The thing is, a quick-paced offense takes a lot of practice to run. UCF returns key offensive players who will enter their second year under Frost. Beginning Thursday, we should see an even more efficient UCF.
Efficiency is key because UCF lacks that Heisman candidate, that big playmaker or even a quarterback with a big arm that can take over a game by himself. UCF has a number of tools that will help them dominate the game by controlling a lot of time of possession. McKenzie Milton is UCF's rising Sophomore quarterback. The dual threat talent has drawn comparisons to the likes of Marcus Mariota and caught the attention of former Pro Bowl quarterbacks such as Donovan Mcnabb. He won't get the ball down the field, but he is a playmaker who makes use of the talent that he has round him.
Milton has another rising Sophomore talent behind him in Adrian Killins. Killins was a reserve player last year. But he showed a lot of speed and athleticism that helped him average 6.5 yards per carry and break off a few big plays, including an 87 yard run. Against FIU last season, he ran for 86 yards (61 of which came in one run) in 6 carries and a touchdown.
Milton's best target is Tre'Quan Smith. He is the undisputed number 1 receiver, partly thanks to departing talent and Tristan Payton's suspension. Smith is best known for his big-play circus catches and produced a very respectable 853 yards last season. The versatile Killins also provides another target out of the backfield.
UCF's offensive line is not reliable, but also doesn't create a huge problem because of Milton's mobility and Killins' big-play ability. UCF has a strong rushing attack and is profiting from the developing chemistry between Smith and Milton. FIU returns most defensive players, but the ones they do miss include their leader at linebacker, Davison Colmon, and some meat in the interior line. I expect FIU to have problems dealing with Killins up the middle, especially because Killins also has the speed to break outside. UCF's rush attack should keep FIU's defense honest. But even though FIU's secondary is very experienced, they were somewhat of a joke last season in terms of number of yards allowed and turnovers forced. FIU's defense was punished for not being able to get itself off of the field.
Can FIU Keep Up with UCF?
A large part of UCF's success last season stemmed from their strong defensive play, but they lose all four starters from the secondary. UCF's most exciting new face in the secondary will be Alabama transfer Shawn Burgess-Becker who UCF coaches have been touting as an offseason standout. FIU does not have the offensive firepower with which to exploit UCF's developing weaknesses.
FIU does return a lot of experience on offense, but also brings in a new coaching staff. The offensive coordinator is new, as is the defensive coordinator and the Head Coach. I love Butch Davis as a coaching selection in the long run because he has proven to be able to turn teams around--has anybody forgotten the 2001 Miami Hurricanes? But this is Davis' first year. Besides having to teach his old dogs new tricks, Davis will have to deal with players that he didn't recruit.
Davis' first disappointment will be quarterback Alex McGough. McGough boasts all of 3 career 300-yard passing games in his career at FIU. So he's not the guy that one wants to exploit a weakened secondary. The rising senior is also coming off of his worst career season, where he threw almost as many interceptions (11) as touchdowns (13). Training reports have it that McGough went back to the basics during the offseason.
While FIU does have a respectable running attack with the speedy duo of Alex Gardner and Anthony Jones, they share UCF's problems up front with blocking. While UCF's offensive line will not get punished for their deficiencies because of Milton's mobility and FIU's own weaknesses and departures on the defensive line, the same cannot be said for FIU. UCF's strength will be its defensive line. They were one of the nation's most underrated last season in their first season with defensive coordinator Erik Chinander's 3-4 system. They possess a heavy proportion of talent and depth with which to rotate players in order to keep them fresh. Tony Guerad surprised last season by leading the line with 62 tackles. He will be helped by senior Jamiyus Pittman and a lot more.
The Verdict
The key is in the trenches. UCF can run down FIU's throat with Killens and Milton, while FIU lacks the interior line to put up a fight. FIU lacks the big play quarterback to keep up with UCF's trio of Milton, Killens and Smith. But FIU will also struggle to mount a rushing attack behind an offensive line that will be outmatched by the depth and talent of UCF"s defensive line.
UCF -17
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are you in Chile or something? It was actually pretty cool in Bama today
