53-51 was the final score but it was not a pretty win by the Knights except for the two free throws that Isaiah made with the score tied at 51 and three seconds on the clock. BCU had just tied up the game with 6 seconds left on the clock by hitting one of two free throws and Isaiah took an inbound pass near mid court and got a blocking foul called in his favor. No disrespect to Isaiah here but if I am the opposing coach and there is a 46% free throw shooter on the floor you will foul him as soon as he touches the ball. He hit his last five free throws of the game but the last two were monumental for the young Sykes. He calmly drained the first of two and converted on the second one. Way to go Isaiah!
Go Knights!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Game On - Cows!
It's not official until tomorrow, but I am already looking forward to the resumption of the War for I4 with those USFers.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Memphis game review
What a difference a little bit of home cooking does. Both the offense and defense as well as kick and punt coverage did very well last Saturday night. Jeff Godfrey looked a lot more relaxed and actually looked like the Jeff Godfrey that led us to a conference championship and first bowl win last season(also a top 25 finish at the end of last year). The defense looked like the team that only gave up 3 points total in the first three home games. Special teams were good and they even recovered a punt fumble deep into Memphis territory.
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
OK now what
An 0-6 team with a backup quarterback and a backup running back and we give up over 500 yards of offense? I'm sorry but someone needs to be fired over this. How can your defense get progressively worse throughout the season. This is still a talented team at least that is what UCF athletics wants us to think. There is no way we can't make some kind of adjustments and at least slow down this defense. This is UAB not even a very good team at least not until we played them. The wheels are officially off the bus now and the only thing we have to play for the rest of the season is pride. We were exposed defensively last week against SMU last week and the defensive coordinators could not even figure out how to prevent the same kind tragedy this week. I am beginning to wonder if the home game against Memphis is even a gimme any more.
One bright spot was freshman Ranell Hall on kickoff returns giving us very good field position every time.
See you all at homecoming next week.
Go Knights!!!
One bright spot was freshman Ranell Hall on kickoff returns giving us very good field position every time.
See you all at homecoming next week.
Go Knights!!!
UAB Preview
Again we are faced with a must win situation and hopefully the team will stay focused and will play with a sense of urgency tonight in Birmingham. That seems silly to say when we are going up against an 0-6 team but we are at a crossroad and need to choose to play like there is no tomorrow. It is supposed to be very cold for the game tonight but I don't think the boys from Alabama will have any kind of advantage over us in that department. It's not like we are going to play a team from Michigan or something.
Go Knights!!!!!
Go Knights!!!!!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
SMU game review
I still can not put my finger on it but I just don't know what to say about the loss in Dallas last Saturday afternoon. Special teams again let us down on the road with the punt coverage team giving up some big plays. There is no way that the smu coaches taught their punt return man to pick up off the ground a punt that was inside the ten yard line but he did and made a big play. An amazing stat that I just found out was that last season in 2010 we gave up a total of 80 return yards - ALL SEASON! This year we give up a punt return for 92 yards and a touchdown. Overall it was not a complete game. I am not sure if the guys lost focus throughout the game or we just did not have a good game plan. At times the offense looked good moving the ball and at times the defense looked good at stopping the smu offense. Maybe the team is showing the effects of losing so many senior leaders and they just aren't always 100 percent sure of what to do and what is expected of them. That is not to say that the seniors who are currently on the team aren't doing their jobs its just that there is not that many of them with the right amount of experience.
I was rather surprised at the poor attendance of the game and would have thought that coming off a huge win against rival TCU and wanting to avenge the loss of the conference championship game would have been enough to fill up their stadium. Apparently that was not the case. From where I was sitting (in the comfort of my living room), there were a lot of empty seats at Gerald J. Ford stadium last Saturday. I'm sorry but that was downright pitiful to see that many empty seats at probably one of the most important games of the year for them. I was looking at the attendance figures for last year for NCAA football and their numbers are pretty embarrassing, especially for a team that represented their division in the CUSA championship game. Memphis which had a pretty bad year last year actually had slightly better attendance than smu. They better hope that gets better.
I was rather surprised at the poor attendance of the game and would have thought that coming off a huge win against rival TCU and wanting to avenge the loss of the conference championship game would have been enough to fill up their stadium. Apparently that was not the case. From where I was sitting (in the comfort of my living room), there were a lot of empty seats at Gerald J. Ford stadium last Saturday. I'm sorry but that was downright pitiful to see that many empty seats at probably one of the most important games of the year for them. I was looking at the attendance figures for last year for NCAA football and their numbers are pretty embarrassing, especially for a team that represented their division in the CUSA championship game. Memphis which had a pretty bad year last year actually had slightly better attendance than smu. They better hope that gets better.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Quagmire
The word that came to my mind after sitting in the Bright House with my boy through the first few minutes of the home game against Marshall Saturday night was quagmire.
Every step on the field of play seemed to be greeted with a small splash of water rising from the lush green field and this was especially true during the second half of the game. When I brought my hands together to cheer for good plays by the Knights, I could see a small mist of spray coming off of them with each clap. It rained steadily and consistently throughout the entire game and did not let up even once. The only break we got from that steady and consistent rain was the three or four times that it started to rain even harder which was greeted with even louder cheering from the home crowd. It was wet. We won 16-6.
Once again I feel that the game was won on the defensive side of the ball. We held the Herd to only a total of 130 yards passing and rushing. From what I have seen so far this year there is no doubt in my mind that we are one of the top defenses in the college football and I think we can defend against any team in the country. We still have to figure out the fast pace offenses that we will see from the rest of our conference opponents but we will do well.
I have been reading some of the reviews of our offensive performance and I believe the critiques are not completely correct. Whatever changes to our offense that were made over the off week were very evident in my eyes. I saw a good mix of running and passing plays with Jeff being very poised in the pocket. Of course that was mostly in the first half of the game with the second half reserved for an ultra conservative game plan. I feel that some people who are criticizing that game plan were not actually in attendance at the game that SpongeBob would have felt more than comfortable at. Holding onto the ball and not fumbling it seemed to be the game plan of the Black and Gold in the second half. That was understandable given the amount of costly turnovers we have had in the two previous games that resulted in us losing two very winnable games. Yeah I know the offense in the second half was about as sharp as a bowling ball and we did not move the ball very much at all but I think the most important thing was to hold on the the lead and the ball and get the badly needed "W". In case I was not clear, I think the only important stat from that extremely soggy Saturday night was the one that we could add to our total wins this year which by the way was a conference win. The wet and sloppy conditions would have grounded even the most high flying offenses that night and I feel we should see a better performance statistically when we take on SMU in Dallas next Saturday.
Every step on the field of play seemed to be greeted with a small splash of water rising from the lush green field and this was especially true during the second half of the game. When I brought my hands together to cheer for good plays by the Knights, I could see a small mist of spray coming off of them with each clap. It rained steadily and consistently throughout the entire game and did not let up even once. The only break we got from that steady and consistent rain was the three or four times that it started to rain even harder which was greeted with even louder cheering from the home crowd. It was wet. We won 16-6.
Once again I feel that the game was won on the defensive side of the ball. We held the Herd to only a total of 130 yards passing and rushing. From what I have seen so far this year there is no doubt in my mind that we are one of the top defenses in the college football and I think we can defend against any team in the country. We still have to figure out the fast pace offenses that we will see from the rest of our conference opponents but we will do well.
I have been reading some of the reviews of our offensive performance and I believe the critiques are not completely correct. Whatever changes to our offense that were made over the off week were very evident in my eyes. I saw a good mix of running and passing plays with Jeff being very poised in the pocket. Of course that was mostly in the first half of the game with the second half reserved for an ultra conservative game plan. I feel that some people who are criticizing that game plan were not actually in attendance at the game that SpongeBob would have felt more than comfortable at. Holding onto the ball and not fumbling it seemed to be the game plan of the Black and Gold in the second half. That was understandable given the amount of costly turnovers we have had in the two previous games that resulted in us losing two very winnable games. Yeah I know the offense in the second half was about as sharp as a bowling ball and we did not move the ball very much at all but I think the most important thing was to hold on the the lead and the ball and get the badly needed "W". In case I was not clear, I think the only important stat from that extremely soggy Saturday night was the one that we could add to our total wins this year which by the way was a conference win. The wet and sloppy conditions would have grounded even the most high flying offenses that night and I feel we should see a better performance statistically when we take on SMU in Dallas next Saturday.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Another punt return nightmare
I guess lightening strikes twice on our football team in a bad way. For the second straight week we fumble a punt return within our own 10 yard line and give up an easy touchdown. When two teams are that equal, the one that capitalizes on the others mistakes will generally end up the victor. I still think that our defense is at least very good and can play with any team in the country. This is what will have us contending once again for the CUSA football title again this season. Our offense will have to try and be more consistent on the ground and the passing game will follow. We have a week off to prepare for Marshall on the 8th and I know we will not be looking past a team that beat a very good Southern Miss team.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Positive vibes, the Provo Preview
We all now know what can happen when you float out negative vibes, you end up losing a football game by making a lot more mistakes than usual.
Now we are on the eve of a national television audience for the latest most important game in the program's history. Each team tomorrow night in Provo will be looking to make up for a poor showing last week and will be fired up and ready to play. I have great confidence that our defense will continue its stingy ways and will hold BYU to two touchdowns or less. From what I understand their offensive run game has been struggling this year and they definitely won't get a break tomorrow night. They will try to pass often and we will get at least one pick by either Josh or Kemal. Offensively I know that the team will be focused and will get back to ball control offense and will score three or four touchdowns. Jeff is a very proud young man and will bounce back and have a very good game up in the mountains out west.
Oh yeah I almost forgot, BYU will mistakenly kickoff the ball one too many times to Quincy and he will make them regret it by running back his first kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
Go Knights!
Now we are on the eve of a national television audience for the latest most important game in the program's history. Each team tomorrow night in Provo will be looking to make up for a poor showing last week and will be fired up and ready to play. I have great confidence that our defense will continue its stingy ways and will hold BYU to two touchdowns or less. From what I understand their offensive run game has been struggling this year and they definitely won't get a break tomorrow night. They will try to pass often and we will get at least one pick by either Josh or Kemal. Offensively I know that the team will be focused and will get back to ball control offense and will score three or four touchdowns. Jeff is a very proud young man and will bounce back and have a very good game up in the mountains out west.
Oh yeah I almost forgot, BYU will mistakenly kickoff the ball one too many times to Quincy and he will make them regret it by running back his first kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
Go Knights!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Contemplating.......
OK that was a difficult pill to swallow last night on so many different levels. So many emotions and comments about the loss to FIU - not sure where to begin. I think it was my fault for the loss last night. I was sitting watching the game at The Moat last night and casually made an observation to our new friends Tim and Cheryl (who by the way were very gracious in sharing their table with us last night - thank you so much guys) that we will be OK as long as we play conservative and don't make any mistakes. Sure enough soon after I released that negative energy into the collective consciousness of the Knight Nation, Jeff got caught by the blitz and coughed up the ball and it bounced perfectly into the arms of the defender who took it the other way for an easy six points. After that it would not get much better. Sorry Knights my bad.
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Preview of FIU game.
Only two days away from one our most important games of the year. FIU has won their first two games and looks pretty decent. We have won our first two games and have looked outstanding. I know that the FIU team is definitely going to be pumped up for this game so we can't take them lightly. I honestly don't think that will happen only because we have so many players from that area and are looking forward to playing against their former opponents/teammates from high school. I think they have a talented team but we not only have talent but depth that they don't have. So I think if we can execute a simple game plan I think we will win the game.
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Men's and Women's Soccer
Great job by both the Men's and Women's Soccer teams by starting off the season hot. The Men's team is ranked 8th in the country and the Women's team should be ranked with all of the top teams they have beaten.
It is a great time to be a Knight!
Go Knights!
It is a great time to be a Knight!
Go Knights!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
BC Review
In what looks like the start of a new tradition we again had a great time relaxing in the student union prior to the game. Pizza, snacks, and of course beer. Although I did not realize it until after I had finished my Budweiser that they were selling Yeungling (which I bought of course). I think it was the 16 oz. can that threw me off and I did not recognize it.
On to the game...
It was a beautiful site to see a packed Brighthouse Network Stadium. You could feel the electricity in the air with the crowd cheering loud and often.
A large part of BC's offensive numbers came from their first drive which resulted in a 3 point lead in the first quarter. After that it was total domination by the UCF defense not allowing BC to hit paydirt for the rest of the game. We only allowed a total of about 140 yards of total offense the entire game including only about 70 yards in the air. Here are the numbers. The best defensive plays of the game were the 3rd and 4th and one for BC in the third quarter where they got stuffed on both of them. I thought I heard they had a big O-line that can push people around.
We moved the ball pretty well throughout the game but were not able to get our first of three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Actually our first touchdowns drive came from an excellent drive that started in the third quarter with a brilliant catch by the magnetic hands of J.J. Worton. Congratulations to Nick Catoi who was 3 for 3 on field goal, great job Nick. Offensive play of the game next to J.J.'s catch had to be Jeff Godfrey running through BC's All-American linebacker (Keuchly? no.40) to reach the endzone.
It was a must win for the Knights and we did it convincingly.
Go Knights!
On to the game...
It was a beautiful site to see a packed Brighthouse Network Stadium. You could feel the electricity in the air with the crowd cheering loud and often.
A large part of BC's offensive numbers came from their first drive which resulted in a 3 point lead in the first quarter. After that it was total domination by the UCF defense not allowing BC to hit paydirt for the rest of the game. We only allowed a total of about 140 yards of total offense the entire game including only about 70 yards in the air. Here are the numbers. The best defensive plays of the game were the 3rd and 4th and one for BC in the third quarter where they got stuffed on both of them. I thought I heard they had a big O-line that can push people around.
We moved the ball pretty well throughout the game but were not able to get our first of three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Actually our first touchdowns drive came from an excellent drive that started in the third quarter with a brilliant catch by the magnetic hands of J.J. Worton. Congratulations to Nick Catoi who was 3 for 3 on field goal, great job Nick. Offensive play of the game next to J.J.'s catch had to be Jeff Godfrey running through BC's All-American linebacker (Keuchly? no.40) to reach the endzone.
It was a must win for the Knights and we did it convincingly.
Go Knights!
Great Start of 2011
OK a couple of things first about our first two wins. In the first game we not only beat a team we were supposed to beat but we pummeled them into the ground. In the past we would have made a ball game out of playing against teams of this caliber and eventually pulling ahead late. Not this year, we scored early and often against Chaz So and did not let them get any points on the board. In the second game against Boston College (a must win for the program to garner any respect) we controlled the game pretty much from beginning to end, well at least after their first drive and our first offensive series. I realize that it is still to early to make any kind of judgment on the defense which was one of the uncertainties going into the season in my opinion but they looked dominating in both games so far.
This is definitely is a great start and looking more like we are playing at an even higher level than ever before.
Go Knights!
This is definitely is a great start and looking more like we are playing at an even higher level than ever before.
Go Knights!
Friday, September 9, 2011
BC Preview
It appears that BC might be missing a few of their playmakers on the offensive side of the ball on Saturday night. I guess that is good news for our side and probably helps our chances of getting the "W" even more. I do not like winning a football game this way, don't get me wrong I will take the W any day but I feel that it has more meaning when we defeat a team at full strength.
It should be a good game and I think we have a good chance of winning.
Go Knights!
It should be a good game and I think we have a good chance of winning.
Go Knights!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Way to go Knights Volleyball
Sorry I forgot to mention this but the ladies of UCF Volleyball had a huge victory over traditional powerhouse USC last Friday.
Knights defeat USC in Volleyball
Way to make some noise ladies!
Go Knights!
Knights defeat USC in Volleyball
Way to make some noise ladies!
Go Knights!
Charleston Southern Review
62-0, Do I really need to say more?
OK, I will say a few things about the game. First off I think the attendance was better than I expected, I am seeing numbers being reported around 39,000 and I would probably say that would be pretty close to what the attendance actually was.
As I am sitting down writing this, I am undecided which side of the ball had a better game, the offense or the defense. Jeff only played about half of the game but he looked at least as good as he did last year. The two passes that were almost intercepted looked as though he was trying to force himself to stay in the pocket and complete a pass. If I am correct then the coaches will remind him to find the right balance between run and throw. Our three-headed monster in the backfield of (in order of appearance) Ronnie, Latavius, and Brynn were outstanding. The blocking up front was there and each one of the backs took advantage of it.
Blake Bortles looked pretty good except for the few short passes that he threw too low to the ground making it very difficult for the receiver to make any Y.A.C. I am still not sure how this play happened it's just something you have to see. Officially it was a fumble and then a forward pass, bad hands but good heads up Blake:
The defense was outstanding, holding the opponent to zero points thanks to a missed field goal try late in the game by Chaz So. which by the way drew a pretty good reaction from the home crowd or at least what was left of them. Great job by Josh Robinson with the pick six in the third quarter. That definitely atoned for his fumble of two punts - one of which we lost.
It was a little scary when Quincy went down near the goal line on a hard fall. I guess when you are moving as fast as he does then stopping by not slowing down can hurt. He seemed to be roughed up a bit but I believe he should be ready to go against BC.
Alex and I did not attempt to tailgate as we are parking in C1 where the concrete/asphalt lot is just a bit too hot for tailgating, maybe we will tailgate there when it gets cooler. We ended up hanging out on the second floor to the student union, I with my beer and Alex with her snacks. After a slice of pizza from Sbarros , we weaved our way through the very large crowd at the memory mall (part of the gameday experience not to be missed) and on to the stadium where we were in our seats about fifteen minutes prior to kickoff.
Overall it was a great experience and we are looking forward to a great game and hopefully another win for the Knights again this coming Saturday against Boston College.
Go Knights!!!
OK, I will say a few things about the game. First off I think the attendance was better than I expected, I am seeing numbers being reported around 39,000 and I would probably say that would be pretty close to what the attendance actually was.
As I am sitting down writing this, I am undecided which side of the ball had a better game, the offense or the defense. Jeff only played about half of the game but he looked at least as good as he did last year. The two passes that were almost intercepted looked as though he was trying to force himself to stay in the pocket and complete a pass. If I am correct then the coaches will remind him to find the right balance between run and throw. Our three-headed monster in the backfield of (in order of appearance) Ronnie, Latavius, and Brynn were outstanding. The blocking up front was there and each one of the backs took advantage of it.
Blake Bortles looked pretty good except for the few short passes that he threw too low to the ground making it very difficult for the receiver to make any Y.A.C. I am still not sure how this play happened it's just something you have to see. Officially it was a fumble and then a forward pass, bad hands but good heads up Blake:
The defense was outstanding, holding the opponent to zero points thanks to a missed field goal try late in the game by Chaz So. which by the way drew a pretty good reaction from the home crowd or at least what was left of them. Great job by Josh Robinson with the pick six in the third quarter. That definitely atoned for his fumble of two punts - one of which we lost.
It was a little scary when Quincy went down near the goal line on a hard fall. I guess when you are moving as fast as he does then stopping by not slowing down can hurt. He seemed to be roughed up a bit but I believe he should be ready to go against BC.
Alex and I did not attempt to tailgate as we are parking in C1 where the concrete/asphalt lot is just a bit too hot for tailgating, maybe we will tailgate there when it gets cooler. We ended up hanging out on the second floor to the student union, I with my beer and Alex with her snacks. After a slice of pizza from Sbarros , we weaved our way through the very large crowd at the memory mall (part of the gameday experience not to be missed) and on to the stadium where we were in our seats about fifteen minutes prior to kickoff.
Overall it was a great experience and we are looking forward to a great game and hopefully another win for the Knights again this coming Saturday against Boston College.
Go Knights!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Charleston Southern Preview
From what I have been reading, it sounds like Chaz So has a few less returning starters from last year than we have, although with a 3-8 record it might be good for them to lose those starters - no disrespect. With a good portion of the team made up of athletes from the state of Florida there is no doubt they have some talent. Can that talent be used in a way to beat us on Saturday? I don't think that will happen.
What I would like to see from our offense is to establish the running game early and then control the game from then on giving our three-headed monster plenty of reps each. Defensively I want to see us control the line of scrimmage and shut down the passing game and forcing them to try and throw against our top rated defensive backfield led by Josh Robinson. I think it will be a good tune up for the Boston College game the following week.
Four days and counting.......
Go Knights!!
What I would like to see from our offense is to establish the running game early and then control the game from then on giving our three-headed monster plenty of reps each. Defensively I want to see us control the line of scrimmage and shut down the passing game and forcing them to try and throw against our top rated defensive backfield led by Josh Robinson. I think it will be a good tune up for the Boston College game the following week.
Four days and counting.......
Go Knights!!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Got The Tickets!!!!
I am finally a season ticket holder who is holding my season tickets. I also received the parking passes along with two each "The Patch". I am very excited and cannot wait until September 3 for the kickoff against Charleston Southern.
Go Knights!!!
Go Knights!!!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Beat them Bulls!
When the Knights win it is always a good day. When usf loses it is also a very good day. When the Knights beat the bulls it does not get much better than that. Way to go Lady Knights for putting a hurting on the usf bulls last night in their home opener. I missed the three early goals we scored as well as the fourth goal at the start of the second half. I did see the fifth goal we scored last night on route to a 5- 1 victory over the university of west central florida.
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Random Stuff
It has been a weird few weeks inside the Kingdom. The scandal down at u of m that has reached a bit inside our program with Jeff Godfrey being one of the many named players by the idiot booster who thought he could do whatever he wanted. Maybe Jeff should have known better, but he was a high school kid at tjme and I don't think you can fault him too much. Not sure what to make of the NCAA looking into our recruiting, not a whole lot has come our yet but hey if it is on ESPN then it must be true (NOT!).
Friday, August 12, 2011
Three more weeks
Only 21 more days until the 7 PM kickoff at BHNS versus Charleston Southern. I can't say anything about Chaz So because I have not done my homework yet on them. I know that Coach O'leary will have the boys ready to go come game time that Saturday night.
I still have not decided what I am going to do for pregame activities. It will be way too hot to tailgate so Kyle and I will either go to the Alumni Center for a pregame meal or hang out at the student union for a while where it is always nice and cold. They usually have some kind of beer specials outside of Wackadoos on gameday so that might be a good place to chill (literally).
Go Knights!
I still have not decided what I am going to do for pregame activities. It will be way too hot to tailgate so Kyle and I will either go to the Alumni Center for a pregame meal or hang out at the student union for a while where it is always nice and cold. They usually have some kind of beer specials outside of Wackadoos on gameday so that might be a good place to chill (literally).
Go Knights!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
I would like to see.....
OK, we beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. Now it is finally time that we start beating the FBS schools on our schedule on a regular basis. Do you hear what I am saying Boston College and Brigham Young? If we are to keep this thing moving forward and take the steps necessary to be taken seriously as a college football program we need to beat those FBS non conference opponents regularly. I am well aware of our poor record against these teams and I am ready for us to turn that around.
Make no mistake, we have arrived. We held a good Georgia team who scored 31 points against the eventual national champions in Auburn to only two field goals. I remember not too long ago playing teams like Wisconsin and being able to hang with them for about two quarters of football before running out of steam due to a lack of depth at almost every position.
The next step has to be taken and that step is beating Boston College and Brigham Young, and winning to Conference championship again. That last one definitely goes without saying because I've got a hankerin' for some ribs at Corky's in Memphis.
Go Knights!
Make no mistake, we have arrived. We held a good Georgia team who scored 31 points against the eventual national champions in Auburn to only two field goals. I remember not too long ago playing teams like Wisconsin and being able to hang with them for about two quarters of football before running out of steam due to a lack of depth at almost every position.
The next step has to be taken and that step is beating Boston College and Brigham Young, and winning to Conference championship again. That last one definitely goes without saying because I've got a hankerin' for some ribs at Corky's in Memphis.
Go Knights!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Got the Tickets!!!!!
First time getting season tickets and I am pumped! I suppose it was inevitable that I got season tickets, heck I went to four home games last year plus the CUSA championship game (another home game) as well as made the trip with the family to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. You will see me in section 213 on each and every gameday wearing my colors and screaming my head off for our beloved Knights. The wife is very happy that we now have a parking spot much closer to the stadium than the blue lots - that is the garages on the opposite side of the campus. I never minded the trek across campus, it is a beautiful campus. It is always exiting to walk through the student union through the trees and then run the gaunlet through the young folks at the memory mall.
35 more days until kickoff!
Go Knights!
35 more days until kickoff!
Go Knights!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Don't Knock BHNS
It is obvious that the person who wrote this story is a fan of the University of West Central Florida Cows. He was knocking our House to make his point.
Link Here
I had to send some feedback on this. Here is my reply:
We were at the same crossroads a few years back when the funding for a concrete stadium was just not there. The city of Orlando wanted UCF to cough up some money for upgrades to the very old Citrus Bowl downtown but It was decided to put that money towards a new, much less expensive stadium on campus. I'll be the first to admit that our stadium is not the nicest in college football, heck it might not even be the nicest in CUSA. There can be no denial though that our on campus stadium has brought a new level of excitement all around the program from a completely different tailgating experience for the alumni and fans to the players who actually feel like they are defending their own turf. Do me a favor don't knock our stadium to make your point, besides I would rather have a bunch of bleachers surrounding a football field on campus than an NFL quality stadium that I have to drive to any day. GO KNIGHTS!
Link Here
I had to send some feedback on this. Here is my reply:
We were at the same crossroads a few years back when the funding for a concrete stadium was just not there. The city of Orlando wanted UCF to cough up some money for upgrades to the very old Citrus Bowl downtown but It was decided to put that money towards a new, much less expensive stadium on campus. I'll be the first to admit that our stadium is not the nicest in college football, heck it might not even be the nicest in CUSA. There can be no denial though that our on campus stadium has brought a new level of excitement all around the program from a completely different tailgating experience for the alumni and fans to the players who actually feel like they are defending their own turf. Do me a favor don't knock our stadium to make your point, besides I would rather have a bunch of bleachers surrounding a football field on campus than an NFL quality stadium that I have to drive to any day. GO KNIGHTS!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
more Recruiting
I always love to read about recruits who have chosen UCF that have been recruited by the big schools out there. We are not that distant from the time in which we can proclaim that we have officially arrived as a football/basketball/baseball etc. program.
Toby Jackson our JUCO transfer from Texas was recruited by some big schools but had to take a detour to get to our little slice of the FBS division.
I realize that this is only a rumor from another blog and I have not seen any other info elsewhere to back it up but if it is true then we may have possibly landed another commit from a talented defensive lineman from the state of Kentucky Tyrone Pearson commits. We will have to wait and see if this one turns out to be true.
Toby Jackson our JUCO transfer from Texas was recruited by some big schools but had to take a detour to get to our little slice of the FBS division.
I realize that this is only a rumor from another blog and I have not seen any other info elsewhere to back it up but if it is true then we may have possibly landed another commit from a talented defensive lineman from the state of Kentucky Tyrone Pearson commits. We will have to wait and see if this one turns out to be true.
Recruiting
OK I admit it, I do check out the recruiting news quite often and lately there seems to be quite a bit of good news heading towards the Kingdom. I realize that these are just young men who have quite a bit of pressure on them when trying to decide where they want to attend school, so things can be a bit dramatic. Case in point is the long and winding story of how Demarcus Smith ended up a UCF Knight. First he was and then he wasn't and then he was again. I am glad for him that his journey led him to UCF and he will make a great addition to the team. I know that Coach Oleary likes to have all of his starters being pushed by other players who desire playing time. If I believe anything I've heard about Jeff Godfrey he will thrive on this type of pressure to perform and keep his job as starting QB.
Now we have just landed a commitment from former U of M RB Storm Johnson. Bad break for them but good for us. He will sit out the required year this season but will be a redshirt sophomore next year. Looks like we won't have to recruit too many running backs the next couple of years.Storm Johnson is a Knight.
Now we have just landed a commitment from former U of M RB Storm Johnson. Bad break for them but good for us. He will sit out the required year this season but will be a redshirt sophomore next year. Looks like we won't have to recruit too many running backs the next couple of years.Storm Johnson is a Knight.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
We're going back to Tally,....Tally.....Tally
Let's go Knights baseball, in the NCAA tournament for the first time in a few years and playing good ball lately. Friday is the first game at noon against an Alabama team we punked at their home early in the season 12 - 4.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Deep inside the Knight Kingdom
Since we were in Orlando, no trip would be complete without a stop at Huey Magoo's and CB&S bookstore up near the beautiful campus of UCF. After sitting down with our drinks to wait for our food (I ordered the snack plate with Magoo's sauce and Alex got the Magoos' Sandwich) we suddenly realized that sitting at the next table was none other than Head Basketball coach Donnie Jones and family. I guess a coach has to eat too. Thanks for the great season Coach and we eagerly anticipate the 2011-2012 basketball year!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Big East Expansion
I'm weary of all the Big East conference expansion speculation and am about to give up on ever hearing anything in the near and not so near future concerning which teams if any are going to be invited into their conference. It is good to know that we are always one of the teams that gets mentioned any time this topic comes up whether it is on a blog or some online sports site. I would bet that our name comes up at least as many times as the next two teams combined. I do not want to hold my breath anymore waiting for the BE to make a decision and I am officially going to stop waiting for it to happen.
Yes it is true that I am biased in my opinion that we should get an invite over other teams that we play against in Conference USA but I do not see how the Big East can go wrong with adding us into their league. We have won the conference championship in football two of the last four years, the men's hoops team was ranked for the first time ever this past season, the women's team took home the conference title for the second time in three years, we are the 2nd largest university in the nation, the football team finished in the top 25 for the first time in school history, and so on and so on......
I believe that in the end it will come down to which team can bring the biggest TV market to the Big East and that will probably be Orlando which has the 19th largest market in the US. Combine that with the Tampa market and the I4 corridor is probably in the top ten in the country. Hey those Big East guys love coming down to Florida, heck they just had their recent meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach and adding another trip to Florida would be well worth it for them on many levels. I don't understand what the cows over there at usf have against us joining the league. I've heard that it would hurt their recruiting.....What?....we've already out recruited you this year, are you saying it would actually get worse for you? OK cows who is your biggest rival right now in the big east? Is it Louisville or maybe West Virginia? (btw I don't think it is the latter, I have a friend who is a big WVU fan and the feeling is they don't respect you). You guys know when it comes right down to it you despise us just as much as we despise you and that is what makes a great rivalry.
Having said that, if the worst case happens and we do not end up in any automatic qualifying conference I won't lose too much sleep. I like the direction that our rivalries are heading with the likes of ECU, Southern Miss, and Marshall and competing with them for conference championships is very enjoyable to watch.
Go Knights!
Yes it is true that I am biased in my opinion that we should get an invite over other teams that we play against in Conference USA but I do not see how the Big East can go wrong with adding us into their league. We have won the conference championship in football two of the last four years, the men's hoops team was ranked for the first time ever this past season, the women's team took home the conference title for the second time in three years, we are the 2nd largest university in the nation, the football team finished in the top 25 for the first time in school history, and so on and so on......
I believe that in the end it will come down to which team can bring the biggest TV market to the Big East and that will probably be Orlando which has the 19th largest market in the US. Combine that with the Tampa market and the I4 corridor is probably in the top ten in the country. Hey those Big East guys love coming down to Florida, heck they just had their recent meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach and adding another trip to Florida would be well worth it for them on many levels. I don't understand what the cows over there at usf have against us joining the league. I've heard that it would hurt their recruiting.....What?....we've already out recruited you this year, are you saying it would actually get worse for you? OK cows who is your biggest rival right now in the big east? Is it Louisville or maybe West Virginia? (btw I don't think it is the latter, I have a friend who is a big WVU fan and the feeling is they don't respect you). You guys know when it comes right down to it you despise us just as much as we despise you and that is what makes a great rivalry.
Having said that, if the worst case happens and we do not end up in any automatic qualifying conference I won't lose too much sleep. I like the direction that our rivalries are heading with the likes of ECU, Southern Miss, and Marshall and competing with them for conference championships is very enjoyable to watch.
Go Knights!
Go Knights, Go Knights, Go, Go, Go!
The Knights go 2 and 0 in the CUSA tourney with a 6-4 win over the UAB Blazers. We take on top seed Rice tomorrow at 1:30 PM ET in a winner take all game - that is a spot in the conference championship game.
Link to CUSA baseball championship tournament page
Link to CUSA baseball championship tournament page
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Slugfest in Mississippi
Not a whole lot of pitching went on today from either side. But we eventually wore out the Memphis pitching staff to get the win. It did make for an interesting game though. I really dislike coming out on the losing end on a game like this, I am just glad we got some good pitching in the later innings.
Here is a recap from UCF athletics.
Here is a recap from UCF athletics.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The bats wake up
I guess we made up for our lack of production last night by putting up 14 runs against the Noles tonight, including a 7 run inning in the top of the 7th. Tomorrow is the rubber match, hopefully we can come up with some good pitching to beat another Florida team.
Looking forward to 2011 season
Here is a video that displays at least two of the attributes that make Jeff Godfrey such a great QB. Although he is small in stature he possesses not only an incredibly strong throwing arm but I believe one of the most accurate touches in college football today.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Corky's Barbecue and the first bowl win
Found this image on the desktop
I still get goosebumps watching all of the replays from that wonderful Knight in Memphis!
I still get goosebumps watching all of the replays from that wonderful Knight in Memphis!
It's the reason God made Saturdays
College football is meant to be played on Saturdays. I am a traditionalist and I love my Saturdays in the fall filled with a plethora of different games to watch and it just does not feel right when I can not see the Knights playing football on Saturday. Having said that I understand why we choose to take the offer of playing games on "Non-Traditional" days to take advantage of the exposure it brings to the program. National exposure on a week-knight is invaluable to any program that is trying to grow. I guess that I am selfish and hate to give up my tail gating prior to the Saturday games, oh well I suppose I will have to try and be flexible for the Thursday Knight game against Tulsa on Nov. 3.
Not a good Knight in Tallahassee
I did manage to catch a little bit of the game (Audio feed) and it sounded like the pitchers had a bit of a rough Knight. I was surprised to see Ben Lively get called on for relief. I hope that Terry Rooney will have him start one of these games. I am still relatively new to college ball and still don't understand the use of pitchers at this level.
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