What a difference a week makes. I really thought that this was how our game was supposed to go against Memphis last week, I did not expect such a poor showing by Marshall last night. Is there any way we can keep Quincy McDuffie for another year or two? He is electrifying when he touches the ball on kickoffs. The defense was very good last night by putting a lot of pressure on Rakeem Cato last night, that coupled with the fact that his receivers dropped about a half a dozen passes mad for a long night for the home team in green. Latavious had his way with the Marshall defense last night scoring on four different occasions.
The following video is courtesy of UCF Athletics:
I was disappointed to see so many empty seats at last nights game. I had the impression that the Herd fans really liked there chances of winning last night and would come out in greater numbers to see there team take on one of there bigger rivals.
Well the weather was not that great last night so maybe that had something to do with it.
Here's looking forward to some home cooking against SMU this coming Saturday. See you all at the tailgate!
Go Knights!!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Late review
Just a little bit late with a review of the Missouri game but here it goes anyway. I was very disappointed to see so many empty seats at BHNS on that hot afternoon. It really is very uncomfortable sitting in that stadium when it is 90 plus degrees and there is no breeze. Luckily it was overcast for most of the rest of the game and we survived. I for one hope we do not have to endure another noon kickoff again in September.
Again like the previous game whatever adjustments were made on either side of the ball by either team spelled a lackluster performance by the Knights in the second half. We moved the ball on the ground very well in the first half and that was the difference in the first half of the game. That was not the story in the second half as we seemed to have trouble with the ground game all of a sudden. Overall I thought we matched up pretty well with the Tigers at every position. Our size on the line even matched up with them, something that might not have happened seven to eight years ago. The difference in the game was the two big plays that led to touchdowns for them. One was a pass play down the field in the middle with a broken tackle that went the distance, about 60-70 yards. The other difference was the long punt by Jamie Boyle that outdistanced the coverage and ended up a touchdown for the visiting team. Make no mistake, this game was very winnable and I am upset that we did not win at least one of our out of conference games against a big opponent.
Again like the previous game whatever adjustments were made on either side of the ball by either team spelled a lackluster performance by the Knights in the second half. We moved the ball on the ground very well in the first half and that was the difference in the first half of the game. That was not the story in the second half as we seemed to have trouble with the ground game all of a sudden. Overall I thought we matched up pretty well with the Tigers at every position. Our size on the line even matched up with them, something that might not have happened seven to eight years ago. The difference in the game was the two big plays that led to touchdowns for them. One was a pass play down the field in the middle with a broken tackle that went the distance, about 60-70 yards. The other difference was the long punt by Jamie Boyle that outdistanced the coverage and ended up a touchdown for the visiting team. Make no mistake, this game was very winnable and I am upset that we did not win at least one of our out of conference games against a big opponent.
Monday, September 17, 2012
OK we got it done.
Well it really was not the beatdown that I was hoping for but we got it done. The first half looked like that it was going to be a beatdown. Our defense was outstanding in the first half limiting fiu to only 26 yards total offense, not quite sure what happened after half time but it was not the same unit that was there for the first 30 minutes of football.
Offensively we had a very balanced and effective attack throughout most of the game with a good mix of plays including a few trick plays thrown in for good measure.
The special teams had a great game with all facets of the team contributing in some way or another. Punter Jamie Boyle stood out by pinning the opposition within the 20 yard line every time he punted. J.J. Worton had a couple of great punt returns and Rannell Hall had one kickoff return all the way to midfield. Hopefully we can figure out why the defense is having such a difficult time after halftimes before we take on our next opponent in the Missouri Tigers.
With the exception of about 20 to 30 minutes of a steady soaking rain the tailgate was great all the way around. The omlettes came out pretty good although they were a little tricky because the camping stove was a little too hot. The wife and I were joined by some good friends and that made the whole experience that much better. Looking forward to the next tailgate which will once again because of the kickoff time being at 12 noon. Let's go Knights and beat Mizzou!
Go Knights!
Offensively we had a very balanced and effective attack throughout most of the game with a good mix of plays including a few trick plays thrown in for good measure.
The special teams had a great game with all facets of the team contributing in some way or another. Punter Jamie Boyle stood out by pinning the opposition within the 20 yard line every time he punted. J.J. Worton had a couple of great punt returns and Rannell Hall had one kickoff return all the way to midfield. Hopefully we can figure out why the defense is having such a difficult time after halftimes before we take on our next opponent in the Missouri Tigers.
With the exception of about 20 to 30 minutes of a steady soaking rain the tailgate was great all the way around. The omlettes came out pretty good although they were a little tricky because the camping stove was a little too hot. The wife and I were joined by some good friends and that made the whole experience that much better. Looking forward to the next tailgate which will once again because of the kickoff time being at 12 noon. Let's go Knights and beat Mizzou!
Go Knights!
 |
| Hangin' with the tailgate neighbors! |
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Let's just get it done
Okay enough with the trash talk, enough with the point spreads, enough of all the noise surrounding this game with fiu. Let's just go out there and play the best we can and even the score on this series. I've been waiting for this game since we last met. It was the first time I watched an away game at the MOAT and I am still mad at how we got beat last year.
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Columbus Trip Review
Arrived in Columbus on Friday night about 7:00 PM just about an hour or so before sundown. We went straight to dinner at Schmidt Haus restaurant in the German Village of Columbus. We were not disappointed. The food and beer was very good and we left the place stuffed. The restaurant was filled to capacity the entire time we were there and everyone was having a good time or so it would seem as it was very loud in there.
Saturday morning we got up early to head out to the tailgate at the campus of The Ohio State University. Before hitting the road we stopped at Tim Horton's for a small bite to eat since I was not sure I would be able to set up the tailgate and cook the biscuits and gravy I brought with us. We encountered quite a bit of rain during the 10-15 minute drive up there and I was starting to have doubts if I was able to pull off a tailgate on this day. By the time we got to our parking space (which backed up nicely to a grassy area)the precipitation had subsided. From there it rained off and on for the next hour, nothing really hard but just enough to wish you had some cover, which we did. The tailgate next to us had food, beer, and a grill but no cover. I felt bad for them and offered them space under our UCF tent. They gladly accepted and we made some new friends. We enjoyed some nice weather when the overcast sky started to break up and allow the sun to shine through every once in a while.
After breaking down the tailgate we made our way to the stadium where we had a little trouble finding the visiting teams gate, with over 100,000 people attending the game it was not surprising. Although we were in the corner of the end zone on the second level I felt we had pretty good seats at least much better than I expected. We were on row nine out at least 37 rows - that was one of the rows one person said they were looking for as the climbed past us. The Ohio State band was very entertaining and it an extremely pleasant surprise when they started playing our fight song and formed the stacked UCF on the field - very classy. I'd bet money they don't do that for everyone especially Michigan. With a few too many turnovers and not being able to stop their QB we lost the game.
The morning of the ride back we stopped at Tim Horton's
for a "Where's Knightro" picture and a box of Timbits for the road.
Saturday morning we got up early to head out to the tailgate at the campus of The Ohio State University. Before hitting the road we stopped at Tim Horton's for a small bite to eat since I was not sure I would be able to set up the tailgate and cook the biscuits and gravy I brought with us. We encountered quite a bit of rain during the 10-15 minute drive up there and I was starting to have doubts if I was able to pull off a tailgate on this day. By the time we got to our parking space (which backed up nicely to a grassy area)the precipitation had subsided. From there it rained off and on for the next hour, nothing really hard but just enough to wish you had some cover, which we did. The tailgate next to us had food, beer, and a grill but no cover. I felt bad for them and offered them space under our UCF tent. They gladly accepted and we made some new friends. We enjoyed some nice weather when the overcast sky started to break up and allow the sun to shine through every once in a while.
After breaking down the tailgate we made our way to the stadium where we had a little trouble finding the visiting teams gate, with over 100,000 people attending the game it was not surprising. Although we were in the corner of the end zone on the second level I felt we had pretty good seats at least much better than I expected. We were on row nine out at least 37 rows - that was one of the rows one person said they were looking for as the climbed past us. The Ohio State band was very entertaining and it an extremely pleasant surprise when they started playing our fight song and formed the stacked UCF on the field - very classy. I'd bet money they don't do that for everyone especially Michigan. With a few too many turnovers and not being able to stop their QB we lost the game.
The morning of the ride back we stopped at Tim Horton's
Quck Akron Post
Just a quick post on the Akron game to get caught up. On the offensive side of the ball the line looked a little slow to pick up the pass rush but the run game looked good. Defensively the line could not seem to get any pressure on their quarterback and our deep pass coverage was a little week. I know I probably should not complain too much considering we won 56-14. On a positive note I was glad to see some takeaways and converting those into points.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
2012 Football Season Eve
I will have a little trouble falling asleep tonight as it is the Eve of our 2012 football season. The Knights are up in Akron as I post and I'm sure are very ready to start knocking around some Akron Zips. Hopefully this will be a good tuneup game for the team as we will have to return to Ohio and play the Buckeyes at home in Columbus next week but I should not get ahead of myself and just try and focus on the task at hand and that is return home from Akron with a "W".
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Did I mention........
Did I mention i wanted us to CRUSH fiu. Yeah, 28 days and counting.
This is the countdown to the fiu beatdown!
28 days
This is the countdown to the fiu beatdown!
28 days
12 days and counting
-It's - the - most - wonderful - time - of - the - year !
When we last met I was posting my wishlist for the 2012 football season. I happened to have rather bad timing on this by posting it on the eve of the official ncaa sanctions against us. With that said, I would like to take the opportunity to revise my list by making changes to only the first item. Instead of Winning a conference title it should now read:
1. Win the appeal of our football postseason ban AND win a conference title.
Now with the appeal officially submitted I hope the ncaa will expedite the process and return an answer before the end of the season. I have never felt comfortable with the idea that we could appeal the ruling, play out the entire season (including the postseason) and then possibly lose an appeal and lose next years football postseason. Don't get me wrong, I am all for appealing the decision if there is a possibility that the ncaa did not make the correct decision when they levied a postseason football ban on us but I would rather take the medicine this year and then move on. Moving forward into the Big East without any baggage was always my preferred way to go.
Here's hoping that we come out on the winning end of the appeal process.
Go Knights!
When we last met I was posting my wishlist for the 2012 football season. I happened to have rather bad timing on this by posting it on the eve of the official ncaa sanctions against us. With that said, I would like to take the opportunity to revise my list by making changes to only the first item. Instead of Winning a conference title it should now read:
1. Win the appeal of our football postseason ban AND win a conference title.
Now with the appeal officially submitted I hope the ncaa will expedite the process and return an answer before the end of the season. I have never felt comfortable with the idea that we could appeal the ruling, play out the entire season (including the postseason) and then possibly lose an appeal and lose next years football postseason. Don't get me wrong, I am all for appealing the decision if there is a possibility that the ncaa did not make the correct decision when they levied a postseason football ban on us but I would rather take the medicine this year and then move on. Moving forward into the Big East without any baggage was always my preferred way to go.
Here's hoping that we come out on the winning end of the appeal process.
Go Knights!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Wishlist for 2012
As I slept soundly last night after the long drive from Orlando I had a vision. In this vision the gods of college football appeared before me and presented the message that because of my great devotion to my UCF Knights, I had been bestowed with the gift of one wish to be granted for this upcoming 2012 college football season. The only catch is that it has to be realistic which unfortunately means I would be wasting my time wishing for a national title this year. Luckily for me I was not required to give my response at that moment and I am allowed to take seven days to contemplate this important decision. I feel that the best way to approach this decision was to make a list of items that I would like to see materialize this season. Currently here is my wish list in order:
Beat the usf cows! -nuff said
1. Win a conference title. Short of winning the national championship this is probably my most recurring wish and something that should be very attainable this year. At a minimum I expect the Knights to compete for a conference title every year but this year I feel we are strong enough to bring home a third trophy.
2. Crush FIU. Yes that actually says "Crush" not beat or defeat. Last years defeat to the Owls left a bad taste in my mouth that still has not completely washed out. I have my opinion of why we lost that game but that is not the focus of this post. Simply put I want us to beat them and beat them badly. Anything short of a twenty point win will not leave me satisfied.
3. Beat Missouri at home. Nothing helps your reputation more than beating an SEC team and this year is no exception. At the time of this writing the SEC is the measuring stick by which all conferences are measured and beating any of them (well almost any, sorry Vandy and Mississippi State) earns you some atttention.
4. Win a second bowl game. This is one of the most important items that a team can add to its resume that helps build the reputation quickly. A big bowl win can also help nullify any missteps that were taken during the year, just ask West Virginia who lost last season to Syracuse but then reached the Orange Bowl and put a hurting on Clemson so bad that everyone forgot their loss to a bad Syracuse team.
5. Beat Urban Meyer up in Columbus. I am sure that my Gator friends would appreciate me moving this one to the top of the list but it probably will not make that jump. When you beat a "traditional power" at their house it definitely gives a boost to your reputation.
Did not make the cut but still important:
- Beat both ECU and Southern Miss in the same year for a change. Overall our record against these teams is not good and beating both of them in the same year would be a great way to exit CUSA.
- Payback UAB for our embarassing loss to them last year in Birmingham.
- Exit CUSA undefeated against Marshall. Hey its only fair, they were undefeated against us while we were both in the MAC.
Beat the usf cows! -nuff said
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Trying to catch up
OK it has been way to long since I have posted anything. In fact I broke one of the main rules that I set when I first started this blog and that was _ I am not going to let more than 7 days go by (that's a week to you and me) without posting something.
I am not quite sure what happened to the men's hoops team at the end of the conference and NIT tourneys. Maybe they were just a little intimidated about being there - I really don't know. It was still a pretty memorable season and I look forward to see how Coach Jones and the team do next season.
Men's and women's soccer teams did really well last year and hopefully they can play up to the same standard they set last season.
Football..............?
60 more days until the first game - a road trip up to Akron Ohio to take on the Zips. Not quite sure what kind of reception we will get up there but we have played them when we were a member of the MAC. The last time we played them was in 2004 which was GOL's first year as our head coach and the year in which we lost every game including a 26-21 loss to Akron at the Citrus Bowl. It appears that they have been down for the last couple of seasons only winning two games in two years and with new head coach Terry Bowden it might be a rebuilding year for them. I think it will be a good tune up game for us before we head back to Ohio a week later to take on the Buckeyes in Columbus. 76 more days until we get our chance at revenge against FIU - a game that I did not want to lose last year. Yes I said it - REVENGE. This is all about payback and I want us to not just win this game but I want us to beat them down bad. I will not be happy unless we beat them by at least two touchdowns. Go Knights!
Football..............?
60 more days until the first game - a road trip up to Akron Ohio to take on the Zips. Not quite sure what kind of reception we will get up there but we have played them when we were a member of the MAC. The last time we played them was in 2004 which was GOL's first year as our head coach and the year in which we lost every game including a 26-21 loss to Akron at the Citrus Bowl. It appears that they have been down for the last couple of seasons only winning two games in two years and with new head coach Terry Bowden it might be a rebuilding year for them. I think it will be a good tune up game for us before we head back to Ohio a week later to take on the Buckeyes in Columbus. 76 more days until we get our chance at revenge against FIU - a game that I did not want to lose last year. Yes I said it - REVENGE. This is all about payback and I want us to not just win this game but I want us to beat them down bad. I will not be happy unless we beat them by at least two touchdowns. Go Knights!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Knights knock off UAB
This time it was not a complete game by the Knights but we did enough in the second half to beat the Blazers for the first time. We dominated inside the paint for most of the game but especially in the first half. We out-rebounded them on both ends of the court and capitalized on their mistakes in the first half. Although UAB eventually made a game out of it by taking the lead by one point late in the second half, we stayed composed enough to retake the lead and pull away by seven points to close out the game. Great win against yet another team that made it to the big dance last year. Can we get Coach Jones to coach the football team?
Go Knights!
Go Knights!
Knights beat Memphis in Men's Hoops!
Awesome game from the tip off to the final buzzer. The Knights came ready to play and everyone contributed. There is nothing I like more when I see a total team effort for a win. Keith had one of the best games I have ever seen him play and Marcus came up with a few clutch plays going down the stretch. The final rebound and putback by Keith at the end of the game was a close call and could have gone either way, luckily for the home team we got the call. Keith drained the free throw and 4 seconds later we made history.
I was glad to see the student section rush the court after it was final, let's celebrate!
Go Knights!
I was glad to see the student section rush the court after it was final, let's celebrate!
Go Knights!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Way to step up Isaiah Sykes part 2
OK long time no post I know and a lot has happened in the last 30 days or so.
The latest victory for the Men's hoops squad was another great team performance by everyone involved. Both Keith and Zeke(Isaiah) had double doubles with Zeke grabbing 14 rebounds (11 of them of the offensive flavor) and adding 21 points. Four of those points were late in the game Monster Jams the last one was a one handed stuff up between two defenders, Dunk You very much. Josh Crittle played well in the middle and added 10 points with four rebounds. It seemed like a pretty big crowd especially the Knightmare section which appeared to be full. Coach Jones will be back for the game on Saturday Knight up in Huntington when we take on his former team Marshall. Should be an exciting game.
Go Knights!
The latest victory for the Men's hoops squad was another great team performance by everyone involved. Both Keith and Zeke(Isaiah) had double doubles with Zeke grabbing 14 rebounds (11 of them of the offensive flavor) and adding 21 points. Four of those points were late in the game Monster Jams the last one was a one handed stuff up between two defenders, Dunk You very much. Josh Crittle played well in the middle and added 10 points with four rebounds. It seemed like a pretty big crowd especially the Knightmare section which appeared to be full. Coach Jones will be back for the game on Saturday Knight up in Huntington when we take on his former team Marshall. Should be an exciting game.
Go Knights!
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