Justin Holman (13) led Central Florida to a big win over BYU. (David Manning-USA TODAY Sports)
If it’s possible for the defending champions to fly under the radar, Central Florida managed to do that for the first month and a half of 2014. But while the Knights still have a lot of work to do to hit their peak, they look to be in fine shape for a repeat.
The Knights completed their nonconference schedule with a 31-24 overtime victory over BYU last week. Central Florida split its four nonleague games, losing to Penn State and Missouri. It was a challenging slate for a team that’s coming off a victory over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl.
“As I told the team, our goal was to get non-conference wins,” coach George O’Leary said. “I think it’s great for the American (Athletic) Conference to get a win like that. Obviously, we start into our conference play now. I think we have four of the next five games at home. So it’s something that you need to do and we got it done. I’m just very happy for the kids.”
Central Florida now finishes with seven AAC games, and the schedule breaks in its favor. Since there are 11 teams in the conference and only eight league games, each squad misses two AAC squads. For UCF, the teams not on the schedule are preseason favorite Cincinnati and unexpected contender Memphis.
Then again, the early returns on Cincinnati indicate that the Bearcats may have been overrated. The Bearcats were blasted again this week by Miami, and though the loss to the Hurricanes was a nonconference game that doesn’t hurt the team in the AAC standings, the contrast between the squads couldn’t be more clear.
Part of the reason for the optimism surrounding Cincinnati was the expectation that the offense would improve under quarterback Gunnar Kiel and the defense would continue to shine. Kiel has done his part, even fighting through bruised ribs to put forth solid numbers against Miami. But the defense under new coordinators Hank Hughes and Rob Prunty ranks 124th among the 125 Division I teams, and gave up 621 yards last weekend. That drop from the No. 9 ranking in 2013 explains the 2-3 record and the sense that things might not turn around in time to get the squad into contention.
East Carolina nearly suffered a devastating league defeat at South Florida, but rebounded to earn a 28-17 victory and remain undefeated in league play. The Pirates close the season by hosting South Florida on Dec. 4, a game that’s looking more and more like it will decide the conference crown. Though Temple could have something to say about that as well, as the only other team unbeaten in league play and will get the Knights and Pirates on back-to-back weeks on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.
CENTRAL FLORIDA (3-2, 1-0)
Game: Central Florida 31, Brigham Young 24. Justin Holman’s four-yard touchdown pass to Will Stanback in overtime proved to be the winning points in a seven-point victory over the Cougars. The defense held on the ensuing possession, allowing the Knights to come back from a 24-10 deficit to ensure the win.
Takeaway: The Knights couldn’t quite give their coach the 60 minutes of consistent football they wanted, but did enough to secure a marquee win at home to close the nonconference season. Central Florida closes with seven AAC home games, and a friendly schedule that doesn’t see them play Memphis or Cincinnati.
Next: vs. Tulane, Oct. 18.
CINCINNATI (2-3, 0-1)
Game: Miami 55, Cincinnati 34. The Bearcats were blown out on the road in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Miami scored on nine of its first 13 possessions and led 41-13 entering the fourth quarter.
Takeaway: Quarterback Gunner Kiel was able to play despite the sore ribs suffered in the previous game against Memphis, but unfortunately he doesn’t play defense.
Next: at SMU, Oct 18.
CONNECTICUT (1-5, 0-3)
Game: Tulane 12, Connecticut 3. Connecticut’s offensive struggles continued in a disappointing road loss to Tulane. The Huskies managed just 217 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times.
Takeaway: The Huskies continue to be their own worst enemy. Arkeel Newsome turned the ball over twice deep in Tulane territory, and missed a 36-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Huskies within one score in the fourth quarter.
Next: at East Carolina, Oct. 23.
EAST CAROLINA (5-1, 2-0)
Game: East Carolina 28, South Florida. East Carolina trailed 17-7 at halftime before scoring the final 21 points of the game and earning the road win. Quarterback Shane Carden led the team to touchdowns on the first three drives after intermission to secure the victory.
Takeaway: The ECU offense was mostly held in check by South Florida, which did a nice job preventing big plays. But the Pirates defense was able to keep the team in it while the offense heated up, holding the AAC’s leading rusher, Marlon Mack, to 61 yards on 15 carries.
Next: vs. Connecticut, Oct. 23.
HOUSTON (3-3, 1-1)
Game: Houston 28, Memphis 24. The Cougars earned a victory in Greg Ward Jr.’s first start, taking advantage of five Tigers turnovers. Ward completed 14 of 25 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 95 yards on 17 carries.
Takeaway: Houston’s defense did the job in denying Memphis what would have been a critical home win. Leading 28-21, it sacked Paxton Lynch to end a Tiger drive that had gotten to the Cougar three-yard line to force a field goal. On the final two Memphis drives, Houston forced a fumble at the Cougar 30-yard line and intercepted Lynch to seal the win.
Next: vs. Temple, Oct. 17.
MEMPHIS (3-3, 1-1)
Game: Houston 28, Memphis 24. Five turnovers prevented the Tigers from securing another AAC win, as Memphis instead suffered a difficult defeat at home. An interception and a fumble on the team’s final two possessions allowed the Cougars to escape the Liberty Bowl victorious.
Takeaway: Memphis has been one of the biggest surprises in the AAC this season, so the revert to 2013 form was disappointing. “I don’t want to get all down on our squad, but I’m just disappointed that we didn’t play better,” coach Justin Fuente said. “The bottom line is that we’re 3-3 after six games. I don’t know how many people would’ve said we could’ve done that, so we’ve got to focus on some things in the bye week and get some guys healthy.”
Next: at SMU, Oct. 25
SOUTHERN METHODIST (0-5, 0-1)
Game: Bye
Next: vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 18
SOUTH FLORIDA (2-4, 1-1)
Game: East Carolina 28, South Florida 17. The Bulls led 17-7 at halftime, but couldn’t sustain its defensive effort in the second half and fell to the No. 19 Pirates. South Florida held Shane Carden to just 250 passing yards, but game up touchdowns on ECU’s first three second half drives.
Takeaway: Andre Davis had a strong game in defeat. After missing the past four games with a bruised sternum, the senior caught six passes for 124 yards to become the all-time leading receiver in program history.
Next: at Tulsa, Oct. 18
TEMPLE (4-1, 2-0)
Game: Temple 35, Tulsa 24. Temple came back from a 24-21 deficit to score a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn a victory in its Homecoming game. Jamal Thomas ran for 156 yards on 14 carries, while P.J. Walker went 15-31 for 294 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Takeaway: The Owls have had a tough time mounting a consistent running game this season, but the backs had a dominating performance against the Golden Hurricane. Temple finished with 203 yards on the ground, an essential part of the victory in a game played largely in rainy weather.
Next: at Houston, Oct. 17.
TULANE (2-4, 1-1)
Game: Tulane 12, Connecticut 3. Nick Montana threw for 135 yards and a touchdown, and the defense forced three turnovers in earning its first AAC win. Sherman Badie and Lazedrick Thompson combined for 150 yards on 26 carries.
Takeaway: It was hardly one for the offensive highlight reel, but Montana did his job in leading the Green Wave to victory. After entering 2014 as the third-string quarterback, he ran the team efficiently and avoided turnovers in his first start of 2014.
Next: at Central Florida, Oct. 18.
TULSA (1-5, 1-1)
Game: Temple 35, Tulsa 24. The Golden Hurricane played perhaps their best game of the season, but ultimately couldn’t pull off the victory on the road. Tulsa took a 24-21 lead on a 44-yard field goal by Carl Salazar — marking the first time Tulsa has had a lead in regulation all season — but gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to the Owls.
Takeaway: Tulsa looked better this week, but the same problems again proved fatal. The Golden Hurricane gave up seven plays of at least 30 yards to the Owls, and was penalized eight times for 108 yards. Five Temple first downs came courtesy of Golden Hurricane penalties.
Next: vs. South Florida, Oct. 18.
