Next....UCF

GTBandit22

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We aren’t holding these guys to 13, so Sims and Co. will have to protect the football and finish drives for 6. Can we get some timely turnovers on D and force FG attempts?
They haven’t played so may be rusty, but they have film on us to try and exploit our weak spots.
Very tough matchup, but I feel better about it now than I did a week ago.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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So our strategy is:

Bend don’t break defense. Run the ball. Control the clock. Limit possessions. Here comes another dive... oh boy!

We’ve watched this strategy every game for a decade with CPJ... Maybe that old cat knew something about the game?

/

It works against teams that live and die by the big play. Frustrate them and make them go the distance. The question is can we effectively run the ball against this team? I don't know. The Athlon Preseason ALL AAC team (first through third teams) had about 10 players from UCF on it in one way or another. On the first All AAC offense was one offensive lineman, one defensive lineman, and a safety. Otis Anderson, UCF's fine all purpose back was first team punt returner. Something else to worry about. On the second team All AAC offense was the quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The defense placed a linebacker, a cornerback, and the other safety. The third team All AAC offense had a UCF running back named McCrae who is about 175lbs. The aforementioned Otis Anderson was placed on the third team offense as an all purpose back. There was also a wide receiver on the third team as well as one offensive lineman. Third team defense had one UCF representative a defensive lineman. One thing to note, the linemen particularly on defense that were earning these accolades were definitely on the small side by power 5 standards. Temple did place a 6'6'' 300lb defensive lineman on the second team but he was the exception. Make of this what you will.
 

MonroeJacket

GT Athlete
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Here’s a question. FSU went 6-6 last season and UCF went 9-3 in the regular season. If last year’s FSU squad played UCF’s schedule from last season, what do you think their record would be?

Prior to playing us, was FSU predicted to have improved from a year ago? What is the outlook on the current UCF squad compared to last years?

I like our chances.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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We aren’t holding these guys to 13, so Sims and Co. will have to protect the football and finish drives for 6. Can we get some timely turnovers on D and force FG attempts?
They haven’t played so may be rusty, but they have film on us to try and exploit our weak spots.
Very tough matchup, but I feel better about it now than I did a week ago.

No one did last year. Cincy held them to 24 which is about as good as you can expect. Tulsa held them to 31 somehow. Maybe UCF was worn out running up and down the field the previous two weeks before playing Tulsa. They hung 63 on Temple and followed that up with 44 on Houston. They scored 62 against Florida A&M and 56 against UCONN. On the other hand, they lost to Tulsa, and almost lost to Tulane. They beat Stanford (yes, that Stanford) by scoring 45 points and lost the next week to Pitt 35-34. The scoring offense was impressive with video like scores and stats but they did not play a very demanding schedule and when they played two good teams Pitt and Cincy they lost both of them.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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You talking about Dillon Gabriel their QB or someone else? Gabriel was their starting QB last year after he took over in Game 1.

That's right, the previous quarterback suffered a terrible leg injury at the end of 2018 which may have ended his career. Gabriel was a true freshman starter (sound familar?) last year and did a great job. The one weapon he had last year that he does not have this year was a wide receiver who may have been the best player on the team who opted to go to the NFL. Pretty impressive.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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Here’s a question. FSU went 6-6 last season and UCF went 9-3 in the regular season. If last year’s FSU squad played UCF’s schedule from last season, what do you think their record would be?

Prior to playing us, was FSU predicted to have improved from a year ago? What is the outlook on the current UCF squad compared to last years?

I like our chances.

That is just it. UCF ran up all those scores and video game stats against questionable competition. However, they did score 45 against Stanford but the other two times they faced good teams in Pitt and Cincy they lost. FSU would have been all over that schedule like white on rice. Maybe Pitt could have beat them, they did not play last year or Cincy but that is it. Blackman would have had a field day against that level of competition. We will see. FSU played Boise State, Clemson, Miami, Louisville, Florida, and Virginia a little harder row to hoe than the UCF parade of largely cupcakes (no offense AAC) that included Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, UCONN, East Carolina, Tulane, and USF. This should add fuel to the ongoing dispute about Power 5 vs G 5 or whatever they call it
 

MonroeJacket

GT Athlete
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That is just it. UCF ran up all those scores and video game stats against questionable competition. However, they did score 45 against Stanford but the other two times they faced good teams in Pitt and Cincy they lost. FSU would have been all over that schedule like white on rice. Maybe Pitt could have beat them, they did not play last year or Cincy but that is it. Blackman would have had a field day against that level of competition. We will see. FSU played Boise State, Clemson, Miami, Louisville, Florida, and Virginia a little harder row to hoe than the UCF parade of largely cupcakes (no offense AAC) that included Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, UCONN, East Carolina, Tulane, and USF. This should add fuel to the ongoing dispute about Power 5 vs G 5 or whatever they call it
I agree with all of this. Stanford was pretty bad last year though.
 

WreckinGT

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That is just it. UCF ran up all those scores and video game stats against questionable competition. However, they did score 45 against Stanford but the other two times they faced good teams in Pitt and Cincy they lost. FSU would have been all over that schedule like white on rice. Maybe Pitt could have beat them, they did not play last year or Cincy but that is it. Blackman would have had a field day against that level of competition. We will see. FSU played Boise State, Clemson, Miami, Louisville, Florida, and Virginia a little harder row to hoe than the UCF parade of largely cupcakes (no offense AAC) that included Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, UCONN, East Carolina, Tulane, and USF. This should add fuel to the ongoing dispute about Power 5 vs G 5 or whatever they call it
Against Pitt they had two interceptions and a blocked punt returned for a TD in the first half that lead to a quick 21 point deficit. They still came back and probably should have won. That’s not that bad against an an 8 win P5 opponent that nearly beat Penn St in Happy Valley and beat us by 10. Their only bad loss was to Tulsa. That was a bit of a head scratcher.
 

gtrower

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Against Pitt they had two interceptions and a blocked punt returned for a TD in the first half that lead to a quick 21 point deficit. They still came back and probably should have won. That’s not that bad against an an 8 win P5 opponent that nearly beat Penn St in Happy Valley and beat us by 10. Their only bad loss was to Tulsa. That was a bit of a head scratcher.

I don’t know about “should have won.” Their OL couldnt do anything against the Pitt DL. Their offense that game was basically jet sweeps and Hail Marys of which they connected on a handful to stay in the game.
 

slugboy

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Here’s a question. FSU went 6-6 last season and UCF went 9-3 in the regular season. If last year’s FSU squad played UCF’s schedule from last season, what do you think their record would be?

Prior to playing us, was FSU predicted to have improved from a year ago? What is the outlook on the current UCF squad compared to last years?

I like our chances.
Yes, FSU was thought to be improved this year.

FSU squeaked by Louisiana Monroe in OT last year by one point. I don’t know how they’d have done in the AAC, but Memphis and Cincinnati would have given them a fun game. I’d guess about 8 wins. I think they’d have lost head-to-head to UCF last year.

UCF is supposed to be at least as good this year as they were last year.
 

85Escape

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Yes, FSU was thought to be improved this year.

FSU squeaked by Louisiana Monroe in OT last year by one point. I don’t know how they’d have done in the AAC, but Memphis and Cincinnati would have given them a fun game. I’d guess about 8 wins. I think they’d have lost head-to-head to UCF last year.

UCF is supposed to be at least as good this year as they were last year.
So was FSU :)
 

YJMD

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I think they're still waiting to hear back on some transfer waivers. Not sure how many and what role they may have on the team.
 

GT_EE78

Banned
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Talent composite rankings
> making me think that taking the points is a smart bet
15 FSU
30 GT
61 UCF
 
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