This will be our first meeting with Kansas State and the 3rd team we have faced from the Big 12 conference. I’m extra excited for this game considering I’m going to be there in person, flying out Friday morning to enjoy some Kansas City BBQ and a big victory! For those that can’t make it to the game it’s televised by Fox Sports Net which will be picked up on channel 50 on Bright House and of course available on DirectTV. Also you can hit the Moat Sports Grille to watch it with a packed house of UCF fans, but be sure to arrive early for the 12:30pm EST kickoff!

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Gotta love Godfrey, he is already becoming a UCF fan favorite for quotes between his “Follow Me” from the NC State and now this gem today. O’Leary made an exception to his no interviewing Freshman players rule to allow the media to interview Jeffry Godfrey, which I think was a smart move. Looks like he was surrounded from a good amount of media and seemed to handle things with the cool and calm demeanor that he plays with on the field. The best though was when he was asked about what his plans are to put UCF on the map by Mike Bianchi and he responded “UCF is already on the map”. Take that Mike!

Here is a full session video via Orlando Sentinel…

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The Orlando Sentinel also now published a highlight video, with this one you get the benefit of the Marc Daniels calling the plays:

This one is courtesy of brahmanknight (well done!)

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Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel had a blog posting of a Sunday media session that covers the Buffalo game in pretty good detail in case you missed it. The hot subject of course is the quarterback position, so here is a key paragraph on that:

On whether Godfrey has earned the starting job:
“Yeah, he’ll be listed as the one and Rob two. And again, I don’t have any problem if anybody is struggling, let them get their breath on the sideline and get the next guy in. But I think he’s earned that right to take the first snaps and to start the game. I think he’ll only improve and improve each game as he sees more and he starts playing to the faster tempo.”

Please CLICK HERE to read the remainder of the article, including a look ahead to our next opponent Kansas State.

Initially I was a bit upset about how we looked in the game, but reflection the next day made me realize that we did what we needed to do and that’s get a win on the road. The fact that we were starting a true freshman for his first time makes how pretty it was much less important. Just keep winning and it won’t matter how it looked!

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So sure we played them last year, but if you want to get more info about the current team for this week’s opponent then you may want to check out this Buffalo fan blog at http://www.ubbullrun.com

Some recent posts include a blog exchange with the OS Notepad, a match-up grid, and a review of their game against Baylor.  Of course not sure how much thought is put into all the info considering this line in the match-up grid, straight from the “we’ll see about that” department:

UCF’s skill players are nowhere near the level play that UB saw last week [Baylor]

I’d be lying if I said I knew the caliber of Baylor’s skill players but I feel like I can safely say that we are at the very least close to that level of play. In fact I don’t think there are many teams outside of the Top 15 programs or so where we don’t have skill players that would go toe to toe with other programs. I guess we’ll find out if his tune is changed on Saturday.

Note on TV: The game is televised locally on Bright House Sports Network (channel 47/1147 in HD) and for those without Bright House or out of town you may be able to view it on ESPN3.com depending on your ISP.

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Will we be talking about this quote from Jeffrey Godfrey for years to come? You have to be impressed with a true freshman walking around on the sideline showing his teams that confidence. If you haven’t read the story yet, click this link for the article from the Orlando Sentinel. I absolutely love the confidence, there is no position in football where it’s needed more than at QB and as Coach Kelly says it’s not in a cocky way, but rather in a way that will help elevate those around him:

“… That’s how [Godfrey] feels about himself. And it’s infectious. He does it in a way where it’s not cocky or bragging. He does it in a way where it incites belief and confidence in his other teammates.”

Music to my ears…

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Another beautiful (& hot) day for tailgating on UCF’s campus! My group once again setup shop next to the gorgeous reflecting pond and enjoyed another stress-free game day. So therefore lots of shots of the reflecting pond area! Saw a decent amount of NC State fans wandering around, including a little girl who was enjoying the water in the pond. As will be our new habit we spent a little time in the Memory Mall on the way in and it was crazy as always. As pictures will show my buddy Buddha’s tailgate stepped it up another notch with having a full size pool table this week. Great stuff!

Tailgate & Stadium Crowd Shots for NC State game

As for the game, great crowd with over 43k on hand but we need to sell these games out no question. The good news is those that came and stayed the entire game were very loud, especially during the big comeback lead by Jeffrey Godfrey who I already have anointed the present & the future. It’s just about the least upset I can recall walking away from a home less, especially for a “big” game. I feel like we have something real special brewing.

The Good:

• Great defense overall holding NC State to 239 yards
• Incredible performance by Godfrey making the Wolfpack D look silly at times
• Overall atmosphere in the stadium, you gotta love big-time night games!

The Bad:

• Lack of a sellout
• Offensive line was dominated and that’s a concern
• Still a little suspect on rushing defense

The Ugly:

• Any fans that booed Calabrese should be ashamed of yourself. The kid had made dramatic improvements and is working his butt off. He has handled everything with pure class and is part of the UCF family. Plus he is just a young college kid, not some pro making millions of dollars so please save your boos for them on Sundays and let’s give Rob a break.

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Well I shouldn’t say former great Knight because once a Knight, always a Knight and that is especially true with the great ones like #91! Here is a transcript from an interview with Leger Douzable on Knightcast radio earlier today posted on UCFSports.com.

Douzable finds new home in Jacksonville

On a personal note not only is Leger a favorite of mine, I had the pleasure to get to know his family pretty well after they picked us up from the side of the road on I-95 driving back from the ECU road trip. A detailed account of what happened is linked here, but a short and simple story is we ran out of gas and Leger’s parents saw us and our UCF flags on the side of the road late and night and took great effort to u-turn and get back to us to help us out and since then we’ve been great friends! Here we are at the 2007 Fan Fest. I continue to wish all the best to Leger and his family!

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In case you are interested in reading a pretty detailed analysis of the game from the Wolfpack point of view, then check out this article…

Saturday’s contest at Central Florida was considered a litmus test for the Pack, and NC State emerged with a passing grade after knocking off a stubborn Knights squad 28-21. Now it’s time for some Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

Key moment of the game:

NC State had total control of the contest in the first half, taking a 21-7 lead into the locker room, and the defense was technically pitching a shutout because UCF’s lone score came when sophomore receiver Quincy McDuffie returned a second quarter kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.

After halftime, there was a feeling that if NC State could get one more score they would put the game out of reach for Central Florida. State’s offense however was struggling to gain traction, even after redshirt junior linebacker Audie Cole picked off freshman receiver Nico Flores‘ double reverse halfback pass at midfield with 7:29 left in the third quarter. picked off freshman receiver

Continue Reading…

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Not a chance, this man is the present.

Photo is from the Orlando Sentinel, and here is an article on the decision from O’Leary meeting with the press the day after the NC State game.

Photos of tailgating and crowd shots for NC State game to come later.

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