Week 5
University of Central Florida Knights @
University of Texas at El Paso Miners
Sun Bowl Stadium – El Paso, Texas
Capacity: 51,500
Kickoff: 8:00pm ET
Line (As Of 9/23) : UCF -4.5
Television: CBS College Sports (BrightHouse channel 106, DirectTV channel 613, DishNetwork channel 152). Also being streamed on the internet at www.cbssports.com/ppvonline
Radio: AM 740 (Orlando), 1350 (Cocoa & Dade City), 1340 (Daytona) 1240 (Melbourne)
UCF Record: 1-2,last win against S.C. State. Last loss to Boston College.
Opponents Record: 0-3, Last loss to New Mexico State by 1 point.
Series Record: UCF leads 1-0
UCF Depth Chart:Click Here To See
UTEP Depth Chart: As soon as I find one, I will let you know.

Analysis by: punk0mi of the ucflj community.

Can the Knights stop the bleeding?
It doesn’t take a football expert to tell you that it hasn’t been a glorious start for the Knights in 2008…

One sloppy win against a 1-AA team and two losses to major BCS programs. In all honesty, the Knights need to get things figured out now or it could place UCF out of bowl contention by November. This weekend marks the start of conference play, and needless to say I am a little worried about our offense being able to get it done on the field. UCF is on the road to play the Miners of Texas-El Paso, and to we all should be a little worried…read on to find out why.

On to the pre-game analysis…

What can we expect from UTEP?
UTEP can be a dangerous team. However, and perhaps luckily, the Miners have lost several players to early injuries, including starting hotshot quarterback Trevor Vittatoe. The Miners have changed their basic defense to the 3-3-5 since they hired new defensive coordinator Osia Lewis from New Mexico. Expect UTEP to run a bit of a spread offense this weekend thanks to all of those injuries. Expect UTEP to put a blitz on UCF for just about every position.

What can we expect from UCF?
Offensively speaking, who knows? The only thing I can say about UCF right now is the defense is great. Don’t be deceived by the numbers of yards the D has allowed so far this season – you can thank our current lackluster offense for not giving the D time to recover on the sidelines. Expect to see three (yes ALL three) quarterbacks, four (yes ALL four) running backs to play this weekend. I guess not all is lost on offense for the Knights – WR Kamar Aiken has been cleared to play…hopefully that will help.

Who, What, Where, Why, When, How?
Since starting QB Trevor Vittatoe (So.) will be doubtful for this game so expect to see James Thomas II (So.) to take the snaps. Thomas is a dual package deal – he plays quarterback and wide receiver and that means he should be able to pass just as good as he can run – which happens to be a great thing since UTEP starting RB’s Terrell Jackson (Sr.) and Donald Buckram (So.) will be out with an ankle and shoulder injuries. As it stands now, Thomas leads the offense in rushing as he has 191 yards on 24 carries and 2 TD’s. When Thomas isn’t running the ball himself, expect to see RB duty to be shared by Daniel Palmer (Fr.) and Vernon Frazier (R.Fr.). Another big hit on the UTEP offense comes in the loss of WR Jeff Moturi (Jr.) to a hamstring issues. Thankfully, WR Kris Adams (Jr,) and TE Jamar Hunt (Sr.) have stepped up and increased their production and are averaging 14.1 yards per reception combined. What will UCF need to do on the defensive front? First off the D line will need to push to put pressure on Thomas. With that said, the defensive ends will need to contain any QB scrambles with the assistance of outside linebackers Derrick Hallman (So.) and Corey Hogue (Sr.). The backfield should have a good day and I’d be real surprised if UTEP can get more than 150 yards passing against the UCF backfield. As usual, expect the backfield to get at least 1 INT if not more.

UTEP runs a 3-3-5 defense. Some argue that this is one of the best defensive schemes out there simply because it can be highly deceptive and confusing. However, it takes a while to master it and get the kinks out. Looking at the C-USA stats, UTEP is currently 11th in scoring defense (allowing 39.9 PPG), 8th in pass defense (277.3 YPG), and 5th against the run (allowing 140.7 YPG). Look for UTEP LB Adam Vincent (Sr.) to make his presence known on D. Adams is UTEP’s leading defensive player thus far with 10 solos, 12 assists, and TFL. In the defensive back area look for Josh Ferguson (Sr.), Anthony Morrow (Jr.), and Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith (Sr,) to make some big plays as well. Alone these three DB’s account for 23 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s, 3 sacks, 2 INT’s, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles. A big key to UTEP’s defense is the blitz package. UTEP runs some sort of blitz on just about every down, and that is going to make life a bit difficult for UCF. So how can UCF beat out the 3-3-5 defense? The quarterback (Greco, Weatherford, Calabrese) needs to make really quick decisions or be able to scramble really quick. Our offense needs to profit from UTEP’s inexperience using the 3-3-5 and can do this if we are able to strike really quick. Look for passes to hit WR’s Rocky Ross (Sr.), Kamar Aiken (So.), and newcomer Richard Jackson (So.). O’Leary is old school enough that he probably thinks that he can run a 3-3-5 to failure, and to an extent he is right – however UCF has yet to see a dominant RB to emerge from the back that can threaten. With that said, expect Latavius Murray (Fr.), Ronnie Weaver (Fr.), Brandon Davis (Fr.), and Brynn Harvey (Fr.) to all take a turn carrying the ball. Last but least, PK Darren Daly (Sr.) needs to be benched while Nick Cattoi (Fr.) takes over field goal/PAT duty.

Other Contributing Factors: There are many contributing factors that will affect UCF. Away Game - The Sun Bowl is a loud stadium thanks to good fan support. Also, this is the first time UCF has ever played at UTEP. Stop the bleeding - UCF is STILL in need of convincing victory. If UCF can’t get one here, then this is going to be a long season. Time Change - Will the time change make a difference to UCF players? This has been discussed as a possible issue for all teams that travel to different time zones. Weather looks good for a game: - This game will played in the dry heat of Texas. The forecast calls for a daytime high of 86 degrees with sunny skies and no chance of rain. Winds are expected to out of the SE at 3 MPH.

Summary :
This game is do or die. Some of you may believe that statement is pre-mature, but in all reality it isn’t. Everything about this matchup matters. Both teams are looking to put up a solid win and establish itself on the field. If UCF cannot find its offensive game against UTEP, then it is going to be hard to have a positive outlook for the rest of the season. Looking at it on paper, UCF has a major advantage on UTEP thanks to all the injuries. However, if the UCF O cannot get past second gear, score, and give the defense proper time to recover, then expect this game to be real close, if not lost.

Last but not least, I leave you with the Keys to the Game and Players to Watch.

Go Knights!