Week 4
University of Central Florida Knights @
Boston College Eagles
Alumni Field at Alumni Stadium (aka “The Nest”) – Chestnut Hill, MA
Capacity: 44,500
Kickoff: 1:00pm ET
Line (As Of 9/16) : Boston College -9.5 to -10.5
Television: ESPN U – BrightHouse channel 109 (if you pay for the Digital Sports Package)
Radio: AM 740 (Orlando), 1350 (Cocoa & Dade City), 1340 (Daytona) 1240 (Melbourne)
UCF Record: 1-1,last win against S.C. State. Last loss by a chain length to #17 USF.
Opponents Record: 1-1, Last win against Kent State. Last loss against Georgia Tech.
Series Record: First meeting of these two teams.
UCF Depth Chart:Click Here To See
Boston College Depth Chart:Click Here To See.

Analysis by: punk0mi of the ucflj community.

Picking up the pieces…
UCF is back at the game this week travelling to Massachusetts to take on the Eagles of Boston College. UCF has a great opportunity to beat a very respectable team this weekend on the road.

Despite losing to USF two weeks ago, there are some positives to take away from that game. Our defense did what it needed to do during that game. Looking at the stats, you wouldn’t think so, but for the first 3 quarters of the game, the defense, primarily Joe Burnett, kept us in the game. The real glimmer of hope came in the 4 th quarter, when our offense seemingly came alive. Greco finally found some confidence and the receivers caught the balls. We took USF to the brink, and while I am personally over the “moral” victories, it wasn’t too bad of a loss. However, it is time to focus on the future and move past the injury dealt by USF two weeks ago….so bring on Boston College.

Real quick Public Service Announcement
If you can’t make it to the game in Massachusetts, then do the next best thing – watch it with the Rowdy Knights fan club. A watching party is being organized at Smokey Bones Bar & Grill at Waterford Lakes. The game starts at 1pm, but I’d show up early to reserve a seat. Also, if you are a member of the Rowdy Knights, wear your shirts and get $5 cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos or eight winds.

On to the pre-game analysis…

What can we expect from Boston College?
Last year Boston College was ranked as high as 2 nd in the nation, but once again that was last year. Losing their talented gun slinger Matt Ryan to the NFL has forced BC to find other ways to get into the end zone. Boston College is a well coached team; however at the moment it seems the Eagles are still trying to figure out some personnel issues, especially in the QB and RB departments. The Eagles took a blow this week and lost their number one pass rusher, Alex Albright, to a serious neck injury that requires season ending surgery. Expect BC to bring a game, but probably not their A game.

What can we expect from UCF?
UCF is getting back on track after the loss to USF at home two weeks ago. The Knights are looking for a victory to help erase that loss…and a win at Boston College would do the trick. The beat on the street says that we will not see Kamar Aiken play this game, but we will see new 4 star Notre Dame transfer Richard Jackson get his first start. I seriously think we will see a changed UCF football team this week, a team that knows its potential if it just comes alive. I expect UCF to come out swinging.

Who, What, Where, Why, When, How?
Woe is the quarterback! BC is having a tough time replacing super stud Matt Ryan with starting QB Chris Crane (Sr.). Crane did well enough in the opener against Kent St., but seemingly fell off the charts against Georgia Tech last week as he was not able to score in the red zone even once, threw 2 INT’s, and took a safety. BC head ball coach Jeff Jagodzinski has gone on record stating that true freshman Dominique Davis (from Lakeland, FL) will get some playing time this weekend depending on how good or bad Crane is doing, so expect to see 2 QB’s at some point. Despite who is throwing the ball, look for passes to hit WR Ryan Purvis (Sr.), Brandon Robinson (Sr.), and RB Jeff Smith (Jr.). When Jeff Smith isn’t catching the ball he will most likely be pounding it out on the ground or will turn over the running game to Freshman RB Josh Haden. Interesting note – the BC O-Line outweighs UCF’s D-line by an average of 35 lbs per player (307lbs to our 272lbs). What will UCF need to do on offense? Everyone needs to stay on their man. I am going to go out on a limb here and say there will be at least 2 INT’s by UCF’s smoking aces backfield of Joe Burnett (Sr.), Johnell Neal (Sr.), Jason Venson (Sr.), and Sha’reff Rashad (Sr.). Expect to see some pass rushing come from LB’s Cory Hogue (Sr.) or Derrick Hallman (So.). Despite being out weighed, if the UCF D-line can generate enough momentum to push BC’s buffet busters back, expect the QB to throw some errant passes.

As far as the Eagles defense goes, they are currently ranked in the Top 25 in seven different defensive categories. On the season thus far BC has only allowed 103.5 yards passing (which puts them 2 nd place nationally). In total, the BC defensive unit has only allows 247.5 yards in two games, which isn’t too bad. Look for big hits to come from LB’s Mark Herzlich (Jr.) and Brian Toal (Sr.) – Herzlich already has 21 total tackles and an INT this season while Toal has 14 total tackles and 1 sack. Hog mollies to look for at the line would include B.J. Raji (Sr.), Jim Ramella (Jr.), Ron Brace (Sr.), and Austin Giles (Jr.). How does UCF score? We need to see Greco pick up right where he left off against USF – confidant and composed. If Greco can do that, then our receivers will get the game moving. WR’s Rocky Ross and new comer Richard Jackson will make a difference in this game. The UCF O-line was given a bit of breathing room when BC lost their top pass rusher Alex Albright, but nonetheless our O-line will need to push to give Greco the time he needs. Expect a tandem running scheme by Latavius Murray and Ronnie Weaver – these guys need to average at least 3-4 yards per carry to take the load off the receivers a bit.

Other Contributing Factors: There are many contributing factors that will affect UCF. Away Game – There will be a serious home field advantage for BC. Alumni Stadium is about the same size as our Bright House Networks Stadium and we know how loud we can get – expect the same from our opponent’s home crowd. Needing a Win – UCF is in need of a victory. The future is still very wide open for UCF, and a win against Boston College could spark our team to even greater heights. Intimidation? – Is UCF intimidated by Boston College? Weather looks great for a game: – This game will played in some nice conditions. The forecast calls for a daytime high of 66 degrees with mostly sunny skies and a 20% chance of rain. Winds are expected to out of the ENE at 5-6 MPH.

Summary :
This game should be interesting to see. I expect to see a improved, more grown-up version of UCF football. I also expect BC to be a difficult opponent, but still beatable. I honestly think UCF is the better team at the moment. Sure we lack the physical size, but we make up for it in speed. This won’t be a marquee win for UCF, but a good win to put on the resume, especially since it is on the road. If UCF can establish dominance, then expect the Knights to return to Orlando victorious.

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

Go Knights!