2007 Statistics

QUARTERBACK
Moving the ball here is going to continue at the same methodical rate. What will be new to their profile will be a running QB, a sure way to make it so the next running back has an every-play distraction for creating holes. When you have a guy like Kevin Smith, you run it – like UCF did – nearly two-thirds of the time. Even with Mike Greco and Phillip Smith composing the new backfield, the Knights won’t continue running it so much. Greco has lightning speed, and in his first outing for UCF, he was 11-of-12 for 151 yards, with 10 carries for 77 yards on top of that. This spring revealed his decision-making is decent, but he doesn’t have much precision to his deeper throws. The flip side is Joe Weatherford, the brother of FSU’s Drew and a pro-style passer with decent mobility. Greco is exciting to watch and full of potential, so he will have to fail miserably before Weatherford is given full reign.

RUNNING BACK
The newest Knight RB named Smith (Phillip) is a capable runner who will find the CUSA defenses as easy to get through as his predecessor did. Brynn Harvey looks like a serious threat, as does Jayson Williams and his skill set (he’s the most complete back). Ricky Kay is two-back window dressing who pushes more than he produces. Kay gets a personal test with the new backfield – is he a good enough blocker to again have UCF lead the conference in rushing? With the revampings along the line, Kay could be a pivotal factor.

RECEIVER
The best dimension on this side of the ball has to be the experienced receiving corps. Ross and Aiken have their roles set – Kamar will be even better after stretching the field so well as a freshman, and Rocky is tough over the middle as a ‘go to’ type. Watters is pushing both for reps after his huge spring. He might be the fastest Knight. Haynes also looks like he could break out if Greco/Weatherford can get him the rock deep, which is where he will be most effective with his 6’4 frame.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Brown is going to be the anchor at left tackle. Mike Lavoie and Cody Minnich may be seniors, but neither has ever started and both have limited (mostly special teams) experience. DeVane and Minnich are being pushed hard by their backups, obviously a good thing for the prospects of this group having depth. Jah Reid is about the biggest guy in the conference. He lost 50 lbs of fat since arriving, allowing him the range to earn some starts and Freshman All-CUSA status. TE Corey Rabazinski further grounds the line; the Winter Park product isn’t a blazer but proves effective in the patterns he runs.

Coordinator Tim Salem gets his own test since he can’t give Kevin Smith the rock nearly every play anymore (he now has an FBS all-time single-season high for carries with 450). There goes ball control. Balance has to be found, for if one dimension is again ranked 9th (rushing) as the other is ranked 105th (passing), the offense will not be running anywhere near optimally.

Dave Huxtable returns to the coordinators chair after being the main assistant on D for the past four years. Huxtable has lots of experience at the FBS level, working with O’Leary at Georgia Tech as his DC from 1996-97. "It is a real nice feeling knowing that we have nine returning starters. It's been helpful for the younger kids this spring to be able to watch those older kids play the positions and make the adjustments. The younger kids are learning from the older kids so hopefully now that…can give us some help in the fall," Huxtable says.

DEFENSIVE LINE
The front seven has five returning starters and two guys on the line who know the ins and outs real well. End Bruce Miller had the most consistent effort in ’07 of those who come back. Nall is fast enough that he started at linebacker, but they have him back up front now, probably as a hybrid that can drop back with TEs and extra receivers. The biggest surprise for spring was backup LB David Williams vaulting past Nall for the first-team designation. Both of these guys use a tireless motor to overcome marginal size issues. JUCO transfer Geathers passed on Oklahoma State and N.C. State to come here. Inside, Huxtable can bank on a pair of junior double-Ts from Georgia. Torrell Troup didn’t start last year, but he did so during his true freshman year. Troup is in place of departee Shologan, so he will have to pick up his effort to provide the same stopping power. Troup’s size is important so that Travis Timmons can wreak havoc. Timmons is looking like a breakout player, and his ability to line up on the outside will allow the staff to be more creative with assignments/responsibilities. The same goes for Wallace’s large-but-fast talents; the inside depth isn’t so strong, so bodies are being tried out (Harndin bumping up from LB seems an iffy proposition.)

LINEBACKER
The three main LBs started six games together in ’07. Ex-DB Hallman was just too good not to push his talents further into the box, so as a true frosh, he proved he is the future of the corps for a few years to come. Hallman breaking out even more will compliment senior Cory Hogue, who isn’t quite as fast as Hallman. Chance Henderson has the most accomplishments on which to hang his helmet; his first year as an upperclassman and leader will prove to be fruitful for the rest of his teammates. Ex-QB Alex Thompson left the hotbed of football in his hometown of Gainesville to be a bigger fish in the smaller Orlando pond. He and Jordan Richards – who missed all of last year due to a shoulder problem – make this a deep enough crew that the second team can do as well as the starters.

DEFENSIVE BACK
The secondary will get another new position coach, the third one in the past three years. Gary Blackney was Bowling Green’s head coach, and he gets a veteran group that is possibly the best in CUSA. The corners are the conference’s top pair – six INTs for each is the new school mark for outside starters. The two seniors can each be left alone with no worries after combining for 73 starts over their careers here (these four comprised the first team for every game but one). Joe Burnett is the school’s second leading all-time pickoff artist and an All-American for it. The Knights were third in the FBS with 24 INTs. Baldwin’s stat line outshines Allen’s efforts, but Allen is the most often used nickel back for a reason. The safety and corner starters have all started at least six games apiece in each of the past three years…a group that knows each other’s tendencies. Rahsad and Venson as the top tacklers in ’07 shows that they can do the job, but if they have to do as much again, the rest of the defense will not be keeping up their end(s). That isn’t as likely with so many starters back. Weams’ move from corner to safety shows his ability in one-on-one and how it now goes with his ability to manage a huge amount of defensive space.

After this D gave up 52 and 64 against ECU and USF, respectively, in weeks six and eight, they then held the No.1 offense in the nation – Tulsa – to 23 points. Later, they held the Golden Hurricanes to 25 points in another winning effort in the conference finals; from that first game against Tulsa onward, UCF held all of their foes to 31 points or under, allowing an average of just under 23 points per game during that span after the Knights had allowed over 35 per game over their first six contests. The bottom line of that statistical barrage is that UCF is on a defensive roll and has so many starters and reserves back – no freshman inhabits the two-deep – it’s ridiculous how much better they could become.