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Sports

Central Florida needs help from defense 
if it plans to earn bowl eligibility in 2006

by CHRIS ELLIOTT
The Daily Cougar

Programs that utilize the run to establish the passing game are generally referred to as "smash-mouth" football teams. The problem with that generality is smash-mouth teams play a hard-hitting, grinding style of football on both sides of the ball -- something the Golden Knights have not been able to do this season.

Central Florida made it to the Conference USA championship in 2005 by controlling the line of scrimmage and the clock, but after three weeks of conference play and two demoralizing losses, the Golden Knights find themselves in a must-win situation heading into Houston to face the Cougars at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Robertson Stadium. They have not been able to make stops on defense thus far, and that translates into minimal opportunities for sophomore running back Kevin Smith to wreak havoc out of the backfield. 

"Obviously (defensively we have to) make plays. I think offensively we're doing some good things and being fairly consistent," UCF head coach George O' Leary said. "The big thing is defensively we've been having some opportunities to make plays and we're just coming up short. That's sort of keeping the ball on the field and not getting the offense on the field, and that's one thing that's been a continual struggle this year as far as the ability to make plays and tackle in the open field."

The Golden Knights are near the bottom of the list in every major defensive category in C-USA. They've given up a total of 416.9 yards per game, which is second only to Rice. And the bend-but-don't-break mentality has not gone according to plan, as UCF is tied for ninth place in coference with an 86.4 defensive red zone percentage.

O'Leary said his team will have to step up its game playing an offense of Houston's caliber.

"I think that's a concern, especially heading into Houston. They've got so much speed," O'Leary said. "They're well-drilled and they've got an outstanding quarterback that knows what he's doing with the ball, makes the right reads and basically knows that offense very well."

UCF has a few weapons of its own on the offensive side of the ball. Smith has proven to be a back who can consistently produce 100-yard performances on the ground. His average of 104.7 yards per game is good for third in the conference, while his 4.9 yards per carry average leaves little room for improvement. 

Moving the ball through the air has been a problem for the Golden Knights and the mid-season snap battle between junior quarterback Kyle Israel and senior Steven Moffet hasn't helped with uniformity.

"Both quarterbacks will play," O'Leary said.

Senior receiver Mike Walker has been the most consistent part of the Golden Knight passing game, averaging 92.4 yards per game to compliment his four touchdown receptions.

UCF will head into Robertson in an attempt to rebound from Saturday's 40-29 loss to Rice in which both teams combined for 902 yards of total offense. Though the Golden Knights played from behind most of the game, they still managed to stay balanced on offense, carrying the ball 32 times and picking up 155 yards in the process. But O'Leary knows that in order to play the style of football his team is accustomed to, it will have to make the plays on both side of the ball against Houston.

"We've just got to make more plays defensively. We're not making enough plays when we have opportunities, and that's really been the crux of the season so far," O'Leary said. "Last year we made some plays on defense. This year we seem to be a foot or a yard short of making plays and we've just got to continue to work on that."
 

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