Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

The UCF Knights (1-0; 0-0 C-USA) football team got their 2012 and final season in Conference USA off to a fantastic start with an old-fashioned bottom bruising of the Akron Zips (0-1; 0-0 MAC). The Orlando Sentinel provided excellent coverage and analysis of the game:

“Normally that first game, you’re sloppy and all that,” O’Leary said.”We had our moments out there. But for the most part, we basically executed out there on the offense and on the defense. You had some plays you’d like back on offense and defensively some missed tackle plays, but overall I thought the kids took to coaching and went and did what the game plan called for.” The Knights (1-0) used superior athleticism to pummel Akron (0-1), rolling to a 56-14 win over the Zips Thursday night. The season opener was streamed online at ESPN3.com.

O’Leary sent in his reserves, including Missouri transfer quarterback Tyler Gabbert making his college game-day debut, and the Knights kept putting points on the board without really delving that deep into their playbook. UCF raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead. The Knights kept attacking the overmatched Zips, easily pushing the score to 41-7 in the third quarter. The Knights entered the contest eager to avenge the disappointing 2011 season. UCF had comparable talent, but a series of mistakes and internal strife contributed to the team finishing the year with a 5-7 record.“I’m just happy for the win,” UCF senior safety Kemal Ishmael said. “We went out there. We showed some good things, we did some bad things. Everything’s correctable, but we played a good game.” The Knights used a heavy ground attack to run through and over a much weaker Akron defensive lineup. The passion showed on the field. UCF outgained Akron 141-17 on the ground in the first half, then added more passing plays in the second half. Senior Latavius Murray, who is part of an ultra-competitive rushing rotation, did his best cement his role as the Knights’ starter. He racked up 108 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries during the first half alone,’Leary said Murray suffered a bruised shoulder and he opted to rest his starter, giving some of the talented reserves he wanted to see play more time on the field.

Hall delivered, scoring off an 18-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Blake Bortles in the second quarter, pushing the Knights ahead 28-0. Bortles, who earned a win in his first career college start, connected with Hall again for a 56-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. It was a career-long pass and reception for both Bortles and Hall, respectively. The play pushed UCF ahead 42-7 with 5:28 left in the third quarter and slammed the door on any chance for an Akron rally. Sophomore Rannell Hall said entering the contest he was eager to show he could be more than a kickoff return threat.

Godfrey returned to the program after a tumultuous sophomore season and agreed to accept a different role at the receiver position, while Calabrese was returning from his second torn ACL injury. Godfrey made plays in space, while Calabrese used an acrobatic move to haul in a touchdown pass from Gabbert. The game offered a bit of redemption for former UCF starting quarterbacks Jeff Godfrey and Rob Calabrese, who both played well. “It was a good feeling,” Calabrese said. UCF set the tone for a powerful offensive attack early, efficiently marching down the field on its opening drive. The Knights racked up 73 yards on eight plays. UCF’s special teams unit, which had been a liability last season, forced a turnover instead of committing one Thursday night. Ishmael had nine tackles and one special teams fumble recovery. Senior cornerback A.J. Bouye, another player returning from a knee injury, forced a fumble, and senior defensive end Cam Henderson recovered a fumble. “We’re happy,” Bouye said. “. .. We’re just planning to get better every week.”

The Knights now move on to what is undeniably their biggest challenge of the season. UCF travels to Ohio State next Saturday to take on the Buckeyes, a top-10 ranked team that could turn disastrous for the Knights should they fail to execute a highly effective gameplan. Kickoff for the Ohio State game is @ Noon and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Excerpts and photos courtesy of Orlando Sentinel.

UCF Athletics made an historic and gigantic leap forward today. The Big East Conference announced today that UCF is joining as an all-sports member of the league! Below is the UCF press release on this historic and AWESOME news! Welcome to the Big Boys Table UCF…GO KNIGHTS!!!

A new day has dawned for the Knights, as the University of Central Florida today accepted a much-anticipated all-sports invitation to join the BIG EAST Conference.

“This is a historic moment for the Knights, our UCF family and friends, and all of Central Florida,” said UCF President John C. Hitt. “Joining the BIG EAST is the next step on UCF’s path to national prominence, providing immediate opportunities for our student-athletes to compete on the largest national stage.

“This opportunity is about more than just athletics. It is an opportunity built on the success of all who work and learn at our great university.”

UCF will begin BIG EAST competition in 2013-14, taking on schools such as Notre Dame, Connecticut, Boise State, Georgetown, and Houston, while renewing a budding rivalry with the University of South Florida. UCF is home to more than 500 student-athletes competing in 16 intercollegiate sports.

Since the BIG EAST’s establishment in 1979, conference members have won 31 national championships in six sports, and 133 student-athletes have won individual NCAA national titles.

“Over the last 32 years, the BIG EAST Conference has constantly evolved along with landscape of college athletics,” said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto. “The inclusion of these five great universities, which bring a unique blend of premier academics, top markets, strong athletics brands and outstanding competitive quality, marks the beginning of a new chapter in that evolution. We are proud to welcome these schools to the BIG EAST family.”

UCF Athletics Growth

UCF’s athletics programs have grown in national prominence over the last several years. In 2010-11, its football, baseball and men’s basketball programs all enjoyed national rankings, while the men’s and women’s soccer teams both have competed in recent NCAA tournaments.

Student-athletes have long been excelling in the classroom as well, with 219 student-athletes named to the 2010-11 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. UCF has placed more student-athletes on the honor roll than any other public university in the conference for five straight years.

“This tremendous opportunity is possible thanks to the outstanding efforts of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators, as well as our faculty, staff, students and alumni,” said interim Director of Athletics Al Harms. “We look forward to competing against some of the most well-known and competitive teams from around the country.”

UCF competes at the Division I level in football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s rowing, softball, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s cross country and women’s volleyball.

A member of Conference USA since 2005, UCF has won 15 conference titles across all sports. UCF teams also have played in 26 NCAA tournaments since then, and UCF student-athletes have won 33 Academic All-American awards.

“We would not be here today were it not for our participation in Conference USA,” said President Hitt. “Commissioner Banowsky and our fellow members of Conference USA have created opportunities for universities such as ours to gain national recognition, and have distinguished themselves by handling this conference realignment with integrity and class.”

‘Exciting Time’ for Step Up

Football coach George O’Leary said the move is a major milestone for his football program and all of UCF Athletics.

“This is a great opportunity for the UCF athletics program and the university to continue reaching their goals,” he said.

The BIG EAST has a storied basketball history, and UCF’s basketball coaches look forward to competing against traditional powers such as Connecticut, Georgetown and St. John’s. The Connecticut men’s team won its third national championship last season, and two BIG EAST teams advanced to the women’s Final Four.

“Our program is very excited about the move to the BIG EAST Conference,” said men’s basketball coach Donnie Jones. “The BIG EAST has such a great tradition, and is consistently recognized as the best basketball conference in the country. This is an exciting time to be at UCF, and this is a great opportunity for our university.”

In November, Coach Jones led the Knights to a thrilling comeback victory against defending national champion UConn.

Said women’s basketball coach Joi Williams: “Though we are very appreciative of our time in Conference USA and the great experiences, we are extremely excited about increasing our visibility and having an opportunity to compete on a larger, national stage. The BIG EAST is home to many of the nation’s elite women’s basketball programs, and we hope to add to the standard of excellence both on the court and in the classroom.”

The UCF Knights football team (5-7; 3-5 C-USA) defeated the Miners of UTEP (5-7; 2-6 C-USA) in front of a national audience Friday night at Bright House Networks Stadium. While quarterback Jeff Godfrey started the game with an interception, his replacement, Blake Bortles, led the Knights to a solid 31-14 victory. Bortles scored his first-ever career-rushing touchdown. He was put in the game at the end of the first quarter and remained there until the game’s end. The win was also a nice send-off to the team’s seniors, who were all a part of the 2010 squad that made program history with a season finish in the Top-20, a Conference Championship, and victory over the SEC perennial powerhouse Georgia Bulldogs in the LibertyBowl. Unfortunately, UCF finishes 2011 with a losing season and is not bowl-eligible. In other UCF sports news, the men’s basketball team (4-2; 0-0 C-USA) defeated #4 UCONN (6-1; 0-0 Big East), effectively ending the team’s winning streak, which was the longest in college basketball! The Knights were competing in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas (unfortunately, they lost to an undefeated Harvard [8-0] squad this afternoon) and had to erase a 17-point deficit to come back for the win against the Huskies. It marked the biggest win in UCF Basketball history, the previous of which was last year’s win against the Florida Gators. The Knights’ next game is on Saturday December 3rd against Hartford in the UCF Arena.

Photos courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

After finishing a 2010 season ranked in the Top 20 in all 3 polls (AP, Coaches, and BCS), being crowned Conference USA Champions, and beating the Georgia Bulldogs in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the UCF Knights (4-7, 2-5 C-USA) have solidified a losing 2011 season. After losing to the Pirates of East Carolina(5-6, 4-3 C-USA) in-front of a nationwide audience (and sold-out 52,000-fan filled Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium) on Saturday in Greenville, NC the Knights cannot get to the crucial six wins needed to secure a post-season bowl berth. The game was somewhat of a shootout between the two teams. But UCF struggled both offensively and defensively. Quarterback Blake Bortles appeared to be much more productive than Jeff Godfrey during the contest. And receiver JJ Worton continued to show his value to the team as he tied the game up 31-31 in the last two minutes. ECU answered with a quick touchdown of their own, taking the lead 38-31. UCF would regain possession of the ball, taking it all the way down to the 11-yard line; but the Knights weren’t able to punch it in and score the points needed to put the contest into OT. The season will end on Friday when the Knights take on the UTEP Miners (5-6; 2-5 C-USA) at Bright House Networks Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm and the game will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Network. The College of Nursing Tailgate Party will begin at 3:00pm in the Softball Lot.

The UCF Knights (4-6; 2-4 C-USA) lost to a very good ranked (#23) Southern Miss (9-1; 5-1 C-USA) team Saturday night in a showdown at “The Rock” in Hattiesburg, MS. The Knights brought the game down to the wire, mostly by racking up yardage on the backs of backup quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Lativius Murray. The Knights marched down the field in the last final seconds of the game and scored a touchdown that brought the game to 29-30. Instead of tying the game up and bringing it into overtime, UCF went for a two-point conversion, that unfortunately, fell short and gave the Golden Eagles the win. This was also the away-game I chose to attend this season with my dad. We made plans to attend Southern Miss before the start of the season, believing the Conference USA East Division Title would be on the line at this game. UCF now needs to win-out its remaining two games at East Carolina (4-5; 3-2 C-USA) and at home against UTEP (5-4; 2-3 C-USA) to become bowl eligible. Most college football experts predict the Knights will do that and land in the St. Petersburg (Beef O’Brady’s Bowl) against a Big East (UCF’s future conference) team on December 20th. UCF vs. East Carolina is being broadcasted on Fox Sports Network this Saturday. Kickoff is at 7:00pm. See below for my reflections from Southern Miss. (Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel).

1. Pre-Game Dinner at Leatha’s BBQ: Ridiculously good BBQ! Dad and I both remarked it could be the best BBQ we ever had, even better than Memphis! Neat atmosphere and very friendly wait staff who welcomed the UCF fans that were there.

2. Southern Miss Campus/ Tailgate/ Fans: Very nice campus that consists of older style brick buildings. Lots of tailgaters. Every Southern Miss fan we interacted with at the game was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The fans (with the exception of a few who’ve come to this Board) are very classy folks. 

3. The Game: I think we saw an amazing comeback performance from our boys that brought it down to the wire. Obviously Bortles was much more effective than Godfrey (he should be our starter period) and Murray/ Worton were great. I have some great feelings about our offense and entire 2012 team after this game. The two-pointer was a gutsy call that would’ve made one hell of a statement had it worked. Hindsight is always 20/20. So going for the tie for OT looks much more attractive now. But I give O’Leary some credit for the ballsy call. 

4. Attendance: My dad and I were shocked to hear the announced crowd at just 32,000! A ranked top-25 football team that seems to be destined for their Conference Championship game and a nice post-season bowl only had 32K people attend their game and that is sad to me. And the very friendly, welcoming, and cordial Southern Miss fans around us told us that the attendance last night was actually slightly better than average and that “The Rock” has NEVER hosted one sell-out game in its entire history! Seeing such poor attendance for a team that is having such an incredible season was disappointing for sure. Overall, we really enjoyed the Southern Miss experience. I would definitely go back again. 

The UCF Knights (4-5; 2-3 C-USA) suffered yet another loss Thursday night. In front of a national audience on CBS Sports Network, UCF lost to Conference USA mate Tulsa (6-3; 5-0 C-USA) at Bright House Networks Stadium. While the offense saw some success, the defense really struggled. With five starters out on injury, the Golden Hurricane took advantage of missed tackles and sloppy play. UCF led during the half; but they couldn’t perform in the red zone, which resulted in them adding just 3 points in the entire second half. And in the end, Tulsa took control of the game running out close to 5 minutes of the game clock giving the Knights no time for any offensive effort. With this loss, the Knights are now struggling to win just six games to become bowl eligible. The season has been a terrible disappointment for a team that finished 2010 ranked in the top 20 in two polls and #25 in the BCS, won their Conference Championship game, and beat a traditional powerhouse team in the Liberty Bowl. And their season isn’t getting any easier. The Knights play a very good Golden Eagles (8-1; 4-1 C-USA) team in Southern Miss this Saturday. Kickoff is at 8pm and the game is televised nationwide on CBS Sports Network. Photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (4-4; 2-2 C-USA) are celebrating a smashing victory over C-USA rival Memphis (2-7; 1-4 C-USA) on their Homecoming from this past Saturday. UCF proved that it has what it takes to be a dominate force on the football field after shocking upsets at SMU and UAB. The defense held Memphis to just six first downs and only 134 total yards of offense. The offense was also very successful, racking up a massive 505 total yards! Quarterback Jeff Godfrey also shows why he is the Knights’ #1 guy. He completed 14/17 passes, passed for 200 yards, and earned one of the Knights’ touchdowns. But the victory for UCF has to be quickly savored. The Knights are back on national television this Thursday when they take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (5-3; 4-0 C-USA). Tulsa just delivered the Mustangs of SMU (the same SMU team that solidly defeated UCF and who knocked TCU out of the Top 25 just a few weeks ago) a slaughter! The Golden Hurricane are no doubt the most rounded (and perhaps most talented) football team UCF has faced this season. UCF is also expected to get a formal invitation to join the Big East in all-sports as early as Tuesday of this week. Hopefully that invitation will come and bring renewed energy to the team who can bring home another win. Kickoff is set for 8pm and the game will be nationally televised on CBS College Sports Network. The UCF College of Nursing Tailgate Party for the UCF vs. Tulsa game will begin at 4pm in the Softball Lot. Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (3-4; 1-2 C-USA) suffered a shocking defeat last week to the Blazers of UAB (1-6; 1-3 C-USA) in Birmingham, Alabama in a game that was nationally broadcasted on CSS. UCF struggled defensively and offensively. Starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey proved to be ineffective during the game; but backup Blake Bortles was put in too late. Although he was able to help put up 10 points in less than 5 minutes and put the Knights in the lead, UAB’s Ty Long hit a 41-yard field goal that would seal the fate of the game and give UAB a 26-24 win over UCF. The Knights now shift their focus to Memphis, a struggling team that is 2-6 overall and 1-3 in C-USA. Kickoff for the Homecoming game is set for 4pm. The UCF College of Nursing Alumni Chapter has a full day of events planned for UCF’s Homecoming celebration. The Alumni Breakfast begins at 8:30am in the College of Nursing at University Towers (Suite 300) in Research Park. After the Breakfast, the Homecoming Parade kicks off at 11:00. The College of Nursing Homecoming Tailgate Party then starts at Noon in the Softball Lot. For more information on the UCF College of Nursing Homecoming events, contact the College of Nursing Development Officer Katie Korkosz @ (407) 823-1600. Photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (3-3; 1-1 C-USA) suffered a humiliating defeat against the Mustangs of Southern Methodist (6-1; 2-0 C-USA) on Saturday in Dallas, Texas. UCF was out coached from all aspects of the game; and its continued problems with special teams haunted them on Saturday as well. Bad punts doomed the Knights from the start of the game, giving SMU excellent field position which led to quick and short scoring drives twice. And while UCF has had a stout defense, the Knights gave up 440 yards of offense and allowed a touchdown pass for the first time in 8 contests! In contrast, UCF had a total of 459 yards with 80 plays. But the problems in the offensive line kept points off the board. While UCF didn’t give up any turnovers, they were unsuccessful at sustaining scoring drives. Quarterback Jeff Godfrey was 23 of 32, passing for 231 yards, scoring one touchdown, with two sacks. Backup quarterback Blake Bortles was put in the game during the last five minutes of play and he led the Knights to a quick scoring touchdown in 1:12. But it was too little too late and the Knights finally succumbed to the Mustangs 38-17. The loss puts UCF in a toss-up in Conference USA East with Southern Mississippi (5-1; 1-0 C-USA), who had a bye week this week. The Knights will get little rest as they must immediately begin preparations for UAB, who they play in-front of a national audience on Thursday on CSS Sports Network. Kickoff is at 8pm.

The UCF Knights (3-2; 1-0 C-USA) defeated the Thundering Herd of Marshall (2-4; 1-1 C-USA) during an absolute torrential downpour at Bright House Networks Stadium (BHNS) on the beautiful UCF campus on Saturday night. UCF struck early and landed the first touchdown of the game during the first drive of the game. The Knights would also capitalize on a safety in the 2nd quarter and then drive for a second touchdown on the next drive. Marshall’s only points came from a UCF fumble on Marshall’s 10-yard line late in the 3rd quarter that was returned for a touchdown. The Herd then went for a two-point conversion but were unsuccessful. Over a 24-hour period, over 7 inches of rain soaked the field at BHNS and the rain ranged from a steady downfall to a pelting throughout the contest. With the win, UCF moves up to first place in C-USA East and continues to defend its 2010 Championship. The Knights’ next matchup is one that will prove daunting. UCF travels on Saturday to Dallas, TX to take on the SMU Mustangs, who had a bye-week Saturday. SMU (4-1; 2-0 C-USA) knocked-off the then #20 TCU Horn Frogs (at TCU) last Saturday in a game that went into overtime and resulted in some bad blood between the two teams. The game will be broadcast nationwide on Fox Sports Network. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm. The Knights need to secure a win against SMU to propel themselves further up C-USA East to fend off the Southern Miss Eagles (5-1; 1-1 C-USA), who are proving to be a dominant team in the East.