Coach O'Leary Talks Miami Hurricanes

In a conference call this afternoon with George O'Leary, UCF's head coach answered questions about the upcoming game against Miami. Reporters all over the state asked him a variety of questions, from the local impact of the game to the chance of using Rob Calabrese vs. the Canes.

Coach O'Leary on how the Bright House has elicited excitement

"The last piece of our puzzle was the stadium. Game day Saturday is a really exciting time for the fanbase and the student body. They are really taking to the tailgating, and it's a loud stadium to play in, and the big thing with the program is that we've improved each week."

Coach O'Leary on the importance of a win vs. Miami

"You schedule these non-conference games to challenge your own program to see where you are at. I think Miami is playing very well, and Coach Whipple and Coach Lovet have got them playing very well on offense and defense."

Coach O'Leary on the local impact of the UCF-Miami game

"Well, the game is sold out. Playing in-state teams is great...I'm always trying to get that done because I think it doesn't make sense to go two or three states away non-conference. It brings a much more meaningful game to your stadium (to play an in-state team). A lot of them (Miami and UCF players) have played together in high school, they hang out together in the summer, and I've met with a lot of them myself through recruiting in their living rooms."

Coach O'Leary on improving off of last year's game vs. Miami

"We gave up at least 16 points on special teams; we gave up a punt block and a safety in a high snap, and we dropped a punt return, so you can't do that, especially the way Miami's playing right now. They aren't hurting themselves. They are making good decisions."

Coach O'Leary on a win vs. Miami being a "signature win" for UCF football

"Anytime you beat the ninth ranked team in the country it should be a signature win. It's extra incentive to come out."

Coach O'Leary on the quarterbacks

"I've been very pleased with Brett (Hodges). He's had a couple mistakes in the past few games, but we won't just turn it over (to Calabrese). Calabrese hasn't been in the past few games because the scores have been too tight. I don't have a problem with bringing Rob in. It's about 60-40 in practice (Hodges to Calabrese). So Rob has the game plan and understands what takes place."

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Photo: Taken/Edited by Jessica Reuter