UCF Excited For 'Canes Game

“Swag.”  Yeah, everyone knows the Miami Hurricanes have it, but we at the University of Central Florida have it too.  Not only does the football team have swag, but the students and fans as well.  We have attitude, we are loud, and we have something to prove.

The Miami Hurricanes are coming into town this weekend for an in-state show down.  The Hurricanes can expect a sold-out stadium and a lot of noise.  Bright House Networks Stadium isn’t called the trampoline for no reason.  The students are excited, the players are pumped, and UCF is buzzing.

This is the biggest game since the Bright House Networks Stadium inaugural game against Texas in 2007.  But this game is even bigger.  It is an in-state game, which means it has major ramifications on the three R’s—recruitment, rivalry, and respect.

Like any other in-state match up, this game holds a lot of value in terms of recruiting.  High school players around the state are watching this game to see what the Knights are all about.  And with 16 recruits committed already to the football program here (10 of them from Florida, four from Miami), we are making major strides in in-state recruiting. 

Winning this game would surely draw the attention of other Florida football players and take attention away from the “Big Three.”

This is the second consecutive season that we face Miami.  Last season we lost, but the game was much closer than people thought, coming down to the final quarter with a score of 14-20.  This has the potential to be a rising rivalry for both schools, especially if the Knights keep it close again, or better, win.

No one is giving us a chance to win, no respect.  But it is understandable.  Miami is ranked number nine in the country, and we are on the brink of being numerically shutout from the Conference USA Championship game.  UCF has never been ranked and Miami has won five National Championships.

But everyone knows in-state games behave differently.  They behave like rivalry games—they are always closer because both teams know that so much is at stake.

Winning this game would be huge for UCF.  We would have our first ever win over a Top 25 opponent.  We would stay in the running for the C-USA championship title and would have chance to play in a Bowl game.

Do we have a chance?  I believe we do, and so does many at UCF.

When we faced Miami last year, we kept it close even with the statistically worst offense in the country.  With quarterback Brett Hodges now leading the offense and running back Brynn Harvey having the best season since Kevin Smith in 2007, the offense will have a much better opportunity against the Hurricane defense.

Hodges has been finding his receivers increasingly well the more games he plays.  He spreads the ball out as well, which bodes well for us against Miami’s second corner Sam Shields, who is transitioning from wide receiver this season and has struggled with consistency and ball play over the course of the season.

The Knights' defensive front seven play has been outstanding all season and should be able to limit the Hurricane’s potent running game like Virginia Tech did in Miami’s only loss this season.

We need a game like this.  With the University of South Florida now ranked, we have to make a play.  We need an attention grabber, a big win, so that we can compete with the recent success of Florida college football programs.

Knights, it’s time to show off our swag.