Tag: UCF Knights

Former USC defensive coordinator gets new job

Wisconsin’s defense wasn’t great with Alex Grinch on staff in 2024. Now UCF and Scott Frost are taking a chance on Grinch in Orlando. This will be a wild ride.

A little over a year after getting fired by USC football, Alex Grinch is a defensive coordinator once again.

On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Grinch will be the new defensive coordinator at UCF. He will serve under new head coach Scott Frost, who returns to Orlando after leading the Knights to an undefeated season in 2017 before departing for Nebraska.

Grinch was hired by Lincoln Riley as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator prior to the 2019 season. When Riley left Norman for Los Angeles in November 2021, Grinch was one of the first assistant coaches to follow him.

However, Grinch’s USC tenure was a disaster. His 2023 defensive was the worst statistical unit in school history, with the Trojans allowing 28 or more points in all but two games. Following a 52-42 loss to Washington last season, in which the Huskies racked up 572 yards of total offense, Grinch was fired by USC.

This past season, Grinch served as the safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator at Wisconsin. He returned to the Coliseum with the Badgers on September 28. Against Grinch’s unit, USC quarterback Miller Moss threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-21 Trojans victory.

Now, he is in charge of a defense once again.

Two Big 12 head coaches out after conclusion of regular season

Two Big 12 teams are now looking for a new head coach

The Big 12 Conference will see a change in two established football programs for next season, as the UCF Knights and West Virginia Mountaineers are now looking for new head coaches.

Gus Malzahn stepped down after four seasons at UCF’s helm, where he guided the Knights to nine wins in each of his first two seasons before going 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 this past season. He was hired by the Florida State Seminoles to be their new offensive coordinator.

West Virginia fired head coach Neal Brown on Sunday after six seasons and a combined 37-35 record. His firing came fresh off a blowout loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders to end the regular season. While successful in spurts, Brown’s Mountaineers struggled away from Morgantown, going 13-20 in road games over the past six years.

Next season, the Colorado Buffaloes are set to face WVU in Morgantown but will not play UCF. Colorado defeated the Knights, 48-21, in late September.

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Chiefs scouting report: UCF Knights RB R.J. Harvey

The Kansas City #Chiefs should look to target a player like UCF #Knights running back R.J. Harvey in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs must add some talent to their running back room in the offseason. Three of their five running backs hit free agency at the end of the season, and the current room lacks the diverse skill sets to maximize the offense’s potential.

UCF Knights running back R.J. Harvey is 5’9″, 208 lbs., which puts him in the same range as former Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon. Harvey is a fleet-footed runner with the long speed to score from anywhere on the field. According to Reel Analytics, he reached 20.8 miles per hour on a touchdown against Colorado earlier this year.

Harvey lacks the traditional size to create between the tackles, but his sudden and explosive footwork helps him exchange gaps in an instant and evade defenders in the backfield. Most defenders lack the agility and burst to match his jump cuts and acceleration.

Harvey shakes and jukes past defenders in one-on-one situations as he races to bounce runs outside. Once he turns upfield, Harvey accelerates to erase pursuit angles and put linebackers and safeties in chase mode.

Harvey’s combination of track speed, explosive agility, instant acceleration and controlled footwork makes him an ideal change of pace back in the NFL.

UCF goes on the road to face the 6-2 Arizona State Sun Devils at 6:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, Nov. 9. Harvey rushed for 507 yards and seven touchdowns in his last three appearances. He enters Week 11 of the college football season with the third-most rushing yards in the nation.

UCF fires defensive coordinator Ted Roof, pressure falls on Gus Malzahn

UCF has made a change at DC but the pressure now falls at the feet of the head coach.

For the second consecutive season, the UCF Knights have suffered a five-game losing streak. Last year it happened after starting 3-0. Perhaps they decided it was such a joy that the same thing happened in 2024. UCF now needs to finish 3-1 over the final four to get to the postseason.

Following the 37-24 loss to BYU at FBC Mortgage Stadium, the Knights fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof on Monday. The news was reported by Brett McMurphy among others. Roof will be replaced by co-defensive coordinator Addison Williams, who was the DC last season.

Roof joined the team after serving as the Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2022 and 2023. This season his defense is No. 11 in scoring defense in the Big 12 (27.1 points per game) and No. 12 in total defense (379.1 yards per game).

The firing signals the pressure is on head coach Gus Malzahn after another season falling apart following a promising start. Prior to joining the Big 12, Malzahn was a combined 18-9 with a 1-1 record in bowl games. Since joining the Power Four, the UCF head coach is a meager 9-12 and 4-10 in Big 12 play.

The Knights are unlikely to make a move at the moment but it seems to be getting worse for the former Auburn Tigers head coach. His calling card is on the offensive side of the ball but so far this year, UCF has the No. 9 scoring offense in the Big 12 (30.4) and No. 2 total offense (454.8).

But for UCF it is more than numbers when the results aren’t following. In three of the losses during the current streak, the Knights have been outscored by a combined 51 points. The other two losses came by a combined 9 points. That can make a major difference in the perception. Two scores away from a 5-3 record and a 3-5 record.

If the trajectory continues for the Knights, head coach Gus Malzahn could be in hot water this offseason.

Chiefs scouting report: UCF Knights CB Brandon Adams

UCF Knights cornerback Brandon Adams would be an ideal target for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs hit on several cornerback selections in recent drafts, and those young, talented defenders played a massive role in the team winning back-to-back Super Bowls.

The Chiefs should still add more cornerback depth in the 2025 NFL draft to stay healthy and cost-effective in the defensive backfield.

UCF lists cornerback Brandon Adams at 6 foot 3 inches, 190 pounds, but he’s likely closer to 6 foot 2 inches according to the measurements Dane Brugler from The Athletic used in his cornerback summer preview.

Either way, Adams possesses the size and arm length to present a significant obstacle for most NFL wide receivers. He projects as a mid-Day 3 selection in the upcoming draft.

Adams uses his long arms to jam and re-route receivers at the line of scrimmage. His independent hand usage is more advanced than what many prospects put on film, but there’s still room for him to improve the accuracy of his punches.

Adams moves surprisingly well for a tall cornerback. He recovers from false steps with quick, corrective footwork to mirror the wide receiver’s release. He takes advantage of the sideline as an extra defender on outside releases, shrinking throwing windows. Adams accelerates quickly to stay attached to receivers on vertical routes. He rarely surrenders open downfield throws in man coverage.

Adams’ large frame makes it hard to decelerate and stay attached to the receiver on comeback and curl routes. He gets grabby on these plays, which will lead to penalties in the NFL. Despite his impressive physical tools, Adams doesn’t deconstruct blocks at a high level. He knows he must improve as a run defender before entering the league.

UCF faces Cincinnati at home on Oct. 12 at 2:30 p.m. CST. The Bearcats feature several NFL prospects on offense, including quarterback Brendan Sorsby, wide receiver Xzavier Henderson, and tight end Joe Royer.

Breaking down PFF grades for Florida’s run game against UCF

Florida’s running game didn’t light it up against UCF, but PFF still believes this was the Gators’ best rushing performance since Week 2 vs. Samford.

Florida’s run game against UCF was far from perfect, but Pro Football Focus gave the Gators their highest run grade (68.1) since facing Samford (69.3) in Week 2.

Coming into the season, the rushing attack was thought to be Florida’s biggest strength, but the loss of Trevor Etienne has proved costly for the Orange and Blue. We can’t forget that lead back Montrell Johnson Jr. underwent minor knee surgery during fall camp.

It was a good bounce-back week for Johnson and the guys behind him following the bye. Let’s take a look at what Pro Football Focus had to say about the running backs and offensive line in Week 6.

Check out our breakdown of Florida’s passing game against UCF using PFF grades, too.

Running backs

Florida utilized a trio of running backs this week — [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. started the game and played 40 snaps, followed by true freshman [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] with 21 snaps and JUCO transfer [autotag]Ja’Kobi Jackson[/autotag] rounds out the list with six snaps.

The carries were split a bit differently, with Johnson getting 10 attempts, Baugh getting nine and Jackson getting three.

Johnson ran for 54 yards (5.4 per attempt) and a touchdown, earning a 69.6 overall grade and a 68.7 grade on run plays. Although neither of those figures led the rushing corps, Johnson was the most sure-handed rusher for Florida with a 73.4 fumble grade.

What’s most impressive about Johnson’s performance is that he gained 45 of his 54 yards after contact, forcing three missed tackles and breaking off a long run for 34 yards. However, any smart football fan will quickly point out that the bulk run saved him from an otherwise unseemly outing.

Johnson tried hitting all the holes, but he did most of his damage in the gap between the center and right guard.

Baugh put up the highest overall grade (73.5) and run grade (73.4) in the position room, but he only managed 30 yards on nine carries (3.3 yards per attempt). However, it’s the six forced missed tackles that stand out when going over his numbers. Baugh is proving to be an elusive back for Florida and could be the No. 1 instead of Treyaun Webb next season.

He likes going up the middle, hitting the gap on either side of the center, but he was most effective of the left end against UCF.

Jackson doesn’t get a ton of opportunities, but he always seems to do a lot when he gets on the field. In Week 6, Jackson ran for 25 yards on three carries (8.3 yards per attempt), and he scored a touchdown.

A chunk play for 19 yards accounts for the bulk of Jackson’s yards, but it’s still impressive to see him break those kinds of plays when he knows he’s only getting a handful of opportunities each game. Jackson earned a 65.2 overall grade and a 64.8 rushing grade this week.

Wide receiver Tank Hawkins also got a run in this week, going for four yards and earning a 57.9 run grade.

Quarterbacks

Florida’s quarterbacks tend to run a few times a game, be it a scramble or a designed run. Those designed runs usually go to DJ Lagway, but Graham Mertz had six carries this week, and only two of them were on scrambles.

Mertz ran for six yards on as many attempts, and Lagway went for 11 yards on three carries. Neither put up a strong run grade — 56.6 for Mertz and 53.3 for Lagway.

Mertz made the most of his scrambles, going for seven yards on two carries, but his keepers didn’t go as well — minus-5 yards over three carries. Mertz needs to make the right decision on those option plays a bit more often, based on these numbers.

Lagway is best when he scrambles (five yards on one carry) but his designed runs yield positive results as well (six yards on two carries). Keeping the true freshman healthy is paramount this season. Expect Lagway to run a bit more often when he’s fully in control of the offense next year.

Run Blocking

As usual, Gators Wire will discuss the offensive line from left to right. Remember, this analysis is mostly focused on run plays; however, we will provide overall grades as well to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Left Tackle

[autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] delivered his best run-blocking performance of the year against UCF, posting a 70.8 grade over all 29 run plays Florida ran. Barber was more effective on gap runs (74.1) compared to zone runs (63.3).

The Gators never hit the left tackle in Week 6, but Barber was surely a factor on the five plays that went all the way out to the left end (beyond the tight end). Not coincidentally, Florida’s highest average came off the left end (7.4 yards per attempt).

Left Guard

[autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] got the start for Florida at left guard, with Bryce Lovett as his backup.

Harris was excellent against the pass rush this week (85.1), but he struggled a bit more on run plays (63.2). He posted the lowest run-blocking grade among the five starters, but there’s a reason he stays out there. Harris was solid on zone runs (68.8) but struggled on gap plays (54.1).

Lovett only saw the field for seven run plays, and his numbers were terrible. A 43.8 run-blocking grade is almost half the 81.1 pass-blocking grade he put up, which explains why Harris is getting 30 more snaps a game. It also provides an explanation for Lovett’s brutal 48.7 overall grade on offense.

Florida rushers only hit the gap between the left tackle and left guard twice for one yard. The middle left gap (between the left guard and center) yielded better results (12 yards on four carries), but still isn’t the best option.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] earned a 66.0 run-blocking grade against UCF — 69.1 on gap runs and 61.1 on zone plays. He ranked fourth overall on the team this week and third among offensive linemen. It’s his second-worst performance of the year as a run blocker, but he’s still incredibly solid overall.

We already talked about Slaughter helping to make runs to the middle-left effective, but it’s on the right side where he made the bigger difference. Florida rushers ran for 54 yards on eight runs between Slaughter and the right guard. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Right Guard

[autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. didn’t have the best day as a pass-blocker, but he was solid on run plays at right guard for Florida. George took the majority of the run plays (22) in front of Kamryn Waites (7) and earned the higher run-blocking grade (65.3). George was better on zone plays (68.0) than gap plays (58.1).

Waites only saw the field for zone runs, posting a 62.5 run-blocking grade.

Despite some pedestrian grades from PFF, Florida’s right guard tandem deserves some credit for the 58 yards gained off the middle-right gap. However, Florida rushers gained zero yards on two attempts to the gap between the right guard and right tackle.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] was Florida’s best offensive lineman against UCF, earning team-high grades all-around — 85.4 as a pass blocker and 74.3 as a run blocker. His 75.1 overall grade is second only to Graham Mertz throughout the entire offense.

Crenshaw-Dickson posted strong grades on both zone plays (72.5) and gap plays (67.5). Florida rushers ran off the right tackle just three times for eight yards, but that could be a weakside-strongside issue.

Tight Ends/Receivers

Florida runs a lot of two-tight-end sets, which means Arlis Boardingham and Hayden Hansen are asked to block quite often. Neither performed well as run blockers, posting grades of 52.3 and 55.2, respectively.

Hansen was decent on zone runs (64.1), but that’s not a big enough silver lining to save him.

Receivers aren’t expected to do much as run blockers, but Chimere Dike deserves a shoutout for his 74.1 run-blocking grade against UCF. He led the team on zone plays (77.2) and finished second overall behind BCD.

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

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Analyzing PFF grades for Florida’s passing game against UCF

Florida’s passing game put up its best grades of the season against UCF in Week 6. Gators Wire takes a look at the numbers after the win.

Gators Wire returns (a bit later than usual in the week) with the post-game breakdown of Pro Football Focus grades.

Similar to the Mississippi State game, Florida’s offense thrived against UCF en route to a win. The passing game, in particular, was a strong point for the Gators, posting team grades of  85.5 on passing plays and 81.4 in the pass-blocking game.

The receivers didn’t perform as well as last week, dipping from 79.5 as a unit to 69.8, but there were still a few standout players to look at.

Quarterbacks

[autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] (81.6) and [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] (81.5) ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, among FBS quarterbacks in Week 6 using PFF’s passing grade; however, Mertz once again received the lion’s share of the offensive snaps for Florida, outpacing Lagway in dropbacks, 25-6.

Mertz led all Gators on offense with a 78.1 overall grade, which differs from PFF’s passing grades, while Lagway was seventh out of 21 players with a 70.7 overall.

Each quarterback had one big-time throw, which PFF defines as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Mertz finished the day with 19 completions for 179 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. Lagway went 4-for-5 for 50 yards.

The passing breakdown yields some surprising results for Mertz. He was better on medium (91.3) and deep passes (71.7) than he was on throws behind the line of scrimmage (65.9) and within nine yards (63.2). The primary criticism of Mertz coming into the season focused on his inability to throw downfield, but he’s starting to look good in the intermediate range.

Lagway is still the bigger threat beyond 20 yards, though. The true freshman completed his lone deep pass for 37 yards, leading to an 87.4 passing grade on deep throws.

Receivers

Slot

Slot receiver [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] continues to be the position room leader with Eugene Wilson III out. Dike led the receiving corps with an overall grade (of 74.8 and a receiving grade of 72.9. He caught four of his five targets for 88 yards, 22 of which came after the catch. With an average depth of target of 15.6 yards, Dike is a big reason why Mertz is thriving in the intermediate range.

Dike saw the field for 61 of 64 offensive snaps.

Right WR

Florida’s most targeted receiver in Week 6 was true freshman [autotag]Tank Hawkins[/autotag], and he reeled in seven of eight targets for 60 yards. Hawkins has stepped into Wilson’s role of collecting screen passes and running drag routes, and he’s done a nice job adding yards after the catch. More than 70% of his yards this week came after the catch. Hawkins’ overall grade (65.6) and receiving grade (66.3) took a slight hit because of a fumble.

Behind Hawkins were Taylor Spierto and Ja’Quavion Fraziars. Spierto hardly played, seeing the field for just one snap, and Fraziars’ use was also limited to 11 snaps. Hawkins is clearly the top option while Wilson is away, leading the way with 36 snaps.

Fraziars earned a 55.4 overall grade and a 55.8 receiving grade on just one failed target. Spierto earned a 58.3 and 59.6, respectively, in limited action.

Left WR

[autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] is the primary receiver on the left side of Florida’s offense, and he earned a respectable 66.7 overall grade while finishing 0.2 points behind Hawkins with a 66.1 receiving grade.

Badger is the team’s deep threat, made evident by a 25-yard average depth of target. He hauled in three of four targets for 41 yards and a touchdown — the only passing touchdown of the day for Florida.

Marcus Burke saw six snaps (three passing plays) behind Badger, but he wasn’t targeted at all. Burke finished the day with a 57.1 overall grade and a 57.6 grade on passing plays.

Tight Ends

Florida deployed a trio of tight ends against UCF. [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] worked primarily on the right side (44 snaps) and [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] was on the left (41). Scott Isacks III saw the field for three snaps and didn’t factor into the passing game at all.

Hansen was the more effective tight end in the passing game, finishing Week 6 with an overall grade of 58.8 and receiving a grade of 66.3, while reeling in both his targets for 13 yards. However, Hansen struggled as a pass blocker (36.2), hurting his overall grade.

Boardingham saw just one target, catching it for three yards. He was much stronger as a pass blocker (69.0), albeit over two snaps to Hansen’s six. The rest of Boardingham’s grades — an overall of 50.7 and a receiving grade of 52.1 — were well under the replacement-level threshold.

Running backs

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. was the only running back targeted by Florida quarterbacks against UCF, but it led to six receptions in as many opportunities for 24 yards. He finished the day with the second-highest overall grade (69.6) and receiving grade (67.9). His pass blocking (76.0) was also strong over three snaps.

Pass Blocking

As usual, we will go over the offensive line from left to right. Remember, we’re looking at pass-blocking grades only here.

Left Tackle

At left tackle is [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], who played all 64 snaps (35 passing snaps) for Florida. He earned a 72.4 overall grade (fifth-highest) and 70.0 pass-blocking grade, which was the second-lowest figure of any Florida lineman this week. Not great for an anchor left tackle. Barber allowed one pressure all evening, but it led to a quarterback hit, which explains the low(ish) grade.

Left Guard

At left guard, [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and Bryce Lovett split the workload, 47 snaps to 17, respectively. Harris saw the field for 25 passing plays and Lovett came in for 10. Both were excellent against UCF’s paltry pass rush.

Harris finished the day with an 85.1 pass-blocking grade and Lovett earned an 81.1; however, both struggled overall with offensive grades of 62.1 and 48.7, respectively. Still, they were two of the team’s top four pass blockers in Week 6.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] plays every snap at center for Florida, and he’s one of the best pass-blocking linemen in the country. A 79.3 pass-blocking grade is solid, but it’s well below his 84.0 average this year. Similar to Barber, a pressure that led to a hit is the only blemish on his chart and likely the cause of the slight dip.

Right Guard

Starting right guard [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. has the only ugly performance of any Florida lineman this week, posting a 47.1 pass-blocking grade. Only tight end Hayden Hansen finished with a lower grade. He’s responsible for three of the line’s five allowed quarterback pressures and is on the hook for all three of the team’s QB hurries.

There have been games where George was one of the strongest pass-blockers on the team, but he’s starting to trend down again. Poor pass blocking was a major reason Florida moved him into the interior over the offseason.

The good news is that [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] saw the field for 10 passing plays (to George’s 25) and put up a strong 81.1 grade as a pass blocker.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] played all of Florida’s offensive snaps at right tackle, and he also led the team with an 85.4 pass-blocking grade. After starting the season with a 55.1 off the bench, Crenshaw-Dickson has consistently posted grades of 80-plus, falling short by 0.1 points just once (against Mississippi State).

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

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Three takeaways from Florida football’s win over UCF in the Swamp

Florida went to halftime against UCF with a 21-point lead, but a goose egg in the second half made a strong win look a lot closer than it really was.

Florida (3-2) took care of business against UCF (2-3) in Week Six, 24-13, to move back over .500 on the season.

The tandem of [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] under center continues to be effective, and they seem to be playing off each other better by the week. But the big story this week for Florida is the defense, which finally showed up and played like an SEC defense should.

This win felt bigger than a two-point victory, though. Florida had control for most of the evening, and the clock just burned away in the second half.

Florida’s defense finally shows up

UCF kicked a field goal to get on the board early, but the Knights only got 11 plays off over the following three drives. Florida’s defense wreaked havoc, consistently getting behind the line of scrimmage. Over the entire game, the Gators racked up seven tackles for loss, five sacks and allowed just one touchdown.

By the time the Knights found the end zone, the game was all but over. More importantly, Florida stalled the two longest drives of the night for UCF — the 12-play, four-minute field goal drive to begin the game and a 14-play, eight-minute drive to start the second half with another field goal.

Capping it all off was a game-sealing interception from safety Bryce Thornton, who has missed time this season battling injury.

Statement first half

Almost everything went right for the Gators in the first half. Taking a 24-3 lead into the break had The Swamp rocking, and it’s hard to find any negatives with the Orange and Blue’s first two quarters.

Mertz and Lagway combined for 172 yards on 16-of-20 passing, including a touchdown pass to Elijhah Badger from the veteran quarterback. Lagway had his moment, too, finding Chimere Dike for a 37-yard gain and setting up a touchdown run from Montrell Johnson Jr.

Speaking of Johnson, the third-year Gators starter busted a big 34-yard run to set up a field goal right before halftime. He only ran the ball twice in the second half, but he finished the night with a 5.4-yard average over 10 attempts. If Florida’s going to find long-term success this year, they’ll need Johnson to hold that average for an entire game.

No points in the second half

As good as this win felt, it’s hard to ignore the goose egg put up by Florida in the second half. Good teams score in all four quarters, even if the opponent takes up 8 minutes to kick a field goal.

Florida didn’t need to maintain its three-touchdown lead after halftime to win comfortably, but putting up 108 yards over an entire half isn’t the best look. Had KJ Jefferson worked some magic instead of throwing an interception, UCF could have been a field goal away from tying it.

With several top-25 teams coming up on the schedule, it would have been nice to see the Gators keep their foot on the gas pedal instead of just holding off the Knights.

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‘We played well at all three levels’: Billy Napier credits Florida’s defense in win vs. UCF

The Gators defense had five sacks, an interception and allowed just 13 points in their win vs. UCF.

Florida football (3-2) earned a big victory over the UCF Knights (3-2) in Week 6, winning 24-13. The Gators didn’t trail once in the game in what was a fantastic showing on both offense and defense.

Coming into the game, there were some uncertainties surrounding the Gators’ defensive unit and their inability to stop the run. Going up against a rush-heavy team like UCF was a recipe for disaster but, the defense held their ground and didn’t let the Knights get anything going on offense.

The Gators’ defense gave up just 274 total yards (165 passing and 108 rushing), had seven tackles-for-loss that included five sacks. Florida also managed to get an interception.

“I think that we played with better gap integrity,” head coach Billy Napier said about the Gators’ defense. “And I think we got after it up front. I thought we tackled… We played well at all three levels.”

The Gators’ offense started off strong in their opening drive. They put together a 15-play, 75-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes and resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass thrown by Graham Mertz to senior receiver Elijhah Badger that gave Florida an early 7-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, UCF attempted to go for it on fourth down on their own 43-yard line, but the Gators’ defense stuffed it up and took over with great field position.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway manned the ensuing drive for the Gators and threw a 37-yard strike to receiver Chimere Dike that set Florida up on the goal line. Ja’Kobi Jackson would rush it in for the touchdown that gave the Gators a 14-3 lead.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Montrell Johnson Jr. capped off what felt like a flawless first half for the Gators. Florida took a commanding 24-3 lead into halftime.

Both of Florida’s quarterbacks played well. Mertz ended up going 19-for-23 with 179 yards passing and a touchdown. Lagway was 4-for-4 for 50 yards through the air.

Florida’s defense in the first half played just as well as the offense. They limited UCF to just 119 total yards and forced two punts and two turnovers-on-downs while allowing three points.

The Gators didn’t get as much going offensively in the second half as they did in the first, but the defense continued to cause havoc in the Knights’ backfield. They managed to not let go of their lead and played with 100 percent effort on defense throughout the entire 60 minutes.

Sophomore defensive back Bryce Thornton intercepted Knights quarterback KJ Jefferson to ultimately seal the victory for Florida.

The Gators have won back-to-back games and look to make it a third-straight victory next week. The only problem is that they have a tough road matchup ahead.

Up next for the Gators

Florida travels on the road to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Good, Bad and Ugly from Florida football’s Week 6 win over UCF

Here are the quick reactions from the Gators Wire staff to Florida’s Week 6 win over UCF.

Florida football scored a critical win on Saturday night inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium over the visiting UCF Knights, 24-13, in what was a solid showing for the Orange and Blue.

Coming off a bye week and a win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville the weekend prior, the Gators were well-rested and prepared for their Sunshine State opponent, who had beaten them the last time they met in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. Suffice it to say, revenge was had in the Swamp.

Following Florida’s third win in five tries this fall, the Gators Wire staff convened to offer our respective Good, Bad and Ugly assessments from Saturday night’s gridiron action. Take a look below at what we said.

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Adam Dubbin

GOOD: The passing attack was impeccable for Florida again in this one, with Mertz and Lagway once again assuming the Batman and Robin roles en route to an obscenely efficient outing on offense. 23-for-28 combined passing for 229 yards? I will take it.

On defense, there were times when it looked like UCF would mow over Florida on the ground, but unconventional play calling by Malzahn was not enough to break through early on. By the time RJ Harvey scored his fourth-quarter touchdown, it was too late to matter.

BAD: The Gators’ defense may have held up to the stress, but there were still moments where UCF’s rushing attack looked like it would break free, making the corps still a bit suspect. Smack’s missed field goal attempt was not the greatest moment either, even if it was from beyond 50 yards.

UGLY: The no-call targeting play by UCF on DJ Lagway in the fourth quarter. It was the right call but it was an ugly hit to see your future star take in a game that is pretty well under control. Otherwise, there was a little bit of other beef on the field, but nothing too egregious.

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

David Rosenberg

GOOD: For the first time this season, Florida’s defense looked like an SEC defense. Seven tackles for loss, five sacks and one touchdown allowed. UCF’s offense looked dysfunctional at times, but that doesn’t take away much from Florida’s performance. The question is whether they can keep it up with the gauntlet portion of the schedule coming up.

BAD: Florida’s offense looked good in the first half, but things deteriorated after halftime. The Gators didn’t score in the second half and put up just over 100 total yards after going for 251 in the first half. The 24 points scored in the first quarter were enough to get the win, but things were a bit tighter than they needed to be in the fourth quarter.

Still, this win never truly seemed in doubt for the Orange and Blue, and that’s because of a strong open.

UGLY: There’s no need for an ugly this week. Let the good times roll because the bad times might be right around the corner with Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss still on the schedule.

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Aidan Gallardo

GOOD: Florida’s defense came prepared. We knew UCF’s offensive focus was running the ball and given the history of struggles for this Florida defense in stopping the run, the Gators had no problem with it in this game. Florida was all over the UCF backfield and gave up just 75 yards to running back RJ Harvey.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson was getting hit by Florida defenders all night. Jefferson was credited with minus-18 yards rushing, in part, due to Florida racking up five sacks. It’ll be interesting to see how this defense looks against Tennessee next week, but I’ll get to that later.

BAD: There weren’t a ton of bad things to take away from this game on the Gators’ side, so bear with me here. Florida did have a total of eight penalties. Granted, some of them were questionable–given the rare emotional reaction from Billy Napier on a running into the kicker penalty–but others were easily avoidable.

The penalties weren’t ridiculous in the sense that you question why the player even thought of doing it. They were just your common false starts and holding penalties that you’d like to see get cleaned up.

UGLY: Florida, unfortunately, is in for a rude awakening as they head up to Knoxville to play the No. 4-ranked Volunteers next week. And, it doesn’t help that it’s a night game in Neyland Stadium.

So, the Gators really need to prepare for what will be a challenging road contest. Communication is absolutely crucial on both sides of the ball, as that stadium is as loud as any in college football.

I’m sure Florida will be celebrating their win against UCF for just a brief moment, but then it’s all about preparing against the Volunteers.

Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Knoxville next week to resume Southeastern Conference play against Tennessee. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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