Quick Hits:
- Texas Tech and UCF are 1 game away from Bowl Eligibility
- 2 Top10 RBs: Tech's Tahj Brooks (1,170 yrds on 226 carries) UCF's RJ Harvey (1,082 on 170 carries)
- UCF among the worst in Rushing Defense (127th in the nation)

The tortilla tossers are always a tough out at home

Playing at Jones is always hard. This will be a challenge for UCF just like every other game. I don't expect a repeat of the Space Game.

It should be closer.

This will be, to no one's surprise, our first time ever playing Texas Tech in football. Many, many years ago, UCF had a contract signed to play a 1-and-done in Lubbock, but had to buy the game out. I believe the reason had something to do with us switching conferences, which we've done as much as (maybe more than) anyone over the last 21 years. Anyway, glad to be finally getting a chance to play the Red Raiders. My son is a big Patrick Mahomes fan and will no doubt remind me at some point of where Mahomes played in college, LOL.

(11-13-2023 11:22 AM)BnG_Jacket Wrote:  Playing at Jones is always hard. This will be a challenge for UCF just like every other game. I don't expect a repeat of the Space Game.

It should be closer.

You mean you don't think we'll win two games in a row by a 42-point margin? I'm shocked. LOL

I think you should update our run defense. I think we're out of the triple digits now right?

After last weekend I have no idea what UCF team we will see this time around.

(11-14-2023 10:29 AM)muckdawg24 Wrote:  I think you should update our run defense. I think we're out of the triple digits now right?

After last weekend I have no idea what UCF team we will see this time around.

That is the updated ranking.

UCF was 130th last week and currently 127th this week.

Giving up 399 rushing yard to Kansas is hard to recover from.

Well shyt. Oh well.

(11-14-2023 11:14 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  

(11-14-2023 10:29 AM)muckdawg24 Wrote:  I think you should update our run defense. I think we're out of the triple digits now right?

After last weekend I have no idea what UCF team we will see this time around.

That is the updated ranking.

UCF was 130th last week and currently 127th this week.

Giving up 399 rushing yard to Kansas is hard to recover from.

Tech has been forced to rely on the run most of the year. We lost #1 QB Tyler Shough for the season during the WVU game with a broken fibula. Our #2 QB Behren Morton was also injured against WVU (sprain to the AC joint in his throwing right shoulder) but he managed to play through. His shoulder was too inflamed to play against BYU so Tech had to start our freshman #3 QB. Poor kid played like a deer caught in the headlights. Morton has played the past two games (TCU, Kansas) and is slowly improving but his passes still lack some zing, so I expect Tech to again favor the run. Should be a good game.

Thanks for the info on Tech, Looking forward to watching this game and future matchups against TT.

It's crazy how just a few injuries can derail a program's trajectory.

How is ya'lls defense?

With your QB room thin, I really see us taking a similar approach like we did against OSU and stacking the box and forcing the pass.

(11-15-2023 09:28 AM)muckdawg24 Wrote:  Thanks for the info on Tech, Looking forward to watching this game and future matchups against TT.

It's crazy how just a few injuries can derail a program's trajectory.

How is ya'lls defense?

With your QB room thin, I really see us taking a similar approach like we did against OSU and stacking the box and forcing the pass.

Tech's defense is pretty good (for a Tech defense). IMO, better against the run than pass protection but I believe both are ranked in the low 60's. Interior line is a strength. Our edge rushers are dinged-up but the rest of the defense is relatively healthy. Best player is probably #1 Dadrion (Rabbit) Taylor-Demerson a defensive back.

The key to beating Oklahoma State was to score early and often. Force turnovers. In hindsight, I have no idea if it was luck or just pent up rage and frustration.

No idea which UCF shows up in Lubbock.
Hopefully is more like the SpaceU performance and less like the scared newcomer.

(11-17-2023 03:23 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  The key to beating Oklahoma State was to score early and often. Force turnovers. In hindsight, I have no idea if it was luck or just pent up rage and frustration.

No idea which UCF shows up in Lubbock.
Hopefully is more like the SpaceU performance and less like the scared newcomer.

I think the rain started to pick up more when we already had 17 points on the board. That was when Oklahoma State made some costly mistakes. They seemed more bothered by the rain than we were. Does it not rain that much in other places they've traveled to? LOL I don't know, from my perspective, it just seemed like OSU wasn't prepared for the Florida weather.

(11-18-2023 09:29 AM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  I think the rain started to pick up more when we already had 17 points on the board. That was when Oklahoma State made some costly mistakes. They seemed more bothered by the rain than we were. Does it not rain that much in other places they've traveled to? LOL I don't know, from my perspective, it just seemed like OSU wasn't prepared for the Florida weather.

well that is a bit revisionist... We turned it over on our first 2 possessions, both of which resulted in points, which put us in a hole and forced us to go more to a passing attack to try and catch up.... that's when the heavy rain came, which kept us from mounting much of a passing game.

We're best when we can rush the ball more, but UCF loaded the box and stopped us cold, forcing us to pass. We lost our RG the week prior and had OLine issue during the game, which certainly did not help our offense any. Lots of mistakes and misqueues for the entire team. The route was on.

Plumlee was excellent, and gashed us with runs and passes at key times.

(11-18-2023 10:58 AM)CaliforniaCowboy Wrote:  

(11-18-2023 09:29 AM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  I think the rain started to pick up more when we already had 17 points on the board. That was when Oklahoma State made some costly mistakes. They seemed more bothered by the rain than we were. Does it not rain that much in other places they've traveled to? LOL I don't know, from my perspective, it just seemed like OSU wasn't prepared for the Florida weather.

well that is a bit revisionist... We turned it over on our first 2 possessions, both of which resulted in points, which put us in a hole and forced us to go more to a passing attack to try and catch up.... that's when the heavy rain came, which kept us from mounting much of a passing game.

We're best when we can rush the ball more, but UCF loaded the box and stopped us cold, forcing us to pass. We lost our RG the week prior and had OLine issue during the game, which certainly did not help our offense any. Lots of mistakes and misqueues for the entire team. The route was on.

Plumlee was excellent, and gashed us with runs and passes at key times.

Fair enough. I was at the game, but I didn't remember exactly when the three turnovers occurred. There was so much going on both on the field and in the stands around me, LOL. It was a pretty hyped-up atmosphere. It sounds like we agree, though, that the weather was a factor.