UCF Q&A: How healthy will Knights be at Texas Tech after ‘having to borrow people for practice’?
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When UCF’s first player availability report is released on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s game at No. 8 Texas Tech, it could contain some interesting reading.
The Knights came out of last week’s 30-27 loss to Houston as a battered and bruised team with multiple starters leaving the game with injuries.
Running back Myles Montgomery suffered an apparent shoulder injury and was on the sidelines with his arm in a sling. Edge rusher Malachi Lawrence left the game in the second half and didn’t return, while safety Braeden Marshall also left the game in the first half, unable to return.
“We’re waiting to get some update on a few guys,” Coach Scott Frost said on Monday. “We seem to have a rash of more of them [injuries] than you would typically want or have in a typical year, but that’s football.”
One of the focuses in the offseason for UCF was building depth at certain positions; however, with a limited roster, injuries can take a significant toll.
“It all goes back to a little bit to having a 105-man roster now because you can only have so many people at every position,” said Frost. “There are a few spots where we’re thin enough that we’re having to borrow people for practice.”
The Knights were already without the help of defensive tackle Horace Locket Jr., edge rusher Sincere Edwards, receiver Day Day Farmer, offensive lineman Justin Royes and running backs Stacy Gage and Taevion Swint, who were all out for the season with various injuries.
“We miss those guys, but we’ve got guys in that room too that can step up and make plays, and they believe that,” said defensive tackle RJ Jackson Jr.
How has Davi Belfort helped the maligned QB room?
The quarterback position has had its share of injury struggles, with starters Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher, along with backup Jacurri Brown, all missing time due to different ailments.
Fancher has been sidelined since he suffered a cracked rib during the loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 11, while Brown has missed the last five games as he recovers from a strained AC joint in his shoulder.
Jackson, who sat out the West Virginia game with a shoulder issue, left Friday’s matchup against Houston late in the game after dealing with a hamstring problem, as noted by Frost.
He was replaced by fourth-string quarterback Davi Belfort, who managed to drive the Knights into position for a game-tying field goal before throwing an interception in the end zone, ultimately sealing the game’s outcome.
“Davi will be okay,” Frost said of the redshirt freshman’s mindset after the loss. “The players love Davi and he cares a lot and took it really hard. I want players that feel that way. It reveals a great deal about who he is as a person. To be honest, we put him in a tough spot. He was the fourth quarterback and didn’t get a lot of reps in camp.”
Whether Belfort returns to the field against Texas Tech is uncertain, but that doesn’t change the mentality of the offense, at least not to offensive lineman Paul Rubelt.
“Whatever needs to get done, we’ll get it done, whether it’s Tayven or Davi or if I have to play quarterback, they do their job and we’ll do ours,” said the 6-foot-11 Rubelt.
UCF remains focused on the overall process despite recent stumbles
What is the status of the running backs?
The running back position has also been significantly impacted by injuries.
The losses of Gage and Swint have left the unit with veterans Jaden Nixon and Montgomery taking up the majority of the workload, with walk-ons Agyeman Addae and Tyler Wrenn earning some additional carries.
If Montgomery is out for any significant time, that means UCF will need to find help elsewhere.
Receiver Duane Thomas had a season-high 3 carries for 11 yards in the loss to Houston.
“We’ve got some guys capable of carrying the ball and I’m sure they’re excited about their chance, and we’ve got to make the best of it,” said Frost.
How do the Knights hope to fix their penalty problem?
UCF continues to struggle with penalties, particularly those that occur before the snap, such as false starts and illegal shifts.
Against Houston, the Knights were flagged 9 times for 75 yards, with six of those called on the offense and five of those being pre-snap penalties.
On the season, UCF has been flagged 68 times, with 48 of those calls going on the offense and 31 of those being penalties before the snap.
“When we’re installing [plays], we stop the play before it happens to make sure somebody’s aligned right or somebody is motioning right and that gives people up front a chance to mill around and not be set when we start the motion,” said Frost. “When we break huddles, we’ve got to get to our spot, get set motion and go. When you’re installing some of this stuff, it kind of takes away that urgency.”
What is Scott Frost’s opinion of the state of college football?
Texas Tech reportedly spent nearly $28 million on its roster this past offseason, thanks in part to billionaire booster Cody Campbell. The investment has clearly paid enormous dividends for the Red Raiders, who are searching for their first Big 12 championship.
While Frost didn’t want to comment specifically about the Texas Tech situation, he clearly wasn’t thrilled about the current direction of college football.
“I hate where the game is right now,” said Frost. “It’s great that players are being compensated, but there were absolutely no guardrails around it, and that’s a shame for a guy who spent most of my life in college football and loves it and loves the purity of it. It’s not where it should be right now.
“That being said, it’s the old saying, ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game.’ I don’t blame them, and they did a good job utilizing their resources to assemble a strong team that is currently 8-1. Sure, everybody wishes they could do that. Not everybody can do it.”
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
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