UCF Knights Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
UCF Knights Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UCF season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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UCF Knights Preview
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn, 2nd year at UCF, 9-4
11th year overall, 86-42, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 9-4, Conference: 6-3
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCF Top 10 Players | UCF Schedule
UCF Knights Preview 2022
Obviously the bar has been set higher now at UCF than to just go 9-4 with a bowl win, but all things considered, 2021 wasn’t all that bad.
Oh sure, there wasn’t an American Athletic Conference championship, and the program had to kick back and groove on someone else from the league breaking the ceiling and getting to the College Football Playoff, but really, how much fun did Cincinnati have being served up as a light scrimmage for Alabama?
And how much fun did UCF Nation have getting to chest thump after beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla?
Again, it’s relative – and of course UCF would’ve loved to have been on the big CFP stage – but it was a bit of a transitional season, the offense was without its two backfield stars – QB Dillon Gabriel and RB Isaiah Bowser – for most of the season, and the team still found a way to win games.
But now the Gus Malzahn era has to kick in full-force.
Yeah, UCF lost two early road games to Louisville and Navy by less than a touchdown in each, but it also had to scratch and claw to get past East Carolina, and Tulane, and USF.
And it got blowtorched by Cincinnati and SMU. That can’t happen this year – especially with both of those battles at home.
This year’s team is loaded with veterans, ol’ Gus rocked the transfer portal for a whole slew of new parts to play around with, and the schedule is about as favorable as could be asked for.
So now it’s time to get everything in place in Year Two under Malzahn for when it really counts in Year Three.
The program that rose up into the FBS world in 1996, became a part of the MAC in 2002, Conference USA in 2005, and the American Athletic in 2013 will get a seat at the adult table in 2023 when it moves into the Big 12.
There’s no more Tulane, or Temple, or Navy. At least for a year, it’s going to be Oklahoma, and Texas, and Oklahoma State, and a chance to be a part of the system rather than have to rail against it.
But first, this year’s team should have the ability to close out its time in the AAC with one more championship.
There might not be the Notre Dame type of game like Cincinnati had last year to propel it into the College Football Playoff discussion, but it would be fun to be good enough to engage in that fight.
Don’t be shocked if this year’s team is able to do just that. But more realistically, getting to the AAC Championship game will do as a next step up under Malzahn.
No, 2021 wasn’t all that bad, especially if it sets everything up for a massive 2022.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCF Top 10 Players | UCF Schedule
UCF Knights Preview 2022: Offense, Defense NEXT
UCF Knights Preview 2022: Offense
The offense didn’t dominate like it was supposed to, but it had its moments averaging 402 yards and 32 points per game. The ground game was great, the passing game struggled to push the ball down the field, and there were a few too many times when the attack stalled.
The Knights were able to win their share of low-scoring close games, but this is UCF, and the head coach is Gus Malzahn. The numbers should be through the roof, and they could be as long as …
The offensive backfield should be settled now. Here was the problem – star QB Dillon Gabriel got hurt early on, and pounding RB Isaiah Bowser was never quite right after ripping up Boise State in the opener.
Mikey Keene took over at quarterback and was fine, and Bowser was able to get right in time for a monster 155-yard, two-touchdown day in the bowl win over Florida.
Now Bowser should be ready to handle the work, leading rusher Johnny Richardson is back after running for 733 yards and three scores, and third leading rusher Mark-Antony Richards is also back. In a huge move, the program was able to land Demarkcus Bowman, a superstar recruit who started out at Florida and Clemson, and now should find a role in Orlando.
Gabriel is gone to Oklahoma, but Keene is back after hitting 64% of his passes for 1,730 yards and 17 scores and six picks. He’ll have to fight off John Rhys Plumlee, a dangerous all-around quarterback from Ole Miss – he saw time as a receiver to get into the Rebel offense.
The receiving corps has to go through a wee bit of an overhaul. However, the No. 1 target is back – Ryan O’Keefe caught 84 passes for 812 yards and seven scores. He was a short-range target, and deep threats Brandon Johnson and Jaylon Robinson – he’s off to Ole Miss – are done. The offense needs Florida transfer Kemore Gamble to be a factor at tight end, and Auburn’s Kobe Hudson has to be a dangerous outside option.
The offensive front needs to be stronger at keeping defenses out of the backfield, but it should be able to crank up close to 200 rushing yards per game again considering the rushing talent in the backfield.
Senior right guard Lokahi Paulole is the best of the bunch, and the left side got its new parts to take over with Tylan Grable from Jacksonville State at tackle and Ryan Swoboda from Virginia at guard.
UCF Knights Preview 2022: Defense
The defense should be dangerous. There isn’t a ton of star power, and it loses a few good players – Big Kat Bryant was a factor, and leading tackler Tatum Bethune is off up the road to Florida State – but there’s a ton of experience from a group that held up relatively well.
Nine starters should be back in the mix, and the transfer portal is bringing in a ton of options and depth, starting at …
Linebacker. The defense loses third-leading tackler Bryson Armstrong along with Bethune from an already thin corps. However, coming in is Branden Jennings – a former Kansas State Wildcat and Maryland Terrapin – and Terrence Lewis is also coming in from Maryland. Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste is a good tackler with 230-pound size in the 4-2-5.
The line also gets help from the portal with Lee Hunter in from Auburn to work at tackle and KD McDaniel an interesting end from Kentucky.
Tre’Mon Morris-Brash is the leading returning playmaker behind the line with five sacks and ten tackles for loss last year. He’ll take over Bryant’s spot, and the line gets back a good end in Josh Celiscar and solid veteran tackles in Ricky Barber and Keenan Hester.
UCF was sixth in the nation in pass efficiency defense, allowing 12 touchdown passes, picking off 11 throws, and keeping teams to just 58% passing.
Just about everyone is back starting with Second Team All-AAC playmaker Quadric Bullard, who came up with 83 tackles at his safety spot. The corner combination of Davonte Brown, Corey Thornton, and Brandon Adams broke up 27 passes.
UCF 2022 Preview | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCF Top 10 Players | UCF Schedule
UCF Knights: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
UCF Knights: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
UCF Knights: Key To The 2022 Offense
The downfield passing game has to work.
Mikey Keene did what he could when thrown into the fire as a freshman, but the offense lost its downfield edge after Dillon Gabriel went down.
For years, UCF was among the best teams in the nation at bombing away, getting over ten yards per throw in 2017 with McKenzie Milton, and Gabriel was over nine yards per pop after he took over. Last year UCF averaged just 10.6 yards per completion and was under seven yards per throw for the first time in years.
John Rhys Plumlee will probably be more of a midrange playmaker if he takes over, and that’s okay. However, the chances will be there with defenses likely to crank up the effort to slow down what should be a devastating ground attack.
UCF Knights: Key To The 2022 Defense
The run defense has to hold up.
It should’ve worked for Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Line up, blast away and get physical on the UCF defensive front, run well, leave with a win. The Gators averaged close to seven yards per carry and ran for 205 yards, but lost. That was the only time all season the Knight won after allowing 190 or more rushing yards.
The went 8-0 in the regular season when allowing fewer than 190 yards, and 0-4 when they were on the other side, getting ripped apart by Cincinnati, SMU, and Louisville, and suffered the steady drip, drip, drip from the Navy running game.
Keep teams to around four yards per carry, and everything should be fine.
UCF Knights: Key Player To The 2022 Season
OT Tylan Grable, Sr.
The offensive line wasn’t bad in pass protection, but it could’ve been a bit stronger.
It was 102nd in the nation in tackles for loss allowed, but the running game was fantastic. Most of the line returns fine, but the left side has to build back up.
All should be fine if the 6-7, 290-pound Grable can bring his Jacksonville State production over to UCF. Ultra-athletic, the former tight end can move, was an FCS All-American, and now he needs to be the answer at left tackle.
He’s a key transfer, and so is …
UCF Knights: Key Transfer
QB John Rhys Plumlee, Sr.
Mikey Keene was good enough considering he was just getting going, but Rhys Plumlee is an interesting option for the starting quarterback battle who might give the attack a different sort of look.
The 6-0, 200-pound Ole Miss transfer was too athletic to keep off the field – he was used as a receiver at times, making 25 catches for 280 yards. As a quarterback, he ran for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, hit 54% of his passes for 981 yards and five touchdowns and three picks in his three years, and … he wasn’t Matt Corral.
He’ll get his shot to take over the UCF offense.
UCF Key Game To The 2022 Season
Cincinnati, Oct. 29
Cincinnati took over UCF’s league.
UCF was the star. UCF was the one who screamed about wanting to get a shot in the College Football Playoff. UCF was the one who blazed the trail to make it more palatable for a Cincinnati to get its shot.
UCF also got whacked by the Bearcats in a 56-21 loss last year, making it three straight losses in the series.
This time around it comes after a trip to East Carolina and before going to Memphis and then Tulane. It’s also the one game on the AAC schedule that UCF might not be the favorite in.
Realistically, win this, go to the AAC Championship.
UCF Knights: 2021 Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: UCF 115 – Opponents 61
– 4th Down Conversions: UCF 11-of-13 (85%) – Opponents (48%)
– Time of Possession: Opponents 31:24 – Opponents 28:33
UCF 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UCF Top 10 Players | UCF Schedule
UCF Knights Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
UCF Knights Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Let’s start by assuming the injury issues of last year in the backfield don’t become a problem this time around.
This year, the Knights are more than set at both quarterback and running back if the main men go down. The lines are going to be fine, the receiving corps will figure itself out, and the running game will be among the best in the American Athletic Conference.
In the last year in the league before going off to the Big 12, the team is being sent off with a lovely parting gift from the conference schedule.
Set The UCF Knights Regular Season Win Total At … 9.5
No offense to UCF – okay, maybe a little – but Houston should be the best team in the AAC. It’s not on the schedule, and missing Tulsa isn’t that bad a deal, either.
Making things even better, two of the other stars – Cincinnati and SMU – have to come to the Bounce House.
Yeah, there are two ACC teams on the slate, but Louisville and Georgia Tech have to make the trip to Orlando, too.
That leaves a wildly manageable road schedule of Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Memphis, Tulane, and USF – meaning the Knights only have to leave Florida three times.
There will be a loss somewhere in a tight game – Cincinnati is still really good, and don’t scoff over those road games at Memphis and East Carolina – and it’s possible one of the two ACC teams is able to rise up and rock, but …
Demand at least double-digit regular season wins and a trip to the American Athletic Conference Championship.
UCF 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
UCF Top 10 Players | UCF Schedule
