Staff Predictions: Navy Midshipmen at UCF Knights
It's the final home game for the UCF Knights. They will be tasked with defeating the Navy Midshipmen in this American Athletic Conference battle.
Here are the Inside The Knights staff predictions and thoughts for how this contest will turn out.
Andrew Johnson - Staff Writer
UCF hosts the Navy Midshipmen in an early 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday to finish off its slate of regular season home games. A little concerned about this one because of how tough Navy played No. 18 ranked Notre Dame last week. Navy’s defense allowed 0 points in the second half and nearly completed a comeback.
That’s the type of tough and determined team UCF will line up against and it’ll be early in the morning. Still, I think UCF head coach Gus Malzahn and Travis Williams remember last season and will handle business. Look for John Rhys Plumlee to get the nod once again after a record performance at Tulane.
The Knights have formulated the offense behind the rushing attack so expect a heavy dose of Plumlee, R.J Harvey and Isaiah Bowser. It’s the defense who must control the trenches and get the job done to avoid a slip up before playing at USF and then hosting the American Conference Championship game.
UCF 31 Navy 20
Guilherme Leal - Staff Writer
Following three big wins, including two against ranked AAC foes, UCF should have all the momentum on its side. Also, after the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, the Knights might have a chip on their shoulders since they are behind the Florida State Seminoles, plus the fact they lost to Navy last season. It is worth noting that Navy almost put up an upset against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, so the Midshipmen should not be slept on.
Still, UCF has the chance of extending its winning streak. John Rhys Plumlee is back, and his dual-threat abilities should play a key role on Saturday. The team's offense is shining thanks to RJ Harvey, Isaiah Bowser and Ryan O'Keefe to name a few. The red zone defense is also something UCF should be proud of. The one thing I think Gus Malzahn needs to address is penalties. The roughing the kicker against Tulane could have cost UCF the game, so this needs to be taken care of. Capitalizing forced turnovers is also a must.
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I believe the Knights will have a great day. Controlling their own destiny, the Knights can finish the weekend very close to hosting the conference title game, and this should be enough motivation for the players.
UCF 41 Navy 21
Jack Edwards - Staff Writer
Navy presents an obvious challenge with the triple option, which teams have had varying levels of success in defending. The Midshipmen were held to just seven points against Delaware, but also scored over 30 points against solid squads in SMU and Notre Dame. It comes down to how each team prepares. However, Navy has just as much of a challenge to prepare for, and UCF rushes for more yards per game than the Midshipmen.
UCF learned quickly last year that the triple option cannot be taken lightly. Navy upset the Knights 34-30 in what was Mikey Keene’s first career start. There were a lot of lessons to be learned from that game, and it is more than reasonable to expect a Gus Malzahn-led team to adjust after seeing that unique offense for the first time. The Knights might not shut Navy down completely, but they should do enough to win the game comfortably.
UCF 37 Navy 17
Brian Smith - Publisher
This will be a game where UCF’s ability to focus and stay on task is utilized more than anything else. Navy’s triple-option attack is no fun to deal with, especially with one week to prepare for it.
Look for Navy to hit some big running plays and give UCF fits at times, but also get beat at the line of scrimmage and lose yardage during several other plays as well. That’s why UCF’s focus will be important. Move on to the next play no matter what just happened. Offensively, the Knights should do well.
John Rhys Plumlee will have a field day running the football. He’s too athletic to be contained play after play, and Navy’s defensive team speed is no match for him or the UCF skill players overall. The Knights should go over 450 yards of total offense.
UCF struggles throughout the first half with Navy’s rushing attack, but pulls away during the latter portion of the third quarter.
UCF 45 Navy 20
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