Top UCF Defensive Player vs FAU: CB Corey Thornton
The UCF Knights had several standouts from the 40-14 beat down of FAU. Picking one defensive standout proved difficult, but Corey Thornton deserves props for how he played hard and executed.
Cornerbacks are not often discussed and yet always needed. It’s unusual to hear about them in a positive light when an article comes about for a college player (NFL is a different deal altogether). Thornton’s play brought about attention to himself and the unit, quite honestly.
After going back through the game, Thornton’s competitive nature, even above actual stats, showed out. That’s why he is the pick for Inside The Knights as the defensive player of the game.
He kept knocking FAU defenders off their routes, ran well in open space, and kept FAU quarterback N’Kosi Perry from having room to pass the football to his receivers.
Technique and effort aside, recording two pass breakups against FAU does not hurt matters either. Still, he’s not going to get pass breakups without effort. That extends to the ability to listen to his assignment, be mentally tough, and keep grinding no matter how poorly things were going for the defense as a whole during that dreadful first quarter for an otherwise good team effort.
For the season, Thornton has four tackles and three pass breakups. More importantly, he’s now a part of the nation’s No. 7 secondary where any one of a half dozen players could be the best for a given game.
The only thing that Thornton, as well as the rest of the defense, needs to do now is start taking the football the other direction.
Interceptions.
They are the bottom line. UCF needs picks. For the game against FAU, however, Thornton did his job and did it well. Hats off to No. 14.
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