UCF Dismantled in Dallas, Falls to SMU 55-28

After a very promising start, UCF gets shalacked by an SMU team that beat the Knights in all three phases of the game.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Nov 13, 2021 4:04 PM EST

DALLAS - The Knights started fast, faded quickly, and looked beaten at the end. That’s the situation from Texas.

The UCF team was banged up coming into the game, but losing Isaiah Bowser before the opening kickoff was just the start of more injury news, as well as a bad sign overall (see below).

There are many issues to discuss, so instead of just a traditional postgame story, the following categories represent three of many issues that need to be fixed as evidenced by the SMU game.

Numerous UCF players were banged up during the game as well, including linebacker Bryson Armstrong and running back Mark Antony-Richards. Those issues are not in UCF’s control, but it also helped to paint a picture of where the UCF Football resided at the conclusion of the contest.

Lack of Depth

This point should not be considered a news flash. UCF needed depth before Head Coach Gus Malzahn took over, and that’s still the case now. With all the injuries, there were jersey numbers on the field that quite frankly did not receive much playing time prior to today.

That’s just the point at which UCF reached in year one of Coach Malzahn’s tenure. It’s also why recruiting is the No. 1 priority overall. The need to add talent across the board is evident, because injuries happen, and the Knights failed to prove they have enough reserves that can play with at least a similar level of talent as the starters. This stated fact was seen on the field today and during the Cincinnati game as well. Those good teams found weaknesses and just exploited them over and over.

Looking at the statistics, the Knights were out gained 631 to 333. Moving forward to 2022, that’s the type of number that cannot happen again. It just cannot. To get to a point that’s acceptable next season, that will be accomplished by how the final two games and the bowl game plays out.

For the final two games of 2021, UCF needs to get healthier (there’s that theme again), but after the season concluded, players and coaches need to be able to look back at the final two games and know they made some improvements.

UCF’s Offense Looked Lost Without Bowser

By this juncture of the season, missing Bowser in the lineup should not cost the offense like it did. The rushing attack played awful in the first half. It was the definition of out of sync.

A missed running lane, cutting back too early, missed blocks, and just consistent missed opportunities overall plagued the rushing attack for the Knights.

While the 58 yard touchdown by Antony-Richards helped, relying on one huge run did not work against a quality opponent like SMU, and that's probably the same result UCF would have received if it had played another top team. Still, the Knights need more from the rushing attack when Bowser comes out of the lineup for any reason, against a good team.

Without Bowser, UCF should not be finished as a rushing offense, but it certainly looked that way during several points of the SMU game today. That’s more on players than coaches.

Again, that’s on players more than coaches. Fans like to complain about coaching, but this is way too far into the 2021 season to have played like this on offense. Every single offensive player needs to think long and hard about what happened.

The defense was bad, too. That will be discussed at length on Sunday. Now back to the offense...

They simply did not mesh well together. It’s game No. 10. There were no excuses for players at that point of the season, yet the Knights did not gain a consistent offensive groove after the early start when it had great field position to help it score points.

Road Woes Continued

UCF did well with tough situations at home this season, but on the road, it was a different story. The UCF team that walks into the Bounce House has been better than the one that travels.

To be a really good team, that cannot happen. That’s especially the case when it’s been the case in all but one road game, the trip to Philadelphia in which UCF played its best all-around game of the season.

Go figure.

There’s a long way to go for the UCF program, but heading towards the 2022 season there’s no doubt that UCF needs to find a way to perform better in enemy territory.

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