Defining the UCF Football Program in Year One of the Gus Malzahn Era

Examining what makes up the 2021 UCF Football team.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Dec 26, 2021 10:21 AM EST

During a transition year in which Head Coach Gus Malzahn took over in February, the UCF Football program has been through a major overhaul. A few items of particular note would be the influx of college transfers like Bryson Armstrong, Big Kat Bryant and Ricky Barber on defense, as well as Isaiah Barber and Brandon Johnson on offense.

There was also a big comeback during game one with UCF down 21-0 to Boise State before rallying and winning 36-31. How about the ability to overcome injuries and transfers?

The Knights lost 27 players from the outset of the 2021 season through the bowl game. That’s an incredible amount of attrition, yet UCF still found a way to go 9-4.

There’s been a lot to think about with UCF Football, but the following three categories represent the program the best for now, as well as what to look for down the line.

Power Football

The Knights hung their hat on playing downhill behind a veteran offensive line. This no-nonsense approach to offensive football was a combination of many different players doing their jobs.

It was definitely needed as true freshman quarterback Mikey Keene was thrusted into the starting lineup in game four and started every game thereafter. He needed the running game to aid him as he learned the ropes, and that it did.

First off, the Knights established the mentality of being physical against Boise State, as Bowser rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown in that game. That standard was upheld throughout the majority of the regular season and even in the Gasparilla Bowl.

Bowser went over 100 yards three times on the season, plus an 88 yard performance against Temple. He was out with injuries two separate times, and his teammates picked up the slack.

Johnny Richardson also went over 100 yards three times. Despite being just 170-pounds, his blazing speed helped him average the most yards per carry of any UCF running back with 7.1. Richardson actually ended up leading the Knights in rushing with 733 yards.

Another running back also made his presence felt, and that would be Mark Antony-Richards. The transfer from Auburn is built much like Bowser and plays well between the tackles much like Bowser as well. His game-winning touchdown run against East Carolina came after he made a game-saving reception and subsequent first down during a fourth down play earlier in the same drive.

Of course all three of these running backs still owe a lot to the offensive line. They have been the backbone of the UCF Football program this season. Without question, the big guys were the most consistent unit on the team.

That was most evident against Florida this past Thursday in Tampa, as the Knights ran over the Gators to the tune of 288 yards rushing and two scores on the ground.

Hats off to every UCF offensive lineman for their efforts in the game against Florida and througout this season. They helped to set a high standard, as the Knights averaged 196.3 yards on the ground per game, ranking it 29th in the country.

An Evolving Pass Defense

UCF was dreadful on defense in 2020, allowing 33.2 points per game. In 2021, the Knights improved to No. 51 in the nation at 24.5 points per game allowed. One of the big reasons for the overall improvement would be the pass rush getting after opposing signal callers.

The pass rush that started out very slow but continually built itself up. That’s a good way to define the Knights’ pass rush. During the last seven games, UCF recorded at least two sacks in all but one contest, highlighted by six sack games against Memphis and South Florida.

Bryant led the Knights with six sacks, but there’s also Tre’mon Morris-Brash with five sacks, and Barber, Josh Celiscar, and Cam Goode all having three sacks each. Check out this hit from Bryant and Morris-Brash during the Gasparilla Bowl versus Florida.

With the pass rush improving, so did a very young group of defensive backs. The inexperience showed early in the season, but by the time the Knights faced East Carolina the secondary was challenging far more passes and making plays on the football.

Whether it was a cornerback like Davonte Brown, Brandon Adams, Corey Thornton or Justin Hodges, or a safety like Divaad Wilson or Quadric Bullard, different games saw different defensive backs make big plays.

Do not forget about jack-of-all-trades defensive back Dyllon Lester either. He played cornerback and safety for the Knights and picked off two passes along the way.

From that group, UCF played more and more man defense as the season moved forward. That’s a sign of the confidence that UCF Co-Defensive Coordinators Travis Williams and David Gibbs have with their emerging defensive backs.

Even the linebackers were active with the passing defense, as Tatum Bethune and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste both did a nice job of playing in space. Bethune had two picks and Jean-Baptiste produced one pick.

For UCF to take the next step as a program, the passing defense needed to be much better this season, and it was. That’s a good sign for 2022 and beyond. Finally, another form of looking to the future has to be mentioned.

Recruit Local

This is more of a reminder that Coach Malzahn and his coaching staff stuck to their word that they would hit the state of Florida hard. That would be exactly what happened. The Knights signed 10 prospects from Florida Dec. 15, and that number will be indicative of future recruiting classes based on the comments from Coach Malzahn’s National Signing Day press conference and communicating with high school recruits and high school football coaches around the Sunshine State.

It’s also important to identify that UCF went after top players and beat out schools like Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, and Texas for recruits. It also helped to get a late flip from Xavier Townsend, one of Florida's most explosive prep players right before National Signing Day.

The days of UCF just being all about developing lower ranked recruits has concluded. UCF Football is headed for the Big XII and with its step up in status as a Power Five school, so too is its status as a program that recruits at the Power Five level.

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