3 Cincinnati Bearcats Defenders to Watch vs the UCF Knights
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How well the UCF Knights handle the defense of the Cincinnati Bearcats will go a long way in determining if the loss to East Carolina can be definable as a blip on the radar or a pattern that deserves concern.
The UCF offense did not make enough clutch plays, and sometimes, did not even make enough basic plays, i.e. blocking, ball security, and getting open to defeat ECU.
That’s why the following members of the Bearcats need to be a part of a discussion of how the Knights can get back on track. There are certainly more defenders to watch, but these three change multiple aspects of the game. We start in the middle of the Cincinnati defense, and for good reason.
Jowon Briggs, Nose Guard
The redshirt-junior interior defensive lineman can change games just by being too big and talented to block with one player. That opens chances for linebackers to run free. Briggs is also quick enough to split a double team and still create a play in the backfield, too.
The interior is where UCF must win above all other areas because that means running backs Isaiah Bowser, RJ Harvey and Johnny Richardson, as well as quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, are gaining chunks of yardage in the middle of the field, setting up run-pass option plays and play-action passes.
If the Bearcats, and especially Briggs, control the A gap and the middle of the line, it’s going to be a long day for the Knights. Briggs has 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks so far in 2022. Bottom line, he’s a 6-foot-1, 313-pound nose guard that the Knights must win the majority of battles against.
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Ivan Pace, Jr., Linebacker
To be honest, the best way to define Pace is by calling him a football player and nothing more. He can line up at different spots and the result is the same–a big play for Cincinnati–regardless of how the opposition attempts to slow him down.
Pace is No. 1 in the nation with eight sacks on the season. He’s also leading the country with 15.5 tackles for loss. To say that each UCF player needs to be aware of Pace’s whereabouts is an understatement.
Look for UCF to attack him downhill, as he’s great at chasing plays from behind. Even then, it’s likely that UCF will mix up its rushing attack a bit more than normal just to keep Pace and his teammates off balance.
Ja’Von Hicks, Safety
This is the other version of a hybrid player that Cincinnati uses very well. Hicks is big enough at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds to be like a modern weak side linebacker. He’s still picking off passes and making plays as a safety though. He has 33 tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups.
If UCF wants to be successful against Hicks, that means that the running game is doing well (four or more yards per carry), forcing him to come closer to the line of scrimmage, like his teammates in the secondary, so that UCF can hit play-action passes.
Look for the Cincinnati defensive staff to counter by blitzing and changing his coverage responsibilities. He’s a smart player and can handle a variety of different assignments.
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