Can UCF's Defense Slow Down East Carolina's Keaton Mitchell Again?
There will be several playmakers to defend when the UCF Knights travel to Greensboro to play the East Carolina Pirates. There’s still one ECU skill player that’s connected to which team wins the game more than any of the others.
Many would think to begin a player in the East Carolina passing game, as it averages 309 yards per contest. With quarterback Holton Ahlers throwing to top-notch pass catchers like Isaiah Winstead and C.J. Johnson, that’s more reason for UCF to look for another way to impact the game from the defensive side of the football.
Enter the chance for UCF to slow down East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell as a better way to keep the ECU scoring down. It shall not be easy. It’s still more likely than taking away all the passing lanes for Ahlers and the receiving corps.
Mitchell is a shifty and powerful running back that’s been a mainstay for the Pirates since the final three games of the 2020 season. Against Cincinnati, Temple and SMU, he tallied 290 yards rushing, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and scoring two touchdowns. The now junior is just getting better, while increasing his workload, ever since the end of his freshman season.
Last year, Mitchell’s exploits include 1,132 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, and nine touchdowns on the ground. His 22 receptions for 257 yards, an 11.7 average, and one touchdown add to his impressive season.
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All of that leads into 2022 where Mitchell is tearing it up again with 582 yards, 6.9 average, and six touchdowns on the ground. He’s also still catching the football well with 15 receptions for 119 yards, a 7.9 average.
UCF’s defense did a good job against Mitchell last season, holding him to 17 carries for 65 yards, a 3.8 average. He snagged one pass for 12 yards.
Mitchell was over nine yards per carry coming into that game. Most importantly, Mitchell’s longest run was just 17 yards. He did not create one of those game-changing plays that builds momentum for the Pirates, like he did to other teams.
Keeping Mitchell contained is not an easy task.
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Instead, the Knights tackled well and created a fumble that was recovered instead of ECU getting into the end zone. Now, can the Knights produce a similar result?
To do that, keeping Mitchell hemmed inside the tackle box would be a good start. Once he’s on the perimeter, Mitchell is a nightmare to tackle one-on-one. That brings up the cat and mouse game with formations and defensive play calls.
Inevitably, UCF will play man coverage. That’s what defensive coordinator Travis Williams does from time to time, as he challenges his defensive backs to win key matchups. With that, he sometimes drops a safety into the box to help slow down the opposing running game as well.
If the Knights can do that against the Pirates, and still handle the dynamic receivers on the perimeter, UCF stands an excellent chance of limiting the offensive output for East Carolina. Even if the Knights are somewhat successful and gain a handful of run stuffs from that aggressive defensive play calling, it’s a good sign for UCF overall.
As noted above, UCF is not going to just eliminate the ECU passing game. The Pirates are really good at moving the ball through the air. Keeping them in tough situations after stuffing the run is probably a better way to keep their scoring down.
Look for UCF to be aggressive with their defensive play calling, especially as the game moves along, to make ECU more one dimensional. Late shifts right before and/or after the football is snapped, here come the Knights attacking the line of scrimmage. It’s risky, but will provide some big plays.
Playing a soft zone defense probably gives too much room for Mitchell to run, as well as room for those big receivers to win against zone coverage. One last point.
If Mitchell does bust loose and gets a big play, the Knights cannot hang their heads. At that point, the UCF defense must rally amongst each other and move on past that moment. Do not compound the issue by dwelling on the prior play.
It’s going to be a great matchup seeing UCF’s defense go up against Mitchell and the ECU rushing attack.
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