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Talking Points from UCF HC Gus Malzahn's Press Conference

Gus Malzahn discussed moving past East Carolina and what needs to happen against a ranked Cincinnati team.
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This week’s opponent for the UCF Knights is one that many fans have been waiting for, and that’s the Cincinnati Bearcats. They are currently ranked No. 20 in the nation and have a six-game winning streak.

After the loss to East Carolina, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn discussed that loss, as well as what his team needs to do to now knock off what is arguably the best team the Knights will face during the regular season.

Here are a few key moments from Malzahn’s press conference and what they mean, beginning with his opening statement.

“Okay. Coming off a tough road loss. We’ve gotta put that behind us,” said Malzahn of the game against East Carolina. “We had a good practice last night. Got Cincinnati coming to town. I think everybody knows how good they are. 18-straight conference wins. 10-1 on the road in their last 11 games. I think they got beat by Arkansas, which was a game, they probably could’ve won that.

“Lead the country in sacks. Lead the country in tackles for loss. Very aggressive defense. They really challenge you; play a lot of man (coverage). They’ll pressure you and play some zone.

“Offensively, they are very strong up front. They run the ball. They’ve been balanced. Overall, a complete football team. So, we play’em at home, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Thoughts: Watching Malzahn discuss the Bearcats, it’s obvious he respects that program as a whole. In fact, his body language and commentary combined lead one to believe he respects that program as high or higher than any team UCF has faced since Malzahn took over at UCF.

That speaks volumes. It should. Cincinnati is a program that has a plan in place and it executed that plan time and again during head coach Luke Fickell’s tenure.

With that, Malzahn knows that his Knights need to be dialed this week during practice because they will be in a great battle on Oct. 29. That’s especially the case for UCF’s offensive line. The points about the sacks and tackles for loss lead to UCF’s offensive front being challenged differently than before.

It’s not like the Bearcats are reckless with blitzes. Usually the front seven just won matchups that led to those negative plays. Look for more about the Cincinnati defenders in an article tomorrow at Inside The Knights. Impressive cast. One last point from the opening commentary by Malzahn.

Malzahn also looked like he was in his element and was already enjoying the preparation stage. This is what college coaches are supposed to live for, and Malzahn fit the profile quite well.

Now, a few more points from the Monday press conference.

“Really what stood out to me was the three turnovers (in the first half).”

Thoughts: This point proved to be as basic and still bottom line as anything from Malzahn’s press conference. The truth hurts. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee played poorly, albeit in random moments, that cost the Knights.

Another way to look at it: Turn the football over, lose the game. That’s pretty much the nature of any level of football.

“He wanted to play,” Malzahn answered about Javon Baker’s status from the East Carolina game. “He’s a tough young man. He gave it a shot out there moving around, but he just wasn’t moving like he needed to move. Hopefully he’ll be better this week. We’ll see in practice. It will be a day to day deal. But yeah, he just wasn’t quite ready to play at his level.”

Thoughts: There’s the old “next man up” philosophy in football. That’s still true while also noting that not every player is the same or holds the same chemistry with the players on the offense or defense. Point blank, UCF’s offense is completely different to defend when Baker is healthy and in the lineup.

If he is not a full-go for Cincinnati, that’s going to be a major problem for the Knights. He’s a flat out difference-maker. The Knights need him on the field because he changes every one of the following aspects of the game: Plumlee’s ability to throw deep, as well as a go-to third down receiver with size that Plumlee counts on, and those to points change Cincinnati’s play calling.

Injuries change games, and Baker’s health will be a definitive factor for this Saturday’s contest. If he’s not in the game there are still good receivers like Ryan O’Keefe and Kobe Hudson, not to mention the running backs and tight ends. Those are all very good players. It’s just that Baker makes those highly contested catches that cannot truly be defined with words.

When discussing the Sunday practice, what some might consider a basic statement was in fact very important.

“It was like a normal Sunday.”

Thoughts: That comment from Malzahn about the team’s attitude is paramount. Feeling sorry for yourself, as a team, does not help prepare for Cincinnati. If the UCF players are going to be ready to play at a high level, it starts from the first day of practice for this specific game, and it sounds like that’s what happened.

That’s why Malzahn’s statement about the team coming out like any other practice should be considered excellent news. Some teams struggle to place a loss behind them. This piece of information shows that UCF has maturity, and it’s something the Knights will need against a good Bearcats squad.

Quick Hitters

*Malzahn had nothing but good things to say about coach Fickell and his staff, as he should.

*The word “challenge” came up with regards to playing Cincinnati. How the Knights come out in the first quarter will be vital to take on that challenge.

*Malzahn mentioned needing to run the ball and pass the football against Cincinnati. If there’s ever a game that UCF needs balance, it is indeed this Saturday. One-dimensional offenses will struggle against Cincinnati.

*The Knights lost several one-on-one matchups in the secondary versus East Carolina. Malzahn pointed that out and gave props to ECU for winning those. That absolutely must flip the other direction against the Bearcats. UCF is going to need to concentrate on taking away the rushing attack, and if Cincinnati can just throw fade balls and back shoulder passes with success, it would place UCF in a very difficult situation.

Here’s the full press conference:


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