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| UCF KNIGHTS This is the fourth in a series of articles reviewing the G5 teams that have the best chance at making the Access Bowl in January. Next Up: Cincinnati Bearcats
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The Irish Writer James Joyce once wrote that, "mistakes are the portals to discovery". If ever a quote fit a football coach it is UCF's George O'Leary. We will not dwell on some of the darker moments that O'Leary has had to deal with over the course of his long career. There is little dispute however, that this battle tested,demanding , hard nosed coach, has done the one thing that he has been hired to do time and time again, Win. Last year, O'Leary proved once again that he knows what he is doing, when he led a talented UCF program to an upset victory over the Baylor Bears in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. In beating Baylor, with a national tv audience as witness , O'Leary not only silenced his critics but also proved that UCF deserved its spot in the limelight. The UCF faithful are hoping that O'Leary and the Knights can repeat their extraordinary season as they are again poised to become one of the top programs in the newly formed AAC Conference.
COACHING
The UCF Knights began playing football in 1979. By 1996 they had moved to the FBS division of college football. In 2004 the Knights hired George O'Leary who had been serving as Def Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings . Earlier O' Leary had lost his job as the Notre Dame Head Coach after the school noted issues with O'Leary's resume. O'Leary however, quickly bounced back showing the same fortitude and resolve that has become a hall mark of his coaching.
The move to hire O'Leary immediately paid dividends for the Knights, who in 2005 entered Conf USA for the first time. The Knights surprised many by making it all the way to the Championship game. UCF however, lost to Tulsa in that game 44-27. For his efforts that year, O'Leary received Coach of the Year honors from Sports Illustrated.
After his first year as Head Coach, the Knights and O'Leary began to settle into a pattern that has at times frustrated the vocal and growing UCF fan base. A pattern of one good year, would often be followed by one bad year. As of late however, the Knights have been the model of consistency and O'Leary has proven that with age comes wisdom.
WHY UCF WILL THE G5 REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ACCESS BOWL
*George O'Leary and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job convincing quality Florida recruits that UCF is a viable option to Florida or Florida State . Simply put, UCF is laying claim in the state of Florida that they are capable of playing some serious ball.
*If AAC teams were hoping for some let up in UCF's speed and playmaking ability this year, they might be hoping in vain . UCF returns two of its best WR's in the talented Rannell Hall and sure handed JJ Worton. Couple this with a promising running back in Micah Reed and the UCF offense has enough talent to do very well next year. Simply put, the Knights have some high powered juice returning to their squad this year.
*UCF defense ranked 29th last year and returns the majority of its very good secondary. A secondary that was top 20 in pass defense . Fortunately for UCF fans, The Knights have enough returning talent to make a serious run at the Access Bowl.
*Let's not forget as a positive for the Knights an active fan base that has come alive in the last few years. The UCF fan base have shown their appreciation for the Knights program by at times averaging more than 40,000 in Brighthouse Stadium.
*Finally, the Knights have George O'Leary as their head coach. O'Leary is a hard nosed, old school leader who demands results and the best from his players. His Pro-Style offense has proven that when a superior team lines up in front of an inferior team, no amount of fancy passing schemes will save you from being run over by the superior team.(See UCF last season)
WHY UCF WILL NOT BE THE G5 REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ACCESS BOWL
*It is simply going to be hard for UCF to capture lightening in a bottle again this year. UCF will also have to learn to play as the hunted instead of the hunter. UCF had some nice breaks fall their way last season and clearly the football gods at times favored the Knights . This does not take away however, from the many great games they played and won last year. It does prove however, that sometimes the ball bounces your way.
*UCF losses QB Blake Bortles, RB Storm Johnson and the majority of an Oline that was one of the best in the FBS last year. UCF ran over opponents last season and beat Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl in the trenches. UCF has few starters returning from last years Oline. Fortunately gifted tackle Torrian Wilson will return for the Knights. O'Leary will need for the Oline to step up and gel quickly if he wants he wants to power run , something that the Knights did with success last year.
*UCF has no clear starter to replace Bortles right now. Dual threat sophomore Justin Holman seems to have the inside track at the moment. Still, the longer O'Leary waits to name a starting QB, the longer it will take for UCF to know what challenges it has on offensive side of the ball.
*UCF's schedule is no wall in the park with OOC games against Penn State and Missouri. UCF will need to be prepared for both of us these schools who will be taking the Knights very seriously this year.
*Finally, O'Leary will need to prove that his frustrating habit of one good year , one bad year is a thing of the past. This will be a tall task this year, as UCF has a gigantic target on their collective backs.
CONCLUSION
UCF has accomplished something that many in Florida believed was impossible just a short decade ago, they have become a viable FBS program able to recruit top Florida talent much to the chagrin of Miami, Florida State and Florida. George O'Leary has managed to shape the UCF Knights into his own image. An image that resembles the never say die, gritty persona of his Irish and NYC heritage and background.
O'Leary however, is not without his flaws as his coaching style has at times put the Knights program in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Still, after winning the Fiesta Bowl last year, and by attracting top notch talent to his team, he has placed his Knights in the national FBS conversation. The Knights will need to put that talent to use this year, and O'Leary will have to be at the top of his game, if UCF wants to be the G5 Access Bowl representative this year. At this point, however, UCF is clearly one of the favorites to earn this spot.
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