Sep 6, 2006, 16:40 GMT
(Sports Network) - The UCF Golden Knights head to Gainesville for the first time since 1999, and they are heavy underdogs as they take on the seventh-ranked Florida Gators. UCF got off to a strong start with a 35-16 decision over Villanova in the opener, but Florida obviously represents a much stiffer test than the Division I-AA Wildcats. The Golden Knights have never beaten a ranked opponent in 15 attempts, and they are 1-10 all-time against SEC teams. After going 0-11 in 2004, UCF turned things around in a big way last season, winning the Conference USA East Division and winning eight games overall. As for Florida, it got the job done on both sides of the ball in a 34-7 victory over Southern Miss to open this new campaign. Urban Meyer has a year of experience under his belt, and expectations are sky high in Gainesville. Meyer is 20-2 all-time against non-conference opponents throughout his coaching career, and he has never lost at home in such games. In the only other meeting between UCF and Florida, the Gators rolled to a 58-27 victory.
UCF only posted 304 total yards of offense against Villanova in the opener, but the Golden Knights were able to make big plays when the opportunity was presented. Quarterback Steven Moffett was extremely productive, connecting on 15-of-20 passes for 199 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Moffett's top target was clearly Mike Walker, as he made six grabs for 77 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Adding some balance by way of the ground was Kevin Smith, as the tailback finished with 86 yards and a score on 20 carries. UCF made good on 7-of-12 third down conversion attempts and came away with points on all five of its trips to the red zone. Last season, the Golden Knights averaged an impressive 401.3 ypg of total offense, and Moffett was largely responsible for that production. The talented signal-caller threw for 2,925 yards and 22 touchdowns with only nine interceptions, while Smith ran for 1,232 yards and nine scores, en route to being named the C-USA Freshman of the Year.
The Golden Knights were determined to stop the Villanova rushing attack, and considering that the Wildcats finished with 81 yards on 31 attempts, it seems that the mission was accomplished. While 'Nova was able to rack up 241 yards through the air, it is important to note that many of those yards came after the game was well in hand for UCF. While the totals of two sacks and one takeaway posted by the Golden Knights left much to be desired in the category of big plays, the effort was consistent. Cory Hogue led the defensive charge with 9.5 total tackles. Last year, UCF ranked 96th in the nation in total defense (420.5 ypg), but 10 starters are back in the mix and the hope is that continuity and experience will produce results.
Widely considered one of the top offensive minds in the nation, Meyer has installed his complicated schemes at Florida, and the man entrusted with carrying out the gameplan on the field is quarterback Chris Leak. A tremendous talent, Leak is coming off a season in which he threw for over 2,600 yards and 20 touchdowns, while completing over 62 percent of his throws. In the opener against Southern Miss, Leak connected on 21-of-30 passes for 248 yards with three touchdowns and only one interception. As expected, he looked Dallas Baker's way on several occasions, and the standout receiver finished with nine grabs for 123 yards and a touchdown. As for the ground attack, Meyer tried out a few players rather than rely on one featured back, and the results were fairly strong. Florida was 6-of-10 on third down conversion attempts and scored on all four trips to the red zone, two stats that are sure to make the coaches happy. Just a note, tailback DeShawn Wynn is questionable with a neck injury.
Six starters are gone from last season's Florida defensive unit that ranked among the top 10 nationally in total defense and top 20 in scoring defense. If the opener is any indication, maintaining those tremendous rankings seems entirely possible. After surrendering a first quarter touchdown to the Golden Eagles, the Gators pitched a shutout over the final 57 minutes of the tilt. Although they failed to come up with any sacks or fumble recoveries, three interceptions certainly figured prominently in the outcome. The Florida run defense was not too impressive, but the club was tremendous against the pass. Southern Miss was just 5-of-13 on third down conversion attempts and came away with points on only 1-of-3 trips to the red zone, a credit to the Gator defenders. Brandon Siler led the way with six total tackles, and he is considered by many to be the best defender on the Florida squad.
Let's face it, this game shouldn't be close. Yes, Moffett is a solid field general with some talented pieces around him, but Florida is simply on a different level than UCF. Expect to see plenty of big plays out of Leak, a legitimate Heisman contender.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Florida 44, UCF 13
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