“We started rotating guys in a lot so we kept our legs fresh”, said sophomore safety Carter Jacobs. Two quarters later, they were on the losing end of the largest blowout they’ve suffered all season, falling 59-10. Within 24 hours of their eighth loss in 2015, they had also lost their head coach of 12 seasons.
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Now, the task of bringing this team back from the dead falls on former quarterback coach Danny Barrett, named interim coach to replace O’Leary. By late in the third quarter the Bearcats had turned the rout into a laugher, going up 49-zip, and the rushing attack was turned over to fourth stringer Chad Banschbach, who ran hard on 18 carries for 75 yards.
Up next is a monstrous game against the #18 Houston Cougars on the road. Saturday marked the second consecutive game during which the Knights gave up more than 50 points to an opponent and failed to score more than one touchdown. Despite Kiel throwing the baseball equivalent of a ideal game Saturday, Tuberville said the quarterback competition remains open. That interception was called back on a roughing the passer penalty, sparing the Knights an early turnover on one of their better drives.
After that, the early harbingers became real game-changing mistakes for Holman, who would throw interceptions in back-to-back drives to end the first half. Incidentally, that’s more than double UCF’s average offensive output (257.6 yards per game). Cincinnati Bearcats rank at 10 for 383.5 road passing yards where as Central Florida Knights rank at 83 for allowing 272.5 passing yards at home. The next day, O’Leary announced he was stepping down, effective immediately, divulging at the same time a plan that had allegedly been in place for nearly two years that would have seen him leave at the end of 2015, regardless of record. As for the Knights, UCF will travel to Tulsa next Saturday – still looking for its first win of the season. “And that is how you move forward”.
Even before his announcement, O’Leary’s replacement was rumored for much of the season to be Brent Key, coordinator of the worst offense in the FBS.
On November 18, 1982, UCF interim head coach Danny Barrett walked off of Carson Field at Nippert Stadium for the final time as a Cincinnati Bearcat after a 20-10 victory over Miami University (Ohio).
“We talked about not giving up the big play and that’s all it was, a game of big plays”, Barrett said.
UCF Outlook: Last week, the Knights showed a glimmer of hope against Houston – moving the ball on offense, making plays and containing Greg Ward Jr. on defense… for a bit.
The Cincinnati Bearcats forced the UCF Knights to punt on their opening drive, responded with a touchdown themselves, and hit the cruise control from there en route to a 52-7. err. rout.
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“On both sides of the ball we’re playing better than we have all year”, Tuberville said. The game will be televised on ESPNews.
