Orlando FL, – UCF (6-0, 4-0 AAC) head coach Scott Frost has the Knights trending in the right direction. Starting 6-0 for the first time in school history, the Knights prepare to welcome the Governors of Austin Peay (5-3, 4-1 OVC) to sunny Orlando.
Only eight teams remain unbeaten in the nation, but UCF is the only one from the group to win each of their games by double digit points. With how UCF has beaten teams this year, they have set the bar pretty high for themselves. Some people in the college football world were shocked that the Knight beat the Navy Midshipmen by just 10 points last week.
“I think the big lesson to take out of it is that we need to limit our own mistakes,” Frost said. “I give a ton of credit to them, but we should have scored more times in the first half and the game would have been different.”
UCF wants to score early and often. The Knights lead the nation in scoring offense, averaging roughly 47 points per game.
Sitting at 6-0, it would be easy to overlook a team like Austin Peay but the Knights aren’t letting their guard down.
“We got to prepare for this week like any other week,” said UCF offensive lineman Chavis Dickey. “We got to watch film got to go out there and attack practice every day. just stay focused and don’t let nobody from the outside tell us like oh this game is going to be easy and this and that we just got to go prepare.”
Austin Peay sports a 5-3 record and rank 2nd in the Ohio Valley Conference behind only Jacksonville State, who beat them earlier in the year. The Governors play football at the FCS level and their only other losses came to FBS level teams. With their run based spread offense, the Governors could give the Knights fits if they don’t execute their game plan.
“They got many formations that you have to line up to. So [we] got to be sound with our assignments just sound with our keys, just [like] last week,” said linebacker UCF Chequan Burkett. “Every week, you got to be dialed in to what each position group has to do. So, communication is going to be big this week”
Speaking of big, this Knights offense should put up huge numbers against the Governors. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is one of the best quarterbacks in the country with the ball in his hands. The Hawaii native ranks 2nd to only Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield in passing efficiency. When the Knights aren’t airing it out, Frost will lean heavily on the running game, led by running backs Taj McGowan and sophomore speedster Adrian Killins, who’s a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the rock. He’s averaging over eight yards per carry.
The game is set to kickoff at 5pm EST inside Spectrum Stadium this Saturday.
