With kickoff rapidly approaching for G5 teams in the state of Florida, there is going to be a lot of questions answered about two teams particular. UCF is coming into their second season under Scott Frost, and expectations could not be higher. Meanwhile in Miami, there is talks of a Renaissance for the career of FIU first year head coach Butch Davis. There is a storm brewing among the four G5 Florida teams, and they will be jockeying for positions. UCF vs. FIU will kickoff the season as the first instate match-up among Florida teams, and down below we have the things you need to watch for!
Series History
- UCF leads 3-2
- All five games have been played in the last six years
- The series has been alternating as a home and home
The Panthers Front Seven vs. The UCF Offensive Line
It is no secret that the UCF offensive line struggled most of 2016. Majority of the problems are that the blocking schemes in a Scott Frost offense hold their own amount of complexity. The FIU front seven is not an ideal candidate for your offensive line to start their “improved skills” against. Disregarding the name, the FIU front seven last season was actually solid, and will give UCF some problems. FIU is returning their #1 and #2 leading tacklers on the team last year with linebackers Anthony Wint and Treyvon Williams. Butch Davis might of had his struggles in his recent stops, but coaching up a front seven is not one of them. Instead of watching where the ball goes this game, I will be watching the match-ups on the line of scrimmage, this match-up will win one team the game.
UCF Sophomore McKenzie Milton vs. FIU Senior Alex McGough
Last season there were 18 interceptions thrown total for both QB’s and neither quarterback threw for over 2,000 yards. While they won’t dominate the stat book for award winning numbers, both QB’s can still make plays. Both are considered pocket passing quarterbacks, and the one that limits the mistakes will win this ball game. In my opinion Milton did fantastic limiting mistakes last year, giving a transitioning Knights offense plenty of chances to win ball games.
McKenzie Milton UCF
Alex McGough FIU
The X Factor: UCF TE’s are UCFast!
I for one am looking forward to how the linebackers and safeties deal with the hybrid TE’s of UCF of Jordan Akins and Jordan Franks (both seniors). They are big targets that were 1/4 of the UCF passing attack last year, and will give more production this year. Dare I say that the tandem of these TE’s maybe the best in the country! Mark my words, over 35% of the UCF passing attack against FIU will come from these two!
Score Prediction
UCF 27 FIU 17
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