A typically sweltering Orlando afternoon did not deter the Odyssey from showing up for the Central Florida-Pitt game yesterday. If one thought that the cheekiness of the Knights’ self-proclaimed 2017 national championship would have stopped in January, one would have been very mistaken. Upon entrance into Spectrum Stadium, possibly the first item noticed is the “2017 National Champions” verbiage prominently posted on the facing of the press box. I was fantasizing that Alabama would show up and the affair could be decided once and for all.
Like Alabama, the 2018 version of UCF football shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Like Alabama, in Mackenzie Milton, UCF has one of college football’s very best quarterbacks. Like Alabama, both star quarterbacks hail from the seemingly endless supply emanating from Honolulu. Like Alabama, the UCF quarterback is a prime Heisman Trophy candidate. Like Alabama, the game morphed into a rout that turned the entire second half into garbage time (Alabama laid a 49-0 thrashing on hapless Louisiana Lafayette yesterday in the first 30 minutes).
In Orlando, a Group of Five team hosted a Power Five team. The game proved to be a mismatch with roles reversed. Behind the arm of the redoubtable Milton, UCF sprinted to a 38-7 halftime lead behind 317 yards of offense. After the Knights jumped off to a 14-0 advantage, Rafael Araujo Lopes’ scintillating 85-yard punt return touchdown gave the Panthers momentary hope. Fools’ gold as that notion turned out. The other key play of the game occurred late in the 2nd quarter with UCF up 28-7. A rare poor throw from Milton resulted in a 90-yard interception return that was wiped out by a roughing the passer call. Ballgame.
The Odyssey was stunned by one element. UCF’s 2017 defense would never be classified as a defensive juggernaut. In pulsating wins over South Florida and Memphis, both were scorefests where Milton and Company needed to tally half a zillion points to narrowly prevail. The 2018 UCF defense was stripped of linebacker Shaquem Griffin and defensive back Mike Hughes, both high NFL draft picks. So how on earth could the hapless Pittsburgh offense not find the end zone until deep into the second half??
The Panthers were even more irritating on defense. In the game’s first 25 minutes, no fewer than 4 times after big UCF gains, time was stopped because of a Pitt “injury.” Football is a tough, tough game but the Pitt defense has to be the most brittle on this planet. Was it remotely possible Pitt was faking because of the UCFast offense? Since we are now in the era of “fake news,” I can almost appreciate the irony. But, please, change the rules, NCAA, to charge a team a timeout for each such stoppage.
Time to admit it, Pitt. Pat Narduzzi is a flop of a coach. He was hired because of his prowess as a defensive coordinator at Michigan State. How many good defenses has he had at Pitt? If you answered zero, that is not fake news. Instead, Pitt’s defense allowed the Knights 30+ points for UCF’s 17th consecutive time in their not-coincidental 17-game winning streak — in the first half alone, mind you.
UCF has so much momentum that the heat did little to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. In the Deep South, TV is the devil when it comes to scheduling day games in September (an often lovable devil, one must confess). The UCF band paid a tribute to the band Chicago at halftime. One of the songs was “Make Me Smile.” For the many UCF fans in attendance, how could you not?