The UCF Knights were heading into their matchup with the East Carolina Pirates riding high, but that abruptly changed when Holton Ahlers completed 83.3% of his passes and the Knights lost the turnover battle 4-0. Pirates built up a large lead against the Knights, three picks and a fumble from a run lowered Plumlee’s yardage and pass completion percentage further, so to say the least he had a terrible game. Despite a few strong performances, UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was awful when he was off. Plumlee went 25 of 37, 67.6%, for 296 yards, an 8 yard average per attempt, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. This performance led to a 10-34 loss to the Pirates this Saturday.
The Knights handled the ball efficiently in the first half, but two straight possessions led to turnovers. This hasn’t happened since the Georgia Tech game. Despite being sacked four times for a loss of 27 yards, Plumlee kept it moving. He is by far one of the toughest players in college football, but was he surprised by the East Carolina coverages? There was something missing from this game; something that might not be able to be quantified with a player that was inconsistent for much of the game. The offense still accumulated 334 yards of total offense but the scores just weren’t happening. Plumlee, head coach Gus Malzahn, and the entire UCF offensive coaching staff must address that immediately to move on and have a strong season. After all their next match-up is against the 21st-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats won’t be easy.
Defensive Woes for the Knights
No matter what coverage the Knights played last night, Ahlers shredded them. It was as if Ahlers couldn’t fail. He was getting the football to his intended targets, making completion after completion. Even when he was drilled, Ahler kept his cool and released the ball. Many of UCF’s defensive backs were not giving up passes over their heads though. A quarterback who is connecting at a blistering pace is difficult to slow down, but the inability to secure the edge of the defense created even more problems for the Knights.
There’s the exclamation point‼️ pic.twitter.com/5k6G2bie20
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) October 23, 2022
On a positive note, Jason Johnson, UCF’s inside linebacker, is the one UCF defensive player who deserves praise for his effort and tackling ability. He made 15 total tackles and recorded a quarterback hurry. He has been a terrific football player ever since joining UCF from Eastern Illinois. He’ll be relied upon heavily down the stretch for UCF, as the remaining schedule includes some great teams.
Hopefully, UCF will be ready to roll once again when they come to FBC Mortgage Stadium on October 29.
