a matchup of size vs. finesse

[aubiefifty 18,398]

orlandosentinel.com

 

UCF, Auburn a matchup of size vs. finesse in Peach Bowl

Shannon Green

5-7 minutes

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The size difference between UCF’s offense and Auburn’s defense hasn’t gone unnoticed.

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds and must duck the pass rush from the likes of Auburn linebacker Jeff Holland, who has a 64 pound advantage.

And the Knights’ most explosive rushers, Adrian Killins and Otis Anderson, built their résumés on finesse over brawn. Both weigh under 165 pounds.

So when the teams face off at 12:30 p.m. Monday in the Peach Bowl, UCF will have the opportunity to answer an age-old football adage. Does size really matter?

“Size always matters in football, I’m not gonna lie,” said Auburn safety Tray Matthews. “Especially dealing with the SEC. Size and speed is what matters in this game.”

Auburn’s size and speed helped the Tigers rank No. 14 nationally in total defense, allowing an average of 312 yards and 17.3 points a game. In the 26 games with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, the Tigers (10-3) collected 61 sacks. They have been held without a sack during just four games since 2016.

Steele, who had previous defensive coordinator stints with Alabama, Clemson and LSU, is somewhat familiar with Scott Frost’s talent. Steele was a position coach at Nebraska when Frost was quarterbacked for the program in the early 1990s.

“When you turn on the video and start watching the technical football aspect, they’re very well coached. You see that they play and understand what they’re being asked to do and so their execution is at a high level,” Steele said. “They’re very resilient in terms of they play the game it’s really supposed to be played.”

He added, “They appear on video to have the psychological mindset that execute the next play, execute the next play and you see them play at a fast, high tempo with fast guys that look like they are executing at a high level.”

Speed has been UCF’s weapon of choice since Frost took over the program in 2016. He specifically recruited undersized, wicked fast and confident Florida skill players to run the Chip Kelly-inspired system he brought from Oregon.

And so far, it’s worked.

The Knights ran the table this season, averaging 49.4 points per game to become the No. 1 scoring offense in the country.

Freshman running back Otis Anderson even believes he and some of his smaller peers have an advantage.

“I think that helps us a lot. They don’t think they have to hit us as hard,” Anderson said. “A lot of teams they come down and they hit without wrapping up or they push us out of bounds and we get an extra five yards. I think that really helped us get to where we are now.

“I’m pretty sure Auburn is going to wrap up and do what they’re supposed to do, but that just shows us that we have to be tough and get everything done.”

There’s no question this is the biggest test UCF’s offense has faced all season. When offensive coordinator Troy Walters was asked last week if the Knights faced anything comparable to Auburn’s defense, he didn’t hesitate to say no.

Walters, who played in the NFL as an undersized receiver, also knows there are multiple ways to take down a giant. But it’s going to require a perfect shot.

“We are who we are and we’re gonna use our speed and the things that have gotten us to where we are,” Walters said. “They’re big, they’re stout, physical and so we’ve gotta find ways to use our strengths to our advantage. We’ve come up with some creative ideas and ways to attack their defense because, honestly, there are no holes in that defense. They’re stout and good from front to back.”

Walters said the Knights have added some new wrinkles to their offense during the past few weeks to utilize many playmakers on the roster. This is also a game where UCF could use its biggest running back, Taj McGowan, more in the rotation, according to Walters.

Entering the bowl, McGowan registered the third most rush attempts behind Killins and Milton and has eight touchdowns.

“He’s definitely a guy that may have a bigger role in this game, depending on how everything goes,” Walters said.

UCF does have size in its receiving corps, which includes Tre’Quan Smith, Gabe Davis and big-bodied tight end Jordan Akins. But one of its rising star true freshman receivers, Anderson, also happens to be one of the smallest guys on the team.

“To be this small and play football, you have to be tough,” Anderson said. “Getting hit is a part of the game, I expect to get hit but it’s just how I take it and how I get up is what’s going to make the difference.”

It goes without saying Anderson believes it’s the size of fight in the dog rather than the size of the dog in the fight makes the difference. He fielded 26 scholarship offers while playing high school football at Jacksonville University Christian, including offers from SEC schools Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

Coincidentally, Anderson’s jersey number is No. 26.

“Size matters? I don’t think size matters, honestly. It could if they catch you,” Anderson said with a chuckle. “Our game is mostly finesse. It’s going to be power against finesse; I think the whole world knows that. It just comes down to who executes the game plan better and who really wants it more.”

[TigerEyez13 46]

A big fast guy beats a little fast guy. This article sets up a false premise that somehow because Auburn is bigger than UCF it will be slower than UCF.

 

I see their offense getting us early off the edge, but eventually our defense keeps crushing their line until their offense breaks down. We need to probably put a spy on their QB, and mix up who we send after him from play to play. But we need to keep the pressure on the QB. As long as we play disciplined defense, maintain gap control, and don't try to be a one-man army, the defense has all the tools to negate whatever strengths they have on offense.

[AU64 10,122]

9 minutes ago, TigerEyez13 said:

A big fast guy beats a little fast guy. This article sets up a false premise that somehow because Auburn is bigger than UCF it will be slower than UCF.

 

I see their offense getting us early off the edge, but eventually our defense keeps crushing their line until their offense breaks down. We need to probably put a spy on their QB, and mix up who we send after him from play to play. But we need to keep the pressure on the QB. As long as we play disciplined defense, maintain gap control, and don't try to be a one-man army, the defense has all the tools to negate whatever strengths they have on offense.

Yep...got to do a better job of protecting the edges than we have done in several games..... eagerness to get to the QB can leave some bad gaps to the outside. discipline and patience.  

[aujeff11 6,243]

1 hour ago, TigerEyez13 said:

A big fast guy beats a little fast guy. This article sets up a false premise that somehow because Auburn is bigger than UCF it will be slower than UCF.

Agreed it’s almost like they are portraying us as if we are similar to the  big and slow Big 10 football teams. 

[Metalsinger418 88]

I really hope they play this game believing we're slow.

[StuBob 12]

I will be watching this one from the ESPN club near EPCOT in ORLANDO.  Hopefully there will be a few other orange clad tiger fans in attendance! I’m looking for our defense to take away the UCF run game and short pass game, and rely on qb pressure to avoid the long pass. Meanwhile, our punter should get lots of rest. WDE!

[Gowebb11 10,008]

Here’s the deal. We’ve seen big, fast, and athletic skill guys all year. But UCF hasn’t  seen the likes of Braden Smith, Marlon Davidson, and Derrick Brown. Mammoth guys who also happen to be very athletic. The biggest differential in this game will be in the trenches. Can’t wait.  WDE!!!

[eibua12 81]

They might use their big back more who is 6'0" 180lbs and runs a 4.51 40.  

What about me I am 219 and run a 4.31 ~ Guice LSU

[Timeslider 6 269]

I've watched UCF several times this year and they execute their offense as good as anyone. If they beat AU it will be because they just executed better than us. That's it, no size or speed will make a big enough difference to overcome a team that executes well. Maybe that's obvious, but they do run their offense very well, well-coached team, on offense that is. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,156]

It’d be almost embarrassing if we lost this game. NCM and McClain should be able to just go up over their DBs every single play. Maybe Malik Miller gets the chance to run thru some people finally. We don’t have too much power offensively (or at least we don’t use it) to take advantage of their undersized defense, but there’s a clear differential there in build as well

[Rednilla 5,449]

7 hours ago, Timeslider 6 said:

I've watched UCF several times this year and they execute their offense as good as anyone. If they beat AU it will be because they just executed better than us. That's it, no size or speed will make a big enough difference to overcome a team that executes well. Maybe that's obvious, but they do run their offense very well, well-coached team, on offense that is. 

If our defensive line plays to the level I expect it to, they can execute all they want, but they'll be doing it with large blue jerseys in their faces.

These articles are starting to remind me of the clippings about how much faster Ohio State was than Florida in the lead up to the 07 "Gator Raid," as coined by Sports Illustrated. I remember that game pretty well, because I was playing poker with some guys, and I bet them that Florida was going to win. My friend, Brian, who is from Big 10 country (Michigan, to be precise...but he HATES the University of Michigan), shook his head and said, "No way." By the time the beating was starting to show, Brian looked at me with a new respect for having called it so conclusively and then it turned out I was right by a long shot.

Hopefully, the SEC team will show these hyped up OOC foes up just as much.

[Beaker 2,457]

7 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

 

It’d be almost embarrassing if we lost this game.

 

No doubt if we lose, it is an embarrassment.  Not crazy about this bowl game - if we win, "we were supposed to;" if we lose, "embarrassing loss."   Not a great place to be.

Auburn may go down early, but I believe we have too much power and too many players to be outscored for 60 minutes.

[DivisionN 102]

I think this is one of the most poorly researched articles I've seen. CF is NOT a small team. They are Big and Fast. 

Look at their OL, DL and Linebackers

Offense

LG	73	Jackson, Samuel FR6'6" 356 LBS
OC	72	Johnson, Jordan SO 6'2" 320 LBS
RG	79	Dickey, Chavis SR 6'4" 340 LBS
RT	78	Miller, Wyatt RS JR 6'4" 306 LBS
TE	88	Akins, Jordan RS JR6'4" 262 LBS

Lt                                                  77                Brown, Jake RS SOOL 6'3" 305 LBS

 

Defense

DE	5	PIttman, Jamiyus SR 6'1" 319 LBS
NG	9	Hill, Trysten SO 6'2" 330 LBS
DE	93	Guerad, Tony RS SR 6'1" 313 LBS
OLB	18	Griffin, Shaquem RS SR 6'2" 229 LBS
ILB	2	Burkett, Chequan RS SR 6'2" 230 LBS
ILB	56	Jasinski, Pat JR 6'1" 233 LBS
OLB	10	Davis, Titus RS SO 6'3" 248 LBS