3 Keys to Victory: Navy at UCF
The 3-7 Navy Midshipmen might seem like a pushover from the outside looking in, but that’s not the case for the UCF Knights on Saturday. They must be as mentally dialed in as possible.
Otherwise, their American Athletic Conference title hopes will go away, and a major bowl bid could as well. Here are three areas to consider when the Knights take on the grind-it-out triple-option attack from the Midshipmen.
Knights Must Protect the Football
Playing Navy’s run-dominated attack means fewer overall possessions. Depending on which quarterback plays, or at least plays the most versus UCF, Navy might not pass more than two or three times during the entire game.
Thus, the clock keeps rolling and the Knights will have fewer offensive possessions to score points when they do actually get the football. That’s why every drive becomes more important. Turnovers have to be eliminated.
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UCF is ranked No. 88 in the nation with a minus-three turnover margin. Even one turnover against Navy can be a killer. The Knights must protect the football all game long.
Early Lead is a Must
Playing off the turnover point, building an early lead will help to change Navy’s playcalling. They simply do not possess the wide receivers to just air it out on every down.
If the Knights can get up by 14-21 points by halftime, this game becomes very difficult for the Midshipmen to come back with a triple-option offense. Of course this means that the UCF offense and defense must play well, essentially working in unison.
A fumble recovery for UCF needs to quickly become a touchdown. Sudden-change momentum with a play-action pass from John Rhys Plumlee to Javon Baker for a touchdown, or something similar, could completely change the energy of the crowd and give UCF the jolt it needs.
Red Zone Defense
UCF has been tremendous inside its own 20, as it's earned the No. 2 red zone defense in the land by allowing just 65.9% of teams to score. Further, only 39% scored touchdowns.
That will be challenged with Navy coming to Orlando. With less space in the red zone, the Navy rushing attack does not suffer as much as a team that likes to throw and has less room to do it near the goal line.
If the Knights can hold the Midshipmen to field goals, that’s a huge advantage. Navy has scored just 15 touchdowns from its 29 trips inside the 20 this season. However, if the Midshipmen get a rhythm going, that number can quickly change.
That starts with slowing down fullback Daba Fofana, the leading rushers for the Middies with 635 yards and six touchdowns. If the Knights can slow him down in the red zone, there’s a great chance to hold the Midshipmen to a field goal attempt.
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