Ranking the Best Defenses on UCF's 2022 Football Schedule, Part I
The 2022 UCF Knights Football schedule presents a unique group of defenses. Some of them struggled at times but yet found a way to rise up at different stretches of their respective seasons. That’s a good synopsis for today’s bottom four teams on the list.
#12 - Sep. 1: South Carolina State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs gave up 26.2 points per game last season. That’s not a good start. The statistic is somewhat misleading, however. The first five games of the 2021 season saw South Carolina State opponents score 30 or more points. Games six through 12 were a different story.
Only three teams scored over 20 points from those final seven contests, and the highest total was 27 points by North Carolina A&T. They also allowed 15 or fewer points three separate times during the last seven games of 2021.
For the year, the defense allowed 121.8 rushing yards and gave 218.3 yards passing per game. The pass defense needs an uptick this season, but it’s clear that the Bulldogs focus on stopping the run like most college teams.
Most teams in the MEAC, the league South Carolina State plays in, have talent, but size and depth can be issues. That’s likely to be the case with the Bulldogs as well. This is a team that UCF and other Power 5 schools on the South Carolina State roster should be able to move the football, but they will have some talented performers as well.
#11 - Oct. 13: Temple Owls
Temple was absolutely bludgeoned last fall; the Owls gave up 220.5 yards rushing per outing. That ranks No. 121 in the FBS out of 130 programs. With that, the Owls switch to a 3-4 defense, attempting to go bigger and be more stout. That takes a unique style of players along the defensive line and at linebacker, something that’s hard to convert to in one year.
The hope is that North Carolina transfer Xach Gill can at least help that process begin, as he’s a 6-foot-5 and 310-pound nose guard. That’s the most important position in the 3-4, but he’s never been a consistent contributor heading into his last season of college football.
The other defensive lineman to watch would be Jerquavion Malone, a transfer from Kentucky that’s 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds. He’s going to play defensive end. For Year 1 of the defensive transition, that’s honestly a better start to the size transformation than many teams that move to the 3-4.
For this defense, the cornerbacks will be the key. Last season they did not get their hands on enough passes, and the two projected starters – Cameron Ruiz and Keyshawn Paul – intercepted just one pass combined.
Regardless of what the Owls do with the defensive front, there must be more big plays from the cornerbacks. Likewise, the safety play also needs improvement. Jalen Ware did show some promise on the back end, intercepting two passes and recording 30 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
#10 - Nov. 12: @ Tulane Green Wave
There were marked improvements in the last four games of the year where the Green Wave allowed 20.3 points per game overall. Now, can that trend continue into 2021? If yes, better tackling and fewer blown assignments will be needed.
The Green Wave gave up 271.3 yards passing per game last year, coming in at No. 120 in the nation. They simply could not stop teams from throwing the football. That’s even the case with a sack total that reached 34, ranking it No. 39 nationally.
That defensive front struggled more against the run as opposed to getting after the passer by allowing 158.4 yards per game. It was a wild combination of run defense, however, as Ole Miss ran for 372 yards, while Morgan State was held to just 44 yards on the ground.
Linebacker Nick Anderson is the headliner after recording 56 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a fumble recovery last season. He’s flanked by fellow linebacker Darian Williams, who was second on the Green Wave roster with 73 tackles, as well as three tackles for loss and a sack.
The leader of the secondary also recorded the most tackles, and that would be safety and nickel back Macon Clark, with 74 stops from last season. Look for Defensive Coordinator Chris Hampton to find different ways to get Clark near the line of scrimmage to help his aggressive style of play.
#9 - Sep. 24: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
In terms of yards per game allowed, Georgia Tech gave up 486.7 against Power 5 opponents, and 407.5 yards to non-Power 5 opponents. In short, the Yellow Jackets need major defensive improvements.
Most concerning, the Yellow Jackets allowed 33.5 points per game, ranking next to last in the Atlantic Coast Conference. There are a few players that do stand out, and now it’s just finding them more help.
While no defensive lineman returns to the starting lineup, GT sophomore defensive end Kyle Kennard is the one to watch. The 6-foot-5 and 235-pound edge defender has the length and athleticism defensive coaches love to see. He had 15 tackles on the season, plus a two-sack game against North Carolina.
The defensive line is inexperienced, like Kennard, overall. At least one of the other players needs to become a player other teams need to prepare for or it could be another poor defense for Georgia Tech. The second level of the defense is where Georgia Tech is set for success.
The known commodities are linebackers Charlie Thomas and Ayinde Eley. Thomas had 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two interceptions, while Eley produced 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. If they can get some help up front so they are not consistently taking on offensive linemen at the point of attack, Thomas and Eley should shine once again.
During the last eight games of 2021, Georgia Tech allowed 327.7 yards passing per game. There simply were not enough playmakers in the secondary.
The addition of Texas cornerback transfer Kenyatta Watson could give the Yellow Jackets a top talent at cornerback. Without his addition to the Georgia Tech roster, this defensive unit might have come in at No. 10 or No. 11 for the overall rankings.
There’s no returning starter in the secondary, however, so this is a unit that’s relatively unknown. That could be an issue for the Yellow Jackets this fall.
Tomorrow is a look at the next four best defensive units the Knights will face in 2022.
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