UCF's Best Offensive Performers vs Tulane
For the UCF Knights, trying to pick just a couple of top offensive performers was hard. There were more than a few obvious names that deserved mention.
Being honest and fair also meant going beyond the statistics. That’s why, once again, a group of five players deserved the biggest applause and begin this list.
The UCF Offensive Line
Look, anytime a team runs for 336 yards, it needs to be mentioned. UCF also did that against Tulane. During their prior three games, the Green Wave gave up 118 to USF, 103 to Memphis, and 111 to Tulsa. That leads to a unique statistic.
Adding all three of those rushing totals together equals 332, four yards less than what UCF ran for during a single game. There’s still more to like about this group’s performance.
The Knights converted 10 first downs from 18 attempts. That’s elite efficiency, and it starts up front with the big guys. Finally, Tulane’s pressure was staved off by UCF’s front wall.
Zero sacks and only four tackles for loss. That’s a commendable accomplishment against a mediocre team, let alone an opponent ranked No. 17 in the College Football Playoff Poll.
Javon Baker - Wide Receiver
When Baker smoked the defensive back in one-on-one coverage against him for the eight-yard touchdown catch, that helped to place the Knights up 24-7 with 7:18 remaining in the second quarter. It was a huge play and showed that at any moment UCF could move away from the rushing attack and zip a pass instead.
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) November 12, 2022
He was the one player that Tulane truly did not have an answer for. If the UCF offense wanted to, Baker could have gone for 10 or more catches and over 100 yards. The rushing attack was hammering the Green Wave so badly it just was not needed. Tulane still needed to respect Baker whenever he was on the field.
John Rhys Plumlee - Quarterback
Rushing for over 100 yards in the first quarter alone, Plumlee took over this football game from the outset. He was too elusive and too fast for Tulane to handle. Combining those points with the above point about Baker’s touchdown, plus hitting a few other key passes like Kobe Hudson’s 15-yard reception for a first down, Plumlee's impact was obvious.
What he also did was open up the rushing lanes for every other running back, as well as wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe for jet sweeps and reverses, so that Tulane just did not know where to concentrate its defensive efforts.
Plumlee is one of college football’s most dynamic quarterbacks even when he’s not running or throwing the football.
There could have been four or five other players added to this list. That’s why this UCF team is so good: It is a balanced offensive unit. The harder it is to write this article each week, that means that the Knights played well once again.
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