Central Florida in a nutshell <~~boooooo

[hellah10]

UCF returns eight starters from an offense that averaged 30-points per game in 2001. QB Ryan Schneider (6'2'' 215) leads this potent offense after throwing for over 2,900 yards last fall, including 17 TDs. In two years as the starter quarterback, Schneider has surpassed 5,300 yards and 38 TDs. Statistically he is ahead of UCF alum and Minnesota Viking QB Duante Culpepper. Had UCF been in the MAC last fall, Schneider would have been the 3rd rated QB in the league. Schneider has some big time talent to utilize in their offense. WR Doug Gabriel (6'2'' 205) is a big-time weapon. Gabriel averaged 29-yards per catch in 2001 after arriving from Mississippi Gulf Coast JC, hauled in 9 TDs, and had four receptions of 50-yards or more. Gabriel also averaged over 27-yards per kickoff return on special teams. The other WR is Jimmy Fryzell (6'0'' 195) and CollegeFootballNews.com ranked him as a top-30 player, regardless of position, within the Independent ranks last year. UCF has some quality backs to add rushing firepower to this potent offense. TB Alex Haynes (5'11'' 220) and FB Sean Gaudion (6'2'' 235) offer a quality one-two punch. Haynes averaged 5-yards per carry and had nine TDs with limited use as a freshman in 2001. Gaudion doesn't run much, but is a punishing blocker for both the run and the pass. UCF has good depth at the TE position, but Mario Jackson (6'3'' 250) is clearly the leader to be the starter but Michael Gaines (6'3'' 265) will be a factor as well. UCF has some quality size and athleticism along the offensive line. Brian Huff (6'7'' 290), Taylor Robinson (6'6'' 320) & Mike Mabry (6'2'' 285) return along the trenches and UCF has the most depth here in school history.Other returning lettermen include Garrett McCray (6'4'' 315) & Travis Muse
(6'6'' 320).

Offensive Concerns

Although the UCF line has quality depth, much of it is untested. The Knights graduated two quality linemen in Willie Comerford and Steve Davis. UCF hit the JUCO ranks hard for offensive linemen this season and much of their success as a team rides on them jelling right away. Players like Alex Mendez (6'6'' 320), David Ashkinaz (6'4'' 310), Johnovan Morgan (6'4"" 275), Joe Blackard (6'7'' 330), Kyle Watkins (6'8'' 340) along with Redshirt freshmen Jeff Harper (6'9'' 310) and Adam Butcher (6'3'' 285) need to play to the level as they are advertised for continued offensive success. This team has SEC size, but we will see if they play as physical as a SEC line. UCF will need to get a lot of production out of their backup wideouts. With such a difficult schedule awaiting the Knights, Luther Huggins (5'1'' 175), Tavaris Caper (5'9'' 165), Darcy Johnson (6'6'' 220) and Ivery Gaskins (6'1'' 205) will be playing at some point and need to take some pressure off of Doug Gabriel. Finally, there is unproven depth at tailback. Keith Williams (5'10'' 190), Dontavius Wilcox (5'11'' 205) and Reggie Green (5'9'' 210) have never seen much playing time.

Defensive Strengths

Asante Samuel (5'11'' 190) may be he best cover corner in the MAC this year. A 4.4 speedster, Samuel had 31 unassisted tackles in 2001, along with 15 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two INTs. Carlos Thompson (5'10'' 175) is an experienced CB who will be on the other side. DE Elton Patterson just might be the best defensive prospect in the MAC this year and will certainly be one of the top vote getters for 'MAC Defensive POY.' Patterson is big (6'3'' 275), fast (4.6/40) and was an honorable mention all-American last fall. Paterson has averaged nearly 90-tackles and 10 sacks in each of the past two years. At the other end spot will be either Rashad Jeanty (6'3'' 230) or Roy Williams (6'2'' 275). Both are quality compliments to Patterson. UCF went out and found some extraordinary talent to fill the holes. DeMarcus Johnson (6'4'' 295) turned down top-5 schools to play right away for the Knights. He has big play potential to match his big hype. Other interior linemen include Thomas Andrews (6'4'' 285), Larry Brown (6'2'' 290), Frisner Nelson (6'2'' 310) and Nick Rosinski (6'2'' 265). Few MAC teams can match the depth and athleticism of this unit.

Defensive Concerns

UCF returns just three starters from a wonderful defense last year that game up just 18-points per game, posted two shutouts and four teams to under 10 points per outing. The Knights ranked 16th nationally in total defense, 13th nationally in scoring defense, and 15th nationally in pass defense. Graduated are some of the best defensive players in school history. It will not be easy to replace ILB Tito Rodriguez, who had 146 total tackles last fall, or DBs Willie Davis and Albert Snyder. Other players graduated include the team's defensive MVP, DT Josh McKibbern and DE Boma Ekiyor. Although many of the incoming players to the defense are much ballyhooed, they have still never played a down together yet. MLB Chad Mascoe (6'2'' 250) must live up to his billing as a high school all-American and be a team leader right away. Other LBs looking to make a name for themselves include Chris Pilinko (6'1'' 225), Antoine Poe (6'0'' 220), Gerren Bray (6'0'' 215), Savarris Brown (6'0'' 225) & Stanford Rhule (5'11'' 230). There is very little experienced depth at the CB and safety position. Peter Sands (6'2'' 190) & Atari Bigby (5'11'' 195) look to be the starters. Bigby is known as a major 'hitter' on this team.

Special Teams

Ryan Flinn is expected to be the punter since Javier Beoriegui has moved on after graduation. The placekicking job may fall into the hands of Javier's younger brother, Kevin Beoriegui, or Ryan Feely. True freshman Matt Prater will have a chance at the PK duties also. If UCF can get their kicking game in order, their return specialists are truly special. As stated above, Doug Gabriel has the ability to score every time he has the ball and Luther Huggins is a high quality returner. Huggins has reported 10.2 speed in the 100-meter dash.

Overview

UCF wanted to hit the ground running when entering MAC play this year and they went out and found some outstanding players to kick start their first season of conference play. UCF had the best recruiting class in MAC history and found several impact players who were highly recruited by SEC and ACC programs, to come to Orlando and play right away. Since 1996, UCF is 11-4 versus MAC teams and the Knights are 17-3 at home in their last twenty games in the Citrus Bowl. Offensively UCF will be able to score points on just about everyone they play. Defensively, UCF is looking for these high profile players to come in and keep the Knights as a top-20 and dominating defense. UCF was handed a very difficult schedule to face this fall. UCF opens with three straight road games and plays the MAC's most murderous schedule. This may take a toll on this team, as they must travel north to conference foes Marshall, Miami and Western Michigan. In recent years, UCF has lost at Akron at Northern Illinois. Overall, this is one of the most talented teams in the conference but this demanding hand dealt to Coach Kruczek & Company will probably keep them from winning a title in 2002. There is a good chance that UCF may earn their first bowl birth in school history if they win at least eight games. That is a distinct possibility. As a huge MAC fan, I am very glad to see such a quality program with an enormous upside becoming a member of the Mid-American Conference. Welcome UCF, and good luck!

Schedule

UCF received no favors from the league office for their inaugural year in the MAC. The Knights must play crossover games against two of the MAC's best as they travel to Western Michigan, and host Toledo. Within the East, UCF must travel to both Marshall and Miami, the top two teams in the East division. The OOC games are difficult, but winnable. UCF opens the season by traveling to Penn State and Arizona State (followed by a road trip to Marshall in week #3), but plays host to Liberty and has an excellent home game with Syracuse. Without any doubt, this is the most difficult schedule in the MAC this year.

Omar?s View = 8-4; wins against Liberty, Toledo, Akron, Syracuse, @Buffalo, Kent State, @Arizona State, & Ohio University; losses @Penn State, @WMU, @Marshall & @Miami.


BOLD PREDICTION UCF may well become the second MAC team to win at Happy Valley in three years. One thing for sure, UCF will beat either Penn State, Arizona State, or Syracuse this year. My pick is the Orangemen since the game is home, but don't be surprised if UCF beats two of these three teams listed.

Pivotal Game:

@Marshall (9/20/02): This is UCF's first MAC conference game ever, and it's on national TV, against the league favorite. Given Marshall's success since they have re-entered the MAC in 1997, this game should give UCF a strong gauge on where they will stand, and possibly, an early edge in the MAC East standings.

 

[hellah10]

Game of Life

By Alan Schmadtke | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 6, 2002

Here is the contrast of UCF athletics, its potential versus its reality:

In the summer of 1999, the school spent $50,000 on a national marketing campaign of the Golden Knights' football program. The purpose was to land the program in a conference. UCF particularly targeted the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East and Conference USA.

More than a year later, word leaked that C-USA's new television contract was worth at least $1 million more if C-USA grew its football membership to 12 and staged a league championship game.

UCF blitzed hard. It wasn't until later -- after C-USA began a private courtship with Marshall for possible membership -- that the Knights learned they were saved from themselves.

To join C-USA, UCF would have had to pony up $4 million within two years, a $2 million "membership fee" and a $2 million "participation fee."

"We would have had to bankrupt our program [to join]," former UCF athletic director Steve Sloan said. "We wouldn't have been able to do that."

The goal in East Orlando is never to have to worry about a similar situation.

The Golden Knights, who paid a mere $200,000 for football-only membership in the Mid-American Conference that starts this fall, aim to build the value of their athletic program and raise cash reserves while more than doubling their budget within five years.

UCF has a five-year agreement to be in the MAC. What happens beyond that depends not only on the landscape of Division I athletics but also on how fast the Knights can heighten their athletic visibility while recruiting boosters and raising money.

"That's got to be the priority," UCF President John Hitt said. "If we're going to accomplish what we want to accomplish and go the places we eventually want to go, we have to find more ways to pay for the things our student-athletes need and our coaches want and our fans want to see."

That in a nutshell explains a recent meeting between Tim Leonard and new UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini. Leonard, executive director of the Golden Knights Club, the school's athletics fund-raising arm, brought to Orsini an aggressive five-year financial plan. It called for step-by-step booster growth, concluding with a goal of $1 million in annual giving.

"Steve said, 'This is great. But it's not enough. Double it,' " Leonard said. "That was an amazing thing to hear."

Said Orsini: "I say double, and it might have to be more. It's double in today's dollars. Who knows what that means in three, five, seven years?"

In this case, Orsini has asked UCF boosters to nearly quadruple their annual giving by 2006. He knows the scenery outside of Orlando.

Building the budget

UCF had an $11 million operating budget for 2000-01. That was by far the largest budget among 11 Atlantic Sun Conference schools and is the fifth highest among 14 MAC members.

But it would have ranked 10th in the 14-team C-USA, trailing, among others, the $12.8 million operational budget of South Florida.

For Orsini, a former Wall Street accountant who treats spreadsheets as if they were silk sheets, such confirms the obvious: UCF needs more juice. This year's overall athletic budget is a $13.6 million bottom line with few frills.

So when UCF boosters gather for their annual meeting next week, they'll learn some specifics of what Orsini wants from Leonard and the GKC. As UCF wrestles with ways to pay for future needs, boosters will be asked to pay more for football tickets and to give more money for the right to the best seats.

GKC will update its priority seating policies for the 2003 football season, Leonard said.

Like most Division I-A athletic departments, UCF's leans heavily on its boosters to balance the budget.

Although it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, consider that GKC raised $564,000 in annual giving in 2001. (It pulled in another $800,000 in one-time capital gifts, Leonard said.)

A school study of booster groups in the MAC shows UCF boosters as the third-most productive group in the league, trailing Marshall and Toledo.

Orsini, Leonard and ISP Sports, UCF's multimedia rights-holder and sales force, chase high-dollar donors and corporate partners. The road to the big-time is paved by CEOs.

"What you see at most schools is that the top 20 percent of your donors account for about 80 percent of the money you raise," said new Ball State Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, who was a finalist for the job Orsini got. "That's pretty standard. But you still have to have that other 80 percent. Those are your core fans, too."

'Like a business'

 

[hellah10]

Continued from Above

Continued from Above

UCF's ambitions stand before a somber history. In 1990 its booster club -- then known as Knights Boosters, Inc. -- had 1,350 members. Its long-range plan then was to reach 5,000 members before the year 2000.

As of last week, GKC had 1,618 members. Of those, 18 are Silver donors (giving $3,000 to $6,999 annually) and 13 are Diamond donors ($7,000 a year). UCF has twice as many Diamond donors as a year ago.

No one at UCF expects to be at a level with Florida and Florida State, but a comparison sheds light on the dollars needed.

The king of cash, Gator Boosters Inc., annually adds 50 new Bull Gators, boosters who give at least $10,000 a year, said Sara Brazda, director of internal operations. UF's Bull Gator total is about 440, and annual gifts average $16 million.

Seminole Boosters, Inc., generates about $12 million in annual gifts, associate director Jerry Kutz said. It has 632 Golden Chiefs who donate at least $5,500 a year.

Over the past five years, FSU's club has increased its annual giving while also raising $70 million for a Dynasty Campaign for new facilities -- a campaign that saw 30 donors give at least $1 million each.

UCF recently celebrated a $2.5 million pledge by the Wayne Densch Foundation to push the new football facility to reality.

"At some point, we have to quit beating ourselves up over the fact that we don't raise close to the amount that Florida and Florida State raise," Leonard said.

Added Kutz: "Schools like Georgia and Florida and Tennessee, they're in their third generation of will-giving [when donors die]. We're just getting to our first generation. . . . A school like UCF isn't even to that point yet."

Imperative among donor giving, booster leaders said, is making sure UCF's campus-wide fund-raisers don't step on one another's toes.

"It all has to do with the key players," said Brazda. "They all have to get along and do what's in the best interest of the school. Much of the direction is set by the school president, but it also takes extraordinary chemistry. Some campuses it works well; some it doesn't. It's very much like a business."

More women's sports

Just like in business, in college athletics costs don't fall. UCF's biggest goal figures to cost the most.

Putting all its sports into the same "major conference" will include buyouts from the A-Sun and MAC, plus a certain seven-figure buy-in fee for a new league.

"Who's to say that major conference won't be the MAC?" Orsini said.

Regardless, Orsini and Hitt acknowledge any invitation almost certainly will hinge on the marketability and success of men's and women's basketball. Long term, both programs are tied to the construction of a new multipurpose arena -- though the school hasn't started raising money for one yet -- and budgets for each must be beefed up, Orsini said.

Neither the GKC nor the UCF Foundation has begun raising money for a convocation center.

As for budgets, UCF's most recent gender-equity report shows it spent $631,160 on men's basketball and $571,245 on women's basketball.

Rival South Florida, in comparison, spent nearly $1.2 million and $713,303, respectively.

The other big difference: The Bulls pulled in more than $1.1 million in men's basketball revenue; UCF earned $78,995.

Even without such an invitation, UCF has significant expenses ahead.

A student body that is consistently more than 55 percent female means UCF must add about 40 scholarships for women by 2006 because of Title IX.

Otherwise, the school can expect another nasty report from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, such as the one it received in 1995. UCF was charged with eight Title IX violations. OCR doesn't have an open file on UCF today, a spokesman said.

With no plans to cut men's sports, UCF must add more women's sports. Next summer, Orsini said he'll have a new women's head coach.

"I don't know for what sport yet, but the plan is to have a sport identified and a coach hired by this time next year," he said. "That's just one sport. With that many scholarships, I'm thinking we'll be adding at least three sports."

Revenue needed

In an ideal world, every sport at UCF would pay for itself. In the real world, no sport at the school pays for itself.

Football brings in the most money -- an estimated $2.1 million in ticket sales and road-game guarantees in 2002 -- but Coach Mike Kruczek's program is budgeted to spend more than $3.2 million.

UCF athletics can operate in the black because 68 percent of its budget -- $9.4 million -- comes from student fees, taxes levied per credit hour.

That income will grow as UCF's student population grows to a potential 48,000 by 2010. The fee rate, already among the highest in Florida, is not expected to change.

"The students give their share," Hitt said. "One of the things we want Steve Orsini to do is find other money."

UCF plans to hike revenues in traditional ways, by selling more tickets in football and men's basketball and by recruiting more annual donors and one-time gift-givers.

Other avenues have opened up recently, all related to Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that stages the Capital One and Tangerine bowls, plus the Rotary Gridiron Classic all-star game. UCF, FCS and the city of Orlando have formed a partnership to find someone willing to pay for re-naming rights to the Florida Citrus Bowl stadium.

In addition, UCF and FCS are finishing off other deals that could benefit the athletic department. FCS is purchasing a $2.5 million scoreboard, one that will have state-of-the-art video capabilities.

UCF will be a part of that deal, FCS Executive Director Tom Mickle said. It will require the school to assume some of the estimated $340,000-a-year debt service on the scoreboard, but UCF also will share in the advertising revenue from it.

Until those projects take off, UCF is counting on donors to make its future bright. About 70 percent of the school's 100,000 alumni live in a seven-county area of Central Florida, the school said.

So much potential, so much reality.

"The good news is we have so many of them right here," Leonard said. "The bad news is a lot of the alumni are so young. We'll grow, but we want to grow now."

 

[hellah10]

The Golden Knights are the new kids on the block as they join the MAC for a football only affiliation, and look to make an immediate impact on this conference. UCF signed the best recruiting class this conference has ever witnessed and bring to the party some big-time talented players looking to give this school their first bowl bid ever. Make no mistake; UCF wants to be known as more than just "the school where Daunte Culpepper attended." UCF opens the season with three straight road games, Penn State, Arizona State and Marshall. UCF has two wonderful home games with Syracuse and Toledo. Since becoming a Division IA team in 1996, the Golden Knights are 11-4 versus the MAC and have a victory to their credit over Alabama from the SEC. Last year UCF was 5-0 at home and outscored their opponents 213-30. To win the East division UCF must win at three difficult places, Western Michigan, Miami and Marshall, so the schedule maker was not kind to UCF. Given the talent level on this team with players like WR-Doug Gabriel, RB-Alex Haynes, QB-Ryan Schneider, WR-Luther Huggins, DE-Elton Patterson and DB-Asante Samuel; UCF will be a major factor this year in the MAC and has a chance to get to their first bowl game in school history.

 

[Chenker]

Omar- quality write ups- but no way that UCF beat PSU to open the season, not going to happen this year:nono:

 

[hellah10]

 

[ChuckyTheGoat]

The upset could happen. Smells like an upset spot to me. PennSt off a losing yr, w/ Nebraska on deck.

 

[hellah10]

the way I look at it is this way...PSU has a bad secondary...UCF airs the ball alot...but thats just 1 layer of cappin this game. Iam gonna have to actually sit down and really look into this game....Iam not a big fan of betting on or against the Big 10, but this game looks juicy!