"UCF has the chance to play spoiler for BYU" Our conversation with a UCF football expert

With the 11th-ranked Cougars heading to Orlando for a Big 12 battle with the Knights of UCF, I wanted to learn more about the game environment, the strengths and weaknesses of BYU's Saturday opponent, and see this matchup from the opposite perspective.

Enter Ericka Brockish, a staff writer at FanSided and site expert for Knightly Review, a UCF sports page on our network. She's a UCF alum and has numerous up-close experiences through working with their athletic department.

Like myself, she closely follows her football team, and I couldn't think of anyone better from whom I could draw some insight than Ericka. In preparation for this weekend's clash with the Knights, I asked a few questions to better understand what BYU will need to watch for in their search for win number 8.

This is how our conversation went down.

Q: BYU is 0-3 in the Bounce House. What makes it such a difficult environment?

A: The Bounce House is truly a different place to play in. Having a student section on both endzones truly makes it tough for opponents throughout the entire field. It is also homecoming this weekend and that is probably the second most electric game behind the Space Game at UCF. When that stadium starts to bounce, the fans go crazy, the teams feel the energy and it just all builds until UCF gets that first big play on the field and the stadium just erupts, it truly is a great environment for the Knights and tough for any opponent.

Q: BYU couldn’t stop Ollie Gordon last week, and will likely focus on stopping UCF’s running attack. How dangerous is RJ Harvey to the Cougars’ defense?

A: I truly believe RJ Harvey is the most dynamic running back in college football because of his ability to take a hit and not go down. Harvey has the patience in the backfilled to wait for a hole to open up and when it does he shoots through it like a rocket and once he is in the open field, there is no catching him because he hits another level. 

Q: UCF has struggled through the air this season with KJ Jefferson. What does Jacurri Brown add to the Knights’ offense?

A: Jacurri Brown adds another level to the run game for UCF. Brown does not have the biggest arm to get the ball down field, but he is a big rushing threat and can make defenders miss. He may not have the size that Jefferson has, but he has better speed than Jefferson, which also takes the heat off Harvey as well.

Q: I picked the Knights as a dark horse championship contender before the season. Why have they fallen short of expectations this year?

A: Two words, Gus Malzahn. The play-calling this season has been the most predictable play-calling I have ever seen. There is no creativity within the offense and other than getting the ball to RJ Harvey, Malzahn is not getting the ball to his playmakers. The defense has also looked at it worse since 2019. The fact that our defensive coordinator will not make adjustments at halftime and is hell-bent on sticking to a game plan that isn’t working is a clear problem and the very reason we can’t stop high-flying offenses. 

Q: What does BYU need to do to win this game? How about UCF?

A: BYU just needs to stick to the passing game against the Knights. UCF’s defensive line has been better this season compared to seasons in the past, but the secondary is softer than a teddy bear. If UCF wants to win, they need to stick to the run game and expose the Cougars like Oklahoma State did last week. Running RJ Harvey and Jacurri Brown is the best way to go and sprinkling short pass plays and giving the wide receivers a chance to make a play with the ball in their hand to keep the BYU defense honest is their best bet.

Q: As a fan of UCF and a Big 12 supporter, which would you rather see: a UCF win this weekend, or an undefeated BYU reach the CFP?

A: I would love to see a UCF win especially after the loss last week to Iowa State that we let slip away. I give BYU credit for what they have done this season and it is great for the group of teams that are newer to the conference because it shows it is possible with the right group of guys, but UCF is desperate for a win and they need something to hang their hats on this season.

Q: What are the national implications of this matchup?

A: Right now, UCF just has the chance to play spoiler for BYU. Even though it may seem unfair, I think one loss puts BYU in a really tough position. Yes, they could still make the Big 12 title game, but if they have to face Kansas State again, they probably won’t be able to replicate what they did a few weeks ago. So UCF has a chance to just play spoiler here and they have nothing to lose while BYU has everything to lose. UCF also has the chance to bring some good publicity to the program that has just taken a nose dive this season.

Q: Gun to your head, impulse decision: Who wins this game?

A: BYU no question, I love my Knights but with the way this season is going, at this point I would rather UCF lose so that we can get Gus out of there and get someone else in who will be able to keep guys in the building.

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