Centre Daily Times Logo

Gameday breakdown: Penn State vs. UCF | Centre Daily Times

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • eEdition
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • About Us
    • Local
    • Penn State
    • Sandusky Scandal
    • Communities
    • Crime
    • Business
    • Education
    • Politics
    • Public Records
    • State
    • Nation/World
    • Weird News
    • Sports
    • College
    • Golf
    • High School
    • MLB
    • Motorsports
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Outdoors
    • Penn State
    • State College Spikes
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • PSU Sports
    • PSU Football
    • PSU Basketball
    • PSU Baseball
    • PSU Hockey
    • PSU Soccer
    • PSU Volleyball
    • PSU Wrestling
    • Nittany Lines Blog
  • Penn State Football
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Family Pages
    • Eat, Play, Live
    • Home & Garden
    • Entertainment
    • Weekender
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Celebrities
    • Horoscopes
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Music
    • TV
    • Opinion
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Penn State Football

Gameday breakdown: Penn State vs. UCF

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 14, 2013 01:26 AM

Penn State vs. UCF

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Beaver Stadium

Series: Penn State leads 2-0

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Last meeting: Penn State won 37-13 at Beaver Stadium (Sept. 18, 2004)

Coaches: UCF — George O’Leary, 10th season, 62-55 (114-88 overall); Penn State — Bill O’Brien, second season, 10-4 overall.

Television: Big Ten Network (commentators: Matt Devlin, Glen Mason)

Radio: WQWK 1450, WBUS 93.7 (Announcers: Steve Jones, Jack Ham)

The skinny: In a prelude to next season’s meeting in Ireland, UCF and Penn State collide for the third time and the first since Penn State cleaned UCF’s clock in 2004. The Knights are a much improved program now with O’Leary in his 10th season, and will provide Penn State its stiffest test yet this season. The Knights bring a talented quarterback-running back tandem in Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson, who are candidates for the Davey O’Brien and Doak Walker awards — given to the best players at their positions, respectively. UCF also fields a physical group of wide receivers and a defense that has surrendered just seven points through its first two games. The defense returns five starters from last season’s unit that kept the Knights in nearly every game. Save for a 31-16 loss at Ohio State in Week 2 last season, the Knights lost four games by an average of just over four points. Although UCF lost seven of its top 10 tacklers from last season, safety Clayton Geathers is back as is linebacker Terrance Plummer. Both have noses for the football and lead a physical defense that has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season.

Knights player to watch: Johnson is a talented back capable of breaking a big run at any minute. He also can batter and bruise a defense into submission between the tackles and has the speed to bounce a run to the outside. In UCF’s first two games against Akron and Florida International, Johnson accrued the majority of his 188 yards after contact. Arm tackles won’t do the trick here and Johnson must be wrapped up at all costs.

Nittany Lion to watch: Allen Robinson has been a difference-maker in Penn State’s first two games. He’s averaging just over 18 yards per catch and has caught two of Penn State’s three receiving touchdowns. UCF brings a physical, athletic secondary where corners Jacoby Glenn and Jordan Ozerities are athletic enough to run with Robinson while safeties Geathers and Brandon Alexander are hard-hitters who possess high football IQs.

Key matchup: So far, starting defensive ends C.J. Olaniyan and Deion Barnes have been neutralized fairly well as Olaniyan has the lone sack for Nittany Lion defensive ends. Their success might not be measured in sacks this week, as Bortles can move in the pocket and is dangerous once he gets outside if flushed out. It’ll be up to Olaniyan and Barnes to keep the UCF signal-caller contained. Roughing him up early and often is a must, but Bortles doesn’t need to establish a rhythm to gain confidence. He’s a big body at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and is tough to bring down. Penn State’s defensive ends must keep him in a pressure-filled pocket.

  Comments  

Videos

Penn State’s new wide receivers coach aware of challenges

McSorley doesn’t want to put a ceiling on the next group of players

View More Video

Trending Stories

State College shooter’s ‘Hometown Hero’ banner removed

February 14, 2019 03:03 PM

Penn State assistant coach Phil Galiano leaving to pursue NFL opportunity

February 15, 2019 09:20 AM

Jury returns verdict in child rape trial for Mifflin County man

February 15, 2019 01:36 PM

5 things Penn State wrestling fans should watch this weekend with the postseason looming

February 14, 2019 08:39 PM

Separate PIAA playoffs for public, private schools? State Rep. Scott Conklin unveils new bill

February 14, 2019 10:07 PM

things to do

Read Next

Penn State assistant coach Phil Galiano leaving to pursue NFL opportunity

Penn State Football

Penn State assistant coach Phil Galiano leaving to pursue NFL opportunity

By Josh Moyer

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 09:20 AM

The Nittany Lions’ struggling special-teams coordinator, who many thought should be fired, is leaving Happy Valley to pursue an opportunity in the NFL.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE PENN STATE FOOTBALL

Former Penn State WR Juwan Johnson transferring to Oregon Ducks

Penn State Football

Former Penn State WR Juwan Johnson transferring to Oregon Ducks

February 14, 2019 07:10 PM
Tracking Penn State football’s 10 free agents this NFL offseason

Penn State Football

Tracking Penn State football’s 10 free agents this NFL offseason

February 13, 2019 12:00 PM
Penn State target Nick Cross flips from Florida State to Big Ten foe

Penn State Football

Penn State target Nick Cross flips from Florida State to Big Ten foe

February 12, 2019 12:00 PM
Penn State WR Cam Sullivan-Brown reportedly in transfer portal

Penn State Football

Penn State WR Cam Sullivan-Brown reportedly in transfer portal

February 10, 2019 10:40 PM
How former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg played in AAF debut

Penn State Football

How former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg played in AAF debut

February 10, 2019 06:51 PM
What 2020 football recruits might pick Penn State? Here are 5 key names to know

Penn State Football

What 2020 football recruits might pick Penn State? Here are 5 key names to know

February 08, 2019 01:22 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Centre Daily Times App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story