The Basics
Campus Location: Unincorporated Orange County, Florida (Basically Orland0)
School Type: Public Research University
Enrollment: 60K +
Mascot: Knightro / Pegasus and the Golden Knight
2025 Season
vs Jacksonville State: 17-10 – W
vs North Carolina A&T: 68-7 – W
Vs North Carolina: 34-9 – W
Overall Record: 3-0
Big 12 Record: 0-0
Roster
Key Players – Offense
Quarterback: Tayven Jackson – 6’4”, 215 – Sr.
Passing: 54/77 Attempts – 70 Comp % – 694 Yards – 3 Touchdowns – 0 Interceptions
Rushing: 20 Attempts – 72 Yards – 3 Touchdowns
PFF Grades: Off – 79.4 – Pass 72.6 – Run 77.3
Running Back: Myles Montgomery – 5’11”, 205 – Sr.
Rushing: 41 Attempts – 149
Yards – 1 Touchdown
Receiving: 6 Receptions – 104 Yards
PFF Grades: Off: 73.3 – Run: 73.9
Wide Receiver / Tight End: Slot Receiver – Duane Thomas Jr. – 5’8, 175 – Jr.
Receiving: 14 Targets – 12 Receptions – 148 Yards
PFF Grades: Off 70.1 – Recv 70.8 – Drop 82.2
Offensive Line: Left Tackle – Paul Rubelt – 6’10”, 330 – Sr.
Overall: 175 Snaps – 1 QB Hit Allowed – 2 QB Hurries – 3 QB Pressures – 1 Penalty
PFF Grades: Off 65.6 – Run Block 58.9 – Pass Block – 80.8
UCF Offensive Stats
Pass Attempts / Game: 30
Receiving Yards / Game: 247
Rush Attempts / Game: 34
Rushing Yards / Game: 202
Turnovers / Game: .3 (1 Fumble)
What Does UCF Want to Do on Offense?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but it’s difficult to tell because Scott Frost’s team hasn’t faced the stiffest competition yet, despite playing a team allegedly coached by Bill Belichick (from the looks of UNC, they’re not coached by anyone at the moment). Putting aside North Carolina’s struggles and apparent lack of coaches, last week’s game likely gives us the best insight into this UCF offense.
Key Points for the Kansas State Defense
Expect a Balanced Attack
Frost dialed up an almost perfectly balanced attack vs the Tar Heels. They attempted 32 passes and ran the ball 34 times. Quarterback Tayven Jackson went 25/32 for 223 yards and a touchdown. Low Risk / High Reward efficiency was the name of the game for the brother of former Indiana Hoosier and current Los Angeles Laker Trace Jackson-Davis.
When Jackson wasn’t throwing it, he was eating up yards on the ground. He ran for 66 yards on 10 carries and scored a touchdown. He was joined in the backfield by running back Myles Montgomery, who ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts. North Carolina did a solid job of stopping Montgomery but couldn’t corral Jackson when it mattered most.
Hold the Edge
UCF has attempted 26 rushes outside of the right end position (essentially a run right outside the tackle box) for 197 yards and three touchdowns. They have six runs of over 10 yards off right end, including a 66-yard scamper, and UCF has picked up 12 of 33 rushing first downs off the same right edge.
Kansas State has to set a hard edge with their linebacker and let the backside pursuit make the tackle. If you try to chase Jackson to the edge, he’s going to outrun you. The Wildcat defense will need someone waiting for him, and that someone can’t miss the tackle.
If the Wildcats’ defense can’t / won’t set the edge, it’s going to be another long day of getting dragged around the field while the offense watches from the sideline.
Hands Up! Stay Alert in the Middle Zone!
UCF has thrown 20% of its passes in the “short center” of the field, according to PFF. That means inside the tackle box, within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. They’ve completed 14/16 of those attempts for 186 yards.
In fact, if you look at where Jackson is most productive, it’s straight down the middle of the field. He’s 16/16 in middle passes behind the line of scrimmage for 128 yards (most of which are pop passes to be fair) and 4/9 for 62 yards in the intermediate middle.
I highlighted Duane Thomas Jr. above, and it should be no surprise that eight of the diminutive wide receiver’s twelve receptions have occurred in the middle of the field. What Scott Frost likes to do is get the linebackers sniffing around the line of scrimmage with the run game and then run easy crossing and option routes behind them to move the sticks. Kansas State, in theory, should be good straight up the middle with Romaine at linebacker and Payne at safety.
Someone is going to have to make a play in the middle of the field today.
Overall
Ok, y’all, if Kansas State doesn’t pull this game out, this is the last time I’ll say this, but the Wildcats, on paper (granted a rapidly disintegrating paper), are the better team…I think…maybe?
The Scott Frost offense isn’t complicated to figure out. He wants to get his fast guys running fast across the field and either getting the edge on the defense or finding a cutback lane. That goes for the run game and the short passing game.
Kansas State can limit that by not giving them the edge and rallying to the ball from the back side to stuff the cutback. Word of warning, though, if the pursuit isn’t disciplined, Frost will try to burn it with a reverse or a throwback at some point. The defense will have to be both aggressive and disciplined today.
We haven’t seen it yet this season, but there’s no better time to start than now.
