AJ Bouye Archives | 麻豆原创 News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Tue, 25 Jun 2019 20:04:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png AJ Bouye Archives | 麻豆原创 News 32 32 Football: 15 Players on NFL Rosters /news/football-15-players-nfl-rosters/ Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:47:59 +0000 /news/?p=62741 A.J. Bouye delivered his first career NFL interception and ran it back 51 yards for a touchdown to highlight 麻豆原创’s week in the pros.

An undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans, Bouye also came through with seven tackles against Philadelphia.

Blake Bortles booked his sixth start of the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Cincinnati Bengals. Recording a quarterback rating of 96.4, Bortles completed 22-for-33 passes throwing for 247 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Back on the defensive side, Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson had three tackles. Additional News: Oakland Raiders running back, Latavius Murray, recorded his first receptions of his NFL career; two receptions for 12 yards. San Francisco fullback Bruce Miller recorded his third reception of the season, for five yards, in his third start of the season.

The Knights currently have 15 players on NFL rosters. They join Cincinnati and UConn (both with 18) as the only three teams in the with at least 15 former players with NFL clubs (as of Nov. 4).

麻豆原创 in the NFL – Week Nine

WR Kamar Aiken – Baltimore Ravens

  • Week Nine: 1 REC, 12 YDS
  • 2014 Season: 12 REC, 125 YDS, 10.4 AVG, 1 TD
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Tennessee
  • QB Blake Bortles – Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Week Nine: 22-for-33, 247 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT, 4 ATT, 10 YDS
  • 2014 Season: 154-for-241, 1631 YDS, 8 TD, 13 INT, 31 ATT, 201 YDS
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Dallas
  • CB A.J. Bouye – Houston Texans

  • Week Nine: 7 tackles, 1 INT returned for TD
  • 2014 Season: 7 GP, 30 tackles, 4 Passes Defended, 1 INT
  • This week: Bye Week
  • LB Troy Davis – Dallas Cowboys – Reserved/Injured

    DT Leger Douzable – New York Jets

  • Week Nine: No statistics recorded. Played.
  • 2014 Season: 9 GP, 11 tackles, 1 SCK
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Pittsburgh
  • DB Kemal Ishmael – Atlanta Falcons

  • Week Nine: Bye Week
  • 2014 Season: 8 GP, 48 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. at Tampa Bay
  • RB Storm Johnson – Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Week Nine: No statistics recorded.
  • 2014 Season: 20 ATT, 64 YDS, 3.2 AVG, 2 TD
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Dallas
  • WR Brandon Marshall – Chicago Bears

  • Week Nine: Bye Week
  • 2014 Season: 8 GS, 34 REC, 384 YDS, 5 TD, 11.3 YPC
  • This week: Nov. 9, 8:30 p.m. at Green Bay
  • G Justin McCray – Tennessee Titans – Practice Squad

    FB Bruce Miller – San Francisco 49ers

  • Week Nine: 1 REC, 5 YDS
  • 2014 Season: 8 G, 3 GS, 2 ATT, 2 YDS, 3 REC, 30 YDS
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. at New Orleans
  • RB Latavius Murray – Oakland Raiders

  • Week Nine: 2 REC, 12 YDS
  • 2014 Season: 8 G, 4 ATT, 7 YDS, 2 REC, 12 YDS, 12 KR for 282 YDS
  • This week: Nov. 9, 4:05 p.m. vs Denver
  • K Matt Prater – Detroit Lions

  • Week Nine: Bye Week
  • 2014 Season: 3 G, 7 FGA, 5 FGM, 6/6 XPA
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Miami
  • T Jah Reid – Baltimore Ravens

  • Week Nine: Did not play.
  • 2014 Season: 4 G
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Tennessee
  • CB Josh Robinson – Minnesota Vikings

  • Week Nine: 3 tackles
  • 2014 Season: 9 G, 18 tackles, 2 INT
  • This week: Bye Week
  • OT Josh Sitton – Green Bay Packers

  • Week Nine: Bye Week
  • 2014 Season: 8 G, 8 GS
  • This week: Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m. vs Chicago
  • Updating 麻豆原创 in the CFL

    CB Joe Burnett – Edmonton Eskimos

  • 2014 Season: 18 tackles, 1 INT, 1 KR for 15 YDS
  • WR A.J. Guyton – Edmonton Eskimos

  • 2014 Season: 43 REC, 402 YDS, 9.3 YPC, 3 TD, 6 ATT, 18 YDS
  • WR Quincy McDuffie – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

  • 2014 Season: 3 KR, 47 YDS, 5 PR, 105 YDS, 1 TD
  • DL Keith Shologan – Ottawa REDBLACKS

  • 2014 Season: 17 tackles, 1 SCK, 2 fumble recoveries
  • ]]>
    NFL Knights: Lions and Panthers and Bears /news/nfl-knights-lions-and-panthers-and-bears/ Thu, 08 Aug 2013 21:27:54 +0000 /news/?p=51708 The Preseason will get into full swing this weekend, and 麻豆原创 fans will have plenty of opportunities to see their former Knights in action. Overall, 21 麻豆原创 players who completed their college careers in a Black and Gold uniform are preparing for their first preseason games.

    One of those Knights is Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Torell Troup, who competed for 麻豆原创 from 2006-09. Troup joined a long list of 麻豆原创 football players who have received their degrees, both while with the team and after they exhausted their eligibility, when he officially became a 麻豆原创 graduate this month. In July, 麻豆原创’s Graduation Success Rate stood at 81%, which was 13% above the national average and the highest in school history.

    Last season, 麻豆原创 led its previous league, Conference USA, for the second straight season with 14 players on opening-day rosters. It eventually had 15 Knights in the NFL toward the end of the year.

    North of the border, a pair of 麻豆原创 players are continuing their careers as Joe Burnett is suiting up with Edmonton and Keith Shologan is with Saskatchewan, and both have already played four regular-season contests.

    For a complete listing of 麻豆原创 in the NFL this weekend and how to watch the Knights in action, check out the below chart. Also, CLICK HERE for details on how to watch replays of games on NFL Network.

    麻豆原创 Knights in the NFL – Next Game

    Offense

  • WR Kamar Aiken – New England Patriots – Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Philadelphia, Live on NFL Network
  • OL Patrick Brown – Carolina Panthers – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. vs. Chicago, Replay on Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. on NFL Network
  • OG Theo Goins – Atlanta Falcons – Aug. 8, 8 p.m. vs. Cincinnati, Live on ESPN
  • WR Brandon Marshall – Chicago Bears – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. at Carolina, Replay on Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. on NFL Network
  • WR Quincy McDuffie – Denver Broncos – Aug. 8, 9 p.m. at San Francisco, Replay on Aug. 9 at 1 a.m. on NFL Network
  • FB Bruce Miller – San Francisco 49ers – Aug. 8, 9 p.m. vs. Denver, Replay on Aug. 9 at 1 a.m. on NFL Network
  • RB Latavius Murray – Oakland Raiders – Aug. 9, at 10 p.m. Live on NFL Network
  • WR Jamar Newsome – Kansas City Chiefs – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. at New Orleans, Replay on Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. on NFL Network
  • OT Jah Reid – Baltimore Ravens – Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m. at Tampa Bay, Replay on Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. on NFL Network
  • OG Josh Sitton – Green Bay Packers – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. vs. Arizona, Replay on Aug. 10 at 1 a.m. on NFL Network
  • Defense

  • CB A.J. Bouye – Houston Texans – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. at Minnesota, Replay on Aug. 10 at Midnight
  • LB Troy Davis – New York Jets – Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Detroit, Replay on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. on NFL Network
  • DE Leger Douzable – New York Jets – Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Detroit, Replay on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. on NFL Network
  • DE Cam Henderson – Atlanta Falcons – Aug. 8, 8 p.m. vs. Cincinnati, Live on ESPN
  • S Kemal Ishmael – Atlanta Falcons – Aug. 8, 8 p.m. vs. Cincinnati, Live on ESPN
  • CB Josh Robinson – Minnesota Vikings – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. vs. Houston, Replay on Aug. 10 at Midnight
  • CB Asante Samuel – Atlanta Falcons – Aug. 8, 8 p.m. vs. Cincinnati, Live on ESPN
  • LB Ray Shipman – New Orleans Saints – Aug. 9, 8 p.m. vs. Kansas City, Replay shown on Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. on NFL Network
  • DT Torell Troup – Buffalo Bills – Aug. 11, 1:30 p.m. at Indianapolis, Live on NFL Network
  • Special Teams

  • P Blake Clingan – Detroit Lions – Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. vs. New York Jets, Replay on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. on NFL Network
  • PK Matt Prater – Denver Broncos – Aug. 8, 9 p.m. at San Francisco, Replay on Aug. 9 at 1 a.m. on NFL Network
  • 麻豆原创 Knights in the CFL – Regular Season

    “Defence”

  • CB/KR Joe Burnett – Edmonton Eskimos – 4 GP, 10 tackles, six kick returns for 129 yards (21.5 avg.), 18 punt returns for 131 yards (7.3 avg.)
  • DT Keith Shologan – Saskatchewan Roughriders – 4 GP, eight tackles, two sacks
  • ]]>
    Football: Knights Top Memphis, 35-17 /news/football-knights-top-memphis-35-17/ Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:43:53 +0000 /news/?p=42203 Big night for Murray paces 麻豆原创.

    ]]>
    Latavius Murray made his first start since the season-opener Saturday night at Memphis. He made his presence at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium felt right away. His 83-yard, first-quarter touchdown run was the second longest run from scrimmage in 麻豆原创 history and it put the Knights up 14-0.

    麻豆原创 opened the scoring with a nine-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that also featured plenty of Murray. The senior running back accounted for the final 72 yards (61 rushing, 11 receiving) of the possession. Murray ripped off a 50-yard burst and also capped the drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge during the drive, which put 麻豆原创 on top 7-0.

    Murray’s first-quarter effort and an opportunistic Knights’ defense led 麻豆原创 (5-2, 3-0 C-USA) to a 35-17 victory. The 麻豆原创 defense forced three Memphis turnovers and held the Tigers (1-6, 1-2) to 4-of-16 on third-down conversion opportunities.

    “I think (turnovers were) the difference in the game tonight,” 麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary said. “Defensively, we made some plays. We got some quick three-and-outs that kept us in good field position.”

    By the end of the first quarter, Murray had rushed for 149 yards and two scores on just nine carries. Murray finished his night with 192 yards on 23 carries, which gave him the 12th-best single-game rushing output in 麻豆原创 history.

    “The line was doing their job up front,” Murray said. “On those two runs that I broke long on, I just made sure that I hit it and got what was there. I felt good to be out there. That first quarter, those runs we had … we just need to pick it up in the second half and play a full game like that.”

    Memphis finally got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, when Tyler Spurlock converted a 34-yard field goal to pull the Tigers within 14-3. The Tigers made it 14-10 when Robert Steeples returned a 麻豆原创 fumble 27 yards for a score.

    J.J. Worton gave the Knights some breathing room with 5:43 remaining in the third quarter. He took a pass over the middle from quarterback Blake Bortles and raced untouched to the end zone to put 麻豆原创 on top 21-10. The 29-yard TD pass capped a 61-yard drive that was set up by an A.J. Bouye interception.

    Bouye came up big for the 麻豆原创 defense early in the fourth quarter as well. Memphis completed a pass inside the 麻豆原创 25-yard line, but Clayton Geathers stripped Keiwone Malone. Bouye scooped up the loose ball at the 21-yard line and raced 79 yards to give the Knights a 28-10 lead.

    麻豆原创 wrapped up its scoring when Bortles found tight end Justin Tukes wide open for a six-yard touchdown with 4:18 remaining in the contest. Memphis added a score with less than one minute remaining in the contest to account for the final tally.

    Bortles finished the game 15-of-26 for 122 yards and two scores. Worton was 麻豆原创’s leading receiver with five catches for 56 yards and a score. Clayton Geathers led the way for the Knights’ defense, matching his career-high with 13 total tackles. Kemal Ishmael added 10 stops for 麻豆原创, as well.

    The Knights are back in action again next Saturday night at Marshall.

    ]]>
    Football: Knights Zap Zips /news/football-knights-zap-zips/ Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:42:59 +0000 /news/?p=40367 麻豆原创 opens season with victory over Akron.

    ]]>
    The 麻豆原创 Knights opened their 2012 season with a 56-14 victory over the Akron Zips Thursday night at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio. A 28-point second quarter and four takeaways keyed the big victory for the Knights.

    Running back Latavius Murray rushed for 108 yards, 86 of which came in the first quarter. In his 麻豆原创 debut, running back Storm Johnson rushed for a pair of touchdowns. In the first start of collegiate career, Blake Bortles was an efficient 13-of-16, for 168 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Rannell Hall caught four passes for 94 yards and two scores. Kemal Ishmael racked up nine tackles and a fumble recovery to lead the Knights’ defense.

    “The players played with great effort, made some plays and we got some turnovers,” head coach George O’Leary said. “That was important. Overall, it was good effort. A lot of people played tonight, which was what we wanted to do. We were very productive in a lot of areas.”

    “We got some things done offensively,” Bortles said. “But there’s still room for improvement. I know, personally I made some mistakes that I shouldn’t make and I can’t make. But overall, we had a good night as an offense and as a whole team. It’s definitely something to build on.”

    Murray rushed for the first 68 yards of 麻豆原创’s 73-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the season. 麻豆原创 grabbed the early lead on a 5-yard TD pass from Bortles to a wide-open Chris Martin. The Knights racked up 154 yards of offense and controlled the ball for 10:06 in the first period, yet led just 7-0 as the second quarter began. But the floodgates opened in the second quarter.

    麻豆原创 went up 14-0 on the second play of the second stanza, when Murray plowed in from the 2-yard line. The Zips later fumbled a punt on a fair-catch attempt, giving 麻豆原创 possession at the 9-yard line. Two Johnson runs later, 麻豆原创 led 21-0. The Knights took advantage of a short field to go 45 yards for their next score, capped by a Bortles-to-Rannell Hall 18-yard scoring strike.

    The lead ballooned to 35-0 just before the intermission, when 麻豆原创 took advantage of another turnover. Defensive back A.J. Bouye forced a fumble deep in Akron territory and Cam Henderson recovered with just 24 seconds left in the first half. Johnson ran it twice, punching it in from 3 yards out. The Shawn Moffitt PAT made it 35-0 at the break.

    “It was a good night for turnovers and that’s what you need to be doing when you’re aggressive on defense and aggressive on your special teams,” O’Leary said.

    Akron got on the scoreboard for the first time on the opening possession of the third quarter. A 10-play, 80-yard drive was capped by a Dalton Williams-to-L.T. Smith touchdown pass of 18 yards. But the Knights answered quickly. Bortles went over the middle to Hall, who broke one tackle and out-ran the Zips defense for a 56-yard TD to make it 42-7. 麻豆原创 went up 49-7 late in the third quarter when backup quarterback Tyler Gabbert connected with wide receiver Rob Calabrese for a 12-yard TD strike. It was Gabbert’s first career pass attempt and Calabrese’s first career reception.

    Akron added another score with just more than nine minutes left in the contest to make it 49-14. 麻豆原创 reserve running back Cedric Thompson capped the scoring with a 4-yard plunge late in the contest.

     

    ]]>
    Spring Game: Who Stood Out /news/spring-game-who-stood-out/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:55:19 +0000 /news/?p=35271 Spring Sets Tone for Anticipated Fall

    ]]>
    Every college football coach will tell you their goal for a spring practice season is to stay healthy, implement some new things and get better In all areas. For 麻豆原创, there was more on the agenda. The Knights wanted to quickly leave 2011 behind and start on the new season as soon as possible. A football team that felt it was two to three plays away from a bowl game and being right in the thick of the race in east division of Conference USA welcomed a new season this spring.

    The conclusion of those workouts over the course of a few weeks was Saturday’s annual spring football game at Bright House Network Stadium. With weather that made it feel more like November than April, the Knights hit the field the final time before gathering later this summer in preparation for the season opener at Akron.

    There were some highlights during Saturday’s play that included some nice runs, catches and interceptions by players coming back from injuries. There were some dropped balls and penalties, but for the most part, 麻豆原创 Head Coach George O’Leary seemed pleased with what he saw.

    Here’s a list of things to note from the game:

    Blake Bortles looks and plays the part: At 6-foot-4, the sophomore quarterback has the walk and talk of a confident team leader. Bortles does not lack confidence and seems to have settled in his role at the starting signal caller. Bortles was 27-of 45 for 239 yards and one touchdown in Saturday’s game. He used a variety of receivers and showed his ability of being patient in the pocket and his strong arm as well.

    麻豆原创 has talent at the wideout position: Despite the unusually high number of drops in Saturday’s game, the spring was a good one for this group. Freshman Breshad Perriman has the look of someone who can and will make a big impact this fall. At 6-foot-2, Perriman can take a hit and appears to be someone Bortles will look for. Sophomore Josh Reese was a big target for Bortles in the second half of the season in 2011 and should be again this fall. Senior Quincy McDuffee and sophomore Ranell Hall provide great speed and incoming freshmen at this position make things bright this fall and for years to come.

    Options in the backfield: With the arrival of Storm Johnson, 麻豆原创 can go four-deep at running back. Returnees Latavius Murray and Brynn Harvey provide a great combo and the addition of Johnson gives offensive coordinator Charlie Taffe a new weapon because of Johnson’s breakaway speed. Don’t forget redshirt freshman Cedric Thompson who can also run the ball well. How 麻豆原创 uses this group in the fall will be interesting. 麻豆原创 did not show it this past Saturday, but the Knights might use a two-back set where Murray plays more of a H-back role in passing situations.

    Defensive line features flexibility: Bruce Miller started the trend by being used as both an end and tackle. Few players did it was well as Miller, but 麻豆原创 will move players from inside out in certain situations. Victor Gray is the guy to watch as Gray moves inside out. 麻豆原创’s interior of the line appears to have some depth with E.J. Dunston, Josh Wofford, Jose Jose and Thomas Niles. Defensive end Troy Davis believes the line will be better at sacking the quarterback, something 麻豆原创 struggled with last season.

    Plummer fits the middle just fine: Terrance Plummer played a lot during his freshman year, but now he will play an even bigger role as he has moved inside. Plummer shined throughout the spring and credits new defensive coordinator Jim Fleming, who Plummer said just simplified things for him in many areas. Depth at this position is something 麻豆原创 will still work on but Plummer, Jonathan Davis and Ray Shipman handle the outside spots quite well.

    Ishmael leads with his play: It’s hard to imagine, but Kemal Ishmael is a senior. He has seen fellow secondary players jump to the NFL and others suffer season-ending injuries, but Ishmael remains the constant. He still hits as hard as anyone and always seems to be around the ball whether it be run or pass. Ishmael welcomes the return of cornerback A.J. Bouye who suffered the season-ending injury last year. Bouye had two interceptions in Saturday’s game. While Ishmael gets a ton of attention, no one should underestimate redshirt sophomore Clayton Geathers, who appears poised to become a leader on defense following in Ishmael’s footsteps.

    Field goals are not a bad thing: One of the loudest crowd reactions from Saturday’s game came on the last play. The last play saw sophomore kicker Shawn Moffitt connect on a 49-yard field goal. Both Moffitt and Sean Galvin had solid springs and O’Leary believes the position is as strong as it has been in years. Galvin kicked off a couple of times into the end zone which is a big deal this fall. The new kickoff rule has the ball teed up at the 35-yard line and any touchback comes out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20.

    ]]>
    Josh Robinson-T.Y. Hilton Football Matchup Worth Watching /news/josh-robinson-t-y-hilton-football-matchup-worth-watching/ Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:14:34 +0000 /news/?p=27408 FIU’s T.Y. Hilton comes into Saturday’s game against 麻豆原创 riding high following a spectacular 201-yard, two-touchdown performance and is currently enjoying some initial Heisman hype.

    Forgive 麻豆原创 standout cornerback Josh Robinson if he’s going through a bit of a been-there, done-that feeling right now. Let the record show that Robinson has faced some of the nation’s top wide outs before and has usually come out for the better.

    For proof of how Robinson, a 5-foot-10, 192-pound junior, has fared against elite receivers you have to look no further than last December. Facing Georgia superstar A.J. Green, Robinson limited the future No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft to just 77 receiving yards and no touchdowns. And in the Conference USA Championship Game, Robinson smothered SMU’s Aldrick Robinson – he of 1,301 receiving yards and 14 TDs last season – to a measly three catches in 麻豆原创’s 17-7 victory.

    Robinson enters Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against FIU with a healthy respect for Hilton, but also with the confidence that he’s built in the past. The junior cornerback has followed up a solid sophomore season with a dazzling start to this season, and he goes into Saturday anxious to face off against one of the nation’s best receivers once again.

    “The coaches helped me with my game so that I can get comfortable back there and defend anybody,” Robinson said of his past success against the likes of Green and Aldrick Robinson. “It all starts with confidence. You have to have confidence for a game like this and facing a wide receiver like T.Y. … My brother went to FIU and he used to always tell me about (Hilton), so I’ve heard the name for a while now. Now, we’ll finally get to meet. He’s a great player, he makes those big plays and he’s a great receiver. We’ll do our best to contain him and stop him.”

    The game will also take on a special meaning for Robinson, a Sunrise native who will be enjoying a homecoming of sorts. He said getting a chance to play near his home again is like a dream come true for him. As of Wednesday he said as many as 30 family and friends were planning to attend the game, and he’s spent the past few days scrambling for tickets.

    “Definitely this one means a little more,” said Robinson, who was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com when coming out of Plantation High School. “A bunch of people that I know will be at the game and some guys I know will be playing against us. So that just spices it up even more.”

    The Robinson-Hilton matchup should provide plenty of spice in the matchup between 麻豆原创 (2-0) and FIU (2-0). The Knights routed Boston College 30-3 last Saturday night, while FIU had its biggest win in school history last Friday, beating Louisville 24-17.

    Not surprisingly, both players were big stars in their teams’ big victories. Robinson had four tackles and a spectacular diving pass break-up that led to a tipped ball and an interception by middle linebacker Josh Linam. Robinson’s play allowed 麻豆原创 to extend its streak of games with an interception to nine and its other streak of 12 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown.

    Hilton, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound senior from Miami, was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year last season. Last Friday against Louisville, he accounted for 283 all-purpose yards. Also a dangerous returner, he is the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 6,153 and has four kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career.

    A first-team All-C-USA performer a year ago, Robinson worked hard over the summer to become a more complete cornerback. He led all freshmen in interceptions (six) two years ago, but he grew frustrated at times last season when quarterbacks mostly ignored throwing to his side because of his blanket coverage. And he was at his best in the two biggest games of the season: seven tackles, an interception and two breakups against Aldrick Robinson and SMU in the C-USA title game and four tackles and a pass breakup versus Green and Georgia in the Liberty Bowl.

    麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary has tried to impress upon Robinson the need to play at a high level all of the time so that he can reach his full potential. And for now, he feels that Robinson is playing his best football at 麻豆原创.

    “He’s really matured. I think he’s playing smarter as far as his coverage is concerned,” O’Leary said. “He doesn’t get many opportunities because teams are usually going over the middle or to the boundary. I look at a good corner when a team lines up on the hash, calls a (slant pass) and they’re afraid to throw it because of the cover corner. But Josh has really improved. He takes some chances where you go `whoa.’ But he has great closing speed and great transition speed and we’re trying to do more things with him.”

    Robinson’s ability to take away half of the field with his coverage skills is a big reason why 麻豆原创 leads the nation in fewest points allowed per game (1.5). So far, he has four tackles, two pass breakups and an interception against Charleston Southern that he returned 32 yards for a touchdown.

    “I don’t want to just cover the deep routes or the 12-yarders. I’m trying to take away those five-yard plays and three-yard routes too. I just want to improve my game all the way around.”

    Standout 麻豆原创 safety Kemal Ishmael, a starter since his freshman season like Robinson, said having experience against some of the top receivers in the country in the past will help them when facing Hilton on Saturday.

    “In the secondary, we’re experienced and know what to expect and what they will and won’t do,” said Ishmael, who has six tackles in two games. “Sometimes you have to press up on those receivers and sometimes you have to lay off a little bit. Having Josh, (cornerback) A.J. Bouye and (safety) Clayton Geathers all playing together, it just helps up. We’ve been against A.J. Green and the receiver from SMU (Aldrick Robinson), he was just like Hilton being quick and fast. So having that experience before, that helps us out a lot.”

    Facing an elite receiver would usually be enough to excite the fiery Robinson, but the fact that he’ll be playing before family and friends makes the night even more important. He is still close friends with FIU starting tailback Jeremiah Harden, and Robinson knows the consequences will be harsh if the Knights don’t win this game.

    “(Most of us have) never played a game back home, so everyone is excited. And with them being an exciting team trying to get into the Top 25 just like us, that just makes it an even more exciting game,” Robinson said. “Being around those guys growing up and now getting an opportunity to play them, it’s just a good opportunity. If you lose you know that will be the talk of the town when you go back. I’m just excited about playing them down there.”

    ]]>
    麻豆原创 Runs Over Marshall 35-14 /news/ucf-runs-over-marshall-35-14/ Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:48:02 +0000 /news/?p=16785 As it turns out, Marshall’s white out was a wash out as 麻豆原创 once again flexed its considerable muscles against its biggest rival in Conference USA.

    Freshman phenom quarterback Jeff Godfrey ran for two touchdowns, Ronnie Weaver pounded out a career-best 150 yards and 麻豆原创’s nationally ranked defense produced its fourth touchdown in the past four weeks as the Knights whipped Marshall 35-14 in rainy conditions.

    “I told our guys that (Marshall) wanted to wear their white jerseys, but obviously they didn’t know how well we play in our black jerseys,” 麻豆原创 senior linebacker Derrick Hallman said. “We wanted to make them regret picking those (white) jerseys.”

    The victory was 麻豆原创’s sixth in a row against Marshall, their most heated rival from the past nine seasons. The Knights have now won three-straight times in Huntington, W.Va.

    At 4-2 overall, 麻豆原创 is off to its best start since 1998. Knights’ fans will undoubtedly remember that as legendary quarterback Daunte Culpepper’s senior season. Now, it’s clearly a new era, one dominated by the electric playmaking of Godfrey and a tough, opportunistic defense.

    麻豆原创 also improved to 2-0 in Conference USA play and hasn’t lost a league game since Sept. 26 of last season, a winning streak of eight-consecutive games against C-USA foes. Also, 麻豆原创 won for a second-consecutive week on ESPN, which provided national exposure for a Knights’ program that is clearly on the rise and potentially a championship contender in Conference USA.

    “I thought our guys really responded to the distractions and the weather and handled it all really well,” 麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary said. “I thought we did a lot of things right on both sides of the ball. That was a tough win because Marshall plays really well up here.”

    Weaver, the former walk-on from Wabasso, pounded Marshall (1-5) all night with his hard running between the tackles. Weaver, who has replaced Jonathan Davis as 麻豆原创’s starting talback, ran for 130 yards two weeks ago against Kansas State and was even better Wednesday night. On Wednesday, he had six carries of at least nine yards, often shaking off tacklers along the way. His 30 carries were also a career high.

    “A game like this really shows that our team is coming together,” Weaver said. “We have a feeling in games like this that it’s us against the world. We just try to band together as brothers and do the best we can.”

    麻豆原创 used a 70-yard kickoff return from senior Jamar Newsome to start the second half and pulled away over the final two quarters.

    Godfrey ran for a nine-yard touchdown in the first half and added a five-yard scramble score in the third quarter that put 麻豆原创 comfortably ahead 21-7. For the game, he ran for 27 yards and the two scores and completed 11-of-21 passes for 138 more yards.

    Said O’Leary: “He did it with his arm early and his feet late. He has the ability to make a lot of plays and that’s what you want out of a quarterback. He has the ability to take a bad play and make something good out of it.”

    麻豆原创 smashed Marshall for 362 total yards and 22 first downs, moving the ball almost at will throughout the game.

    “We came into this game knowing we had to be more physical and play like a dominant team,” tight end Adam Nissley said. “We really wanted to establish the run and that’s what we did.”

    The only negative of the night for the Knights was a possible season-ending knee injury to reserve quarterback Rob Calabrese, who was hurt in the end zone after scoring 麻豆原创’s first touchdown of the night.

    麻豆原创 now has 10 days to prepare for its homecoming game on Oct. 23 against Rice. The Knights routed the Owls 49-7 last season in Houston. 麻豆原创 is 20-10 all-time on homecoming and beat Houston 37-32 last season on homecoming.

    For a second time in three weeks, 麻豆原创 had a game delayed by severe weather. On Sept. 25 at Kansas State, the Knights were sent to the locker room for 1 hour, 26 minutes during a vicious thunderstorm that included high winds and heavy rain.

    This time, rain started falling just prior to kickoff, intensified as the game continued and was stopped with 6:06 left in the first half. Teams were in the locker room for an hour and then given 10 minutes to warm up once again. Because of the delay, halftime was shortened to three minutes – the same break that there is between quarters.

    The rain wiped out much of the 23,601 fans in attendance, many of whom wore white in honor of Marshall’s white out promotion. The Thundering Herd petitioned the C-USA league office to wear white uniforms at home and 麻豆原创 happily agree to don its black uniforms. The Knights are now 5-1 in black uniforms over the past two seasons.

    麻豆原创 got a big defensive score when sophomore safety A.J. Bouye returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown that put 麻豆原创 up 28-7. It is the third time this season that the Knights have returned an interception for a touchdown, a school record. Also, it’s the fourth defensive touchdown in four games for the Knights.

    麻豆原创 entered the game ranked second nationally in passing efficiency defense (92.29 rating), fifth in passing defense (148.2 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (13.8 ppg) and ninth in total defense (265.2 ypg) – numbers that undoubtedly will improve after another dominant 麻豆原创 performance.

    麻豆原创 suffered a blow early in the game when Calabrese jammed his knee on a 2-yard touchdown run and was clearly in severe pain. Calabrese’s left knee buckled after he had crossed into the end zone and he hopped to the sideline without putting weight on his left leg. He sat on the bench the rest of the first half with his knee wrapped in ice and his head covered with a towel. And he needed the help of two athletic trainers to hop to the locker room when the game was halted because of a weather delay with 6:06 left in the first half.

    “I’m hoping that the doctor is wrong,” O’Leary said during the weather delay, suggesting that Calabrese suffered a major knee injury. “It wasn’t a contact thing. He went to hand the ball to the referee and as he turned there was a pop.”

    Calabrese, a junior, entered the season as the starting quarterback and led the Knights to a win against South Dakota. He gave way to Godfrey in the NC State game, and played sparingly against Buffalo and UAB. He did throw a touchdown pass against UAB while alternating snaps with Godfrey.

    L.D. Crow, a Palm Harbor native who sat out last season after transferring from Stanford, moves up to the back-up spot behind Godfrey. Redshirt freshman Nico Flores is also an option at quarterback, especially as a runner. Promising freshman Blake Bortles also could see time if needed.

    麻豆原创 led just 14-7 at the half despite outgaining Marshall 214-149 in the first two quarters. The Knights got a good push from the offensive line, especially on the right side with guard Nick Pieschel, tackle Jah Reid and tight end Adam Nissley, and rushed for 120 first-half yards.

    麻豆原创 did as it pleased on both sides of the ball early in the game, storming to a 14-0 lead before the second quarter was 90 seconds old. Godfrey had completions of 18, 18 and seven yards to keep the Marshall defense off balance. And then Godfrey finished off the dazzling 11-play, 80-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run that was a thing of beauty. Godfrey sprinted left, juked inside a defender and hit the gap for his third rushing touchdown of the season.

    Marshall pinned 麻豆原创 deep with a punt and then took advantage of good field possession to draw back within 14-7 midway through the second period. Six-foot-3 wide out Aaron Dobson beat 麻豆原创 cornerback Justin Boddie (6-foot-2) and hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass. The play was reviewed for several minutes, but was ultimately called a touchdown when replays showed that Dobson made the acrobatic catch and somehow got his right foot inbounds. As he jumped, Dobson’s foot knocked over the end-line pylon – a violation – but was allowed because he was hit by Boddie with the ball in the air.

    麻豆原创 mixed the run with the pass beautifully on the game’s first possession, driving 79 yards in 12 plays for a score that put 麻豆原创 up 7-0. The Knights converted five first downs on their opening possession, three times coming through on third down. And Calabrese finished off the drive by faking a handoff and darting up the middle from 2 yards out.

    John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on 麻豆原创Athletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.

    ]]>