麻豆原创 went toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes for much of the contest. But three touchdowns by Miller (one through the air and two on the ground) over the course of about seven minutes – spanning the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third – made the difference.

“Basically, we played sporadically,” head coach George O’Leary said. “You can’t turn the ball over against good football teams. Obviously, Ohio State’s a very good football team. We didn’t tackle very well. Too many missed tackles. They have athletes that make you miss. Everything they talk about with Braxton Miller is accurate.”

With the score tied 10-10 late in the second quarter, Miller scored on a six-yard run to make it 17-10 at the intermission. He then followed up with a TD pass and another scoring run in the first 6:52 of the third quarter. Those three TDs gave Ohio State a 31-10 lead.

麻豆原创 responded with an 84-yard scoring drive, capped by a Bortles-to-Billy Giovanetti two-yard scoring strike to pull within 31-16 late in the third quarter. But that was the final time either team would light the scoreboard.

“I thought we fought back and were resilient with what we were trying to get done,” O’Leary said. “We had opportunities to score points and we didn’t do it.”

Bortles was 25-of-41 for 251 yards and two scores, but was intercepted three times. J.J. Worton hauled in seven passes for 96 yards. Storm Johnson led the Knights on the ground with 75 yards on 12 rushes, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Terrance Plummer paced the 麻豆原创 defense with a career-best 16 tackles, including one tackle-for-loss. Two other Knight defenders – Kemal Ishmael and Clayton Geathers – recorded 10 tackles apiece.

Each team gave the ball away three times. Ohio State put together 411 yards of offense, compared to 352 for 麻豆原创. The Buckeyes held a 33:16-26:44 advantage in time of possession.

Ohio State opened up the scoring on its first possession of the contest, as Miller took a quarterback draw up the middle for 37 yards and a score. The Buckeyes led 7-0 after less than six minutes. 麻豆原创 answered with a 28-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining on the first quarter clock. The Knights’ defense helped set up the score, when linebacker Jonathan Davis stopped Miller on a fourth-and-1 keeper at the Buckeyes’ 47-yard line. Eight plays later, Shawn Moffitt converted from 28 yards out to make it 7-3.

Ohio State increased its lead back to 7 points early in the second quarter. The 麻豆原创 defense stiffened at the 7-yard line before Drew Basil knocked a 24-yard field goal through the uprights to put OSU on top 10-3. But 麻豆原创 answered again.

Running back Storm Johnson accounted for 68 yards on the first two plays of the Knights’ ensuing possession. He took a pass from Bortles for 20 yards and then went around right end for 48, setting 麻豆原创 up at the Ohio State 10-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 1, Bortles found tight end Justin Tukes wide open in the end zone. Moffitt’s PAT tied the game at 10-10.

After an Ohio State fumble late in the third quarter, Bortles had a pass tipped and intercepted at the Knights’ 48-yard line. Eight plays later, Miller kept it around the left end for a six-yard TD run with just 15 seconds left in the first half to put Ohio State up 17-10 at halftime.

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.

The Knights have an entirely new defensive coaching staff, led by coordinator Jim Fleming, and there are just about as many new faces holding down first- and second-string positions.

“I thought the effort and enthusiasm were good,” O’Leary said. “We’re trying to rep a lot of guys out there, playing 44 guys at once (on two fields). There’s a lot of coaching going on, and a lot of corrections have to be made. But that’s what spring ball is all about.”

麻豆原创 worked out for two hours in helmets and shorts on Tuesday and will do the same on Thursday. On Saturday, the Knights will don full pads for the first time and go through some segmented scrimmaging. The Knights will hold 14 practices over the next five weeks, culminating with the annual spring game at 2 p.m. April 14 at Bright House Networks Stadium.

Led by their senior class, the Knights are working hard to return to a bowl game and improve upon last season’s 5-7 record.

“There’s a lot of hunger there. I know there’s a lot in me and everybody else who was on this team last year,” standout tailback Latavius Murray said. “We know that we were a better team last year than our record showed. So we want to go out there and make sure that same thing doesn’t happen next year.”

The Knights’ offense should thrive with many key players returning. Quarterback Blake Bortles once again will be able to hand the ball off to Murray and Brynn Harvey, one of the nation’s best backfield combinations. Sophomore receivers J.J. Worton, Josh Reese and Rannell Hall showed flashes of greatness last season.

Center Jordan Rae and left guard Theo Goins bring veteran leadership to the offensive line, while junior twin brothers Jordan and Justin McCray could start alongside each other on the right side of the line.

“We had a couple of months of weightlifting and training, but it’s good to get back on the field and get our plays down,” Rae said. “We didn’t finish last year how we wanted to. Leaving the conference after this year, we want to leave with a bang. We want to make a statement.”

Veterans Victor Gray and Troy Davis will anchor the defensive line, while four-year starter Kemal Ishmael is back at his usual safety slot. A lot of underclassmen will fill other roles in the secondary and linebacker corps.

“On the defensive side, I have a big role in being a leader,” said Ishmael, who has dropped 14 pounds in an effort to become more agile and quicker to the ball. “We have sophomores and freshmen playing linebacker. I have to speak up and get everybody going. I have to be a motivator.”

O’Leary, who often likes to say that games are won or lost during the offseason, said he’s excited about the work that his team put in during conditioning and weightlifting drills. The improved strength and size of the team should help the Knights get back to being a more physical team on both sides of the ball, O’Leary said.

“We made great gains in the offseason,” he said. “What I got back from the weight coaches is that we’re way past last year in terms of strength gains.”

As Conference USA’s 2010 Freshman of the Year, Godfrey went 159-for-238 and 2,159 yards, ranking first among all FBS freshmen with a 66.8 completion percentage and second with a 154.31 efficiency rating. That completion percentage also was third in 麻豆原创 single-season history.

Jump ahead to his sophomore season, and once again Godfrey’s incompletions are at a minimum. Entering Saturday, he sits at 11th in the nation with a 68.5 completion percentage by going 139-for-203, totaling 1,677 yards. In 2011, Godfrey is averaging 32 passing yards more per game than in 2010.

And a major reason for that improvement is Godfrey’s wide receivers.

Last season, only six Knights finished the entire year with at least 10 receptions. In 2011, eight players already have 10 catches or more through nine games. It marks the first time since the 2003 campaign in which eight Knights collected at least 10 receptions through the first nine games of a season.

Junior Quincy McDuffie combined for just 21 receptions and 270 yards from 2009-10, yet in 2011 he leads the way with 28 catches and 352 yards. Following closely behind are a pair of redshirt freshmen as J.J. Worton sits at 25 for 338 yards (team-high two touchdowns) and Josh Reese claims 22 receptions for 335 yards. Senior A.J. Guyton also has 22 catches with 317 receiving yards.

Another delightful surprise has been senior tight end Adam Nissley. With only 17 receptions and 230 yards during his first three seasons, the Cumming, Ga., native has 20 catches for 232 yards in 2011.

Godfrey’s favorite receiver this year has been McDuffie as the duo has hooked up 26 times. However when the Knights need a go-to wideout, it has been Worton, who has 18 receptions which have resulted in a first down. Worton also has eight catches on third or fourth down which helped give the Knights a first down.

Fellow freshmen Reese shines in the second half for Godfrey and redshirt freshman quarterback Blake Bortles. Reese has 17 of his 22 receptions in the final 30 minutes of play, while he is tied with McDuffie for the team lead with 15 catches of 10 yards or more.

Out of the backfield, Brynn Harvey and Latavius Murray have combined for 25 receptions for 276 yards. But one Knight that should quickly start jumping up the receptions chart is true freshman wide receiver Rannell Hall. “Speedy” has made a name for himself by averaging 31.0 yards per kickoff return, and recorded his first two receptions of his career vs. Tulsa Nov. 3.

What to watch for during the final three regular-season games will be how high Worton and Reese climb on 麻豆原创’s freshmen wide receivers chart. Worton is tied for fifth among all freshmen in school history in receptions (record is 40 by Sean Beckton), while Reese is tied for 10th. They both also are in the top-10 in freshmen receiving yards (Worton is eighth and Reese is 10th, as the record is 584 by Kamar Aiken).

麻豆原创 (4-5, 2-3) and its receiving corps will be returning to the practice fields Monday to prepare for an important showdown with No. 25 Southern Miss in Hattiesburg Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET.

O’Leary’s decision was based off 麻豆原创’s need to get more big plays in the passing game and Bortles’ continued success in relief of Godfrey. The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Bortles came on late in the fourth quarter of 麻豆原创’s 38-17 loss to SMU last Saturday and completed a 48-yard pass to A.J. Guyton and a two-yard touchdown strike to J.J. Worton.

麻豆原创 passed for 349 yards against SMU – 231 from Godfrey and 118 from Bortles – for its most passing yards since 2003. But the Knights have just three passing touchdowns all season and have had trouble of late converting scoring opportunities in the red zone.

“Jeff is out there and we’re getting first downs … I’m not a big stat guy, but I think the key to the offense is putting the ball in the end zone,” O’Leary said. “We moved the ball (against SMU) for a lot of yards, but we didn’t put points on the board. We’ve got to be able to come up with some big plays. We put Bortles in and he came up with some long passes right away. I was pleased with the way he’s going out there and taking advantage of what (defenses) are doing. We’ve just got to get Jeff throwing the ball down the field and on time and not late into double coverage.”

麻豆原创 (3-3 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA play) is dealing with a short week and forced to play a second game in 10 days because of a schedule change. The Knights will be heavy favorites in Birmingham, Ala., against UAB (0-6, 0-3) and hope to use this game to get their offense back on track.

A point of emphasis this week for the Knights has been finding ways to get more “chunk plays” that set up more scoring opportunities and swing momentum. 麻豆原创’s longest rush so far was a 50-yard dash by Brynn Harvey to open the Marshall game, while the longest pass was a 58-yard pass from Godfrey to Guyton in the fourth quarter against BYU. 麻豆原创 has three 50-yard offensive plays, five 40-yard plays, three 30-yard plays and 17 20-yard gainers. Godfrey’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reese last Saturday was the offense’s longest scoring play of the season.

“Anytime in a game you can get a big play it just kills the other side of the ball and it’s momentum for us. That’s something that we lack right now from last year, and this year we haven’t gotten them to happen,” said senior tight end Adam Nissley, who has 15 catches for 204 yards. “We need some huge plays because both sides of the ball just feed off the momentum from moments like that.”

Godfrey, who guided 麻豆原创 to its finest season in school history as a true freshman, has struggled at times to build much chemistry with a group of young, inexperienced wide receivers. He’s completing 68.1 percent of his passes, but has averaged just 11.6 yards a completion while throwing only two touchdowns. By comparison, he averaged 13.5 yards a completion last season and tossed 13 TDs while winning C-USA’s Freshman of the Year award.

Said O’Leary: “It’s still Jeff’s football team, but if things aren’t going right I don’t have a problem putting Bortles in the game. Jeff is moving the team, but we’ve just got to get the ball in the end zone. We’re doing the right things, but we’ve hurt ourselves with some penalties to stall some drives.”

Bortles, a native of nearby Oviedo, has shined this season when given a chance to play in relief of Godfrey. Following a high school career in which he set Seminole County records for passing yards (5,576) and TD passes (53), Bortles gained valuable experience last season while redshirting. He seized the backup quarterback job in training camp and has played well so far this season.

He hit on eight of 10 passes for 144 yards against Charleston Southern, and then authored his most impressive performance in the second half against BYU. With Godfrey out injured, Bortles completed four of five passes for 46 yards, including a 17-yard strike on a third-and-15 play. And soon after entering Saturday’s game against SMU, Bortles lofted a perfect spiral down the sidelines to Guyton for a 48-yard strike. It was 麻豆原创’s third longest passing play of the season.

“I like the way Bortles is playing because he’s going out and takes over and is getting it done from a production standpoint,” O’Leary said. “He has that demeanor about himself that nothing really flusters him. And he has a good feel in coverage and where the ball should be delivered. He can do all of the things that we need to get done. It’s good to have someone that we can put in and get things done like that.”

Unfortunately for the Knights such an option was not available last Saturday night. 麻豆原创 lost 17-10 to FIU because it allowed six sacks, committed 10 penalties and turned the ball over twice leading directly to 14 points.

Here’s聽 five things that we learned from 麻豆原创’s frustrating loss to Florida International on Saturday night in Miami.

1. 麻豆原创’s errors and mental mistakes were uncharacteristic for this team. Maybe the most shocking aspect of the Knights loss was that they were their own worst enemy. Rarely ever does an O’Leary team beat itself with penalties and turnovers, but that was the case Saturday night. The offense could never find its rhythm because of motion penalties, some of which have to be attributed to FIU’s tremendous speed off the edge. But 麻豆原创’s two turnovers – quarterback Jeff Godfrey fumbling as he was hit by a blitzing cornerback and Josh Robinson bobbling another punt at the 6-yard line – were simply a matter of players trying to do too much on a play. Sometimes it’s simply better to take a loss on a play and live to play another down than it is to gamble and risk a turnover. Without those two 麻豆原创 gaffes, FIU might have never found the end zone and 麻豆原创 could have escaped South Florida with a narrow victory. But two high risk, high reward plays proved costly for the Knights and they cost them a shot at getting to 3-0.
2. Teams will continue to blitz Jeff Godfrey until 麻豆原创 proves it can stop it. Godfrey came into Saturday’s game having not been sacked in the first two games, but he was dropped six times by FIU. And quite frankly, that number could have hit double digits if Godfrey weren’t so cat-quick in the pocket and able to avoid pressure. 麻豆原创’s offensive line didn’t do a good job picking up the pressure off the edge, but it’s not all on them. Godfrey held onto some passes too long, allowing the blitzers to get home. And on the play where Godfrey was hit, bobbled the ball and FIU returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, a wide receiver blew a hot route read, forcing Godfrey to try and improvise. Assuredly, teams will see the game film and notice the success that FIU had pressuring Godfrey. College football is a copycat sport, so expect BYU to do the same thing on Friday night. If 麻豆原创 can figure out a way to pick up the pressure, there should be opportunities for big plays down the field.
3. Josh Robinson’s punt return woes are baffling. There’s not a more physically gifted player on 麻豆原创’s football team than Robinson, who has played like an All-American cornerback through the first three games of the season. But things just haven’t clicked for Robinson as a punt returner. He fumbled two punts against Charleston Southern, but none were as costly as the one that got away Saturday at FIU. First, Robinson let the short punt hit the ground and then tried fielding the rolling ball at the 6-yard line. He was never in possession of the ball, getting hit just as it hit his hands. Two plays later from the 4-yard line, FIU scored the first touchdown against 麻豆原创’s defense this season and pushed across what proved to be the game’s winning points. Robinson was replaced late in the game as 麻豆原创’s punt returner by redshirt freshman J.J. Worton. 麻豆原创’s coaches want Robinson to win the return job because his speed and shiftiness make him a threat to score on any play, but his decision-making on fielding punts has to be better.
4. 麻豆原创 never established its running game to keep FIU off balance. 麻豆原创 had plans of negating FIU’s speed by pounding the ball inside with its big offensive line and its three standout running backs. While 麻豆原创 did put together one of its longest scoring drives in years – 18 plays, 94 yards and 10 minutes, 40 seconds – the Knights had little success running the ball the rest of the way. Ronnie Weaver ran for just 34 yards on nine carries, while Brynn Harvey (31 yards on six carries) and Latavius Murray (13 yards on six carries) also struggled to find much room inside. Godfrey ran 19 times for 81 yards, but his total was hurt severely by his 40 loss yards on sacks. The Knights were forced to play from behind much of the second half, negating the run game. And penalties and sacks kept the Knights in bad down-and-distance situations so that running the ball wasn’t feasible.
5. The Knights must rebound on a short week. A great amount of frustration was coursing through the team after the game because of the feeling that it had beaten itself more than anything. Sure, FIU played well, but 麻豆原创 knows it likely would have won without the two turnovers and the penalties. Here’s to hoping that the anger will carry over to this week as the Knights prepare for BYU in a nationally televised showdown. The short week of preparation is a concern with the Knights not arriving back to town until early Sunday morning and the team flying to Utah on Thursday. 麻豆原创’s coaching staff used the ride home from Miami to break down film and the team was back on the practice field Sunday night, which is usually a day off. To win in Provo, Utah, 麻豆原创 knows it will have to avoid critical mistakes, run the ball better and execute in crunch time. Last Saturday was an uncharacteristic night for the Knights and here’s to hoping that they take out their frustration on BYU before the ESPN audience.

Riding a wave of success from last year’s championship-filled season and a stellar summer, 麻豆原创 got three rushing touchdowns from standout quarterback Jeff Godfrey, two from Latavius Murray, a triumphant return from Brynn Harvey and delivered a dominant defensive effort in a 62-0 rout of Charleston Southern at Bright House Networks Stadium.

A crowd of 39,752 saw the Knights (1-0) run for 316 yards, grind out 25 first downs and gain 560 total yards in the season-opener. 麻豆原创 scored on its first five possessions and built a commanding 35-0 bulge by halftime. 麻豆原创’s eight rushing touchdowns is a new school record, breaking the previous record set in 2007 against Memphis.

“Everybody gave great effort, played with great enthusiasm and everybody did their job,” said senior defensive end Darius Nall, one of 麻豆原创’s captains for the game. “We played all four quarters and just dominated and made sure everybody did their job.”

The only intrigue was deciding which 麻豆原创 unit – the offense or the defense – was more dominant on the muggy, 84-degree night? 麻豆原创’s defense entered with questions following the graduation of all-time sacks leader Bruce Miller, but passed its first test Saturday night. The Knights smothered Charleston Southern all night, giving up just 119 yards and six first downs.

“Obviously it was a good first game because everybody played and for a first game we kept the execution mistakes to a minimum,” 麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary said. “I thought there was consistency out there. There were a couple of plays we’d like to have back with formations and wrong coverages, but for the most part both quarterbacks did what they have to do to help us make plays.”

麻豆原创’s defense pitched its first shutout since beating Tulane 49-0 during the 2009 season. In the first half, Charleston Southern had negative seven yards rushing, only one first down and just 21 yards of total offense. The Buccaneers didn’t drive across the 50-yard line in the first half. Charleston Southern’s lone scoring chance of the night failed in the fourth quarter when kicker Andy Brown missed from 28 yards.

“I guess you could say it was (a perfect game) in a sense, but we still have a lot of mistakes to correct,” said middle linebacker Josh Linam, who had five tackles. “(The shutout) is pretty big for us. That’s our goal every week – to shut teams out and keep them off the scoreboard. So it’s nice when you can hold a team to zero points.”

The rout was a fitting start for a 麻豆原创 team that won 11 games last season, captured the Conference USA title and beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. The Knights also cracked the national rankings for the first time in school history last season, ending the year ranked No. 20 and 21 in the two polls. Several Knights admitted being irked by being left out of the polls this preseason and vowed to use that as motivation all season long.

Said Charleston Southern coach Jay Mills: “We played obviously an outstanding football team that I really believe is a Top 20-caliber team.”

Dead ahead for 麻豆原创 is a great chance to prove that they belong among the elite teams nationally. 麻豆原创’s showdown against Boston College is one of the marquee games of the season for the Knights. The Eagles were 24-17 losers to Northwestern on Saturday. Kickoff for next Saturday’s nationally televised game (CBS College Sports) at Bright House Networks Stadium is 8 p.m.

“It’s a nonconference game and we want to try to start winning those as well as the (C-USA) games,” Murray said. “We need to win these nonconference games to get the looks that we need as far as the nation is concerned. We need to try and win every game on the schedule.”

麻豆原创 junior cornerback Josh Robinson pushed 麻豆原创’s lead to 49-0 in the third quarter with a dazzling interception and 32-yard return for a touchdown. The All-American candidate moved into a tie for fifth place in school history in interceptions with nine in his career.

麻豆原创’s only scare of the night came in the third period when speedy wide receiver Quincy McDuffie had a defender fall on his knee following a 32-yard run on a sweep play. McDuffie walked on the leg without a limp after the game and the injury didn’t seem to be serious.

Godfrey, C-USA’s Freshman of the Year last season, picked up where he left off last December with a magnificent night running the ball. Godfrey had scoring runs of seven, one and 16 yards in the first half. His three rushing TDs equaled the 麻豆原创 record for rushing TDs by a quarterback in a game, a mark set by Daunte Culpepper in 1998 against Eastern Illinois.

Godfrey finished with 46 rushing yards and the three scores. He completed six of 10 passes for 100 more yards.

麻豆原创’s three-headed monster at tailback proved effective all night as Weaver, Murray and junior Brynn Harvey split carries and regularly gashed Charleston Southern’s defense.

Weaver, a senior who won the battle for the starting job, went for 44 yards on the first offensive play of the game and finished with 107 yards and a score on just eight carries. Murray, the Most Valuable Player of the C-USA title game and Liberty Bowl last season, averaged six yards per carry and scored twice.

Harvey, who missed all of last season with a torn ligament in his left knee, played for the first time since 2009 and ran well. He had 62 yards on 14 carries and resembled the workhorse back that he was two seasons ago for the Knights.

“I think the coaches handled (the tailback rotation) really well and whenever we needed a substitution to keep fresh legs in there it was a welcomed sight,” Weaver said. “We’re always competitive with each other, taking every rep that we can. Every time that we’re in the game, we know that we have to produce.”

Redshirt freshman Blake Bortles made his collegiate debut in relief of Godfrey and had a couple of spectacular plays. He kept his cool after bobbling a pass and hit Josh Reese for 42 yards. He later hit Resse for another 42-yard gainer and found J.J. Worton for a 22-yard strike.

All in all, it was flawless night for a Knights team that proved themselves ready for the opener and ready to accomplish plenty more this season.

“That was a complete team effort,” Weaver said. “We did a lot of awesome things on both sides of the ball and on special teams. It’s something for us to take a look at improve up for next week.”

Forgive Harvey if he needs a second to catch his breath or dab his eyes when the magnitude of the moment hits him like a ton of bricks.

A preseason all-conference pick heading into last season, Harvey had to miss all of last year because of a shredded ligament in his left knee. He held out hope of a late-season return and worked feverishly – as in doubling up on rehab sessions and returning to contact work well ahead of schedule – all to no avail when other players emerged as solid threats at Harvey’s former tailback position.

Saturday night’s season opener at Bright House Networks Stadium against Charleston Southern will allow Harvey to play in a game for the first time since the St. Pete Bowl on Dec. 19, 2009. He knows that at some point when he’s in the game and carrying the ball for the Knights that it will sink in to him how hard he’s worked to return to the game he loves.

“It will be a wonderful feeling knowing that I’m back on the field, all of the hard work that I did and the struggles and obstacles that I overcame,” Harvey said. “It’ll be a wonderful feeling being back.”

Senior Ronnie Weaver is expected to start at tailback after winning the hotly contested battle between he, Harvey and Latavius Murray. With Harvey out injured, Weaver grabbed control of the starting job last year in midseason and ran for 890 yards and 11 touchdowns. Murray surged into the starting role late in the year and was the MVP of the Conference USA title game and the Liberty Bowl defeat of Georgia.

Harvey is expected to be the first back off the bench for the Knights because of his stellar running in training camp, proving that he’s fully rebounded from the knee injury. 麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary praised Harvey throughout camp for his tough running and he is a favorite of the coach’s because of his vision in holes.

“He’s looked the best of the backs a lot of times,” O’Leary said recently of Harvey following a scrimmage. “Brynn started showing some things. I just like the way he makes his cuts in the hole and not before the hole so the linebacker can scrape over and make the play.”

Part of what made Harvey’s injury so difficult for him to handle is that he’s never really known not being a dominant part of the 麻豆原创 offense since arriving on campus. He won the starting job as a freshman, led the team in almost every rushing category and was named to the C-USA All-Freshman squad. And in 2009, he flourished as a workhorse back, running for 1,109 yards and 14 TDs. He set career highs against Memphis in 2009 by carrying the ball 42 times for 219 yards and a score.

But Harvey’s enormous promise came crashing down the following spring when he ran a sweep around the right end and had his knee collapse as he planted his foot.

Hoping to return ahead of projections, Harvey attended rehabilitation sessions in the morning and the night. He rarely missed a practice, watching from the sidelines with his helmet on.

But by the time Harvey was ready to return, Weaver and Murray were thriving and the decision was made to redshirt him. Clearly, the football world stops for no one, especially for anyone injured.

“It was difficult trying your hardest to get back. Seeing your best friends out there every day having fun and knowing you can’t be out there with them, it was a tough feeling,” Harvey said. “But they did their best and came out with a conference championship and a bowl victory, so it wasn’t that hard after that.”

Harvey got over any mental hurdles he might have had with his knee this past spring when he rumbled for 44 yards on the first play of the Black and Gold Scrimmage. And over the summer, he actually saw the strength in his knee improve to the point that he’s now squatting more (580 pounds) than he did before the injury (560 pounds).

“In camp I just wanted to come in and try to compete. My leg felt good and I’m just trying to get back into the flow of plays,” he said. “I feel way stronger now. My squats got stronger and I feel better. I feel probably better than I was before.”

Harvey said he might not even make it to the game before the moment hits him where he realizes how hard he’s worked to get back on the field. He admitted that the rumbling of the students section over the Knights locker room will likely give him chills and running onto the field for the first time in 18 months will be a blissful blur to him.

“I think it will feel like my freshman year all over again with all of the butterflies that I’m going to have,” Harvey said. “It’s like I’m starting all over, but I’m excited about getting back in there with my teammates. I think it will be fun.”

麻豆原创 has spent much of the past week trying to find a third quarterback behind Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles following another season-ending injury to senior Rob Calabrese and the announcement that elite recruit DaMarcus Smith wouldn’t be eligible. So in the unlikely event of injuries to Godfrey and Bortles, it’s senior Ronnie Weaver – who seems to have won the hotly contested battle for the starting tailback job – who would operate as the third quarterback in “Wild Knight” formations.

“I’ve made the running backs the third quarterback. Weaver throws it extremely well. Weaver doesn’t do anything great, but he does a lot of things good,” 麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary said. “He’s taking snaps at quarterback running the `Knight’ plays and there are some throwing plays that he can make in case there’s an emergency there.

“That’s the only choice we had right now,” O’Leary continued. “You don’t count on Calabrese getting hurt and you count on DaMarcus (Smith) being here. But we’ll just go with what we have. We’ve worked on some of that stuff this week.”

O’Leary also made it official that standout freshman Leilon Willingham has earned a starting position at outside linebacker for the season-opener on Sept. 3 against Charleston Southern at Bright House Networks Stadium. Willingham, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, was regarded as an upper-tier recruit for 麻豆原创 and he has been impressive enough in training camp to earn a starting nod.

“He’ll be able to perform and do what he has to do. Freshmen play because they don’t act like freshmen and have some strength. He’s 6-2 and 240 pounds and he’s a good-looking player,” O’Leary said of Willingham, a four-star recruit by several national publications. “He’s earned the right to take the first-string snaps and we’ll see what he can do.”

麻豆原创 wrapped up the training camp portion of its practices on Tuesday. The team will take Wednesday off from practice and will begin preparations for the Charleston Southern opener on Thursday. Kickoff for the opener is at 7 p.m.

Calabrese was the backup quarterback to Godfrey last season, but tore a ligament in his left knee while scoring a touchdown against Marshall. He returned in the spring and split time between receiver and quarterback. The promising rise of Bortles, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman from Oviedo, allowed Calabrese to spend more time at receiver. But a second knee injury came last week on another noncontact play, leaving the Knights with just two scholarship quarterbacks.

O’Leary tinkered with the idea of using senior wide receiver A.J. Guyton as the third quarterback because of his experience at the position in high school. But he ultimately settled on Weaver because of the lack of depth at receiver and Weaver’s ability to handle and throw the football.

Weaver, a Wabasso native, emerged as the starting tailback midway through last season and ran for 890 yards and 11 touchdowns. He entered this training camp the likely third choice at tailback behind Latavius Murray – the MVP of the C-USA title game and the Liberty Bowl – and Brynn Harvey – the 2009 standout who missed all of last season with a knee injury. But Weaver impressed O’Leary and offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe with his tough running and ability to pass protect and won the starting job at tailback.

Prior to this week, Weaver said he had no quarterback experience, having played tailback and safety at Vero Beach High School. But after spending the previous four years in the 麻豆原创 offense, he feels he could run the team in a pinch.

“It’ll be a tad bit of an adjustment, but I understand the concepts and I’m getting the hang of it pretty smoothly,” Weaver said. “I’m left-handed, so I guess it brings another dimension with me rolling out the other way. I’ll just try to get the ball out the best I can to the receivers. The package is just designed to help our offense out and give us another dimension as far as the running game goes.”

Weaver hopes that 麻豆原创 gets efficient enough at the “Wild Knight” package that the team will be able to utilize it in the heart of games. It could be another way for the Knights to take advantage of their stable of running backs and get Weaver on the field with Murray and Harvey.

“That’s completely up to coach. The more comfortable I get with it, the more comfortable coach would be with it and try to implement it in,” Weaver said. “Right now, we’re really big in the trial phase of it. I’m not sure how it’ll go implementing it in the game plan, but I’m practicing hard at it and hopefully they’ll have confidence in me.”

As we embark on the 2011 season there are number of key players who will determine the success of this team. While we all know Jeff Godfrey’s magical talents and Kemal Ishmael’s presence in the secondary, here’s 10 players to watch who could be key for this team to attain its goals:

1. Brynn Harvey: He’s back. After missing the 2010 season with an injury, the redshirt junior returns and looks like his old self after struggling in the spring to get back to his old form. He was an all-conference back in 2009 and Harvey is a big bruiser who can wear down defenses. He joins Ronnie Weaver and Latavius Murray to give 麻豆原创 one of the deepest running back groups in the country.
2. Adam Nissley: The senior tight end is one of the strongest players on the team. While no one doubts Nissley’s blocking ability, fans might get to see him expand his role as a pass catcher. Nissley caught only six passes last year and has just 17 career catches. But with a group of young receivers needing time to emerge, look for Nissley to be more involved in the passing game.
3. Jordan Rae: The junior center redshirted in 2008 and never saw a snap in 2009. All he did in 2010 was start every game he was healthy for and stabilize the critical position as the offensive line leader. Rae got better and better as the year went along and enters 2011 as one of the best at his position in Conference USA. Considering the amount of snaps in the pistol and shotgun formations 麻豆原创’s uses, Rae and quarterback Jeff Godfrey rarely had issues.
4. J.J Worton: The redshirt wide receiver might as well be nicknamed “Magnet” because his hands catch everything, no matter where the ball is. Despite suffering an injury near the end of spring practice, Worton picked up where he left off by standing out with his traffic grabs of balls leaving you to wonder how he caught that. With little interest coming out of high school, Worton has that little chip on his shoulder to prove other people wrong and prove 麻豆原创 right.
5. Quincy McDuffie: Now is the time for the speedy junior from Edgewater High School to prove he is not just a fast guy playing football but a football player who is fast. No one doubts McDuffie’s kick return ability, but George O’Leary has said the ball needs to be in his hands more on offense. McDuffie had just 13 receptions for 144 yards last season. Those are numbers he could do in two games this coming season.
6. Darius Nall, Troy Davis, Toby Jackson, Cam Henderson, LeBranden Richardson: All five defensive ends go together because they all are fast, quick (there’s a difference between fast and quick) and strong. While 麻豆原创 loses Bruce Miller, this unit is faster and deeper than it has ever been. Nall had 8.5 sacks last year and double digits are likely this year and newcomers Jackson and Henderson will cause problems in passing lanes for opposing quarterbacks with their 6-foot-5 frames.
7. Jose Jose: It took him an extra year to get to 麻豆原创 but the sophomore might be a huge part of 麻豆原创’s short-yardage defense from his defensive tackle position. He can clog a hole or multiple holes with his size. As Jose gets into the shape George O’Leary wants, the former high school teammate of Jeff Godfrey will be a force on the defensive line.
8. Leilon Willingham: The freshman linebacker from Colorado is likely to start from day one, something not easy to do at 麻豆原创. Willingham is one of the more decorated defensive players out of high school to come to 麻豆原创. He can hit and he can run. George O’Leary has always said he likes to recruit players who won a lot in high school. Well, Willingham has not lost a game in three years. He left high school riding a 33-game winning streak.
9. Clayton Geathers: With much attention in 麻豆原创’s talented secondary going to veterans Kemal Ishmael, A.J. Bouye and Josh Robinson, Geathers is a talented 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman who will carve his own niche in the defensive backfield.
10. Josh Robinson, the punt returner: Robinson’s statistics were down last year but not because he didn’t play well. It’s because teams stopped throwing to his side. On special teams, opponents starting kicking away from Robinson last year and that likely will happen again in 2011, but when Robinson gets his chances he is one of the most electrifying punt returners in the nation. Robinson has yet to take a punt return back for a score. Expect that to change in 2011.

Marc Daniels’ From the Press Box runs several times per month on 麻豆原创Athletics.com. Listen to Marc during 麻豆原创 football, men’s basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the 麻豆原创 Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.