Ruling the gridiron and the classroom, the 麻豆原创 football team has plenty to boast at the start of the 2012 season. Living up to the title of student-athlete, 11 Knights who have already earned their bachelor鈥檚 degree have 麻豆原创 among the leaders in graduated players.

In a survey that went out to all 124 Football Bowl Subdivision聽schools, the Knights are tied for third with Florida State and trail only Virginia Tech (15) and Pittsburgh (12). In all, eight teams across the nation boast 10 or more graduates.

The stellar group for the Knights includes Rob Calabrese, Rey Cunha, Lyle Dankenbring, Kevin Garvy, Billy Giovanetti, Theo Goins, Brendan Kelly, Latavius Murray, Jordan Rae, Ray Shipman and Phil Smith.

Along with the 11 graduates who each play a significant role on the team, 麻豆原创 earned an all-time high 79 rating in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate earlier this year and received the Conference USA Sport Academic Award for boasting the highest team grade-point average of all 12 C-USA football programs.

Over the past three years, the Knights have been well represented on the C-USA Honor Roll with at least 35 student-athletes carrying a GPA of 3.0 or better. In the same time span, the football program has also had two or more members of the team earn C-USA Academic Medals while boasting GPAs of 3.75 or higher.

The Knights (1-0) will make their return to the Buckeye State on Saturday when they head to Columbus for a noon showdown with No. 14 Ohio State (1-0) on ESPN2.

The media poll, conducted by the Houston Chronicle, was made up of print reporters and radio representatives who regularly cover the league. C-USA does not conduct an official preseason poll.

麻豆原创 has eight starters returning on both offense and defense in 2012, along with a senior class which consists of 20 student-athletes. That class is highlighted by three-year starting safety Kemal Ishmael, who is a member of the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (top defensive back in the nation); Theo Goins, who is on the Outland Trophy Watch List (top interior lineman); and Jordan Rae, who claimed a spot on the Rimington Trophy Watch List (top center).

Not only backed by an impressive senior group this year, the Black and Gold placed a C-USA-high six players on the league鈥檚 All-Freshman Team last season. The six selections were the most for a C-USA school since 2008. In 2011, 麻豆原创 averaged 406.8 yards per game, the second-best production in eight years under head coach George O鈥橪eary, while the defense surrendered just 303.3 yards per contest, the lowest by a 麻豆原创 team dating back to 1990.

Since joining the league in 2005, 麻豆原创 has claimed a pair of C-USA titles (2007, 2010), three East Division crowns (2005, 2007, 2010) and has advanced to four bowl games, highlighted by a victory over Georgia in the 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The preseason media poll was released the day schools are traveling to Dallas for the 2012 C-USA Media Day, with the majority of the interviews set to take place Wednesday morning and afternoon.

2012 C-USA Preseason Media Poll

East Division

1. 麻豆原创 (13) 鈥� 85 points
2. Southern Miss (2) 鈥� 70
3. Marshall 鈥� 58
4. East Carolina 鈥� 56
5. UAB 鈥� 29
6. Memphis 鈥� 17

West Division

1. Houston (8) 鈥� 81 points
2. Tulsa (4) 鈥� 73
3. SMU (3) 鈥� 67
4. UTEP 鈥� 39
5. Rice 鈥� 35
6. Tulane 鈥� 20

-First-place votes in parentheses

The Knights get the 2012 campaign underway at Akron Aug. 30 and at Ohio State Sept. 8 before hosting FIU Sept. 15 and Missouri Sept. 29. The C-USA opener is scheduled for Oct. 4 vs. East Carolina at Bright House Networks Stadium.

麻豆原创 football season tickets are currently available for as low as $140, while single-game tickets and flex plans are also on sale. For more information and to place an order, call the 麻豆原创 Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 or visit 麻豆原创Athletics.com. Attending a 麻豆原创 football game is a great way to celebrate birthdays, corporate outings or any special occasion. Please ask about group packages today.

Ishmael is the second Knight in the last two seasons to earn a spot on the Thorpe Award Watch List, as cornerback Josh Robinson represented the Black and Gold last year. Robinson went on to be selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Thorpe Award is named after the great Jim Thorpe, who excelled at every sport in which he competed, including football at which he played on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The 2012 Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of Thorpe winning gold in the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics. The award will be presented by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, and the winner is selected from three finalists and will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 6 on ESPN. The Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association.

One of four players (two safeties and two cornerbacks) from Conference USA on this year’s preseason watch list, Ishmael has racked up 244 tackles dating back to his true freshman season in 2009. He enters 2012 looking for just 35 more tackles to tie Cory Hogue for 10th on the 麻豆原创 all-time list (Hogue amassed 279 tackles from 2006-09, while Rick Hamilton holds the record with 443 from 1989-92).

In 2011, Ishmael paced the Knights in tackles for the second-straight year, racking up 81 including 2.5 for a loss. As a sophomore, he notched 93 tackles with five break-ups and two interceptions. Ishmael has nine-career break-ups and three picks while playing in all 39 麻豆原创 games from 2009-11. He leads all returning players by owning a current streak of 35-straight starts, as he came off the bench for the first four games as a freshman before serving as the starting free safety ever since.

After being on the 2010 All-C-USA First Team, Ishmael was a 2011 All-C-USA Honorable Mention pick and a 2011 Phil Steele Midseason All-C-USA First Team selection. He is one of seven Knights who have received spots on national preseason watch lists in 2012.

麻豆原创 on Preseason Watch Lists

A total of 50 players from the FBS received a spot on the watch list, including five from Conference USA. The Rimington Trophy has been awarded every season since 2000, and is named after Dave Rimington who was a first-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1983. During his college career at Nebraska, Rimington won the 1981 and 1982 Outland Trophy, the 1982 Lombardi Award, was a two-time All-American and served as a two-time Academic All-American.

The Rimington Trophy committee uses these four prestigious All-America teams to determine a winner: American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America. The center with the most first-team votes will be determined the winner, and if there is a tie, second-team votes will be used in the process. If there remains a tie, the honoree will be determined by the Rimington Trophy committee.

The winner will be honored at the Rimington Trophy presentation banquet at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 12, 2013.

A native of Weston, Fla., Rae has served as 麻豆原创’s starting center since his sophomore year in 2010 when he started 13 of the Knights’ 14 games. That year the Black and Gold claimed the C-USA title as well as an AutoZone Liberty Bowl victory over Georgia, and Rae helped 麻豆原创’s offense average 374.0 yards per game and tie for the second-most rushing touchdowns in school history with 36.

Rae then started all 12 contests in 2011 as a junior, as the Knights outscored opponents 325-220 and averaged 406.8 yards per game compared to opponents finishing with 303.3 yards per game.

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.”

Linam and Weaver grabbed the Captain鈥檚 Awards after the seniors were voted as captains by their teammates during the season. Linam also was named as 麻豆原创鈥檚 Outstanding Linebacker and the winner of the Academic Excellence Award, while Weaver was the Knights鈥� Outstanding Offensive Back.

Murray secured the Outstanding Offensive Player and MVP awards thanks to leading the team with 860 all-purpose yards 鈥� 549 rushing and 242 receiving along with a 69-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Southern Miss. Along with eight rushing touchdowns, he posted the fourth-best rushing performance in 麻豆原创 history when he raced for 233 yards at UTEP. In that victory over the Miners, Murray accounted for three overall touchdowns as that effort is now up for the Marines National Running Back Performance of the Year presented by Intersport.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ishmael carried home the Outstanding Defensive Back and Outstanding Defensive Player trophies. 麻豆原创鈥檚 free safety paced the Knights in tackles for the second-straight year, recording 81 in 2011. That was highlighted by four games where he amassed 10 tackles or more. Ishmael also had three break-ups and one forced fumble.

Voted on by the coaching staff, the complete list of awards is below.

2011 麻豆原创 Football Awards

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.

“They were on the sidelines warming up when Jeff was getting ready to go in and I asked Jordan, `How’s Jeff? Is he nervous?”’ Kelly remembered. “(Rae) said, `Coach, we were on the sidelines taking snaps and (Godfrey) grabbed me by my chest and said, `Listen to me: I’ve been here before. I’m going to lead us to victory. Just follow me.’

“Jordan said that (Godfrey) wasn’t bragging or anything like that and it was so matter of fact,” Kelly continued. “That’s how that kid feels about himself and it’s infectious. He does it in a way where it’s not cocky. He does it in a way where it incites belief and confidence in his other teammates.”

Godfrey certainly sparked his teammates against NC State, leading 麻豆原创 to two scores and within 28-21 before a fifth turnover of the Knights ended the rally.

Whereas Godfrey worked his magic in relief last week, he might get a chance do it as a starter on Saturday night when 麻豆原创 (1-1) travels to Buffalo (1-1). Godfrey and junior Rob Calabrese have split reps with the first string this week in practice, and head coach George O’Leary has said that he’ll name a starter by Friday.

“Him and Rob are sharing first-string duties this week. And I told them they’ll be graded each day. I want to look at practice Monday through Thursday, and we’ll start the best kid,” O’Leary said. “Jeff is taking the first snaps right now, but again he has to continue doing the right things. Based on (Tuesday), he had a good day. (Monday) was so-so with a new game plan. (Wednesday) will be a big day for him. He’s a talented individual. As a coach, he makes a lot of things happen out there.”

Godfrey made things happen to the tune of 53 rushing yards and scores of six yards and one yard. He also completed 7-of-10 passes for another 107 yards, including a 29-yard strike to Jamar Newsome and a dazzling 20-yarder to Quincy McDuffie on 麻豆原创’s final offensive play.

O’Leary doesn’t let true freshmen talk with the media, but Godfrey’s teammates and coaches couldn’t stop talking about how impressed that they were with the 5-foot-11, 176-pound quarterback.

“I can’t say enough about Jeff Godfrey, a true freshman coming in one of the hardest positions to be successful at. For him to come in and really give us momentum with his playmaking abilities, hats off to him,” said 麻豆原创 senior wide receiver Brian Watters, who led the Knights in catches (six) and receiving yards (88) on Saturday. “He’s a great player and he’s going to be great in the future.”

He might very well be the future of the program, but he reminds O’Leary of a quarterback in his past. Joe Hamilton was a record-setting quarterback at Georgia Tech under O’Leary despite being just 5-foot-10. He compiled an Atlantic Coast Conference record 10,640 total yards in his career and accounted for 65 touchdown passes and 83 total TDs.

O’Leary said that Godfrey possesses a lot of the same traits that helped make Hamilton one of the best players in the history of the ACC. Not only is he a talented player, but he also makes others around him better.

After Godfrey entered the game late in the third quarter, 麻豆原创 responded with 14 points, nine first downs and 181 yards. And the Knights were 11 yards away from a third score with 51 seconds left that could have tied the game.

“Very much so,” O’Leary said when asked if Godfrey reminded him of Hamilton. “Same makeup. You know they’re very confident about themselves. Self-assured about what they do. And nothing really fazes them, which bothers me a little bit. You should be fazed a little bit out there. But that’s what you want. That’s contagious, I think, in the huddle.

“That’s one of the things I saw a little different with him out there. There seemed to be a little bit more step in the offense (with Godfrey),” O’Leary continued. “We have a good situation. I think both guys can win games for you. But the one’s that’s most productive is the guy you want on the field.”

Kelly, who also doubles as 麻豆原创’s wide receivers coach, led the recruitment of Godfrey after he set all kinds of prep passing records in Miami-Dade County and became Florida’s Class 6A Player of the Year. Kelly has been following the Godfrey’s arc as a quarterback for the past five years, and needless to say he wasn’t shocked when the quarterback electrified 麻豆原创’s fan base and nearly led the Knights back to a victory.

“There are few people who are blessed with certain things that others don’t have and he has it,” Kelly said. “That man from the eighth grade on has shown that. From the time when he was three years old when his dad first started training him, he happens to be a quarterback who is a great athlete, not a great athlete trying to be a quarterback. At seven years old in Pop Warner League, he’s been accustomed to playing and being `The Guy’ in front of 10-15,000 people. So when you talk about pressure, that means nothing to this kid.”

Kelly said Godfrey taught 麻豆原创’s fans a thing or two about games never being out of reach despite the deficit. And Kelly feels that the future is clearly bright for the dynamic quarterback — whether he earns his first collegiate start on Saturday night or not.

“At 28-7, I look around and see the stadium emptying. Then, all of a sudden I think people heard that Jeff Godfrey was going into the game and there were a bunch of U-turns,” Kelly said. “But those who did leave, they missed a show. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring it all the way back, but I think that everything that happens there’s a positive in it. That should spur us and I’m going to go on record and say that we should go 13-1 now. And that’s not a bad record.”

Source: 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.