UCF Sports Thread: 2025 Spring Football is Underway

[drsd]

This thread deserves a cat video:

Watch on YouTube

[Message Boar]

So, I only follow college football glancingly. What the hell has happened to UCF this season?

[UCFJayBird]

So, I only follow college football glancingly. What the hell has happened to UCF this season?

Just my musings, but a few things:

1. We went out and got a big experienced QB in KJ Jefferson that we hoped was Cam Newton lite. For whatever reason, KJ has been a bust here. Even coming out of camp the word was that he wasn't looking great. He looks out of shape, his decision making has been very poor, and most importantly, his throwing has been wildly inaccurate and inconsistent, to the point where the team is clearly reluctant to let him sling it.

2. The speed of execution is dramatically slower this season. I don't know if this is because of coaching, players (or more specifically KJ?) not knowing the playbook and being able to execute quickly, or a purposeful change in playing style to slow things down. Gus is know as a high speed offense in the past, so it's difficult for me to think Gus purposefully changed the style coming into this season to be slower. I'm thinking it's the players not knowing the playbook enough to run it fast, and that's probably mostly a KJ thing, though I don't want to throw everything at his feet.

3. Coaching decisions - Gus has been making some REALLY questionable decisions during the games. We're down two scores with 4 minutes to go and we waste TWO MINUTES running FOUR PLAYS for 10 yards. That is inexcusable coaching. If it's because KJ doesn't know the playbook to run plays fast enough or something, than put in a QB who does (if there is one?).

Bottom line:

If UCF could move on from Gus at this juncture, I would say do so. He's a great recruiter but his coaching hasn't been great. Maybe it's just the wrong QB at the wrong time and it ruined our season chances. I'm hoping we see a change at QB, but odds are because we paid KJ a lot of cash in NIL that the coaching staff will stick with him longer, or heck, maybe the rest of the QB room really doesn't look better in practice (though I'd argue throw someone in and see what they can do, you never know if a QB is just better in game).

However, UCF is basically locked in with Gus because they gave him a ridiculous extension and it would cost too much money to cut bait right now. Maybe if this were 5-10 years into the BIg 12 we'd have the resources to take that hit. But right now the athletics department doesn't have the capital unless some big donor comes in and ponies up.

[dsg2003mach1]

also what on earth is up with the tackling? How many times did they fly in, get their arms around someone and not even come close to taking them down in the last 2 games?

It's hard to watch

[UCFJayBird]

also what on earth is up with the tackling? How many times did they fly in, get their arms around someone and not even come close to taking them down in the last 2 games?

It's hard to watch

I didn't even talk about the defensive struggles, lol. I cannot understand how we are not getting more pressure on the QBs and getting more sacks. We have less sacks than games I think. Opponents have all day to throw and our secondary was already struggling with injuries before Threats left for the portal.

Let the young guys play for sure, I think we have some good talent that has come in the last two HS classes, but it's can we get them playing time to keep them here before they hit the portal looking for more playing time. This new era of NIL makes it impossibly difficult to rely on developing your HS players for years 2-4 while also trying to bring in upperclassman transfers to shore up the squad.

But I know other teams are also struggling with that of course.

[Kent]

Gus is a good dude but not good to lead this program going forward.

I don't run the finances but I gotta think we have to swallow the poison pill that is his buyout and get someone else in here to bring this thing back to life. The longer we wait, the bigger the hole.

[Knightro]

I can’t watch another game that Gus coaches. He’s killed my spirit.

[Kent]

Personally, I'd love to bring Scott Frost back.

[Viper1500]

What a terrible season, and it's only going to get worse based off our schedule. Very disappointing

[Optimus_Steel]

This team is trash. What a dumb decision it was to extend Gus to last year.

[dsg2003mach1]

only got to watch the first half, that seemed like enough

[UCFJayBird]

Yea extending Gus last season is looking awful and has really hamstrung the team now. not sure the school has the funds to swallow that pill to move on without Gus being amicable and agreeing to a reduced buyout or something like that.

This season is looking real rough.

I was shocked to see us go out and start true freshman (and 17 years old) EJ Colson. I'd like to see him get some additional playing time, but don't want to waste his redshirt if the season is basically over and Jacurri Brown is playing well enough. Start Brown, give Colson some playing time in another couple games to get experience but maintain his redshirt. Unless we pull out some miracles and win the next two weeks against ranked opponents, lol. But Cinci was supposed to be the easiest game on our schedule.

I'm just shocked at how bad the offense is this season. It's mind blowing honestly.

[OrlMagic05]

Every year I go into the season excited because every year our recruiting class has gotten better, but Gus sends out a horrible product out on the field. The fact that we have only scored two touchdowns in the last two games says it all about the coaching staff. Such a disappointment.

[Kent]

Every year I go into the season excited because every year our recruiting class has gotten better, but Gus sends out a horrible product out on the field. The fact that we have only scored two touchdowns in the last two games says it all about the coaching staff. Such a disappointment.

I know Gus is a great recruiter and certainly better than Heupel was, but the prospect of playing in Orlando at a beautiful campus with top-notch facilities in a P4 conference will always have us in the mix for high-level recruits.

What I'm saying is I don't feel like we'll lose anything recruiting-wise going in a different direction. Besides, players want to go somewhere they think they're going to win. And that hasn't really been happening lately.

[UCFJayBird]

Every year I go into the season excited because every year our recruiting class has gotten better, but Gus sends out a horrible product out on the field. The fact that we have only scored two touchdowns in the last two games says it all about the coaching staff. Such a disappointment.

I know Gus is a great recruiter and certainly better than Heupel was, but the prospect of playing in Orlando at a beautiful campus with top-notch facilities in a P4 conference will always have us in the mix for high-level recruits.

What I'm saying is I don't feel like we'll lose anything recruiting-wise going in a different direction. Besides, players want to go somewhere they think they're going to win. And that hasn't really been happening lately.

I remember the excitement and brand change that Frost brought to UCF. If not trying to recapture that by bringing Frost back, I'd love for UCF to go out and find another young energized coach that can breath life back into the excitement. As you noted, being in the P4 and being in Orlando with everything we've got going on should be enough for any young energized coach to excel at recruiting.

The innovation has just been disappearing the last few seasons. Why did we get rid of so many uniform combos? Bring back Pewter!

[Kent]

Every year I go into the season excited because every year our recruiting class has gotten better, but Gus sends out a horrible product out on the field. The fact that we have only scored two touchdowns in the last two games says it all about the coaching staff. Such a disappointment.

I know Gus is a great recruiter and certainly better than Heupel was, but the prospect of playing in Orlando at a beautiful campus with top-notch facilities in a P4 conference will always have us in the mix for high-level recruits.

What I'm saying is I don't feel like we'll lose anything recruiting-wise going in a different direction. Besides, players want to go somewhere they think they're going to win. And that hasn't really been happening lately.

I remember the excitement and brand change that Frost brought to UCF. If not trying to recapture that by bringing Frost back, I'd love for UCF to go out and find another young energized coach that can breath life back into the excitement. As you noted, being in the P4 and being in Orlando with everything we've got going on should be enough for any young energized coach to excel at recruiting.

The innovation has just been disappearing the last few seasons. Why did we get rid of so many uniform combos? Bring back Pewter!

Agree on everything.

UCF should very much be "the future of college football."

Let's make it happen!

[dsg2003mach1]

they definitely let that one slip away.

Im torn between disappointed and glad they didn't get obliterated. The defense isn't gonna come up with 1.5 pick 6's like that every time, seems an extra shame they were for naught.

[Optimus_Steel]

they definitely let that one slip away.

Im torn between disappointed and glad they didn't get obliterated. The defense isn't gonna come up with 1.5 pick 6's like that every time, seems an extra shame they were for naught.

There is no quarterback capable of throwing a pass on this team. There hasn’t been for a while. So when people say Gus is good at recruiting I raise my eyebrows. You can run the ball all you want but when you cant pass at all you are so limited.

[Viper1500]

Brown looked better than Jefferson, but this team still doesn't have a quality QB

[Kent]

The team continues to stick together which is a big deal.

They came ready to play and believing they could win.