Greg McCrae having the 'time of his life' at UCF

Greg McCrae was ready when his number was called.

The freshman UCF running back took advantage of his fourth-quarter reps against East Carolina, rushing for a team-high 67 yards on six carries to go along with a touchdown. He was already a regular contributor on special teams with three tackles so far this season.

"Every time I step on the field I want the coaches to know they can trust me to do my assignment," McCrae said. "I'm working my way up. We have a lot of players that can do a lot of things, so whenever my number is called I'll be there."

Don't be surprised if McCrae sees his playing time increase in future games.

"He's a good football player," offensive coordinator Troy Walters said. "We're so talented in the back field that sometimes he doesn't get the attention or reps he wants to get. He's a good football player. We're going to continue to find ways to get the ball in his hands and utilize him because he's a good receiver. He's kind of like Otis (Anderson). He can play receiver if we need him. If he gets the ball in his hands, he runs hard and he makes plays. Love that we have him. We'll continue to find ways to incorporate him into the offense."

McCrae also knows what to expect this week at Navy. The Miramar native signed with the Midshipmen coming out of high school, spending a semester in Annapolis before deciding academy life wasn't for him.

"It's the same preparation every week," McCrae said. "I'm excited for every game. Of course I know some people up there. I knew some people at Cincinnati too. It's all good. We all play the same game... Right now I'm just focused on our team right here. Right now they're just another opponent."

Upon leaving Navy, McCrae reached out to UCF assistant head coach Jovan Dewitt who had recruited him at his prior stop at Army. He made arrangements to walk-on and enrolled this past January.

"I love it here," McCrae said of UCF. "I love playing ball here. I love going to school here. I love everything. I just love it here. Every day I enjoy waking up and going to practice, going to class, meeting with tutors. I love being at this school a lot... I'm so happy now that I'm here. I'm having the time of my life."

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