Josh Heupel Press Conference - Pittsburgh Week
No. 13 UCF (3-0) enters Saturday's game against Pittsburgh boasting impressive offensive numbers just as they did last season, averaging 50 points per game and ranking fourth nationally in yards per game (587.7). Defensively, the Knights continue to take away the football with nine turnovers in their three games.
Pittsburgh (2-2) opened the season with a 33-7 win against FCS Albany, lost 51-6 to Penn State, rebounded with a 24-19 ACC victory against Georgia Tech but then lost a close one at UNC this past weekend, 38-35.
UCF and Pitt have met just once before, a 52-7 Panthers victory at the Citrus Bowl on Oct. 13, 2006. Saturday's game will kick off at 3:30 on ESPNU.
Here's everything head coach Josh Heupel had to say at Monday's weekly press conference.
On his review of FAU after watching the film:
"A lot of good and like every ballgame and it's never as good and never as bad.I did like that we played hard and competed. I thought we came out really fast. Handled adversity when they flipped the score on us and came back and responded the way good teams and mature teams do. We showed that we're mature competitors in that way. I liked the way we played in the third quarter. A lot of positives offensively. Run game was good. I want more explosive plays out of it. I thought McKenzie played really efficient, really smart with the football. Did a great job with his feet.
"Defensively, love that we again got three turnovers. We're continuing to hawk the ball and create negative plays. I want to attack a little bit better in space, but I thought for the most part our eye discipline was better throughout the night. We had more opportunities to get some more hands on balls as well.
"Special teams was disappointing. We got to play better in that third of the game. It's something that we stress. It was an important to show that this morning when guys came in."
On McKenzie's touchdown run going to the right, making guys miss:
"Initially made the right read. He's got good vision. Went to the back side of the play. Made an unblocked guy miss. That's important for the guy with the ball in his hands. He's smart. For the most part, he knows how to protect himself. He took a couple shots I wouldn't want him to take, but he's got the ability to make people miss in space. He's got a feel for the game and how to play off defenders. He's a great player."
On McKenzie taking shots:
"There's certain situations they got to go play. Third downs in a tight zone. Some of those are situations that you typically rely heavily on the quarterback run game because it turns the numbers back into your favor. He's got to play at those critical junctures in the game. First and second down, yeah be smart in how many shots you're taking. I'd like for him to get down."
On when UCF got down 17-14 to FAU:
"Really, there was no panic on the sideline. Really mature and calm. Went out and played the next play, the two-minute drive. They were really efficient. Guys are being assignment sound and did a good job in protection. They just came back and played the next play. We talk about it all the time. You're only as good as your next performance. The only play that matters is your next play during the course of the ballgame. I like the way we handled that."
On scoring late in the first half and then coming back and scoring in the first drive of the second half, and whether Heupel likes to defer for that reason:
"There's so many things that go into the ball game as far as the decision on the opening kickoff. We elected with the wind to do that. When you play it that way, you do have the ability to finish the second quarter and go back-to-back possessions. You have the opportunity to change the scoreboard real quickly."
On the running game vs. FAU:
"It was efficient. We had one negative run, one negative run on the entire day I'll take that every Saturday afternoon. That means you're staying ahead in positive situations. It's a big part of why third down conversions were successful as they were. At the same time, we're close to busting some big runs. It might be the five guys up front being a little bit cleaner in finishing. Might be a looper over the top that we gotta clean up. Might be straining and creating 12 more inches of space inside. It might be the back pressing on the line of scrimmage and helping deliver those double teams. It's all those bodies working together as one."
On the impact of TE Michael Colubiale:
"Big part of the game. Extremely mature in how he prepares and handles himself. He's a good leader on the offensive side of the ball, in that tight end meeting room because of his maturity and his experience. That was important coming back to us. He's the only guy that's played meaningful time in that room right now. McKenzie's got great trust in him. He understands how to extend routes, how to create and get himself open in windows. Understands timing. He had a big night."
On RB Greg McCrae playing in the third quarter and whether they were saving him:
"Some of it just about feel of the ballgame. How much stress, how tired AK and a couple of the other guys might be. How much we're playing Otis outside at wide receiver vs. being in the backfield. There's a lot of variables that go into the timing of those guys playing."
On whether he has talked to Otis about his role, only getting five touches in the last game:
"He only had five touches, but there were three other opportunities with the ball going at it. We don't complete it. McKenzie, on an option route, took his eyes off of him early. Got hit on one route. So he wasn't able to complete it. Then we throw a drive route on third down that we didn't complete as well. There's other opportunities where he's the primary guy, but it's just the way they defended it. They took him away in the slot. Sometimes that happens when you're a wide receiver."
On whether Otis has expressed frustration about his role:
"I think we'll move forward and be ready to play this Saturday."
On the rotation at right guard and Bailey Granier starting there:
"Really smart player. His experience has helped him transition into what we're doing on offense. He's really jelled with the guys inside of that room. I think that was important for him to be cultivated into the group really quickly. He's continuing to get better with some of the techniques in our schemes that are different from what he's ran in the past. I like what he's doing. We need multiple guys on the front five. You saw it. We kind of jelled into a starting five, but multiple guys got to play. You saw two guys get nicked up the other night. It's going to happen. A bunch of guys rolling around, eventually somebody is going to get rolled up. Got to go in and compete at a high level."
On Trevor Elbert filling in for Wyatt Miller at LT:
"Did a really nice job going in. Handled the protection part of it really well. Was clean almost the entire night. I thought he did a good job with the run game."
On Wyatt Miller's status after leaving the FAU game due to injury:
"He should be back and ready to go."
On Pittsburgh:
"Big, strong and physical up front. Extremely big, the biggest defensive front we've seen so far. On the back end, they're going to contest things. Safeties play low to the box. They'll load it up and make it difficult to run the football. Got to win one-on-ones on the outside. They're going to play man press with the corners, so your outside guy has to get off the line of scrimmage and go win. It'll be important to do a lot of things that we're doing well, we're taking care of the football, we're staying in manageable situations and we're winning one-on-ones."
On watching the Pitt-UNC game on Saturday:
"Watching it on TV is a whole different thing than watching it when you're breaking it down. Caught a little bit of it, but really watched it on the computer."
On UCF's defensive front being able to rush the Pitt QB:
"They're different on the offensive side of the ball than what we've seen. Size and strength up front is different than what we've seen to this point. Their ability to play in 11 and 12 personnel sets means it's going to be two tight ends. They're big, extremely physical. They chew up yards that way. Flash and pass, you've got to manage. We have to tackle the ball carrier extremely well. We've got to play assignment sound, be in our gaps and at the end of the day we've got to get to the quarterback."
On playing a hot day game on Saturday:
"When you're down here, you stress hydration every day. We will stress it, but that's something we talk about every day."
On punter Mac Loudermilk's injury after suffering a late hit vs. FAU:
"Yeah, he's bounced back from that one already. He was in for treatment on Saturday afterwards and Sunday as well."
On whether they can expect to force three turnovers a game:
"I want to. Put people in negative situations. Put them in third and long. A mentality and attitude of attacking the football. All those pieces play together. Defensive front. You're in tight coverage on the back end. Can we continue to do it? Absolutely."
On whether he is satisfied with the tempo after three games:
"When we want to play fast, our kids know how to play fast. Absolutely."