Rucker looking for UCF to bounce back at UConn
Mark Rucker had a unique perspective of the Temple game last week.
Forced to sit out the first half due to a targeting ejection in the previous game, the UCF linebacker watched on television while warming up in in an office adjacent to the locker room.
Eligible to play the second half, Rucker was crushed to see Temple rally for a 26-25 victory, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with one second left on the clock. He said it was as painful of a loss that he's experienced.
UCFSports.com caught up with Rucker earlier this week to talk about the aftermath of that game and to look ahead at Saturday's matchup at UConn.
Last week was tough. How did you spend the first half? Were you in the locker room watching the game?
"I was in the locker room. I was in the head coach office watcing the game, getting my body warm. Watching it on TV, supporting my teammates, just being into the game active. I was just happy to watch it."
Could you hear the crowd noise above you after a play? How strange was that?
"TV was actually late. I heard the crowd screaming, but I'm like why are they screaming if they haven't hiked hte ball yet? Then they scored a touchdown, now I understand. It was a good experience. It was crazy. I don't want to do it again. I just want to play the whole game."
When you watch a game on TV, more of a bird's eye view than being field level, can you pick up anything knowing you were going out there in the second half?
"I got to see the energy, like how Temple was running, how hard the running backs were running, how the offensive line was moving. So when I got in, I had the feel of what they were doing already."
Has tough was that loss to take?
"I was mad for about three days after. I just had to calm day and say it's another week. We've got another week and another chance to win another game. You've got to put it behind you. Should have won. Football owes us one as Coach Frost said."
You guys are a couple plays from being 5-1. You can't dwell on that because you're 3-3. How quickly did the guys put it aside, I know you said you were upset for three days, but did any of the upperclassmen tell the guys to snap out of it because you've got another game coming up?
"Exactly. Defensive staff, defensive players and staff came together and said we need to look at these corrections, we need to study even more film than we already did. As a team and as a defense, we came together and tried to correct everything, move on to UConn and try to get a win."
Penalties have been a problem, things like unsportsmanlike conduct should never happen. Has that been a big point of emphasis this week?
"In the past, we dwelled on discipline. That was Coach O'Leary's thing and Coach Frost brought it in as well. Discipline, discipline, discipline. Those penalties were un-UCF like. I was disappointed in my team as well. We've got to correct those. I talk to my teammates. We have to be mentally tough. They're going to hard count. We can't give up those easy penalties."
What do you expect this week at UConn?
"Their offense, I expect them to try to run it. Be physical as they were in the past. We're going to go in there and play our game. It's going to be different weather. They're a pretty good team. We're going to see how our team reacts. You've got to be warm and ready at all times and go."
You remember the game up there two years ago?
"It was freezing. Coach turned off the heaters. We were freezing even more. It was a pretty good game. We shouldn't have lost that game either, but hey you know, it goes on."
How are you viewing this game? You need to start getting some wins in conference. You have goals of reaching a bowl game and you have to get on a roll before you worry about other things like the conference, though you're still very much in it.
"Just got to start winning. UConn is a pretty good team. Another difficult task, another physical game. The players know that. We know that. Coaches know that. We've got to go out and execute like we did in the FIU game, the games we won, go out there and execute and everything will be good."