Photo by Aryah Britt

First Scrimmage in the Books

Day eight of preseason camp was one of many tests for this group to put everything they learned together.

The Knights held their first scrimmage on Wednesday. This allowed coaches to identify areas for improvement on both sides of the ball.

The media were only shown a shorter portion of the practice than usual. The scrimmage did not allow media access.

However, we did get to see a few things we haven’t seen in our media availability. We also heard from Offensive Coordinator Steve Cooper. After practice, we also spoke with running back Duke Watson and offensive lineman Brady Wayburn.

Sights From the Field

Though only a short viewing portion allotted, we did get to see a few things that are worth noting before the scrimmage began.

• Offensive line got work gap drills involving a pulling guard. Hard to miss the intensity and the vocals of Coach Blazek as he got to work on the techniques of his group.
• Quarterbacks and running backs got some work in as well in handoffs as well as executing flat routes.
• Quarterbacks and skill players broke up into three groups for a portion of practice. One group worked with Tight Ends Coach Cooper Bassett, one group got work on deep balls, and the final group worked on timing with short curl routes.
• A surprise we got to saw was the specials teams group coming out practicing punts. At the command, we got to hear defensive back Ty Bartrum utilizing his vocal leadership.

Photo by Aryah Britt

Cooper’s Analysis of the Scrimmage

First to the podium was Steve Cooper. We heard what he liked and didn’t like from the first scrimmage. There are several crowded rooms, like the running back and wide receiver rooms. As a result, it was good to hear what he saw from them.

• Cooper said he thought the scrimmage was good but did see things that need to be tweaked and fixed, not surprising.
• He highlighted that the first scrimmage came with a lot of teachable moments, but he knows that comes with scrimmaging and practicing.
• Consistency was the emphasis, and he hopes to see more of it as they progress in the fall.
• He also gives credit to his coaching staff in the scrimmage for orchestrating plays for essentially three different offenses.
• Copper mentioned that the scrimmage was the first opportunity to get the ball in scoring position and emphasize the philosophy of this isn’t a drill scenario but more on the operation of the offense.
• The two-minute drill was another aspect to look at, and he mentioned that he could have talked all day about what details were seen in that execution.

Getting the Freshmen Up to Speed

With two freshmen quarterbacks in the room in Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr, this is noteworthy in this day and age of college football. Cooper spoke about what the process is like. Additionally, he explained how to get a head start on their development within the program.

• Cooper said that there is no substitute for reps, and that can be a struggle when you try to get everyone reps but also get two quarterbacks ready for Saturdays.
• With that being said, he said quarterbacks have that moral obligation to commit to their team, so when the opportunity arrives to get reps, they maximize them to the best of their ability.
• He gives credit to Kaleb Annett and Marriott for the way they have used their reps with the twos and the threes and mentioned that when Carr gets his chances, he gets the best he can.
• In terms of Marriott taking over at the QB2 position, Cooper stated that he is not leaving anything off the table, leaving it as a possibility by the end of preseason camp.

Getting the Right Five in the Offensive Line

Another group that is not fully set in stone is the offensive line, and the media took the chance to ask Cooper what the process is for working with Coach Blazek on figuring out the right group.

• Cooper said the biggest objective is getting in sync as an offense and looking for a collection of guys that bring continuity throughout.
• He mentioned that he enjoys the level of maturity in the group as they have progressed through camp.
• Along with their maturity comes their discipline, and Cooper did not shy away from the group’s ability to fix mistakes when they happen in efforts to avoid silly penalties and execute efficiently.

Photo by Aryah Britt

Barnett’s Progress Through Camp

Starting quarterback is always a conversation, especially for a team that saw this area as a big concern a season ago. However, with that situation handled with Barnett at the helm, Cooper broke down his progress.

• Cooper called Barnett his own personal critic and stated that Barnett’s believes he could improve in every category every day.
• He also mentioned that he believes Barnett has gotten more comfortable every day and continues to be process-driven.
• Cooper also enjoys that Barnett doesn’t make the same mistake twice and that he efficiently executes when he is asked.

‘We’re a Whole Different Team Than Last Year’: Watson’s UCF Expectations

The last time we spoke to Duke Watson was back during the spring. Now we had the chance to speak to him again. We also discussed the progress he has seen in himself and the rest of the group. In addition, we discussed progress for the offense.

• Watson said that UCF has been great and that the offense pairs and utilizes his skill set very well.
• With the competition in the room, Watson looks at it as the opposite of a competition and stated that everyone comes in to work and has been great.
• One thing that stood out to Watson during the scrimmage was the team’s ability to finish and to be the same person from the first play to the last play.
• Watson feels that his contribution in the running back room is a mixture of Chambers’ strength and Swint’s speed but credits them both as being all-around backs capable of producing.
• Overall, Watson is amped up not just for himself but the rest of the group and says fans should expect a different UCF come game one.

Photo by Aryah Britt

Wayburn’s View on the Offensive Line and Expectations

As we touched on the offensive line earlier, we heard from UConn transfer Brady Wayburn about how he has acclimated to UCF. We also asked how he sees his role on the offensive line.

• Coach Blazek’s energy is something Wayburn has really enjoyed since being here at UCF, and he utilizes it to keep everyone pushing on the line.
• In eliminating penalties, Wayburn mentioned that technique and locking in the little details are some of the steps the group has taken in minimizing them this fall.
• As a group with a lot of new faces, he stated that the change is harder for the guys who were already in the building a season ago. He added that rebuilding a brand-new connection can be tricky.
• He even spoke on what Connor Meadows has been able to do under center, emphasizing that a position change is not the easiest.
• Overall, he has seen a lot of improvement in the connection needed within the offensive line and in the little details thanks to the help of Coach Blazek. The goal? Big 12 Championship.

Photo by Aryah Britt

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