What is fair and foul following the 57-3 win over New Hampshire
Let’s start by establishing the obvious point: Twitter is not real life and probably shouldn’t be relied on as such. However, it can provide some directional perspective on the pulse of an audience following a situation or event. As it turns out, the reaction of Knight Nation before, during, and after a football game proves to be a perfect example of the directional theory. After the dust settled on UCF’s 57-3 victory over New Hampshire, I posted a tweet the next day asking fans for their feelings on what they witnessed.
For reference, here is the original Tweet
There were certainly some consistent themes, but I found the nuance and specificity of responses interesting. What will follow in this column are some of the comments posted, along with analysis on whether the point made is fair or foul.
I figured we might as well just get it out of the way first, because it is a FAIR perspective. There is no way to sugarcoat the performance from KJ Jefferson against New Hampshire. Missed throws, missed reads, a hilarious ball handling error, and a head scratching interception were among the highlights, err, lowlights. After the game, head coach Gus Malzahn and KJ himself acknowledged the lackluster performance (but to be fair, could they really hide from it?). Don’t just take their word for it, look at the data
All of this makes feeling uneasy about quarterback play a very reasonable concern from Knights fans. But, I think there needs to be a little nuance applied to this situation. First, it is only one game, and the first game at that. One could argue that rust, getting acclimated in a new offense, working with new receivers, and a perceived easy opponent could have played a factor. Now, don’t mistake this as an excuse, as I don’t personally think any of these points are full proof, but you can’t completely rule them out to explain the performance. KJ did appear to settle down some in the second half, but not enough to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Having said all of that, this can easily be quelled if KJ comes out looking sharp against Sam Houston on Saturday. So for now, it is FAIR to have some concern, but let’s wait at least another week before we officially hop off the KJ bandwagon.
Here is another QB related response, but with a bit of a different slant considering the use of the word “investments”. The reality of college athletics in 2024 is pay for play is embedded in many of the decisions surrounding recruiting, coaching, and retention. While specific financial numbers are not typically disclosed, UCF fans know that KJ Jefferson was lured from the portal with a sizable and likely substantial offer. Thus, when he struggles like he did in week 1 there will be commentary about his “salary” and the amount of NIL resources allocated for his signing. Both players, coaches, and NIL administrators are going to have to get used to having their decisions and finances called into question when performance isn’t living up to expectations. For those reasons, this is a FAIR perspective.
While I am not saying it is impossible for UCF to miss a bowl game, I don’t think we can fully glean that information after one week – particularly when we actually won the game handily. There are certainly things to be cleaned up, but it is still difficult to know exactly what we have with the 2024 version of the Knights. As pointed out in the post, this feels like the most talented roster UCF has had in a long while, and wasting it would definitely sting, but let’s give it a few more weeks before we start writing the history of this team. For now, this is FOUL.
Perhaps the easiest assessment of this entire thread, as this is a stone cold fact, and thus FAIR. UCF’s rushing attack went for over 450 yards against New Hampshire, with three different running backs scoring touchdowns on the ground. In fact, this quartet of running backs just might be the most well rounded group since the 2019 Knights team that featured Adrian Killins, Otis Anderson, Greg McRae, and Bentavious Thompson. What’s even better is this 2024 group can beat you any way that you want, including the power of RJ Harvey, the strength of Peny Boone, the determination of Myles Montgomery, and the speed of Johnny Richardson. Factor in that UCF will likely use QB KJ Jefferson on the ground in short yardage situations as well, and you can see the offensive philosophy starting to take shape. The only true unknown with this group centers on the play of the offensive line, who will be tasked with creating consistent running lanes over four quarters.
After much thought, I am going to say that this is a FAIR perspective for a long standing Knights fan. After establishing a solid foundation post the 2013 season, the trajectory of the program skyrocketed with the success of 2017 and 2018. However, in the years since it feels like there has at best been a flickering glimmer of hope while we experienced turnover at some of the most important positions, including Athletic Director, Head Coach, and Quarterback. The 2024 season represented what many believed would be the most talented and complete team under Gus Malzahn, and as such, expectations were elevated. Perhaps a feeling of uneasiness is our own fault as fans and supporters, believing in hype and narratives before a snap was even played (such is the Knight way). But I can see how the long standing Knight fan (think 2000 and beyond), saw a few disappointing elements against New Hampshire and had visions of the 2011 season all over again. As I said earlier, there is a lot of football left to be played, but it is understandable to be pensive at this moment.
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I like the take. Let’s see what we get after SHSU. That game, must not be overlooked. They are a good team. They play as a team. We need to see improvement not only out of KH, but frankly out of the Coaching Staff, Hinshaw and Gus, to boot.