CF Future on "Rivalry"

[Brad]

UCF players, fans ready to start rivalry with neighbor

Football gearing up for Saturday's game

By Andy Vasquez

Published: Monday, September 12, 2005

In competitive sports it is hard to find something more intriguing than a rivalry. Matchups, rankings, talent and records seem to all be thrown out the window in the emotion of those contests as anything can seemingly happen.

This Saturday, the Knights will open the latest chapter of its rivalry with a not-so-distant neighbor.

The University of South Florida is a mere 98 miles away from the campus of UCF, creating a natural rivalry between the two schools in virtually every sport.

When UCF and USF take to the field or the court, the stakes go up. Whether it's basketball, baseball, soccer or tennis, the competition is heated and it has been that way for years.

That is why it is so surprising that the two teams have never faced one another on the football field, but that will all change on Saturday night.

The Knights will travel to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Saturday night for the first-ever matchup between UCF and USF on the football field.

This is a date that UCF players have been looking forward to for a long time and evidently Knights fans have been as well.

UCF ticket manager Kevin Luck announced late last week that UCF's allotment of 3,400 seats has already sold out, and the Knights are asking for additional tickets to cover season ticket holders and UCF student ticket requests.

The request for more tickets shouldn't be a problem as USF shares its home with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the stadium has a seating capacity of nearly 70,000.

Adding to the drama of the matchup is the Knights' 16-game losing streak, which is the longest in the nation. The Knights are desperate to end the streak as soon as possible and doing it against USF would mark the Knights' first victory since Oct. 25, 2003.

"Not necessarily doing it against them, but to do it period," UCF senior receiver Brandon Marshall said. "But [doing it against them] would be that much better."

"This is the biggest game of my college career," Marshall said. "I'm worked up for it. I'm working myself into a frenzy every day and by the time I come out that tunnel I'm going to be steaming. It's going to be fun, the Battle of I-4."

UCF quarterback Steven Moffett, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Tuesday, has been looking forward to this matchup as well for a number of reasons.

"I'm really excited." Moffett said. "That's a big rivalry game for us. I know a lot of those guys out there, and I got a lot of friends that go to South Florida ... We've always wanted to play each other and now we finally get that chance to play each other so it should be really exciting."

Other players aren't buying into the idea of a rivalry, but putting the focus into getting a win, no matter who their opponent is.

"I don't see it as a rivalry being the first time we've played them," senior UCF defensive lineman Glenroy Watkins said. "But it should be and it's going to be an exciting game, because I think we should beat them."

Junior receiver Mike Walker echoed a similar sentiment.

"We're just trying to win," Walker said. "We need a victory ... We're just working hard and trying to get a victory. All that rivalry stuff is for the media and the fans."

"That would be great," UCF defensive end Paul Carrington said of beating the Bulls to end the streak. "That's what we're looking for."

But Carrington knows that the Knights will have to be consistent on defense throughout the game, something they struggled with in the first half against South Carolina.

"I think the first two plays we gave up were just stupid, little mistakes," Carrington said. "Like not calling the blitz to the right side and not playing the proper coverage or not getting pressure on the quarterback. Just stupid little things, and against Steve Spurrier you can't really do that."

According to Carrington, if the Knights play the entire game against USF the way they played the second half against South Carolina, then anything is possible.

"That's the main thing we did well against South Carolina [in the second half]," Carrington said. "We got some pressure on him and got three sacks. I think if we go in against USF and play the same I think there's no question that we can get the 'W.'"

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Wow, this is a big game for them...

[KnightRider]

I'm so glad we're fired up like that. Let's me know most of the players feel what I feel. And I know a lot of UCF fans feel. I've been a UCF fan since Daunte came on the scene. I've paid attention to South Florida and have looked forward to this game ever since yall started yall's program. I notice a lot of USF fans think they're so much better than UCF in every way. I guess just because yall are in the Big East. The folks that think like that don't know too much about college football. Just look at what Louisville did last year when they were in C-USA and then look at Rutgers in the Big East. I'm not sayin conferences don't mean anything. But don't think just because you're in the Big East that you're all of a sudden the Big East Miami. The Big East is way different then it was when UM, BC, and VT were there anyway. It's hard to seperate it from C-USA right now. Yall are way too cocky over here. But I love the **** talkin. So UCF lets get crunk on these boys and cut out all the "BULL"****!

[Brad]

So UCF lets get crunk on these boys ...

What does that mean?

[KnightRider]

It means amped, fired up, ready!(Check out a Lil'John video and then peep how your players bounce around in the tunnel before they run onto the field. Similar huh?)

[Brad]

Oh..okay..I'll pass...thanks for the definition though.

It ought to be a good game with a lot of crunkin' going on.   :

[namuh-bull]

It seems like this is UCF's game of the year, while all the BE games (especially Louisville, Pitt, and  WV), Penn State, and Miami are much more important for us, or at least they are for me.

[NAM37]

It seems like this is UCF's game of the year, while all the BE games (especially Louisville, Pitt, and  WV), Penn State, and Miami are much more important for us, or at least they are for me.

Which is my biggest worry...

[ChiTownBull]

I hope we don't overlook them....but I doubt CJL will allow that to happen.

[Guest]

CJL never overlooks anyone.  UCF will be fired up, but their emotions can get in their way.

To be sure, Louisville and Miami are more important games for us this season... but this is the game I was looking forward to most of all.  It will be a good test of how far we have come in such a short time -- while UCF has remained locked in the status quo, mired in the realm of mid-major-mediocrity.

USF will be looking to prove to themselves and to the world just how much better they are than last season.  That 2004 was a fluke.  USF has a big chip on its shoulder and no amount of "crunking" will enable UCF to knock it off.

[Omniscientbull]

It seems like this is UCF's game of the year, while all the BE games (especially Louisville, Pitt, and  WV), Penn State, and Miami are much more important for us, or at least they are for me.

Nope, it's UCF's biggest game in the last 4 years per Brandon Marshall:

"This is the biggest game of my college career," Marshall said. "I'm worked up for it. I'm working myself into a frenzy every day and by the time I come out that tunnel I'm going to be steaming. It's going to be fun, the Battle of I-4."