In an effort to bring you in-depth insight on the opposing teams that West Virginia plays, WVSports.com goes Behind Enemy Lines for an in-depth look at the first ever Big 12 conference match-up with UCF.
What can you expect from the Knights? Well we contacted an authority on the subject in UCFSports.com publisher Brandon Helwig.
1. UCF played Oklahoma very well on the road with a chance late to tie the game. What was the difference in that contest and is this a team that's finding their footing at the right time?
UCF opened Big 12 play at Kansas State and competed fairly well, all things considered. Despite playing with their backup quarterback, UCF had a lead in the second half but couldn't slow down K-State's rushing attack.
UCF appeared to be well on their way to a win the following week against Baylor. UCF led 35-10 in the fourth quarter only to see a meltdown of epic proportions with everything going wrong (including a fumble returned for a touchdown), ultimately resulting in a stunning 36-35 loss.
That was not a good recipe going into the next week at Kansas. The Jayhawks dominated UCF's defense on the ground, rushing for a whopping 399 yards. Offensively, the Knights were discombobulated when the return of starting QB John Rhys Plumlee didn't go according to plan.
Luckily for UCF, they had a bye week between Kansas and Oklahoma. That allowed a few injuries to heal, which was particularly beneficial for the defense as well as for Plumlee. They also reconfigured some things defensively, focused on tackling during practices and moved defensive coordinator Addison Williams down to field level.
Few gave UCF a chance against the Sooners, but the defense stepped up and did enough to keep them in the game. They wore down a bit by the fourth quarter, but the game was there for the taking. UCF led 23-17 in the fourth quarter before OU scored a pair of touchdowns. UCF made a push with a late touchdown, but couldn't convert the two-point conversion to tie.
There's no such thing as a moral victory, but taking the No. 6 team down to wire should give the team some confidence heading into this final five-game stretch.
2. What's the situation at quarterback with John Rhys Plumlee and is he back to full health? What does he do well and how does this offense look with him at the helm?
Towards the end of the second game at Boise State, John Rhys Plumlee suffered a knee strain that was initially thought to be much more serious. The Oklahoma game last weekend was his first full game back from injury, though he wasn't quite 100 percent - and that's in more ways than one.
As for the knee, he's still wearing a brace and is not as fleet of foot as he typically has been. Running is a big element of his skill set. Additionally, Plumlee was one of 13 players who came down with the flu during the trip. He was quite ill on Friday night going into Saturday and required IV fluids all night long, prior to the game and during halftime. It's remarkable how well he played give those circumstances.
Plumlee is the leader of the offense and the entire team. The offense was rolling early in the season when he was healthy. A healthy Plumlee will give UCF a chance to win any game on the rest of the schedule.
Related: Neal's deal: Five key items from West Virginia football
3. What type of offense do the Knights use and who are the playmakers to watch?
As Gus Malzahn was making his name coaching high school football 20 years ago he wrote the book, "The Hurry-Up, No Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy." Malzahn likes dual-threat quarterbacks to run RPO and has typically been known to favor run though aims to be balanced. UCF has a new offensive coordinator calling plays this season, Darin Hinshaw, though it's believed Malzahn takes an active role in offensive management on gameday.
The rushing attack is led by RJ Harvey, an experienced player who had 101 yards against Oklahoma. Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson are an excellent 1-2 punch at wide receiver. Hudson was big earlier in the season, while Baker has stepped to the forefront in recent games. He caught five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners.
4. How about on defense and who are the playmakers?
Defensive end Tre'Mon Morris is the Big 12's TFL (13.0) and sack leader (6.0) while fellow DE Malachi Lawrence isn't far behind with five sacks. In the interior, defensive tackle Ricky Barber made his return from injury last week. That was big for UCF's improved defensive effort vs. OU. The secondary, led by cornerback Corey Thornton, has held their own. Linebacker has been the biggest weakness with a lack of depth.
5. Any injuries of note? What do you expect the environment to be like?
The bye week prior to OU allowed several players to recover, including starting DT Ricky Barber and LB Walter Yates. A couple players were banged up in the OU game, but nothing that's believed to be serious.
This will be UCF's second Big 12 home game, they haven't played in the Bounce House in nearly a month. The game is sold out, but it's a 12 noon start which UCF fans do not like. It'll be sunny and warm (high 80s) and that always seems to zap some fan energy. It should still be a solid atmosphere, but the fanbase loves night games. That's when the Bounce House is special.
6. How do you see this game playing out and what are your keys?
Honestly, nothing would surprise me. A close game or a big win/loss. UCF has shown capable of competing in the Big 12, but can they put it all together for a win? Which defense will show up? The one that couldn't stop the run against Kansas or the one that kept Oklahoma in check for most of the game? Can the offense, hopefully with a healthy John Rhys Plumlee, put it all together and execute? If UCF scores one more touchdown instead of settling for three field goals against OU, maybe that outcome is different.
For UCF in this first year in the Big 12, the goal now is to become bowl eligible. They can still get there, but at 3-4 they really need to take care of business in their home games. Saturday's game against the Mountaineers is close to a must-win to achieve that goal.
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