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The UCF Knights are looking to lick their wounds and keep fighting for a shot at an American Conference Championship berth after losing a close game to the Memphis Tigers, 50-49. With a conference record of 1-2, it will be a hard road that will require a lot of help.
One way the Knights can control their destiny is if they can hand the Tulane Green Wave a fourth loss in the conference this Saturday.
With quarterback Dillon Gabriel putting up career numbers last week, an electric offense will be the key to UCF keeping in striking distance of their goal.
With Tre Nixon still sidelined with an injury, some of the usual suspects have made their marks such as wide receiver Marlon Williams and running backs Greg McCrae and Otis Anderson. But the surprise has been a sophomore receiver: Jaylon Robinson.
Robinson, who is known as “J-Flash” by his teammates, has not only played in all four games so far but has posted better than 100 yards in all of them. These are numbers so gaudy, the Oklahoma transfer mentioned his surprise in a press conference this week.
“It’s actually been better than I thought it would be”, he said. I didn’t think that I would have the stats that I do have right now . . . I didn’t think they would trust me yet. But I think I’ve built a lot of trust and they’ve given me a lot…putting a lot more on my plate now and I’m running with it.”
J-Flash will be a huge piece of the puzzle to keep UCF’s offense balanced. With Williams on one side continuing to do his part as the team’s top receiver in Nixon’s absence, and the running game establishing their own threat as the offensive line is finally finding their chemistry, it will be Robinson that makes things all systems go for his crew. His speed and route running keeps the opposing defense honest in stretching the field horizontally and vertically.
The Green Wave’s front seven is responsible for 15 sacks in five games but should they get aggressive and blitz Gabriel with single man coverage, don’t be surprised if Robinson rockets to a fifth 100+ yard performance in 2020’s “Space Game.”
