UCF Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Stanford in Week 3
By Kyle Grondin
2. Secondary and pass rush must be on point
Like I said above, Stanford is no longer a run-first team. Their struggles to run the ball have been for almost two years now, as David Shaw has given the keys to the offense to KJ Costello. This plays to UCF’s strength, as their secondary is their strongest unit.
Richie Grant and Antwan Collier make up one of the best safety partnerships in the country, and they are two of UCF’s top tacklers early in the season. They play along Nevelle Clarke, an All-AAC first-team cornerback, and more than likely Tay Gowan.
After Brandon Moore hurt his knee in Week 1, Gowan came in week two and had one pass defense and an interception. This UCF secondary is deep and talented, and are third in the country in passes defense. They should prove problematic for Stanford.
Another area UCF will look to take advantage is the injury to Stanford left tackle Walker Little. He is out for the year and UCF, with seven sacks to start the season, will need to be effective in getting pressure on Costello. Look for Brendon Hayes (two sacks to start the season) to line up at the right side of the line and use his edge rushing abilities to take advantage of the Cardinal backup.