UCF Football: 3 takeaways from win over Marshall in Gasparilla Bowl

1. UCF quarterbacks missed Gabriel Davis

While the running game had no trouble weathering the loss of Adrian Killins Jr., the UCF receiving corps did not fare quite as well without Gabriel Davis in the Gasparilla Bowl. Like Killins and several other Knights starters, Davis opted to sit out the game against Marshall as he prepares for the NFL Draft this spring. His absence limited what the passing game was able to do against Marshall two days before Christmas in Tampa.

It wasn’t even that the UCF quarterbacks did poorly. Dillon Gabriel went 14-of-24 for 260 yards and two touchdowns, though many of those yards and his first touchdown came on throws in the backfield to his running backs. When Darriel Mack Jr. came into the game, however, the absence of UCF’s top target proved costly after he made a poor decision on a ball that he could have thrown over the top to a top-shelf pass catcher like Davis.

https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1209213515124207616

Gabriel spent most of the game on the field, and he calmed down as the Gasparilla Bowl progressed into the second half. He had opportunities on long throws that just missed receivers beyond their reach. Davis would likely have pulled in at least one of those catches that would have guided him right across the goal line.

Marlon Williams did step up for the Knights, catching seven balls for 132 yards and a score. UCF also relied heavily on their backfield stars to serve as safety valves, Otis Anderson in particular. The receiver-turned-running back caught five balls for 69 yards and Gabriel’s other scoring strike.

UCF is going to need to figure out  their receiver situation, no matter who ends up piloting the Knights offense in 2020. This game proved that any quarterback is going to get plenty of  backfield support, but being able to reliably put  it over the top on a softened defense will be critical to returning to the top of the American Athletic Conference next season.