UCF Football: Can the “Gus Bus” work in Orlando?

How different will the Knights’ offense look with Gus? 

At least one facet of the offense will not change under Malzahn,, and that is tempo. The former Arkansas high school coach virtually wrote the book on tempo. However, Malzahn might bring a more efficient wrinkle to UCF’s tempo. UCF football might not go vertical as often, and that might not be a  bad thing.

Malzahn can run tempo, but the offense has to push the football down the field. The “Gus Bus” offense is predicated on the ability to run the football to the boundary. There have been times that the Tigers have had running backs that can run between the tackles, but Malzahn wants everything to play off of the running game.

The Knights like to go fast and throw the ball vertically. That leads to inefficient football at times. Both McKinzie Milton and Dillon Gabriel have completion percentages barely at 60 percent. The question for Malzahn is whether or not he’s willing to open the offense and add a vertical element to the passing game.

Most important is the quarterback. Can Malzahn develop the quarterback position. He inherits a good one in Dillon Gabriel. Auburn was unstable at the position most of Malzahn’s tenure. With the exception of Nick Marhsall and Jarrett Stiddam, there was not much to speak of at quarterback for the Tigers. That will have to change at UCF.