Knight_Fan, My best advice is to try calling the UCF ticket office at 407-823-1000 if you want specific information about tickets still available within the UCF allotment. -- Iliana

Jon, Yes, that's based on where people think they are in line after requesting tickets. I'm not sure that's an accurate count because it doesn't take into account the 2,000 student tickets being distributed. The real number may be closer to 5,000. -- Iliana

UCF Fan 01, I am working on a ticket blog post right now that will help answer this question. -- Iliana

Kingfish, This weekend's games definitely matter, especially if you want UCF to play USF. I don't think the Big East wants to send USF back to St. Pete for a second year in a row, but the Papa Johns Bowl may push hard to avoid getting the Bulls if they lose to UConn because there are stronger teams available. If that's the case, USF may not be able to avoid a rematch with UCF. Since the St. Petersburg Bowl has the sixth and final pick of Big East teams, I really do think their selection is still in limbo. -- Iliana

Alright, I was at the children's hospital with the football team. I confirmed and posted the bowl news as quickly as possible. I'll have lots of blog updates throughout the day on the Knights' bowl plans. -- Iliana

UCF 95, Yes, East Carolina is hosting the game. -- Iliana

jeremy, Thanks. I typed that blog post a little too quickly. I updated the entry. It may take a few minutes for the changes to be reflected on the blog. -- Iliana

jams, No USF and the Big East don't want to send the Bulls back to the same bowl two years in a row. -- Iliana

St. Pete has the last pick and has to lobby other Big East bowls and the Big East Conference for the team it wants. Conference USA has final say on all of it. -- Iliana

Dean, Yes, but I think Rutgers would be more willing to adjust its schedule for the bowl game. -- Iliana

FanMan, 1:53 p.m. -- Iliana

J, This link indicates the SI.com polls are closed and these are the final results: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_staples/11/18/conference.survey/index.html --Iliana

12:59 Alright, it's time for our weekly UCF athletics live chat. Thursday November 19, 2009 12:59 12:59 I went ahead and tried to answer a lot of chat questions posted on the Knights Notepad blog. I'll run through those while more people join the live chat. Post your new questions any time. Thursday November 19, 2009 12:59 1:00 Knightrox: Is O'Leary really this disconnected from the fans? I understand that every school has its share of fans who want to fire the coach after every little mistake, but O'Leary seems to be taking it out on all UCF fans. Does he realize that if he were to embrace the fans a little bit more, they might be more willing to embrace him and support the team? Attacking your fan base isn't a very good way to encourage people to come to your games. Iliana: I can’t speak for Coach George O’Leary’s emotions or thoughts on the fan base. I do get the sense he appreciates the fans who have always supported the program, and I know he has warm relationships with UCF’s biggest donors. I do, however, think he had a legitimate bone to pick with UCF fans failing to pack the stadium on homecoming against No. 13 Houston. I know the fans who showed up were disappointed that the stadium was only slightly more than half full. The REAL Truth: 1) what bowl game do you think we will most likely land in? eaglebank? st. pete? and if its st. pete, what are the probability that our nemesis the bulls meet us there? 2) some of our younger offensive skill position players shined this weekend in mcduffie and davis. with the speed we have on the team now, do you think taafee might consider running the wildcat in a bowl game (with extra time to prepare)? 3) Bongos or Samba Room? 4) Bahama Breeze, Cafe Tu Tu Tango, or Seasons 52? Iliana: 1) I would be surprised if UCF didn’t end up in the St. Petersburg Bowl. I think there is a 60 percent chance UCF faces USF. The only way it doesn’t happen is if the Bulls fight the idea of facing UCF or the bowl feels pressure to bring in an out-of-town team with fans who will book more hotel rooms. I think West Virginia and UConn are the other two candidates for that game. I thought Rutgers was a possibility, but it looks like they will get picked well before St. Pete gets its choice of Big East teams. 2) I don’t think we’ll see the wildcat until next season, especially if UCF goes to the St. Petersburg Bowl and is playing on Dec. 19. 3) Ehh, Bongos I guess. 4) Bahama Breeze for a routine night out, Seasons 52 for special occasions. UCF Hoops Fans: Will you be attending any of the tournament basketball games this weekend in Daytona Beach? I will be there for all 3 of them! How do you see those 3 games going for UCF against tough competition? Any new news on conference expansions across the board? Iliana: I’ll be two of the three games, only skipping the game Saturday that conflicts with UCF football. I think it will be excellent tournament for UCF. I think Niagra will be the toughest team UCF faces, but the entire tournament format will be a good test for a young team. No conference tournament expansion news. Right now all the chatter is bowls, bowls, bowls. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:00 1:02 Mike: First, let me say the Houston game was awesome, great effort by our team. My only real question of the game was the 1st onside kick Houston attempted. It seemed pretty obvious the onside kick was coming, but UCF was in an odd return formation with only a few players on the front line. Luckily, our guy made a tremendous effort and recovered it, but it was close. Any insight into that? Were they anticipating a squib kick instead? Iliana: I didn’t get a chance to go back to the Houston tape and check out the footage you’re referring to. I’m going to open that one up to the rest of the readers who might recall the play. I will check it out and try to post an answer for you after the chat. Mark: 1) This may get answered in the press conference later today but, did Nick Pieschel tear his acl? Certainly looked like it 2) Predict the score against Tulane 3) What does Diakite need to work on the most? To me he seems like he's great at going to the hole, but misses free throws and has an iffy perimeter game. I think he could be a JT type player, because his abilities are all there and they are similar sized athletes 4) Why is it that every game we have some sort of play/game clock problem? Is it faulty equpiment or a problem with the operator? 5) Any other ticket promos going on this week to get more butts in the seats for the final home game of the year? 6) Our pre-game ceremonies or whatever are seriously jacked. It always looked unorganized and kinda silly. I think it'd be cool to have the knight on horse lead out the team...or even do the thing where he drives the sword into the ground at the 50, plus some standard music..the band isn't loud enough for when the team runs onto the field. Any chance that these issues are discussed and potentially changed in the off-season? Iliana: 1) Nick Pieschel is out with a patella tendon injury, but he could be back for the UAB game. Offensive linemen tend to hate their knee braces, but this is another case where the brace probably saved Pieschel from a season-ending injury. 2) 42-10. UCF rests its starters late. 3) You pretty much called it on Dave Diakite. He’s a tremendous raw athlete. He’s actually more athletic than Jermaine Taylor. He just needs to spend a lot of time with the coaching staff refining that talent. The other key will be not getting frustrated when some of his short-comings on the court are exposed this year. Things to work on – finishing around the basket, learning the flow of the offense, help defense and an outside shot. 4) It’s not the people. I think it’s the equipment. 5) I haven’t heard anything beyond all students get in free. 6) People complained when the Knight on the horse threw the sword and now they’re complaining without the sword throw. I don’t foresee any changes for the final home game. tim: There's been a lot of speculation about the Big East expanding, possibly taking UCF. Do you foresee any other conferences shuffling over the next few years? For instance, any chance of the Mountain West adding Boise State and perhaps a few others? Or possibly the Pac-10 picking from Boise State, Utah, BYU, Fresno State, etc to bring their conference up to twelve members? Iliana: I could see Mountain West trying to add Boise State, but the WAC will fight it. The Mountain West powers – Utah and BYU – never joined the Pac 10 because BYU leadership demands a lot of control over its conference. They weren’t willing to give away that power in exchange for a spot in a BCS conference. The BYU and Utah leadership are behind the Mountain West’s big push to be added as a BCS conference. This would give them BCS money without giving away control over their conference. College football politics are messy at all levels. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:02 1:03 Brolando: It was a great win over Houston, and most phases of the game looked very good, but it seems like we constantly have kicking problems when it comes to extra points and field goals. Any word from coaches as to why we seem to have so many problems with making extra points? Iliana: Nick Cattoi kicks the ball low and sometimes shanks kicks. He makes more than he misses and wins the starting job in competition each week. Screen name deleted (really, did you think I would repeat it?): 1) With the offense getting 37 does it seems that our offense was lacking cohesion for the ecu & usm games that they have now? 2.If we had played ecu & usm now would it be any different? 3. Does it seem that oleary is becoming more defensive about what going on with the program? Iliana: 1) Yes. Brett Hodges and Cory Hogue both said they wish they had another shot at East Carolina now that both sides of the ball are performing well. 2) Yes, I think UCF beats Southern Miss. The East Carolina game would be close, and I favor the Pirates on their home turf. 3) I’ve only been covering UCF for two years and it doesn’t seem that different this year to me. Marvelouz: 1.What do you think about June Jones comments about not going to the Liberty Bowl if they win out? 2. Seeing that we won't have a #1 QB going into next year, do you see Calabrese develop into a solid starter or Crowe step in like Hodges did? I think most fans want to see that. Iliana: 1) Interesting. I don’t think the Liberty Bowl appreciated it, but I think East Carolina will take care of the problem by beating SMU if the Mustangs make it to the championship game. 2) I think there will be an intense quarterback competition. If Rob Calabrese legitimately beats out LD Crow and Nico Flores for the job, then fans will have no reason to complain. The improvement should be obvious on the field. However, I think it’s unlikely Calabrese ends up beating Crow and Flores. Both have potential to be strong starters for UCF. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:03 1:09 Why not us: Do you think that O'Leary can get UCF to the same level as Boise State and TCU? We seem to have the right resources, but is he the right coach to do it? Iliana: Scheduling and timing is everything. I think it’s really hard for any non-BCS program to make that kind of perfect run. UCF needs to field a strong offense and defense at the same time, hit the ground running early and face beatable BCS opponents in non-conference play. The schedules look pretty good the next few years, but we’ll have to see if the balance is there for the Knights. UCF Fan: Have any players left the program? I don't see James Poe name on the roster. Also, the players that are expected in Jan- are they this enrolling? Iliana: I haven’t asked about Poe, but that would not surprised me given how far he has fallen on the depth chart. Richard Jackson left the team. He’s the main departure I know about. And I think UCF is getting the mid-year enrollees it expects. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:09 1:09 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] very interesting article you linked on your blog about Bob Toledo at Tulane. I thoght the all access article was a great beind the scenes look at what goes on behind the scenes that the fans dont get to see. Kinda late in the year to do one with GOL Thursday November 19, 2009 1:09 dan in sanford 1:10 Yeah, access can be an issue for one of those behind-the-scenes articles. If you check out George O'Leary's weekly television show on Sunday, however, I know there is going to be a segment on a week in the life of George O'Leary. A videographer has been trailing him all week. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:10 1:10 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] Can u do one with speraw? looksl ike my comments got cut off Thursday November 19, 2009 1:10 dan in sanford 1:10 That's a good suggestion. I will look into it. Thanks. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:10 1:18 ucfan16: first of great win awesome game. My only real question is you covered New Mexico football Our their fans have unreal exceptions as some of our fans? Iliana: I think once a team wins its first conference championship (happened at UCF) or collects its first bowl win in a long time (happened at New Mexico), fan are delighted and then expect the program to take the next step forward. When the program can’t reduce the same level of results, people get upset. I think it happens everywhere. Chris: Do you know why UCF refuses to do anything special markings on the field for games, especially those that are nationally televised? For example painting the endzones black, or placing Knightro's head in the middle of the field (a la UF or ECU) instead of the UCF wordmark, or possible outlining the white numbers on the field in black to make them more visible? Iliana: I don’t know, but I’ll check with UCF and post a response on the Knights Notepad blog. It’s a pretty popular question, and I didn’t get a chance to track down an answer before the chat. If I had to guess, I would say it probably has something to do with doing anything and everything possible to take care of the grass. UCF 95: I am hearing that there will not be a lottery for student tickets this game, and that ALL students will be admitted for free. Is this so, and if it is, why haven't they done this in the past (UM game, Houston Game) etc, to get more students into the game, as we have such a clear advantage when the stadium is packed, especially with the students. These are future alumni, and some day, they will be season ticket holders, what a great way to get them involved for the future. Iliana: If it’s a more popular game, I think you have to try to sell those tickets to make money. John Cooke: have some player questions. What happened to Poe? What is the future of the young man who hurt his knee playing BB and wanted to go to Syracuse? Where is the player who had his scholarship lifted by South Carolina then came to UCF? How is Jean Michele Yotio doing, will he play any more? Will UCF honor his grand-in-aid? Iliana: 1) Not sure on James Poe’s status, although he never caught on to the UCF system and very obviously struggled through both spring football and preseason camp. 2) Latavious Murray is back on the UCF football team and redshirting this season while he recovers from the torn ACL. He will face tough competition fighting Brynn Harvey and Jonathan Davis for carries next season. 3) Jonathan Davis is the player who lost his scholarship offer from South Carolina late in the recruiting process. He’s doing well this season for UCF. 4) Jean Michel Yotio’s has a medical condition that won’t allow him to play basketball again, but he helping out the team this season and UCF is honoring his scholarship. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:18 1:18 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] if you had to bet, black jerseys or gold jerseys this week? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:18 dan in sanford 1:19 Gold. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:19 1:19 [Comment From UCF GradUCF Grad: ] Sorry if it's too late to ask a question, but what is the deal with UCF fudging their attendance numbers? I'll be there and it is obviously half full (like the Houston game) yet they claim 35,000 were in attendance. They do this every game. It's such an obvious lie, they need to stop. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:19 UCF Grad 1:20 I think every school in college football announces tickets sold not actual number of people who showed up for the game. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:20 1:20 [Comment From Knightman88Knightman88: ] Do you know if one of our recruits, Blake Bortles, at the Houston game? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:20 Knightman88 1:21 I'm not sure. I didn't get a chance to scan the recruits section. Blake Bortles told me he was going to try to get to every home game, so I'm guessing he was probably there. He went to every home game last year. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:21 1:21 [Comment From SpaceCoastKnightFanSpaceCoastKnightFan: ] Here’s a hypothetical question posed by a friend of mine from Fort Worth, TX… He is a Houston fan and is an anti-Longhorn fan. There are interesting points to the question: Would UCF Knights trade the historical Houston win for a historical win over the Longhorns? Reasons to keep Houston win… a. A big C-USA win, keeps us in the hunt for an Eastern Division title. b. A win over a Top 25 team is a win over a Top 25 team. We still got the monkey off our back. c. Homecoming win, in front of our own crowd. Reasons to trade it for a win at Texas stadium… a. Greater national exposure than the Houston win. After all, they are the Longhorns and are poised to play for the BCS title. b. Win over a Top 25 team, but the Longhorns are #2 (or #3?) in most polls. This would have been similar to Michigan losing to Appalachian State. c. Better for recruiting. d. With the win over Texas, I bet the Houston game would have been a sell-out (or close to it) instead of the mediocre attendance that we actually had. e. The Knights have an uphill fight to win their C-USA division. They need lots of help to win their division. This helps negate the main positive of choosing the win over Houston. Ok, I’ve convinced myself. The TX win would have been much bigger for our program. I’m curious what you and others think. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:21 SpaceCoastKnightFan 1:22 Ahh, thanks for posting it here, so I don't have to copy the e-mail ... Thursday November 19, 2009 1:22 1:23 Hands down, I think UCF fans, coaches and players would take the Texas win over the Houston win. The Knights would be just the eighth team to claim a win in Austin during Mack Brown's tenure. It would give UCF unprecedented national exposure. And it would be a signature win that would have people talking about the Knights for months. The Houston win, however, is still very, very, very good for the program. Winning at No. 2 Texas would just be better. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:23 1:23 [Comment From JohnJohn: ] What's the deal with the guy in charge of the clock. I count 3 home games where UCF was hurt by errors by the clock operator. Luckily none of them cost us the game. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:23 John 1:23 Yeah, I have been told those were equipment errors, not human errors. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:23 1:23 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] in regards to the attendance issue, i know most places announce "tickets sold", but i find it hard to beleive 20,000 people are actually buying tulane or uab tickets every week. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:23 dan in sanford 1:26 I should clarify that it's tickets sold and distributed -- including any tickets given away to charitable groups. Some season-ticket holders stayed in the tailgate lots for those games. The pre-party was more exciting than the game. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:26 1:26 [Comment From UCF GradUCF Grad: ] So 10-15,000 people buy tickets and don't show up? Sorry, I don't think so. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:26 UCF Grad 1:27 Again, there is some funny math going on, but it happens across the college football landscape. I always refer to the crowd count as "announced attendance" and do my best to point when the stadium really is half empty. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:27 1:28 Knighted: My question, what kind of measurements do the coaches keep on each player? Do they track execution percentage, efficiency, etc? Any chance of us getting periodic peeks at this? As a fan, I'd like to be able to track growth of players as their numbers go up. Iliana: The coaches keep numbers on everything. And I mean everything. I will work on seeing what kind of progress reports they are willing to release. Some coaches have no problems handing those over, while others think it gives opposing teams an advantage evaluating UCF’s talent and progress. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:28 1:29 Chris: This is a question that has intrigued me for some time. Why do head coaches always have escorts from state troopers, both home and away? Iliana: It’s a tradition for the Division I coaches in the state of Florida. I guess its supposed to build up the intimidation factor when facing a Florida school. I always thought it was kind of strange. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:29 1:29 [Comment From JohnJohn: ] Anyway... Doesn't Kuba look great compared to last year? He still has a ton of work to do, but I am very impressed with his progress. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:29 John 1:30 Definitely. He looks fantastic. Dropping 40 pounds has had a tremendous impact on his mobility, and I'm impressed with how much quality playing time he has earned so far this season. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:30 1:32 Blackout: Why does O'Leary seem so opposed to going with black jerseys? It seems like he's grudgingly willing to use them in the future. Does he really think that wearing gold jerseys gives his team that much of a tactical advantage? Based on what? I know he thinks that black uniforms are merely a marketing ploy. But the fans love them, the players love them, and they're a big part of UCF's history, it's part of our tradition. Surely he realizes that UCF football didn't begin when he started here? Iliana: The stance against black jerseys seems to be softening because the players love it and responded well to wearing those jerseys. If the performance on the field outweighs the slim advantage UCF gets when opposing coaches struggle to read numbers from the press box and while scouting film, we’ll see black jerseys again. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:32 1:32 [Comment From StanStan: ] Now we are at the end of the year. What is your opinion on how the new tailgating rules went this year? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:32 Stan 1:33 The core fans still seem to be pretty upset, but that group doesn't seem to be large enough to force major changes in UCF's policy. It was a move that upset a lot of people, but I don't think enough of them are willing to turn their backs on the football program and vote by no longer buying season tickets next season. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:33 1:33 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] i saw your article with the prediction that ucf will go to the St. pete bowl, any idea who they would face if for some reason USF doesnt become bowl eligible? I've heard Rutgers name thrown around..... Thursday November 19, 2009 1:33 dan in sanford 1:34 Yeah, I don't see Rutgers happening because St. Pete has the sixth choice out of the Big East. I think Rutgers might get picked before St. Pete has a selection. I would guess West Virginia and UConn are the other two top candidates. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:34 1:34 [Comment From bobbob: ] They use Troopers as escorts or envoys when their team buses are driving to and from stadiums. This is to ensure any crazy stuff from happening, such as unruly fans trying to intimidate visiting teams. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:34 bob 1:35 This is true as well. I was referring to the state troopers who shadow the head coaches on game day. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:35 1:35 [Comment From ShaneShane: ] Is there any chance that Florida State will be on the schedule in the next couple of years? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:35 Shane 1:37 UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble said Florida State has been more open to having conversations with UCF about future games, but the Seminoles' schedule is pretty booked in the short term. I think the coaching situation there will play a major role in what happens next. Jimbo Fisher sees no merit in scheduling in-state road games and wants to do what Florida does. He will play teams if they come to his stadium. UCF is only interested in one-and-one deals, playing once at home and once on the road in a series. There are plenty of BCS teams that will agree to those terms, so I suspect we will be seeing less and less in-state games with the Big Three -- or Big Four. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:37 1:43 Knightfan88: What happened to Richard Jackson? I know he hurt his knee in spring and wasn't really impressing before he did. Is he still with the team? Iliana: Jackson left the team shortly after preseason camp. He never seemed to catch on with the Knights’ offense. KT: I know it's still premature, but what teams do you think could be the "BCS Busters" next year? Given UCF's relatively soft schedule next year - at least compared to recent seasons - do you think there's any chance of UCF being one of those teams? If our defense stays intact and our offense continues to improve, I don't think it's totally out of the realm of possibility. What's your take? Iliana: Losing Torrell Troup is really going to hurt UCF’s chances of being a BCS buster. He does so many things to help his teammates put up big numbers. I would guess TCU, Boise State, BYU and Houston (if it can add a stronger defense to match Case Keenum’s prolific passing) would be the best candidates. Bob the Knight: What is the status of our 2009 Defensive Tackle recruits that did not qualify, Deon Simon and Tay Irvin. Are there any freshman DT's that are looking to get some playing time so they can have some experience by next year? Iliana: I just talked with Coach George O’Leary about this today. He said he’s confident in the underclassmen and mid-year transfers UCF has coming in to help the team. O’Leary said one of the two – either Deon Simon or Tay Irvin – is scheduled to make it to UCF in January. I don’t recall which one is coming and which one won’t be headed to UCF. I’ll do my best track down that information after the chat. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:43 1:43 [Comment From JohnJohn: ] Did you ever get the chance to chat with the Edgewater coach who convinced GOL to get McDuffie? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:43 John 1:43 I talked with him once earlier this season. I have not spoken with him since then. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:43 1:43 [Comment From Bored @ WorkBored @ Work: ] Great answer on the FSU question. Who is the next BCS conference team that will play at UCF? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:43 Bored @ Work 1:44 N.C. State in 2010. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:44 1:44 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] In regards to scheduling, any chance that mens bb can schedule UF or FSU, or are those schools not interested in playing us smaller guys in any sport? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:44 dan in sanford 1:45 Yeah, I think Florida and Florida State basketball games are possible -- especially once this class gets older. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:45 1:45 [Comment From ChrisChris: ] Beyond the big three (not four till they get a NC) do you think UCF will be able to land some traditional powers from other states a la Michigan, 'Bama, Oklahoma etc... Thursday November 19, 2009 1:45 Chris 1:47 UCF is looking for mid-level BCS opponents. The teams you mentioned are only interested in lining up guaranteed games in the nonconference. They'll pay UCF a lot to play at Michgian, 'Bama and Oklahoma, but they won't come to the Bright House. That's a not a sweet enough deal for the Knights right now. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:47 1:47 [Comment From Kirks JerkKirks Jerk: ] How do we match up with Auburn hoops? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:47 Kirks Jerk 1:48 Well, actually. Auburn isn't exactly a powerhouse in the SEC. You always have UCF's youth and inexperience factor, but I expect the Knights to beat Auburn. I'll have a more detailed preview of the tournament on the blog later today and tomorrow. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:48 1:48 [Comment From thx_ucfthx_ucf: ] Kansas St is in 2010 as well, correct ? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:48 thx_ucf 1:48 Correct. That's a road game in 2010. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:48 1:54 Willie: 1) The coaches must be telling Quincy to run right behind his blocking wedge on his kick off returns regardless if there appears to be any wiggle room or not. So often it appears that if he juked outside to the broader side of the field, he might be able to take it to the house. I can't figure why he is doing what he's doing unless the coaches have mandated such. 2) I often observe the middle open for the passing game but Coach Taaffe seems to avoid it....why? Against Texas they threw one pass over the middle prior to about mid way through the fourth quarter. I suggest Rickey Kay and Nissley over the middle for at least five calls. 3) Why doesn't Coach Taaffe encourage/ design plays with the QB pump faking and have the receivers turn and burn? Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't recall seeing this. 4) Micheal Greco has played well this year and I'm happy for him since I've said he got a raw deal at QB. The other QB from last should have been switched to LB/DB. Regardless, the folly of GOL has been revealed when he informed Greco that his services weren't needed this year. It was Greco who fought back and asked for a shot at DB. OK, nonetheless, Greco needs to work on going after the ball and picking one. It's time. He also needs to wrap guys up on his tackles with his arms. He's going to get burned if he keeps on shoulder blocking as his sole tackle technique. Iliana: 1) Yeah, I noticed that too. I talked to Coach George O’Leary today about it. He said McDuffie needs to work on his vision, but O’Leary emphasized he has no complaints about the freshman’s development. I think McDuffie has been a pleasant surprise for UCF, and the coaches are thrilled with his contributions. 2) Those calls are in the playbook. Some of it must be what Brett Hodges checks to on the field and some of it is what UCF sees on film and feels comfortable executing against that week’s defense. 3) I think Brett Hodges does a great job pump faking the ball. The passes were seeing are about what Hodges can handle. He doesn’t have an all-world arm. He makes good decisions, manages the game, takes hits and keeps coming back for more and understands his personal limitations. That’s pretty impressive. 4) I spoke with Michael Greco, and he said he’s trying to improve each week. I don’t know if you can expect much more from him given that he had never played defense before this season – not even in high school. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:54 1:54 [Comment From punk0mipunk0mi: ] I have been pleased with Taaffe's performance this year for the most part. Now that Taaffe has a year under his belt at UCF, do you foresee any drastic changes in the offensive side of the ball for next season? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:54 punk0mi 1:55 I think he will adjust the offense to fit UCF's personnel. If Nico Flores wins the starting job, the quarterback might run more and throw more deep passes. If Rob Calabrese wins the job, the quarterback might run a lot more and throw short passes. If L.D. Crow wins the job, the quarterback will throw more deep passes but probably won't run as much. We'll know a lot more in the spring. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:55 1:55 [Comment From UCF GradUCF Grad: ] To add to Chris's statement, I would like to elaborate there is no "big four." The "big three" Florida teams have each won multiple championships. Until another Florida school pulls that off (and that won't happen in the next decade) it's going to stay at 3 Thursday November 19, 2009 1:55 UCF Grad 1:55 Fair enough. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:55 1:55 [Comment From Kirks JerkKirks Jerk: ] Who do you think will be the toughest opponent this weekend, AU, Niagara, or Drake? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:55 Kirks Jerk 1:56 Niagra. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:56 1:56 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] attendance has been good for the first 2 bb games. if ucf can increase their average attendance this year and the next, any chance ucf can land the cusa tournament somewhere down the road? i know they like it in memphis because those folks show up in droves, but those folks will travel to orlando and we have a nice new arena with 10k seats......whats it gonna take to get it in orlando? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:56 dan in sanford 1:58 I know UCF is lobbying to host the tournament. I'm not sure if the UCF Arena is big enough for C-USA. They did really well packing the Fed-Ex Forum in the past. I think continuing to build up UCF basketball attendance and Tulsa proving the tournament can thrive outside of Memphis are two important keys to bringing the tournament to Orlando. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:58 1:58 [Comment From thx_ucfthx_ucf: ] Would UCF consider playing Boise ? They're always complaining about not getting anyone to come play them. But TCU does not seem to have the scheduling problems though. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:58 thx_ucf 1:59 People want to recruit in Texas, not Idaho. UCF tends to stay east of the Mississippi so that fans can follow the team, but I'll ask Keith Tribble if he has any interest in adding Boise State the next time we chat. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:59 1:59 [Comment From Knight FanKnight Fan: ] Is it possible to wear an all black home uniform sometime for football like the old days? Thursday November 19, 2009 1:59 Knight Fan 1:59 If UCF orders it, then it's possible. Thursday November 19, 2009 1:59 2:00 [Comment From TonyTony: ] Any MBB prospect we are interested in? Thursday November 19, 2009 2:00 Tony 2:00 I have not checked in with basketball recruiting lately. I've been swamped with football and basketball this season. I'll ask around and get back to you on that one. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:00 2:00 [Comment From JohnJohn: ] Given the first two W's, any chance the bball team makes it to some sort of tourney? Thursday November 19, 2009 2:00 John 2:01 Wow. It's a little early for a tournament prediction. If everything goes right for UCF, I can see them getting an invitation for a postseason tournament. I really want to see the team play more before making a definitive prediction. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:01 2:01 [Comment From ChrisChris: ] How about some of the MWC leaders? Any chance of getting them to come to Orlando... or anybody with major name recognition for that matter? While the mid-level BCS teams are all well and good we need to get some more signature wins. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:01 Chris 2:02 I'll ask about it. I think the MWC and C-USA teams value wins over mid-level BCS foes more than wins over each other. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:02 2:02 [Comment From ChrisChris: ] Still no real Centers on the recruiting list for UCF, I know they are hard to come by, but we really don't need any more guards on our team. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:02 Chris 2:02 I think the coaching staff agrees with you and is trying to address that issue. I do know that much about UCF recruiting. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:02 2:02 [Comment From UCF Hoops FanUCF Hoops Fan: ] Any new news on the UCF baseball squad? Expectations for 2010? Where to finish in C-USA? Thursday November 19, 2009 2:02 UCF Hoops Fan 2:03 I'm told the Black and Gold series went really well. As expected, the players and coaches are fired up for this season. I think it will be very interesting to see what Terry Rooney can do now that he has his mix of players on the roster. Forecast is good. How good? Don't know yet. Need to see them play. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:03 2:03 [Comment From punk0mipunk0mi: ] What's your take on the Gus Gilchrist/Terrelle Woody/USF reports? Do you think the NCAA will investigate? Thursday November 19, 2009 2:03 punk0mi 2:04 Yeah, I think USF has flown under the radar for a long time but the NCAA has to look into this one. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:04 2:04 [Comment From dan in sanforddan in sanford: ] regarding bowl appearances......the payout money for each team, do they keep it all or split it with the conference? Thursday November 19, 2009 2:04 dan in sanford 2:04 The conference office pays the main expenses for going to the game and then splits the profits among league teams. The teams that actually went to bowl games get the biggest checks. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:04 2:09 UCFJAX: What is the latest on the adidas sponsership situation? Last I heard UCF had heard a response from adidas. Iliana: UCF and adidas are negotiating how exactly to end the contract. Chris: Do you have any information pertaining to the situation surrounding whether or not Coach O'Leary gave permission for student's to storm the field last week? And if so, why was their such as strong reaction to prevent it? Iliana: Security is more concerned with protection of people on the field and the very expensive goal posts. I don’t think it was really a George O’Leary decision. It’s more of a decision made by game-day officials who have to be concerned with the university’s liability. While it looks cool and is fun for fans, people really can get severely injured when fans rush the field. Sorry. I know. Buzz kill. MPA 98: The kicking game has been a strength in the past for UCF (ignoring Matt Prater's missed bowl game extra point, of course), but for whatever reason, the past couple of years have been mystifying. With the increased number of quality high school kickers out there these days, do you know if the UCF coaches are attempting to recruit a blue chip kicker and/or punter? I've never seen a kicker as inconsistent as we have now. It's almost as if there's a bulls eye painted on the rear end of the snapper, and Cattoi is attempting to hit it. By the way, since your first day on board, you have done a great job. Speaking for the Knights community, many thanks and gratitude to you! Iliana: UCF expected Jamie Boyle to be that lights out kicker. He has great talent, but he couldn’t quite handle that game-day responsibility as a freshman. The coaches seem to think he’ll get there eventually. Nick Cattoi kicks low, but he does make more than he misses. UCF Coach George O’Leary doesn’t like the situation, but he’ll deal with it until Boyle is ready. And thanks for the compliment! Thursday November 19, 2009 2:09 2:09 [Comment From JohnJohn: ] When it's over, will Keith Clanton be one of the best players to come through UCF? I couldn't be more impressed with him... Thursday November 19, 2009 2:09 John 2:10 Absolutely. He's going to be something special. Jermaine Taylor said Keith Clanton can be the best player in school history if he works hard all four years, and I agree. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:10 2:17 Dan in Sanford: Any idea if any bowl reps (eaglebank,St Pete or New orleans bowl) reps either have visited or will visit this week to watch UCF? Since Adidas contacted you guys (OS) with their public statement about UCF not holding up its end of their contract, has anyone at the OS been able to verify if Adidas has formally told UCF the contract is off? Seems like UCF keeps saying they are waiting on word, as if Adidas has only informed the media yet not formally notified UCF. Injury updates on Rocky Ross and Nick Pleishell (ok, I cant spell his name)? Who gets your vote as most improved player on O-Line? To me Jah Reid seems like he has finally caught on and is able to use his big 6’7” frame to good use…your thoughts….. What is the NCAA minimum requirement for attendance to maintain Div 1 status? It seems like Tulane , rice and UAB barely get 1000-3000 butts in the seats. I know a lot of schools pad the total with “tickets sold”, but you cant tell me 10000 or 15000 people actually pay money to watch these teams…..how do they pull this off with the ncaa? Iliana: St. Pete officials have seen UCF. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’ll double check. I’m sure others have checked out one of UCF’s games. Yeah, UCF and adidas are negotiating the terms that will end the contract. Ross is a game-day decision and Pieschel is out. Tough call. I think they’ve all improved. Jah Reid is living up to his size, but Ian Bustillo really has come along as the anchor of the offensive line. I think Bustillo had to work the hardest to even earn a starting job. He called his start against SMU last year – his first career UCF start – the greatest personal achievement of his career. That means he had to overcome an awful lot to play. If I have to choose, I give the game ball to Bustillo. Institutions must demonstrate over a rolling two-year period either an average minimum actual attendance of 15,000 for all home football games, or at least one season in which the institution averages a minimum of 15,000 in paid attendance for home games. There are a lot of Division I teams that have been hit hard by the economy and are going to struggle to make those averages. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:17 2:17 [Comment From punk0mipunk0mi: ] Sports Illustrated recently reveled a survey that said most people in the C-USA think UCF has the rudest fans. Do you agree with this? See the survey here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/specials/fansurvey/2009/cusa.html?eref=sihp Thursday November 19, 2009 2:17 punk0mi 2:18 I just saw that and was going to blog about it after the chat. I don't know. What do you think. Readers are in the stands a lot more than me. Let me know what you think when I post that blog entry. Thursday November 19, 2009 2:18 2:19 Alright, that's a wrap for this week's chat. Thanks for joining me everybody. I think I got to all the online and e-mail questions. If I didn't, my apologies. Send me a note and I'll answer them again.

Knights, A little bit, but the UCF coaching staff has recruited extremely well at that position and there are some strong returning players. I think it will be toughest to replace Torrell Troup, who constantly faces double teams and makes it possible for his teammates to make plays. -- Iliana

Ryan, I don't know. I'll ask and let you know what I find out. -- Iliana

10-0 Houston. Cougars have the ball at their 28 with 4:33 left in the first quarter. -- Iliana

Wil, I think it went well. The students asked a lot of interesting questions. Thanks for asking. -- Iliana

MKTuba, A reasonable question given his ties to UMass, but I have not heard whether he'll be in the house. -- Iliana

Weird, I respond to reader demand, and I get a ton of questions about UCF's jerseys. I'll turn this question over to UCF fans who post on the blog. Why do you care so much about the color and design of UCF jerseys? -- Iliana

UCF, I posted the full chat transcript in the comments section of that blog entry for anyone having trouble viewing or printing it. -- Iliana

The REAL Truth, Let me try to figure it out. -- Iliana

Chevy, As of this morning, adidas still has not sent official notice to UCF informing the school it is ending the partnership. -- Iliana

Yes, we'll have a full story posted within five minutes including quotes from UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble. -- Iliana

Knight in TN, We'll learn a lot about the team tonight, but here's my best guess: A.J. Rompza, Isaac Sosa, Keith Clanton, Dave Diakite and Taylor Young will start tonight. A.J. Tyler is likely out with an injury. He should be back for the season opener against UMass. Marcus Jordan, P.J. Gaynor, R.J. Scott, Jakub "Kuba" Kusmieruk, Drew Speraw and Nik Garcia should come off the bench in that order, unless there is a pressing need for a sub at a different position. Forward gets into foul trouble or is injured, Gaynor and Kusmieruk are the first ones off the bench. -- Iliana

UCF Hoops Fan, Awesome! I'll be doing this all season. It should be fun. -- Iliana