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No. 18 UCF looks to avoid Austin Peay upset (Oct 28, 2017)
Scott Frost is building something special at Central Florida.
Meanwhile, in Clarksville, Tenn., Will Healy is coaching one of the best feel-good stories in all of college football at Austin Peay.
And because of Hurricane Irma, college football fans get a chance to see two of the nation's young, hot-prospect coaches match wits when the Governors travel to Orlando, Fla., to take on the No. 18 Knights on Saturday.
Because UCF's home game in September against Georgia Tech was canceled in the aftermath of Irma, and because Austin Peay had a bye week, the NCAA granted a waiver and allowed the two schools to meet.
Austin Peay, an FCS school, embraced the opportunity to step up and face its third FBS opponent this season.
"This game will be a great opportunity for us to be able to continue to build our brand," Healy said in a release. "We will be lining up against one of the probable favorites to win the American Athletic Conference so it will be tough, but it will also be a great experience for our kids."
Healy and Frost have plenty in common despite the two schools coming from different worlds.
Just two years ago, Central Florida went winless. Enter Frost, who, in his first season, guided the Knights to a 6-7 record. Today, the 42-year-old Frost has UCF 6-0 and bowl-eligible with five games still to be played. The Knights are in contention for the berth in a New Year's Six bowl that goes to the best team from the Group of Five conferences.
Just two years ago, Austin Peay also went winless. Enter Healy, who, in his first season, didn't win a game. But today, the 32-year-old Healy has the Governors enjoying their best season in decades at 5-3.
The Governors entered the 2017 season having lost 27 straight games. They had won only one time in four seasons.
How bad were the Governors in Healy's first in Clarksville? They gave up 47 points per game.
This season there has been a remarkable turnaround thanks to an outstanding recruiting class, as the Governors have allowed only 19.9 points per game in eight games.
The Governors are coming off a 38-31 homecoming win against Southeast Missouri. They set an attendance mark by playing in front of 9,428 at Fortera Stadium.
The Governors showed off an explosive offense that compiled 217 yards on only four plays in the first half. Quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall threw a 52-yard touchdown pass and running back Kentel Williams scored on a 74-yard run.
Both were named Ohio Valley Conference players of the week.
"We were finally able to show what we can do on offense," Oatsvall told the Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tenn.) after the win. "We got explosive players on the outside; we're deep at the running back position. It's kind of rewarding to see it all paying off."
The Governors' task will be much more challenging against the Knights, who are outstanding on both offense and defense. UCF is scoring 46.3 points per game, which is first nationally. On defense, the Knights give up a paltry 17.5 points per game, 16th-best in the country.
The Knights insist they will not overlook their FCS opponent.
"They have nothing to lose so I'm sure they're going to play this game very hard against us," running back Adrian Killins Jr. told the Orlando Sentinel.
UCF is coming off its closest game of the season, a 31-21 road win over Navy. The Midshipmen provided a stiff test with their option offense. Frost said he learned a lot about his team.
"I was really impressed at the demeanor on the sideline even in a close game," he said. "I didn't see anybody panicking. Sometimes, particularly with us not having been in a close game yet, you can get a little tight and start to worry a little bit. I thought a couple of our best drives and performances were later in the game when it was tight. And that's good to see."
Quarterback Milton McKenzie leads a potent passing attack. The sophomore from Hawaii has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes (105 of 151) for 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns with only three interceptions.
Six running backs have rushed for more than 100 yards, with Killins leading the way with 413 yards and a whopping 8.4 yards per carry.
Wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith leads the team with 21 receptions and eight touchdowns.
An added wrinkle to the game is that Frost might not be on the sidelines come Saturday. His wife is expecting the couple's first child.
Offensive coordinator Troy Walters would likely fill in as head coach if Frost is absent.
"I'm ready," Walters told the Sentinel. "Our staff is ready. ... There's only one Frost and he has a great mind and everything, but we're confident that if he does have to go and we have to call the game, I have to call the game, collectively we'll be just fine."
