TAMPA, Fla. — On paper, Central Florida is not a good matchup for Georgia Tech’s defense.
Fortunately for the Yellow Jackets, games aren’t played on paper. Still, they’ll have to save one of their better performances for last if they stand any chance of containing a dangerous and explosive Knights offense at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“What makes them unique is the way that they design plays to get their players the ball,” Tech safety Jaylon King said. “They do a lot of things to mess with our eyes, to have us look one way and get the ball to (their skill players). I think the best thing that we can do is read our keys and have our eyes in the right places. Typically when that happens, we’re still able to make a play on that.”
Coach Gus Malzahn’s team will enter Friday’s game with an attack that features veterans John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback and RJ Harvey at running back. That duo leads a UCF offense that ranks sixth nationally by converting 50% of its third downs, has the nation’s fourth-best rushing attack (233.2 yards per game) and averages 492.2 total yards per contest.
Those first two items should concern a Tech team that had the ACC’s worst third-down defense and worst rushing defense.
“When you play against an offense like this that is really good in a lot of key areas, the things that they do, you try to counter how they do it,” said Tech defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer, who has coached against Malzahn previously throughout his career. “Whether it be a play, whether it be a formation, whether it be tempo, you’re trying to have a plan to combat that, not to put your players on their heels.
“There’s a lot of that we have to do in a controlled setting so that when we get into the game, players can take it and operate the way you need to.”
Plumlee, who started his career at Ole Miss, has thrown for 2,073 yards and 13 touchdowns (even with missing three games early in the season). He has also rushed for 473 yards and five scores. In the 2022 matchup between UCF and Tech, Plumlee ran for 100 yards and a TD and threw for 49 yards in a 27-10 win in Orlando.
Harvey, who began his college journey at Virginia, is four yards short of 1,300 for the season and ranks sixth nationally in rushing touchdowns and 11th in all-purpose yards per game (130.67). Harvey carried the ball 12 times for 73 yards in the 2022 matchup with Tech.
As if that duo weren’t enough of a problem, receivers Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson have combined to make 85 catches for 1,819 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“(Rhys Plumlee) looks a lot like a middle infielder, deals the ball out pretty quick in the (run-pass option) game,” Sherrer said. “Really quality running back. Offensive line’s pretty good. They got size, so they do a pretty good job of kind covering you up running the ball so a back can find the hole. They’ve got guys out on the perimeter that can create explosive plays.
“Pretty balanced offense when it comes to that part. It’s not like you can go take away one part of it. You take away the quarterback, per se, then you got the running back. You take away the running back, you got the receivers. Pretty balanced in what they do.”
Sherrer, who was made the team’s defensive coordinator Oct. 1 after Key moved Andrew Thacker to safeties coach, will be without defensive end Kyle Kennard and safety Kenan Johnson on Friday. That duo entered the transfer portal this month and took with them 73 combined tackles, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and six sacks.
Tech coach Brent Key has seen a Malzahn-coached offense up close and personal his fair share of times as well, even if he hasn’t necessarily game-planned to stop it. Key was the offensive line coach at Alabama from 2016-18 when Malzahn was the coach at Auburn – Alabama won two of three matchups over that span.
“He’s known for having really good offenses. He’s a great play-caller. Great designer of not just offenses, but individualized game plans and individualized plays. It’ll be a big challenge for us.”
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