Prediction, Game Preview, and Odds for Florida vs. UCF

Florida may be in a really tough spot right now.

It is one thing to lose to Miami and Texas A&M, but to a UCF team that was just pushed around by Colorado? During the time of Billy Napier, that would be a huge problem, especially since the contest at Tennessee was coming up soon.

Before they had trouble against the Coach Primes, the Knights were off to a great start with a 3-0 record. Next week, the Big 12 season starts up again with a game against Cincinnati.

Florida vs UCF Preview

Florida vs UCF How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2024
Game Time: 7:45 pm ET
Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
How to Watch: SEC Network
Florida (2-2), UCF (3-1)

Why UCF Will Win

Run, run, run, and do everything you did not do against Colorado.

Against TCU, the Knight defence was great when it had to be. Against Sam Houston, it held down a dangerous attack, but then it all fell apart against the Buffaloes.

After two weeks off, it looked like the team was rusty. But the ground game is back this week.

Even though Mississippi State was bad, Florida was able to beat them. The run defence was not even close. Texas A&M gained 310 yards on the ground. UCF will not do anything cute about this; they need to start running, keep running, and do not stop.

In the first three games, it carried the ball 54 times, and against the Buffaloes, it ran 44 times. But…

Why Florida Will Win

Now, what did Colorado really do wrong?

There was not enough pass rush.

Yes, it did reach Shedeur Sanders twice, but that was not good enough. It should have been able to keep popping him, but it wasn’t. The pass rush at UCF is not strong enough. For the Gators, throwing the ball is easy.

If Mississippi State’s defence was that bad, how did they get by? Three scores and 201 yards were gained by Graham Mertz on 19 out of 21 passes.

Unless he is under a lot of stress, which he will not be, he can shoot freely and keep the offence going. The Gators will get the O going, but

Florida vs UCF: Who Will Win

UCF is going to do everything it did not do against Colorado. It can convert third downs, keep the offence moving, and run for almost five yards per rush.

The team that could not get going will be this one. But in the end, Florida’s defence will let down the offence. They will throw the ball well enough to keep up with the other team.