Scott Frost reflects on Kansas loss, updates QB situation, previews Cincinnati road test
Scott Frost met with reporters Monday following the Knights’ 27-20 home loss to Kansas, a frustrating performance offensively as UCF had multiple chances but couldn’t capitalize. Next up is a road trip to red-hot Cincinnati, which sits at 2-0 in Big 12 play with wins over Kansas and No. 14 Iowa State.
Here’s everything he had to say:
On what was most frustrating from the loss to Kansas
“I think the first thing is just having a great opportunity to win a game and take a step forward and not getting it done. And we had plenty of chances, certainly we’re in the game. There’s a lot of different things that could have gone a different way to put us over the top in that one.
“And we got to have growth from it, but it’s frustrating to let one of those go too.”
On what they need to do to get over the hump to win games
“I think just keep putting ourselves in that situation. We do not have a team that thinks we’re in this situation, we’re not gonna win this. I love that about this team. They expect to get it done. We just haven’t been in that situation enough yet. We gotta keep putting ourselves in the situation, give ourselves chances, and it’s gonna work out.
“We got a lot of guys on this team that are playing significant roles, probably for the first time in their career. And there’s some growth that goes along with that. And man, it’s better to grow if you can find a way to get one done and get better from that.
“We did that week one, we didn’t do it Saturday. But the growth is obvious and it’s gonna keep moving forward.”
On how to avoid bad offensive quarters, like the first quarter at Kansas State and the third quarter vs. Kansas
“Watching the third quarter again, you can’t feel like you have to thread the needle with being in perfect things against what they’re doing. We kind of came out of halftime, having run the ball really well in the first half. And we tried to hit a couple runs that had worked really well early in the game.
“We didn’t block a couple right, and that hurt us. And I just feel like when things are going really well for us, the momentum’s going, we’re doing really well, we have trouble kind of arresting the negative momentum and overcoming it.
“Probably a sign of a young team too, but we let kind of one bad play and one bad series lead to another and lead to another. And next thing you know, we’re in the fourth quarter. Same thing at Kansas State, it was a couple misreads, a couple bad decisions, and not getting anything started.
“When we get drives going, this team has been really good to keep the momentum going and we go down and score, we gotta get that first first down.”
On the goal-line plays vs. Kansas and UCF could not score
“Yeah, I wish I could go through the litany of things that were going through my mind at that point. We had first and goal at the six, we ran a play and got close to the goal line. First thought was to run a tempo play and just knock it in. Ended up looking at the clock and thinking, well, we gotta try to limit their time a little bit, so let’s slow this down. Try to get it at least to the two minute warning.
“We had some creative plays down there that I think would have worked. But then in my mind, I said, we’re at the half yard line, we can get this in. If you give us three chances, we’re gonna get it in. My mistake on a sneak from a squeeze formation, they brought everybody down inside and we couldn’t get any movement.
“Second play, we wanted to get it in Myles” hands and we didn’t get enough movement. And then third play, fourth down, we were kind of, that’s not where you wanna be. You wanna get it in on one of the other two, and that’s my fault.
“I should have been more creative. In the situation thought from a half yard, we can run something basic, we’re gonna get a half yard.”
On the team learning what it takes to win in the Big 12
“Well, I love this conference. This conference, there’s gonna be games like that every weekend. And you look across conference and there are both teams with a good chance to win if you play well.
“And I’ve said a bunch, but if we play well, we’re gonna have a chance to win. If we don’t play well, we’re not. I hope we have enough talent that there’s not too many people in the conference, I don’t think they can just overwhelm us. So we’re gonna have an opportunity. We gotta play well and find a way to win at the end.
“And that’s not gonna be our last opportunity in a game like that, cuz I think the league is so evenly matched.”
On the injury status of the quarterbacks
“Still TBD on quarterbacks. Tayven’s x-rays and everything were negative. So it’s the same thing as it was. We’re gonna watch him as the week goes along. I think we’ll have Jacurri back this week and Cam’s healthy.”
On the biggest he learned from the Kansas game
“You know, I don’t think there’s too much other than we just need more opportunities to put some of our newer and younger players in situations like that and have them experience that and succeed in it. You guys asked me about the penalties after the game. And we didn’t have false starts during the game until it got tight right there.
“And we had a couple guys make mistakes. And I think that’s just being eager and not having been in that situation enough.
“First time my dad took me fishing, told me when a fish took the hook, you have to be patient and wait for it to really take it before you set the hook. And I didn’t do that cuz I was so excited in that situation that you pulled the hook out of their mouth.
“And after living for a while, then you realize this isn’t a big deal, let it happen and make it work. And I just think we got a little jittery a couple times.
“At Kansas State this past week, game’s on the line, clutch situation, the intensity is a little higher and we have guys just false start. And we’ll keep talking to them about it.
“But really what it comes down to is experience and not having been there before and being in that situation and making it work. And we can’t really replicate that situation.”
On the frustration of having injured quarterbacks
“It’s a unique situation I’ve never really dealt with as a coach before, having this much change at quarterback. And it’s not just the season, it’s been kind of all through spring ball and fall camp since we didn’t have somebody kind of step up and take it. It’s been a revolving door there in practice and now in games.
“And hopefully we have everybody else up and ready to be around the quarterback, whoever it is Saturday. So they can feel a little more comfortable.”
On facing Cincinnati, a team that’s 2-0 in the Big 12 and just beat No. 14 Iowa State
“Well, it’s a team that’s playing really well. I think they have a quarterback that’s playing about as well as anybody in the league. They really own their system on both sides of the ball.
“It’s impressive, really impressive watching the improvement from game one to two to three to who they are now. Sometimes when you win a couple of close games like they have lately, you just get that momentum and that’s a powerful thing. But the improvement is obvious and got a lot of respect for what their kind of season they’re putting together.”
On the impact of losing DT Horace Lockett to a season-ending injury
“Yeah, Horace is a big loss. We’re gonna have to rely on some young guys again that haven’t played as much to kind of fill that role and have some other guys probably play a few more snaps. But he was an anchor for us inside.
“So more than anything, feel bad for Horace.”
On the job Alex Grinch has done with UCF’s defense, limiting Kansas to well below their offensive averages
“Yeah, they did. I thought they played a great second half. Kansas was gonna put together some drives. They have an explosive offense and we held them to field goals on two drives to keep us in the game even as the offense was sputtering.
“If we hadn’t fumbled the ball and given it to them on the one, that was the difference in the game. So even at the end of the game, I thought our defense did a good job holding the three and out and giving us another chance with 40 or 50 seconds left to go down and tie it up. So really impressed with defense against a good team.
“They’re gonna have their hands full again this week.”
On the UCF-Cincinnati rivalry
“Yeah, I just, I have a lot of admiration for both universities and the progress they’ve made and the climbs they’ve made. We had our run when I was here and played them twice. And after I left, you watch Cincinnati really turn into a playoff team.
“And then both teams had a chance to get elevated to another league and I have a lot of confidence that both schools eventually will have a lot of success in this league.”
On the impact of freshman WR Waden Charles
“Yeah, I knew we had something good with Waden right away when I saw him in the spring, that’s a process and growth. He’s got a really bright future and the more opportunities he gets, I think people will start to see the type of player that he can be. Anytime you’re a freshman, there’s peaks and valleys and you get impatient sometimes when you’re that age.
“But if you stay with it and you’re made of the right stuff, then things work out in the end. And I think that’s the path that he’s on.”
On the decision process to give younger players opportunities vs. sticking with older guys
“Well, the more young guys we have capable of playing, the better off we are. We’d be a lot better outside at receiver and really goes across the board if we can rotate more and keep guys fresh. And I think there’s a big speed difference at the end of games with guys if they’ve played 40 snaps instead of 70 snaps.
“So we’ve got to do a good job of managing that and making sure guys are in the game early and get the feel for the game and try to keep guys fresh for the fourth quarter.”
On team leadership being important to let guys know they’re close to breaking through and winning games
“Yeah, I think the guys all know that. Just based on what the guys said to me, I think they know that. I got asked a question last week about conference play and being 3-0 and then having it go the wrong way. That’s not this group. That’s not to say we’re gonna win or lose any one (game).
“But this group is gonna keep fighting. I know it because I know these guys. We might win this week, we might lose. And that’s not gonna change how we approach the next week.
“I think this group cares about each other and they’re gonna keep fighting. And because of our experience, I think we’re gonna keep improving and have even better and better chances as the year goes on.”
On the overall health of the team
“Yeah, we have a lot of little things right now, and that’s football. You look out on the field at the end of that game and we didn’t have DT (Duane Thomas Jr.) out there, didn’t have Marcus Burke out there, didn’t have Caden Piening, didn’t have Dylan Wade. That’s why having guys like Waden and CJ (Carl Jenkins Jr.) and others is important cuz those guys have to go in and perform well.
“Coach Beck’s done a great job getting them ready. That’s football. There’s a lot of people that are missing players. Luckily for us, we only have one or two that’s season ending. We’re gonna get other guys back. So I want those guys in the training room to keep going.
“And in the meantime, this is an opportunity to get more guys playing experience.”
On what he’s seen from Cincinnati’s defense
“The Big 12 is kind of known for the 3-3 stack stuff. That’s what Cincinnati does. They got some good players at every level, really impressed with their nose guard when he’s healthy. I think they got a couple linebackers that run and hit. Really impressed with No. 9, the safety comes down in the box and makes a lot of tackles if you don’t account for him and have a hat for him.
“But across the board, they do a great job running to the ball and pursuing. There’s not a lot of easy things against them. So we’re gonna have to earn it and our defense is going to have to keep us in it as we’re slogging it out on the offensive side.”
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