UCF coach predicts they will win the MAC

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> "I'm a very confident guy, and I think we can be undefeated. I know we can do it in the MAC conference," Kruczek said. "Winning the conference championship is something we think we can do. We're 11-4 against MAC teams since 1996. That's a pretty good indicator about where we fit competitively in this conference."</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061202/col_9646386.html" target="_blank">http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061202/col_9646386.html</a>

I'm sure Toledo, Marshall, and Miami will remember that when they play UCF this fall!

I wouldn't make much of it. He expects to win every game. He talks the same way in private conversations. But then what would you expect him to say, that there are better teams than his own? That's not something you'd hear from Mike Kruzcek.

Does this take any Herd fans back to the mid-70s? <img border="0" alt="[laugh]" title="" src="graemlins/laughing.gif" />

One thing Coach K of UCF isn't taking into consideration is that while UCF is 11-4, they never played the Herd, or some of the best teams from the MAC over that span. What is their record against plus .5000 MAC teams?

KC

I don't care to check out the records of all the MAC teams we beat, but I know we beat a 9-3 (made it to the MAC championship) Toledo squad 34-17 in 1997. We're 2-0 against Toledo.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Knight Prowler:
I don't care to check out the records of all the MAC teams we beat, but I know we beat a 9-3 (made it to the MAC championship) Toledo squad 34-17 in 1997. We're 2-0 against Toledo.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A fact I'm sure they'll remember when you guys visit this fall. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

They visit us.

Let’s take a closer look at UCF’s “impressive” record versus the MAC since 1996-

1996
UCF (5-6)
Lost 10-31 @ Ball State (8-4)
Won 27-19 vs Bowling Green (4-7)
*Clearly the Knights were outclassed by the eventual MAC Champs but were able to beat the 7th placed MAC team by a little more than a TD at home.

1997
UCF (5-6)
Won 59-43 @ Kent State (3-8)
Won 27-10 vs E.Michigan (4-7)
Won 34-17 vs Toledo (9-3)
*The Knights did perform much better against the MAC in ’97, highlighted by a 17 point victory over MAC-W champ/MAC runner-up Toledo.

1998
UCF (9-2)
Won 38-31 @ Bowling Green (5-6)
Won 31-24 @ Toledo (7-5)
Won 38-17 @ N.Illinois (2-9)
Won 37-14 vs Ball State (1-10)
*Sure the Knights went unbeaten against the MAC for the second year in a row, but outside of Toledo, they really did not beat any of the conference’s better teams.

1999
UCF (4-7)
Won 31-6 vs E.Michigan (4-7)
Lost 30-33 vs Bowling Green (5-6)
*A loss at home to BG (the 5th placed team in the MAC-East)…enough said.

2000
UCF (7-4)
Lost 24-35 @ Akron (6-5)
Won 31-10 @ E.Michigan (3-8)
Lost 20-40 @ N.Illinois (6-5)
*Well they lost to a team that finished 2nd in the MAC-E and another who finished 4th in the MAC-W…BUT they were better than the 5th place MAC-W team!

2001
UCF (6-5)
Won 57-17 vs Akron (4-7)
*They were certainly much better than the 5th placed team in the MAC-East.

Results versus MAC teams with winning records….2-3.
Results versus MAC teams with losing records….9-1.

Mighty impressive against those MAC bottom-feeders, hehehe.

Go Herd!

My hats off to FATMANJIM. I was wondering who would be the first to do the research. There are so observations I want to make, I don't know where to start.

Pro - We played with a LOT of 1-AA recruits until '00.
Con - A lot of our wins were purely Daunte in the 97-98 years
Con - We were humiliated with the BGSU and NIU losses. I particularly remember the long sour taste the BGSU loss left with Kruz. If I'm not mistaken we had something like 7 turnovers against NIU. Everybody was very ticked with that loss but we lost and that's that.

I have been warning people that the MAC will not be a cakewalk, especially when we have the capability of imploding every now and then. Utah St is one very sickening example. I listened to that game on the internet and when our FB fumbled as we were driving in to win the game I got sick to my stomach. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad-flaming.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Econoknight:
Con - A lot of our wins were purely Daunte in the 97-98 years</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Daunte single-handedly stomped Toledo both years UCF beat us. He was something special for you guys back then.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> 1996
UCF (5-6)
Lost 10-31 @ Ball State (8-4)
Won 27-19 vs Bowling Green (4-7)
*Clearly the Knights were outclassed by the eventual MAC Champs but were able to beat the 7th placed MAC team by a little more than a TD at home. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Clearly that was the Knights' first year in 1-A. We lost to the MAC champs ... we should feel very bad. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">1999
UCF (4-7)
Won 31-6 vs E.Michigan (4-7)
Lost 30-33 vs Bowling Green (5-6)
*A loss at home to BG (the 5th placed team in the MAC-East)…enough said. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">enough said? WE WERE 4-7 ... WE BEAT 4 TEAMS. You're acting like we had a good team and we still lost to them. In 2002 WE WILL have a good team. Big difference.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by rocketfootball:
Daunte single-handedly stomped Toledo both years UCF beat us. He was something special for you guys back then.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The D still had to stop you from scoring more points than we did.

Beware of .500+ MAC teams...

So, if UCF faces 4 MAC teams with good records during MAC play, they might be able to go 2-2. That would leave them an overall MAC record of 6-2, not good enough to win the East with Marshall's easy MAC schedule this year. And if you loose to Marshall, UCF will need the Herd to go 5-3 to have any chance at a MACC game.

Well, I think the UCF coach could have shown a little more humility. Example:

"Our goal is to win every game on our schedule, and we think that goal is within reach. But we know it won't be easy. This is a tradition-rich conference, and we respect the teams on our schedule. Obviously, the road to the MAC East championship runs through Huntington."

Instead, he basically trashed the MAC. Those quotes will be posted in 12 lockerrooms this fall.

We have no way of knowing this, but he may have cost the team a title here. No way UCF can sneak up on anyone now.

Come on guys. Coach Kruzcek was speaking at a booster event. Coaches usually want to make bold predictions to get the boosters excited. He has mentioned many times how important getting UCF in a conference was. He also said on the radio how the MAC has a long tradition of playing football and UCF will help improve the conference.

Shouldn't we expect to win the MAC? Why should we shoot for 2nd place?

<small>[ June 13, 2002, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: KNIGHTTIME ]</small>

It's the "we take a step up in nonconference play" comment that really irks.

The question isn't whether or not its true. (It is, and it would be just as true if UCF were in Conference USA, the WAC, the Mountain West or the Sun Belt).

It's that he said it. He didn't need to say THAT at a booster event.

If he wants to say "We're going to kick the asses of everyone on our schedule before rendering and impaling them with sharp sticks," well, then, no problem. It's hyperbole, and we all get that.

Gotta go with RF here. Obviously coaches are gonna saying things to fire up boosters. However, in today's world of electronic communications you have to realize that whatever is said anywhere will be picked up and distributed across the country.

I think RF's suggestion for the quote would have been more appropriate, still positive, and wouldn't have provided NEAR the locker room material he just handed to coaches across the conference.

I agree. A smart coach does not make those comments to the public so the other conference teams can here it. He is opening a can of worms.

I saw both UT games against UCF and came away impressed. I really think they will do well in the MAC. I am sure Coach Pruett, the guy at bg, Stutz, etc. think thye can go undefeated a lot of the time. They just keep it to themselves. I don't fault UCF for saying it. It takes some guts, and is kind of refreshing. Now he has to back it up.