The UCF Knights opened the season on Thursday with a massive 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman. The game itself was never in doubt. So, for many, the most interesting thing was to see how transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett played.
For Barnett, who took James Madison to the College Football Playoff a season ago, it was a big moment. It was an opportunity to begin proving himself while playing for a Power Four team in UCF.
“Yeah, it felt great,” Barnett said. “Tremendous atmosphere. It was everything I expected it would be. The fans were amazing. That’s stuff I’ve dreamed about and prayed about, so it was amazing. We played great in all three phases — some complementary football — but there are still obviously some things to get better at, especially on my end.”
UCF didn’t open up the playbook much. Still, Barnett managed to complete 11 of 18 passes for 158 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also rushed for 9 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he felt comfortable in a game.
“Yeah, I felt comfortable, and it was great getting those live reps. Coach Coop and Coach Frost did a great job with the game plan, coming out with some early completions and some deceptive movement,” Barnett said.
“The running backs and O-line were great, really getting the run game going. Obviously, it’s easy to play quarterback when you can throw a five-yard hitch and he gets about seven yards, or you hand the ball off and the running back goes 50. Then the defense comes out and gets a pick-six. I felt comfortable, and it was nice getting those game reps under my belt.”
How UCF Knights QB Alonza Barnett Graded Out
Despite scoring 73 points in the win and quarterback Alonza Barnett being comfortable in the UCF offense, things weren’t perfect. Barnett did throw an interception. He also missed a couple of throws.
Because of that, PFF didn’t actually grade Barnett out favorably. He’d finish up with a 44.5 passing grade and a 51.1 overall mark.
For reference, PFF grades on a 0-100 scale. That comes from a play-by-play breakdown, where players are graded on a -2 to +2 scale. A 0 grade for a player is a neutral or expected outcome. 60 ends up being an average grade by PFF standards. So, Barnett finishing at 51.1 is a bit concerning, with a below-average performance.
Any grade above a 90 is considered elite. 49 and below would be considered poor.
Barnett Looks Ahead to the UCF-Pitt Game
The schedule gets much more difficult immediately for UCF. In Week 2, they’ll hit the road and play their first Power Four game of the season, against the Pitt Panthers from the ACC.
“We’re going to have our time to rest and recover, but also prepare at the same time. It’s another surreal moment, going into such a historic stadium and thinking about all the people who have played there,” Barnett said.
“We’re playing against a great opponent, a familiar opponent for the university. I’m looking forward to bringing our lunch pail and work hat and continuing to go.”
This is going to be a hostile environment for UCF against Pitt, much different from the one they saw against Bethune-Cookman. With that, they’re also seen as a fairly substantial underdog, at +7.5, according to DraftKings. So, Barnett and the Knights have work to do.
UCF QB Alonza Barnett Reflects on Performance, First Game With Knights