After a dominant Week 1 win over Bethune-Cookman, the UCF Knights have a much tougher Week 2 test coming. There, they’ll see the Pitt Panthers and quarterback Mason Heintschel.
UCF head coach Scott Frost has had the chance to go and look into Heintschel and the Pitt passing game. What he saw caught his attention.
“They threw it all over the place. I thought the quarterback played — Mason played really well. He does a great job extending plays, keeping things alive, running when he has to,” Frost said. “They have a quarterback that can throw it all over the place. I think we’ve got to earn our right to rush the passer by making sure that we do a good job against the run game, and then try to hold on. They’re certainly going to get their share of passes on you.”
In Pitt’s opener, Heintschel completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards and 7 touchdowns. He rushed for another 23 yards on top of that, as Pitt ended up scoring 59 points.
“480 yards and seven touchdowns was like a year for me when I was in college, so it’s impressive,” Frost joked.
The UCF secondary played well, not giving up points until the final drive of the game to Bethune-Cookman. The Knights gave up just 74 yards while intercepting a pass. Still, there’s a clear step up in competition coming.
“They did a great job with backs out of the backfield and tight ends on pass plays and delays,” Frost said. “The quarterback knows when to take a chance with it and when to check it down, so we’re going to have to do a lot of things well to try to slow them down.”
UCF Knights HC Scott Frost Emphasized Containing Mason Heintschel
Part of the challenge for UCF’s defense when it takes on Pitt is going to be containing Mason Heintschel. He runs well, which means that good defense isn’t just sacking him but containing him to the pocket.
“Pressure isn’t just sacks,” Frost said. “Watching their tape, they do a great job of max protect when they’re going to take shots and making it hard to get home. They do a good job of dumping it off when there starts to be pressure.”
One concern this offseason for UCF was finding a way to replace two edge rushers who went to the NFL. The Knights managed three sacks in Week 1, but that wasn’t a test compared to what Heintschel is going to be able to do.
“He certainly works the pocket really well and made a couple really good throws for touchdowns after he broke out of the pocket and started to scramble. Did a great job keeping his eyes downfield and made some really good throws,” Frost said.
“Making him uncomfortable and keeping him contained is just as important as sacks.”
UCF QB Alonza Barnett Looked Ahead to the Pitt Game
When Alonza Barnett transferred to UCF, he wanted to prove himself against Power Four competition. Now, he’ll get that opportunity when the Knights travel to Pitt. So, it’s hard for him not to look ahead to the game.
“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.”
UCF will play at Pitt on Saturday, September 12th. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST and the Knights are the underdog, at +7.5, according to DraftKings.
UCF HC Scott Frost Cautions About Talented Pitt Passing Attack, Mason Heintschel