Post Louisville: An Emotional Historic Win (Week 8, 2013)

An emotional, historic win.

What more can be said about that win? In a historic comeback, UCF returned from a score of 7-28 to win 38-35 in front of a hostile Louisville crowd on the Cardinals’ sold-out, nationally televised homecoming game. With that deflected Hail Mary pass; UCF beat its second ranked opponent in program history, earned its first win over a top ten team in program history, knocked off the preseason favorite to win the conference; all on national television. The program’s national profile has never looked bigger; the Knights are in control of their own destiny in conference with their toughest matchups on the schedule (Houston and Rutgers) both in the Bright House. If we beat Houston and win the rest of our conference match ups, even if we lose to Rutgers we’d have the tiebreaker for the American crown and more importantly, the AQ BCS bowl berth. We’re behind the wheel on the road to achieving the dream season the program so badly needs to put ourselves on the map for good.

A game full of firsts for the Knights, yet I can’t help but notice something familiar about our greatest moments in this game. On the final play of the game, as the ball travelled high in the air from Bridgewater’s hand to the end zone, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the final play of a past game, the 2010 Liberty Bowl. Everything about the play, the emotions, the in-game situation, the impact that completion or incompletion would have for the program. Another comparison can be made about UCF’s final drive, but this time not to a past UCF play. As the drive progressed and Blake continued to commandeer UCF down the field in a 2 minute drill, I was reminded of another closing drive in a tight game that ultimately lead to the game-winning score; The Catch, Joe Montana’s signature drive and touchdown in the 1981 NFC Championship. Like Montana, Blake methodically led the offense down the field with the clock winding down. Out of all the drives I’ve watched Blake quarterback, I’ve never seen him look as intelligent with the ball as he did in that drive. His two incompletions were deep shots in the end zone that was either going to be caught by the receiver or out of bounds.  He maintained his composure and just went back to the two minute offense that the team prepared for just this kind of situation. Blake stepped up into the pocket, made the right checks and reads, and found the open man while not forcing the issue or throwing to a single receiver. He spread the ball around and the receivers did the rest. The drive was an excellent performance by the offense as a whole but Blake in particular showed his mettle and his composure in the face of extreme pressure, comparable to what we saw from the NFL great.