Following weeks of practice and great anticipation, UCF will return to the field Friday for the program’s annual spring game at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
This spring game at 7:30 will feature a twist between the “Knights vs. ‘Nauts,” the latter a shortened version of UCF’s secondary space-themed nickname Citronauts.
The offense will represent the Citronauts by wearing UCF’s space-themed uniforms, while the defense will represent the Knights by wearing black “Knightmode” uniforms.
It’s the first time the spring game will recognize the university’s ties to NASA’s space program, which is something UCF has done in six straight seasons with a yearly “Space Game.”
“It’s different than we’ve done before,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said this week. “We’ve got two different uniforms for the offense to choose from as far as the space uniforms. The helmets are off the charts.”
Beyond the theme of the game and the special uniforms, there is much to watch and follow during UCF’s spring game as the team prepares to enter the Big 12:
1. Tracking John Rhys Plumlee
The UCF quarterback will attempt to partake in two athletic events Friday night. While he’s already juggled baseball and football for weeks, the timing will be tricky.
Plumlee, who plays centerfield for Greg Lovelady’s squad, will first join the baseball team at John Euliano Park at 5 p.m. and run over to the stadium for football.
Earlier this week, Malzahn said the expectation is for Plumlee to remain on the diamond for the entire game. It seems likely the length of the baseball game will spill over.
UCF baseball has played seven games in April and the average length of time has been 3 hours and 9 minutes. Only two of the games were completed in less than 3 hours.
Regardless of the exact timing, it will be intriguing to see how much football Plumlee plays and what it means for the rest of the UCF quarterback room.
Returning sophomore Thomas Castellanos and USF transfer Timmy McClain have rotated alongside Plumlee and that will likely remain the case during the spring game, too. It’s possible Castellanos and McClain could see even more playing time if Plumlee’s baseball game takes longer than expected.
Malzahn has seemed pleased with what he’s seen from all three.
“There’s been a whole lot of new install which is hard on quarterbacks,” he said of spring practices. “But they’ve all responded very well. You can see they’ve gotten better each practice. You can tell how comfortable all three of them were [Tuesday.]”
2. A different offense
Time and time again, players have been asked about new UCF offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw’s game plan and how it compares to when Malzahn handled the play-calling the first two years.
Their responses have all been similar.
“It’s really cool pushing the ball down the field,” sixth-year tight end Alec Holler said.
“We’re throwing the ball down the field,” sophomore receiver Xavier Townsend said. “That’s a big emphasis this year on offense.”
Added wideout Javon Baker: “We’re most definitely getting the ball down the field.”
Notice the trend?
While it’s not known exactly how much Hinshaw will show during the spring game, it’s clear UCF is returning to stretching the field vertically with the passing game and some of it is bound to be on display.
Of course, Malzahn noted the Knights won’t get away from running the football, either.
“We’ve talked about pushing the ball vertically down the field. That’s really the focus this spring,” he said. “I feel we’ve accomplished that. We’re going to have a good running game. There’s no doubt about that.”
3. New blood
Whether through the transfer portal or signing recruits from the high school ranks, UCF added a number of new pieces to its roster ahead of the spring semester.
Throughout the spring, much has been said about newcomers, including freshmen defensive tackle John Walker, tight end Randy Pittman and defensive back Braeden Marshall.
Malzahn has continued to express his overall confidence in the 2023 signees and their ability to see the field sooner rather than later.
“This group of freshmen, especially the ones that are here right now, they’re all going to help,” he said. “That’s really big. We recruited guys to play. When you recruit at a high level, you have the luxury of doing that.
“I can say the guys that are here will all help us next year.”
In addition to the freshman class, transfers such as wide receiver Chauncey Magwood (Kentucky), offensive lineman Amari Kight (Alabama) and defensive back DeJordan Mask (Texas State) have spent the spring trying to figure out where they fit.
“The transfers that have come in, they’ve all caught our eye from time to time,” Malzahn said recently. They’re all going to help us.”
It’ll be the first look at those newcomers for the fan base.
Email Jason Beede at or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
