Advertisement

UCF on a high for Bitcoin Bowl against N.C. State

 
Published Dec. 12, 2014

ST. PETERSBURG — The broad, preternatural smile George O'Leary brandished for a national TV audience immediately after the most surreal play in UCF lore was borne more of disbelief than delirium.

While ESPN's viewers had an unobstructed view of Justin Holman's 51-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Breshad Perriman on the last play of a 32-30 win at East Carolina, O'Leary neither could see it nor believe it.

"In fact, I thought it was knocked down from my angle on the sideline," said O'Leary, in town Thursday evening with Knights athletic director Todd Stansbury for a Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl news conference. "I busted out laughing (when) they told me he caught it and stuff. A tribute to the players who hung in there."

Holman had 10 seconds at his disposal after ECU turned the ball over on downs, and set up his winning pass with a 14-yard sideline completion to Josh Reese on first down.

"Every week you work them, and I don't think we worked those two plays better than any time I've been in college coaching," O'Leary said. "It just happened a great way."

ON THE CUSP: N.C. State's turnaround from 3-9 in 2013 to 7-5 this season might have been even more astounding had the Wolfpack caught another break or two. Every loss was to teams bound for a bowl game.

N.C. State led FSU by 17 early before falling 56-41, and trailed Louisville by five in the final two minutes before failing to recover an onside kick and losing 30-18.

"We just kept coaching the guys and saying, 'Hey look, we're just a play here or a play there from being where you want to be,' '' said coach Dave Doeren. "And they found a way to make that play in the Syracuse game (a 24-17 win) and we springboarded off that game with two big wins to finish out the season."

ODDS AND ENDS: O'Leary said Knights secondary coach Kirk Callahan, an Armwood High alumnus believed to be in consideration for the same job at USF, hasn't informed him of any job opportunities. "The only rule I have on the staff is, if you're talking to another school I'd better know about it or you better get the job, one or the other," O'Leary said. … Wolfpack first-year starting QB Jacoby Brissett, a Florida transfer, has tossed eight more TDs and 10 fewer interceptions than N.C. State totaled in '13. … Though UCF has six players from Pinellas County, all will remain at the team hotel under a curfew on Christmas Eve, O'Leary said.