UCF DC Alex Grinch Wants To See More Pass Rush Pressure

The UCF Knights' defense fell apart in last Saturday's loss to the No. 22 Houston Cougars, and their pass rush couldn't pressure quarterback Conner Weigman.

UCF finished with one sack, with linebacker Jahleel Culbreath and EDGE Aymeric Koumba each recording 0.5 sacks. It's the second time the defense ended with one sack; the first was in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Credit to Houston's offensive line, which ranks fifth in the Big 12 with five sacks allowed. The linemen created a clean pocket for Weigman to dissect UCF's pass defense across the middle.

Knights defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said he was disappointed that the pass rush couldn't affect Weigman more. He acknowledged the Cougars as a top-10 offense in the nation, but isn't grading the defense on a curve because it faced tougher competition.

"I don't like seeing one sack on the day or whatever it was," Grinch said during Tuesday's media availability. "We got to find a way to get home and not just on third downs."

Weigman completed six plays of 10 yards or more, including a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Trent Walker on third-and-4. Those backbreaking plays put him in position to record a career-high three rushing touchdowns in Houston's comeback win.

Stopping third-down conversions has been a weakness for UCF's defense. Opponents have converted 37.8% of their third downs, the sixth-best success rate and 0.3% higher than the Colorado Buffaloes.

The defense is the backbone of the Knights' success, but too often they get the first two stops and can't finish the drive.

It won't get easier for them in the next three weeks. Grinch's defense will face No. 18 Oklahoma State and Drew Mestemaker and No. 8 BYU and Bear Bachmeier on Oct. 24.

Mestemaker leads the Big 12 in yards per game with 317.8 and is tied for second with Weigman with 11 touchdowns. His offensive line has allowed three sacks, which is a significant factor in his elite passing numbers.

BYU is the third-worst passing offense, throwing for 179.8 yards per game, 1.6 yards more than UCF. It may be a sigh of relief for Grinch's pass rush, but the Cougars have allowed three sacks and have a 57.4% third-down conversion rate, the third-best in the conference.

The Knights cannot afford to hit a slump during this stretch against ranked opponents. A slump places pressure on the team to win three of their last four games.

Grinch wants to see an improved pass rush, and that starts with key players like defensive tackle Horace Lockett and EDGE Sincere Edwards winning their one-on-ones.