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UCF LB Lewis Carter ‘Hungry’ To Have a Winning Season
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- UCF LB Lewis Carter ‘Hungry’ To Have a Winning Season
(Scott Sewell/Imagn Images)
A winning season last year was in the UCF Knights ' grasp in Utah before then-No. 11 BYU dashed their bowl hopes with a second-half blowout.
Linebacker Lewis Carter remembers the pain, and it fuels his hunger to help UCF win games. Carter believes the team has the supporting cast around him, too, observing how bought in the returning and new players are.
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"A lot of guys that have been through the ups, been through the downs, and a lot of guys that are putting in the work and ready to go," Carter said after Day 1 of fall camp .
The senior is also shifting his approach to preparation, trying to become as professional as possible. He said he's trying to study his notes and watch film more diligently.
Carter wants to be on his A-game; not just for his success, but to hold his teammates accountable, too. Coach Scott Frost appointed him as the defense's leader last season, and he's assuming the same role this year.
Having spent his junior campaign under Frost and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, he's familiar with the scheme and what the coaches ask of him. It's streamlined communication with newcomers Tackett Curtis , Jahleel Culbreath and Phil Picciotti.
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Grinch has often emphasized the importance of generating turnovers. UCF's defense struggled to create more possessions for the offense, especially in conference play. The team forced eight turnovers in nine games, but half came in the heartbreaking Space Game loss to the Houston Cougars .
Former Knights defensive back Phillip Dunnam, who could explore a return to college football , recorded a career-high three interceptions. The team also forced a fumble to round out its total.
Despite generating four turnovers, Houston caught the game-sealing interception, preventing a comeback at the Acrisure Bounce House.
The team's abysmal road record is a supporting factor in Carter's eagerness to win . UCF went winless on the road, averaging a 21.8-point loss differential.
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Failing to stop the running game was its Achilles' heel. Frost's squad was out-rushed in every road game barring the Cincinnati matchup, in which quarterback Cam Fancher rushed for a season-high 108 yards.
"You got to stop the run to be able to earn the right to rush the passer, man," Carter told Sons of UCF at Big 12 Media Day .
It's UCF's fourth season in the Big 12. The team has a chip on its shoulder, and Carter said the ceiling is high, but they have to stack together good days.
