"What a funky interception that was?!"
That will be the definitive call from the West Virginia Mountaineers' blowout victory of the UCF Knights in Orlando during Week 9. WVU handled business easily over UCF, improving to 5-3 (3-2) on the season. One more win gets Neal Brown's Mountaineers bowling, while one more loss for Gus Malzahn's now 3-5 (0-5) Knights would have them on the verge.
It got out of hand pretty early in the contest, as UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee could not stop turning the football over. He attempted a deep pass downfield, but a deflection landed right into the hands of WVU defender Beanie Bishop Jr., who made quite the return the other way. I have to admit, the play itself was pretty wild, but nothing was wilder than Eric Collins' call of the turnover in question.
West Virginia was up 10-7 over UCF at the start of the second quarter. Had this ball been completed by Plumlee, it would have been first and goal for the Knights. Instead, West Virginia began piling on and Collins made the FCC sweat bullets with his call of the play. Yes, you can audibly hear, "What a funky interception that was?!" Unfortunately, those of us with dirty minds are hearing something else.
This is the play that will have everyone talking about the WVU-UCF game at the water cooler Monday.
Hear what you want to hear, and have a good time enjoying some of that newfangled Big 12 football.
Eric Collins' almost NSFW call of West Virginia interception of UCF
I have to be honest with you. This call cuts through the noise. West Virginia at UCF may have been my Antonio Banderas Bowl of the Week on the False Start podcast, but now you have my undivided attention, Eric Collins. I have been looking for someone to listen to besides Gus Johnson. FOX needs a guy who will blow his gasket on occasion, but not overdo it like the face of Big Noon Saturday does.
What this game also did for me was serve as a learning opportunity for how to dissect the new Big 12. Few people had been as critical of Brown still having a job as I was this past offseason. It was looking rough for him after losing to Penn State in Week 1. With winnable games left vs. BYU, Cincinnati and Baylor, as well as an upset special of Oklahoma, West Virginia might win around eight or nine games.
As for UCF, I thought Malzahn's Power Five coaching at Auburn, in addition to being located in the State of Florida, would have made a huge difference in the Knights' move up from the Group of Five. Instead, the Knights are among the worst teams in their new league. They are right down there with Cincinnati, who I expected to be an uncooked can of Skyline Chili under head coach Scott Satterfield.
Brown's job has been safe for many weeks now, but you have to wonder about Malzahn's job security.
