This weeks opponent for the UCF Knights is one that many fans have been waiting for, and thats the Cincinnati Bearcats. They are currently ranked No. 20 in the nation and have a six-game winning streak.After the lo s to East Carolina, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn discu sed that lo s, as well as what his team needs to do to now knock off what is arguably the best team the Knights will face during the regular season.Here are a few key moments from Malzahns pre s conference and what they mean, beginning with his opening statement.Okay. Coming off a tough road lo s. Weve gotta put that behind us, said Malzahn of the game against East Carolina. We had a good practice last night. Got Cincinnati coming to town. I think everybody knows how good they are. 18-straight conference wins. 10-1 on the road in their last 11 games. I think they got beat by Arkansas, which was a Derek Ryan Jersey game, they probably couldve won that.Lead the country in sacks. Lead the country in tackles for lo s. Very aggre sive defense. They really challenge you; play a lot of man (coverage). Theyll pre sure you and play some zone.Offensively, they are very strong up front. They run the ball. Theyve been balanced. Overall, a complete football team. So, we playem at home, and were looking forward to the challenge. Thoughts: Watching Malzahn discu s the Bearcats, its obvious he respects that program as a whole. In fact, his Anttoni Honka Kids Jersey body language and commentary combined lead one to believe he respects that program as high or higher than any team UCF has faced since Malzahn took over at UCF.That speaks volumes. It should. Cincinnati is a program that has a plan in place and it executed that plan time and again during head coach Luke Fickells tenure. With that, Malzahn knows that his Knights need to be dialed this week during practice because they will be in a great battle on Oct. 29. Thats especially the case for UCFs offensive line. The points about the sacks and tackles for lo s lead to UCFs offensive front being challenged differently than before. Its not like the Bearcats are reckle s with blitzes. Usually the front seven just won matchups that led to those negative plays. Look for more about the Cincinnati defenders in an article tomorrow at Inside The Knights. Impre sive cast. One last point from the opening commentary by Malzahn.Malzahn also looked like he was in his element and was already enjoying the preparation stage. This is what college coaches are supposed to live for, and Malzahn fit the profile quite well. Now, a few more points from the Monday pre s conference.Really what stood out to me was the three turnovers (in the first half).Thoughts: This point proved to be as basic and still bottom line as anything from Malzahns pre s conference. The truth hurts. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee played poorly, albeit in random moments, that cost the Knights.Another way to look at it: Turn the football over, lose the game. Thats pretty much the nature of any level of football.He wanted to play, Malzahn answered about Javon Bakers status from the East Carolina game. Hes a tough young man. He gave it a shot out there moving around, but he just wasnt moving like he needed to move. Hopefully hell be better this week. Well see in practice. It will be a day to day deal. But yeah, he just wasnt quite ready to play at his level.Scroll to Klas Dahlbeck Jersey ContinueThoughts: Theres the old next man up philosophy in football. Thats still true while also noting that not every player is the same or holds the same chemistry with the players on the offense or defense. Point blank, UCFs offense is completely different to defend when Baker is healthy and in the lineup.If he is not a full-go for Cincinnati, thats going to be a major problem for the Knights. Hes a flat out difference-maker. The Knights need him on the field because he changes of the following aspects of the game: Plumlees ability to throw deep, as well as a go-to third down receiver with size that Plumlee counts on, and those to points change Cincinnatis play calling.Injuries change games, and Bakers health will be a definitive factor for this Saturdays contest. If hes not in the game there are still good receivers like Ryan OKeefe and Kobe Hudson, Teuvo Teravainen Women Jersey not to mention the running backs and tight ends. Those are all very good players. Its just that Baker makes those highly contested catches that cannot truly be defined with words. When discu sing the Sunday practice, what some might consider a basic statement was in fact very important.It was like a normal Sunday.Thoughts: That comment from Malzahn about the teams attitude is paramount. Feeling sorry for yourself, as a team, does not help prepare for Cincinnati. If the UCF players are going to be ready to play at a high level, it starts from the first day of practice for this specific game, and it sounds like thats what happened.Thats why Malzahns statement about the team coming out like any other practice should be considered excellent news. Some teams struggle to place a lo s behind Trevor Van Riemsdyk Kids Jersey them. This piece of information shows that UCF has maturity, and its something the Knights will need against a good Bearcats squad.Quick Hitters*Malzahn had nothing but good things to say about coach Fickell and his staff, as he should.*The word challenge came up with regards to playing Cincinnati. How the Knights come out in the first quarter will be vital to take on that challenge.*Malzahn mentioned needing to run the ball and pa s the football against Cincinnati. If theres ever a game that UCF needs balance, it is indeed this Saturday. One-dimensional offenses will struggle against Cincinnati.*The Knights lost several one-on-one matchups in the secondary versus East Carolina. Malzahn pointed that out and gave props to ECU for winning those. That absolutely must flip the other direction against the Bearcats. UCF is going to need to concentrate on taking away the rushing attack, and if Cincinnati can just throw fade balls and back shoulder pa ses with succe s, it would place UCF in a very difficult situation. Heres the full pre s conference:Keep up with UCF News! Check out, like, and subscribe to Inside The Knights on , , and