ORLANDO — Scott Frost admitted he had little to say in his opening statement Saturday, Sept. 20, fresh off UCF’s home win over North Carolina. The few words he chose to speak before answering questions, though, carried weight.
In particular: “I thought everybody did a good job of staying focused about realizing that football isn’t the most important thing in life; faith and family are.”
Tragedy struck UCF’s football program during its bye week. Offensive line coach Shawn Clark was hospitalized Sept. 9 after suffering a medical emergency. Clark, who had been in stable condition, died unexpectedly at age 50 the night after the Knights’ 34-9 victory, the university confirmed Monday morning.
Frost embraced a policy of honesty with his team throughout the week, providing updates to his players while also taking consideration of the privacy of Clark’s wife and two children. He then made a point of emphasis for the Knights to show up ready to play on Clark’s behalf.
“I wouldn’t say it was difficult (to stay focused), but it was in the back of your mind. That’s someone that we love. That’s our coach,” redshirt junior quarterback Tayven Jackson said. “We did it for him. The O-line came out and played, and I feel like that he would be very happy when he watches this game.”
UCF gained 366 yards of offense and did not allow a sack. It put North Carolina away in the fourth quarter with a nearly 10½-minute march across the field capped by Jaden Nixon’s 5-yard touchdown run — the sort of drive any coach would be proud of.
With a coaching staff comprised both of familiar faces and veterans with whom he had no prior working experience — including Clark — and a roster featuring 63 newcomers, Frost prioritized building a family-like atmosphere upon his return in December. Players praised this approach, particularly the holdovers from UCF’s 2024 squad in front of the camera and away from it.
Running back Myles Montgomery, a team captain, felt little need to rally the Knights last week; they understood the assignment and the gravity of the moment. Defensive end Nyjalik Kelly expressed sadness upon learning the news but added it further united the team as one.
“We’ve got to put our arms around our O-linemen,” Kelly said. “Because we knew how close they were with him.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Shawn Clark served as UCF football inspiration in domination of North Carolina
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
