UCF vs. USF Football - War on I-4 Preview with former Knights QB Kyle Israel ⚔🐂🏈

all right and uh today I'm uh I'm privileged to uh be visiting with an old friend Cal Israel uh me and you go way back uh I remember you were what part of Georgia O'Leary's first recruiting class uh at UCF what class of 2004 yeah and I remember talking to you that year and I think I I swung over University High School when you made your uh when you signed your letter of intent and you went on to uh have a fantastic UCF career and uh we'll always have a place uh in UCF Laura you were the court you were the starting quarterback of ucf's first Conference Championship team in 2007 so uh thanks for uh joining with me uh today Kyle absolutely glad to be here it was nice to hear some of those memories right there it's it's fleeting quickly but uh anytime I I followed you forever as you yeah so you're my link while I'm overseas I appreciate it actually I saw you uh I know you're obviously your congratulations on being a new father and everything I know you're living and Germany now I mean that's a country you had a little bit of a linkage too because you played what in the German Football League for a period of time when was that so I played there in the German Football League in 2009 and then I played there again in 2014. so okay when life happened extremely quickly this last fall and I found out my fiance and I were pregnant and moving to Berlin where she's from um I said you know I know the culture a little bit I have some friends and it made it a lot easier that's for sure yeah and and Germany's not the only place you played football you were in the Russian Football League for a little while uh had a crazy story had to flee Moscow um and then went on and played in Poland the season after that so definitely never got rich but got rich in life experience yeah because that sounds really cool and everything so so how how proficient are you in speaking the German language did you pick up some stuff when you were over there are you still kind of a fish out of water or how are you getting the hang of it I can speak a little bit I can understand about I don't know 30 of a conversation um and I took a hundred hour class so I'm getting there my Visa runs out my first one in three years and when that runs out I have to take a proficiency test so I've got to make strides but I had a little bit of you know football German is a little bit different than like normal German because it's a blend um but I'm learning as as much as I can for now yeah so so what's it been like I mean you've always followed UCF football since you graduated it's a little bit of a different time schedule now that you're what I think six hours was different so when there's a night game that's pretty much middle of the night for you so what's that fit like have you ever been able to catch the games and I guess do you have streaming or is there any ESPN over there or how how have you been following UCF so I use a handy dandy VPN and then act like my IP is in the US and then I can still log into like Spectrum or I have ESPN plus and yeah I can I can watch a majority of the games I mean it's been great the 330 games we've had because that's 9 30 at night um and that's not a problem the only game that I missed this year was ECU and my head almost almost exploded when I woke up and saw that score it was like Twitter had completely blown up and so I tried to figure out what happened and we all know there's a number of things that have been rumored to have happened um but yeah I get to I get to see all the games I I've got a little group now of guys that play for me on the Berlin Thunder that have kind of bought into the fandom of UCF and um you know we we chat about about the team and what's going on and I try to provide Insight where I can but I've I've stayed as in touch as possible and I certainly uh if it's if it's an eight o'clock game 2 A.M just gets tough for the game to end at 5 30 in the morning but otherwise with our schedule this year I've been lucky for the most part especially as of late yeah so so what's your involvement with the Berlin Thunder I've seen a little bit on Facebook are you kind of an advisory role or a what's uh what's your role with Berlin I'm an offensive assistant I I would almost consider myself more as an advisor I don't get too much into schematics or game planning but I've always had a knack and I think that's from my quarterback experience of coaching people and players and um you know that's where I fit in this year Bjorn Werner who many will remember was a All-American at Florida State and 17th overall I'll pick to the Colts in 2013 he's actually the owner of our team so there's football is is trending up I I've done it with the Thunder to continue to you know get out there it's very unique I wasn't going to coach High School football in Florida and certainly you know the Collegiate lifestyle is completely different so this has been kind of this opportunity to coach again what's a fairly competitive professional level over there and you only practice two nights a week you have a game on Sunday so it doesn't take too much time and I've really really enjoyed it so I'll continue to to do that moving forward and then we get about 7 000 people a game so it's not bad it's like a big high school football game um and I'm hoping that I can start to recruit some some UCF guys guys yeah because then we got Paul yeah Paul rubell's from Germany he's on the team right now he might be in line to start next season we'll see but I know American football is really growing over there it is they had they had a million people in the waiting room on Ticketmaster when the tickets from Munich went on sale they had over 3 million requests for the NFL Munich game so yeah it's it's sick it's it's extremely um popular and the second most televised sport in in Germany and and watched sport in Germany even over Formula One and some other things so there's a market for it there's definitely a market for it I know UCF is worldwide but have you run into any UCF people or people that have recognized you over there or that maybe haven't happened yet only people that have traveled to Europe who have said you know hey I'm going to be in Berlin and I've I've met I've met up with uh Sean barquette um he's over in Berlin for a couple days so we hung out and I showed them around and he's obviously as big of a fan as it gets so it was nice seeing that that familiar face but there's a few actual UCF Alum that are in Berlin um but nobody's recognizing the other Street for my time yeah yeah so you were you were able to be in person though and and see the Navy game from the Cabana from one how'd you like the field Cabana how was that experience as a player I know the view is a little different I mean you're used to field level but sometimes when the action's way down to field you kind of don't know what's happening how did you like that experience I I enjoyed it you know it's you get away from seeing that size of athlete right on a regular basis and it's cool to see it again even as somebody that's been in the mix like it's it's a different perspective I think it'd be amazing to be a little kid sitting down there and being so close it's when the ball's going the other way it's certainly a disadvantage it's hard to tell if you know somebody ran for four yards or 12 yards you kind of got to watch the factory um but yeah I enjoyed it it's a it's a great addition to the stadium definitely so what is what do you think about that game itself I mean we all know what Navy does and I knew going in it it wouldn't be a cakewalk even though they were three and seven I mean I'm not gonna say I expected UCF to to lose certainly didn't but I mean I wasn't shocked it would transpired because if the offense for some reason can't click there's gonna be limited possessions with how much Navy controls the the clock so what was your perspective of someone who's played football and followed UCF I mean what did you think of last weekend well I thought Navy you know played their perfect game right they controlled the ball for nearly seven minutes or over seven minutes on the first drive went down and scored and you've got to answer right because that deflates the crowd and we we didn't really have an answer and I think we didn't have an answer in in in Blitz pick up I think we're still trying to throw the vertical vertical passing game to some extent but if you looked the week before versus Notre Dame the second half which got Navy back into that game they Blitz seven guys and you've got to have a tight end and a back helping in protection and if you don't you've got to throw hot routes and you've got to be accurate and I think that you know our quarterback's accuracy uh both of them was off to some extent and we didn't get ourselves on the momentum side other than the first drive of the second half but we we really just fell right into the perfect game plan for Navy and you know we didn't stop Navy for two yards on the third and sixth when we needed to they they got to that fourth in one scenario quite often and it's even with the the size advantage on our side they were able to convert first downs and two up the clock and if they get 39 or 40 minutes of time of possession in the game it's going to be very difficult to beat them if you're not scoring on 30 or 40 percent of your drives and then lastly you've obviously got to score touchdowns inside the 10-yard line and not settle for field goals right and we didn't do that um and give it to credit credit to Navy I mean those guys have some of the best young men that America has to offer um they didn't give up they were never going to quit they were going to force you to beat them and um and we didn't get it done yeah I know it's not dramatic but I honestly thought it might have been really one of the worst losses and used to have history for what was on the line uh but but now you know maybe not so much because last night we saw UCF is still ranked uh shockingly number 22 in the college football playoff ranking so with the crazy AAC tie Breakers that everyone was racking their brain trying to figure out a few days ago now it's pretty simple because UCF is ranked in that poll and if they win on Saturday in the war on I-4 against USF they are in the conference Championship game so it's really a chance of redemption for you know players and coaches and you know I'm sure they feel horrible for letting that game slip away but I mean the only thing now is you know they're not going to host they'd have to go on the road to Tulane or Cincinnati so maybe the loss isn't quite as bad as we thought it might have been a few days ago but you know that's this Saturday that's the reason why I wanted to talk to you a little bit uh war on I-4 uh you know long time rivalry with South Florida you know it's this is going to be the final year at least for the time being and and you were there in those very first you know match-ups that building in 2005 five I think that was your second year and you see if I know your teams never beat South Florida but but just what are your initial thoughts when you think about that you're you're a young player and and this series is starting I remember it was what in 05 and that's when UCF was still in that losing streak um yeah that might have been the last game they lost I think Marshall met him in the following week would snap the streak but what are your early memories and and did you recognize it was a rivalry and did you recognize how heated it would be um well for me it was really exciting because you know coach all coach O'Leary always recruited me on building a foundation and I'll kind of circle back to that because I think we've accomplished what we were trying to do back then um but I grew up an Alabama fan and Alabama Auburn there's always this huge in-state rivalry every year and I I was excited about what the potential could be in a in a game like this in a rivalry like this um and I think you know we've had some cool marketing over the years the war on I-4 has has basically stuck right um and and it was always a game to get excited for um and so I think that you know we've come out the other side in the Rivalry uh on The Winning Side luckily but you know you can go back to what I would consider some of the biggest games in in the last 20 years for UCF notably 2017 when I think South Florida may have been nine and two uh and with the dramatic way that we won that game it really sticks out so I've enjoyed it I hate to see it go I really do I don't take the approach that South Florida took with Judy genshaft and some of them and said we don't want to play you you're not on our level I don't feel that way I would love to find a way to keep the game the Rivalry going if at all possible um because I think it's despite how a season goes for either team you know at the end of the year you're going to have this game that everybody including the fans can get excited about and so yeah it's a little bit disappointing but has been fun along the way yeah I agree with you 100 on those comments um but let's talk a little bit about 2007 because I just mentioned that Navy was where it might have been yeah like one of the most losses maybe with what was on the line I think for a lot of UCF fans that 2007 game in Tampa the 64 to 12. uh that ranks is really one of the most crushing laws says I mean in the grand scheme it thinks now it's just more like an interesting footnote because where UCF is going you know basically leaving South Florida behind you know the conference championships that fall beyond that but in that moment that felt like just such a punch in the gut and I know offensively you guys couldn't get anything going that day uh the crowd was nasty USF basically ran the score up they didn't have to they attacked on some late touchdowns and and I think you're I I refresh my memory I think I think you heard it from the fans did wasn't that the game that um you were out to to dinner at the Ale House and you had a a fan come up to you upset can you kind of tell us about that game and maybe that experience because that that maybe more than anything showed you you know how people got up for this game well I I think that in that game I remember running out of the tunnel I'm pretty sure it was a noon kickoff and um things just felt weird and and from a team chemistry perspective even from my own perspective I find it I kind of felt like I was in this this Haze right um this fog and that's exactly what happened on the field and I know you're going to have Matt grotheon after after me or or with me on this this podcast and I was going to be complimentary to him because he was truly remarkable not only in his career at South Florida you know obviously UCF fans hate him he's he's you know stirred the pot let's say along the way but he was a very good college football player and he played probably the best game he ever played that day um so it was difficult and I I got some quick exposure to how important that game was the UCF fans I had you know some people come up to me and and make some threatening comments at Ale House I I had a a death threat on my car um not sure where I live yeah I remember you telling me about that and I kind of forgot about it I remember having they left a note under your windshield is that what happened telling me that I should I should kill myself or or they will um and so I had my back left tire slashed um and all after that game and I think that was like in the days after that was just a immediate aftermath the week after that game um and and again I had some more of that type of had some more of that type of experience after the Mississippi State loss as well in the Liberty Bowl um so yeah I realized pretty quickly that you know our fan base was starting to become a big time College fan that doesn't excuse what they did but I guess it sort of shows that as well so so yeah what you were at the Ale House with your your family and you had a fan kind of get in your face guy approached me I couldn't I'd be lying if I told you I can remember verbatim but was very upset you know it may have been a little bit inebriated but I was making it clear that um they weren't pleased with the outcome of the game and was was aggressive yeah truly aggressive to the point where um I don't know if my dad said something but it got de-escalated pretty quickly I wasn't a small guy so I was I was ready to get up and defend myself but what I will say and I I don't I think this is an important part of the story for where that season went afterwards I think we won like seven straight games or something like that when we got back to the facility on those buses coach O'Leary called a team meeting and brought us in um to the team meeting room and really spent about 30 or 40 minutes kind of reframing where we should go the rest of the way and really helping us in his unique way of being bearing and putting that loss behind us and then brought me into his office afterwards and kind of asked what what I thought happened and you know in an uncommon way he said listen you've got to play you know with some fun you need to have fun you need to really kind of relax and not worry about me and the pressure that you may be feeling from me and that that changed the rest of the season for me I was never going to be a guy that went out and threw for 350 yards we didn't run that type of offense but I felt more confident than I ever had before and it was how he handled immediately us kind of putting that loss behind us and so I thought that was a great a great coaching moment for him and especially in my career for for him to handle it that way and that's it was an interesting Crossroads because we're talking about you know 64 to 12 and I think USF went on to be ranked number two maybe a couple weeks later and then everything completely fell apart for South Florida you know didn't even I don't think he even finished the year ranked they lost their bowl game UCF on the other hand you know had that amazing run you know all the way to the Liberty Bowl the conference Championship and just look at the trajectory of both programs ever since then for for such a a terrible end result of that one day in Tampa I mean the the I guess both programs where where both programs headed uh couldn't be any more different uh but but what was it like for you because that that series it took uh several years off because at that point you know USF wanted nothing to do with UCF they didn't want to schedule any games and I think those initial games were only scheduled because it was part of an agreement when USF left Conference USA they had to play another Conference USA team it was something in their exit agreement and so when that was finished they didn't want to play anymore and the two teams didn't play again and so they were forced to when both ended up in the same conference the American Athletic Conference so you know what was it like for you to as a former player at that point uh an alumni coming back to see UCF start to creep up and winning some game you know 2013 was a really big one that first game in the bounce house in years and you know obviously that team we know what happened that year and once you mentioned 2017 so it hasn't been satisfying to see UCF claw back and start to notch some wins and now they have a series lead and they have to win on Saturday to maintain the series lead but I mean that hadn't been satisfying for you experienced that 64 to 12 Day in 2007. no it is and that's that's the beauty about being a part of a program right you're a part of it forever and so people can can go out and and you know maybe make up or get some Vengeance for for certainly for the loss that we had because it was truly it was the worst day of football that I've ever experienced um you know if you weren't at that game it's hard to tell what that was like it was terrible so you know to see what Blake did I think we beat them in a close game in 2013 fairly close I think he hit uh burchard Perryman or somebody on it yeah that was you know the interesting thing about the series though is that you know other than 2017 both programs haven't really been at their Peak when they played each other it's always been UCF is really good and USS really bad even the years that USF is bad and UCF should have dominated the games are always closer than they should have been like that 2013 game honestly probably should have been a blow I know UCF didn't really you know they made every game interesting that year they won them but unfortunately for ucfans they haven't had that 64-12 type game you know to get back at them to kind of really feel like they ran all over them I think Brandon that this could be this could be the game I mean I I we got to play the type of football that we played against Cincinnati Memphis uh and Tulane um but I would love to see us dominate a game where we you know see another 350 yard rushing game or something like that and and kind of put it to bed get out on top with the the series lead you know this game puts us in a conference Championship I think it would be icing on the cake I I don't have this true internal hatred of South Florida because you're always kind of wanting them in some way shape or form at least me to do well to make this game at the end of the year even bigger than it already is um and and you you know I played football in high school with guys that played at South Florida and you're always I for me I had a strong hatred for East Carolina um and I didn't necessarily feel that way about South Florida but it's been satisfying to say the least to see us do what we've done to them um because you know I don't really remember that feeling of losing to them too much um and I guarantee you that I'll wake up on Sunday getting back on a flight to Germany and be terribly disappointed gut-wrenchingly disappointed uh if we were to to lose this game and their head coach and that team knows what they're playing for they're not playing just to beat us but they're playing to ruin our season and so they're going to come out motivated and they've been in some close football games that they just haven't won right and you mentioned a few minutes ago that you know you were really brought in to help build the foundation you know coach Hillary you talked about that when he recruited you and you definitely did that so how how proud of are you when you look back at what you did and you see how this program has grown Through The Years you know you see the new year six Bowl wins you see the Fiesta Bowl you see the you know the undefeated season the National Championship in 2017 and now you see UCF going to a power five conference the Big 12 I mean that's what you've always dreamed of you they wanted to get in the Big East before when that was the BCS League USF did everything they could to block that from happening and and now you see what's happening when Yusuf is going alone it's they're not going to be linked with cell floor anymore so as someone who's been there I mean just how excited are you for for the future we see where UCF is headed extremely excited extremely excited slightly disappointed that I've waited so many years for us to be in the Big 12 and I make it to catch one football game a year now um in person that's a little disappointing but when you look at the success you know 2013 when you look at how we rebounded from a terrible season in 2015 to two years later with basically half the same team go undefeated and then to beat Auburn the way that we did and I think when you look at the caliber of player that we're bringing into the program now you're seeing guys go have an impact and change their lives financially at the next level and that that's something that each time a player gets drafted I do have this moment of satisfaction knowing that like I helped me play a small part of of putting our our program in position to get this type of player and for them to get this this next level of success even to see a guy like Josh sit and go into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame who was a right tackle with me it is satisfying and it is something that you know coach O'Leary made this promise that hey you're going to come back someday and you're going to open a stadium in 10 years thanks to him and Steve Orsini we got it done in my in my career um but just to even on even on Saturday I probably had you know 20 seconds where I looked around and just appreciated you know for an 11 o'clock game we had a pretty full stadium and and we're in we're in the top 25 and the expectation has changed and so it's been it's been rewarding um it's it's what we as a team and program set it set out to do it's why I chose UCF over a Florida State or some of these other schools that I could have gone to was because there's something to be said about about being a part of building something and um and and we accomplished what we wanted to do um and and there were guys before us Brandon you know it still around that in the 80s and 90s feel the same way um and so yeah that's that's something that can never be taken away can't take away a conference Championship from us and um I'm just glad that we've continued to have the impact uh you know on on a national level that the program has had and now if I wear a UCF hat in another state somebody knows what that means and for a long time they had no UCF but where where is that yeah yeah that's changed that's awesome man I've really enjoyed catching up with you these last few minutes congratulations on all the great stuff going on in your life and uh you have a safe flight back to Germany it was great to see you in person last weekend and I thought it'd be fun I thought the fan base would like to hear from you a little bit I know you've done very immediate stuff through the years but you can have a unique perspective as we kind of get ready for this final installment of the war on I-4 well thank you very much Kyle and uh maybe we'll chat again sometime in the future let me know love to go Knights all right sure John let's go