If there is one thing coaches at UCF already knew before heading into training camp earlier this month, it’s that things can’t get a whole lot worse on offense for their football team than they already were in 2008.

And considering how good the Knights are projected to be once again on defense this season there is extra room for optimism on the east side of town this fall.

“There’s a lot of retention there,” said Head Coach George O’Leary of a team that comes off of a 4-8 (3-5 C-USA) campaign. “There are a lot of players back and a lot of big-plays on both sides of the ball, potentially.”

“Potentially” being the key word in the world of UCF football.

While it’s back to business as usual for defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable, the month of August at UCF has consisted of the installation of new offensive schemes led by first-year coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Taaffe.

Taaffe is a veteran of multiple styles on that side of the ball over the past 35 years amid various stops. The Hall of Fame quarterback at Siena (1970-72) brings coaching experience to town from the Canadian Football League and various collegiate stops at The Citadel, Maryland, Army, Virginia, NC State, Georgia Tech, Albany and Pittsburgh.

Conveniently, Taaffe’s son, Brian, is a redshirt freshman on this year’s team after transferring in from Fordham.

Not that the younger Taaffe would have an automatic leg up on ascending the depth chart for an offense that lost lineman Pat Brown to the NFL after finishing dead last – out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision (D-I) teams – in total offense a year ago.

No, the burden of picking that unit back up off the turf lies squarely on the shoulders of what could turn into a revolving door at quarterback between sophomore Rob Calabrese, redshirt sophomore Joe Weatherford and senior Wake Forest transfer Brett Hodges, should the new schemes get too much for just one to handle.

“With the addition of Charlie Taaffe, I do think he’s a coach that has a lot of experience in a lot of different areas,” said O’Leary at the Conference USA Media Day. “I expect to see a lot more multiple situations going on from an offensive scheme standpoint, and for our offense to be one that can move the ball and put points on the board.”

Of course things will be made much easier now that key players are healthy again and a solid year of experience has been had by a number of underclassmen.

One of those returnees in particular is senior wide receiver Rocky Ross, who already likes Taaffe’s approach of willing to take the big shots down field and the new look he’s given the offense.

“It’s more of what’s going on in college football right now,” said Ross of the new style on campus. “It’s more exciting. It gets the receivers and all the skill players involved.”

O’Leary admits that his five-year tenure at UCF has been marred with playing things too close to the vest on offense.

Now with a combination of Taaffe’s knack for pinpointing what style may be best suited for a particular group, amid the talent available at his disposal, fans may soon forget the days of constant predictability that sparked runs at both championship and anemic seasons.

“Right now, from a depth standpoint, we probably have more guys who can make plays in the open field,” said O’Leary in comparing this group to the one that took the field a year ago.

Whether those plays get made on Saturday’s this fall will be telling of just how far the makeover is coming along.

More UCF Football coverage:

– George O’Leary talks with WFTV Channel 9

– Preseason practice pictures from Orlando Sentinel