The 2018 UCF Football Season in Review
Winter 2018 | By Jenna Marina Lee
After the confetti was swept away at the end of last year 麻豆精品 S檚 Peach Bowl, the speculation swirled almost immediately. How could UCF possibly sustain the success from its perfect season? A new coaching staff. Four players drafted to the NFL. A target of the college football world. There 麻豆精品 S檚 no way the Knights could keep it rolling in 2018 麻豆精品 S� could they? Clearly the doubters don 麻豆精品 S檛 know what it means to be a Knight.
Anyone that 麻豆精品 S檚 been involved in college football 麻豆精品 S� I don 麻豆精品 S檛 care if you 麻豆精品 S檙e coaching or playing 麻豆精品 S� should understand how difficult it is to do what these individuals have done over the last 24 months. To handle adversity. To continue to compete at an elite level, knowing that you 麻豆精品 S檙e getting everybody 麻豆精品 S檚 best shot, takes a special group of young men. 麻豆精品 S�Josh Heupel, UCF head coach
Led by junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who threw for five touchdowns, UCF scored in less than 2 minutes, 40 seconds on each of its eight scoring drives.
麻豆精品 S淚 love how the players have opened their arms and grasped on to what we 麻豆精品 S檙e trying to do in our overall philosophy and who we are as coaches. In eight months, this group has gotten pretty close. I 麻豆精品 S檓 looking forward to this journey. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Heupel
After 279 days since the UCF football team 麻豆精品 S檚 final home game of the 2017 season, the lights shined bright once again at Spectrum Stadium. The second-largest home-opening crowd in school history (43,269) shows up, as the defense records its first shutout since the 2016 season opener, which was also a 38 麻豆精品 S�0 victory over South Carolina State.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been waiting on this. The stadium packed, loud, just making plays. It 麻豆精品 S檚 what you live for. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Tre Nixon, redshirt sophomore wide receiver
The game was canceled due to Hurricane Florence, marking the third straight season Mother Nature affected the Knights 麻豆精品 S� schedule.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Knights outscored the reigning Conference USA champions 21 麻豆精品 S�6 in the third quarter and rolled on to the 16th-straight victory, which set a new conference record.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 31-point win over Pitt marked the program 麻豆精品 S檚 largest margin of victory ever recorded over a Power 5 opponent. Pitt, who went on to play Clemson in the ACC Championship, nearly upset College Football Playoff finalist Notre Dame but fell short, 19 麻豆精品 S�14, on Oct. 13.
麻豆精品 S淚 think I 麻豆精品 S檇 rather play Notre Dame than Central Florida. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Pat Narduzzi, Pitt head coach
With a slate of conference foes ahead of them, the Knights focused on making a statement. By the end of the first quarter, UCF held a 21 麻豆精品 S�3 advantage. SMU came into the game having allowed 17 points in the first quarter of its previous five games combined.
麻豆精品 S淲e have so much depth at receiver, running back and tight end. It lets us know that we can count on any guy when their number is called, and they are going to get in the game, know聽what they 麻豆精品 S檙e doing and execute it. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Adrian Killins Jr., junior running back
Memphis had won four straight games over nationally ranked teams at the Liberty Bowl and were riding a 12-game regular season winning streak at home. The Knights had never trailed聽by more than 3 points this season. Against Memphis, they trailed by as much as 16 (at the time, the third-largest deficit overcome in school history) before their heart-stopping comeback.
麻豆精品 S淲e didn 麻豆精品 S檛 mean to scare y 麻豆精品 S檃ll like that. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� A.J. Wooten 麻豆精品 S�18, senior defensive lineman
Mack gets the nod to start for the first聽time in his career and finishes with 69聽yards passing, 120 yards rushing and one touchdown. His performance stands as the second most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game in program history.
麻豆精品 S淣o butterflies. I was just ready. … Helping my team get the W, that 麻豆精品 S檚 all I can ask for. It was special for me. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Darriel Mack Jr., redshirt freshman quarterback
Clocking in at 3 hours and 54 minutes, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 longest game of the season 麻豆精品 S� which featured 92 points and 1,300 yards of total offense 麻豆精品 S� ended at 11:24 p.m. on a Thursday, effectively turning Knight Nation into Zombie Nation.
麻豆精品 S淲e show that we can fight every single week, and we 麻豆精品 S檒l continue to go 1 麻豆精品 S�0 every week. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Michael Colubiale 麻豆精品 S�17, redshirt senior tight end
UCF never trailed in the game, but the Knights needed to adjust and focus on a run-heavy game plan in response to Navy 麻豆精品 S檚 new defensive scheme. Milton rushed for 62 yards in the game, passing Daunte Culpepper for the most rushing yards in聽a career by a UCF quarterback.
麻豆精品 S淒aunte is obviously a legend 麻豆精品 S� not just here but in the NFL, so that 麻豆精品 S檚 huge. I 麻豆精品 S檓 pretty sure Darriel Mack will probably pass that up when his time comes. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Milton
ESPN 麻豆精品 S檚 iconic show, College GameDay, made its first-ever appearance at UCF on Nov. 17 ahead of the Knights 麻豆精品 S� primetime matchup against nationally ranked Cincinnati. 麻豆精品 S淲e try to go where there 麻豆精品 S檚 a great story. No matter which side of the fence you sit on, I think this is a great story, 麻豆精品 S� said Rece Davis, host of College GameDay.
麻豆精品 S淭urning the TV on and seeing聽it 麻豆精品 S檚 in Orlando on UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 campus聽on Memory Mall, that was unreal.聽This was a childhood聽dream for me. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Joey Connors 麻豆精品 S�17, senior defensive lineman
With the whole nation watching the sold-out primetime matchup on ABC, the Knights committed several miscues in the first five minutes, including a strip sack of Milton that lifted the Bearcats to an early 6 麻豆精品 S�0 lead. Unfazed, UCF fed off the energy of the raucous 47,795 in attendance and scored 35 unanswered points to clinch the AAC 麻豆精品 S檚 East Division trophy.
This rivalry game would turn out to be about more than the final score. As UCF led 7 麻豆精品 S�0, Milton went down early in the second quarter with a traumatic leg injury that forced him to be carted off the field and into emergency surgery. With their leader in their hearts and minds, the Knights pushed on and limited USF聽to just 7 second-half points to secure the War on I-4 football trophy for the second straight year.
麻豆精品 S淪eeing [McKenzie get injured was] devastating to the whole team. We rallied around that and used that聽as motivation and energy to play聽for him. We played for 10. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Greg McCrae, sophomore running back
American Athletic Conference Championship
12/1 VS Memphis (#10hana)
W, 56-41
With No. 10 watching from home and recovering from his injury, Knight Nation wore leis in tribute to the Hawaiian native.
麻豆精品 S淩emember what Ohana means. No one gets left behind. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Mark and Teresa Milton, parents of McKenzie Milton
Memphis and UCF took last year 麻豆精品 S檚 championship game to double overtime. Earlier this year in the regular season, their matchup was decided by 1 point. The championship game lived up to the hype. The Knights fell behind early and rallied from a 17-point deficit by outscoring the Tigers 35 麻豆精品 S�3 in the second half. With the win, UCF hoisted another AAC trophy on its home field.
麻豆精品 S淭he streak is still alive. It sits at 25. They remain unbeaten and once again the champions of the American Athletic Conference. Final score: UCF 56, Memphis 41. The Knights win! 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Final call by UCF Play-By-Play Announcer Marc Daniels
2019 Fiesta Bowl
1/1 VS LSU
L, 32-40
Despite an early 14 麻豆精品 S�3 lead, the Knights 麻豆精品 S� spectacular winning streak came to an end at the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. It lasted 25 games and a span of 745 days, dating back to Aug. 31, 2017. The accomplishment will be listed in the NCAA record book among the longest winning streaks ever recorded and marks the fourth-longest winning streak this century.
麻豆精品 S淚 wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 trade this for anything in the world. What I want is for people聽to know this team pushes through any adversity there is. I hope we 麻豆精品 S檝e opened some people 麻豆精品 S檚 eyes that we play real ball, and we can play with anybody. There is聽no limit to this team. 麻豆精品 S澛� 麻豆精品 S� Mac Loudermilk 麻豆精品 S�18, redshirt senior punter
