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UCF Knights football

September 03, 2023

The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference, making UCF the youngest school among the Power Five conferences.[4] Their head coach is Gus Malzahn. The Knights play their home games at the 45,301-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States. [5]

UCF Knights Football
First season1979
Athletic directorTerry Mohajir
Head coachGus Malzahn
3rd season, 18–9 (.667)
StadiumFBC Mortgage Stadium
(capacity: 45,301[1])
Year built2007
Field surfaceGrass
LocationOrlando, Florida [a]
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Past conferencesMid-American Conference
(2002–2004)
Conference USA
(2005–2012)
American Athletic Conference (2013–2022)
All-time record287–226–1 (.559)
Bowl record6–8 (.429)
Claimed national titles1 (2017)
Conference titles6 (2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018)
Division titles6 (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018)
RivalriesCincinnati (rivalry)
South Florida (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans1
ColorsBlack and gold[2]
   
Fight song"Charge On"
MascotKnightro
Marching bandMarching Knights
OutfitterNike[3]
Websiteucfknights.com

UCF first fielded a varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I–A, now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in 1996, becoming the first program in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions of football (and the only one until James Madison joined FBS in 2022).[6] As a Division I–AA program, the Knights made the 1990 and 1993 playoffs, and were picked as the preseason No. 1 team to start the 1994 season.[7]

As of the end of the 2021 season, UCF has compiled 278 victories, six division titles, six conference championships, and an undefeated season in 2017. The Knights claim a national championship for the 2017 season despite being excluded from that season's College Football Playoff, as they were chosen as the #1 team by the Colley Matrix.[8][9]

The Knights have made 14 postseason appearances since joining the FBS, including winning two New Year's Six bowls: the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and the 2018 Peach Bowl. The program has produced one Consensus All-American, Kevin Smith in 2007, and three Heisman Trophy candidates, Daunte Culpepper (QB) in 1998, Kevin Smith (RB) in 2007, and McKenzie Milton (QB)[10] in 2017 and 2018. UCF has produced a long line of accomplished NFL players, including Blake Bortles, A. J. Bouye, Gabe Davis, Shaquill Griffin, Daunte Culpepper, Brandon Marshall, Latavius Murray, Matt Prater, Asante Samuel, and Josh Sitton. UCF has had four first-round picks in the NFL Draft, 16 Super Bowl players, and seven pro-bowlers. The Knights' main rivals are the South Florida Bulls.

History Edit

See also: List of UCF Knights football seasons and List of UCF Knights bowl games

Early history (1979–1984) Edit

The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the university's second president, Dr. Trevor Colbourn, in January 1979.[11] Colbourn believed that a successful athletics program would bring the university greater renown, and tasked Dr. Jack O'Leary with the job of creating a new football program at the school.[12] In addition, Colbourn changed the name of the school to the University of Central Florida (prior to this, the college was known as Florida Technological University), to express the university's expanded academic scope.[13]

Beginning at the Division III level, O'Leary, then the university's athletic director, held a meeting of prospective players, who paid $14 per night to stay in the dorms and brought their own uniforms to the tryouts, in March 1979.[14] This would be the first football tryouts for prospective players, and would serve as the first that many students would hear about the new athletic program.[12] O'Leary had previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant.[15] He would spearhead the effort to raise more than $40,000 to start the program, and would complete a deal for the team to play in the Tangerine Bowl.[12] Without a budget to hire a staff, O'Leary reached out to six UCF graduate students as volunteer assistants.[12] From there, O'Leary was able to lure Don Jonas, a former NFL quarterback and Orlando dignitary, to become UCF's first head football coach on a voluntary basis.[12]

One day during a practice, O'Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of "The Fighting Knights".[16] He would reveal a template that would follow the team into the 21st century: black jerseys, gold pants and gold helmets.[12] Less than one year after Colbourn had envisioned a football program for the university, UCF played its first game on September 22, 1979, against St. Leo University.[17] The Knights would prove victorious with a 21–0 shutout,[18] and less than a week later, the Knights would win their first home game by defeating Ft. Benning, 7–6.[19] Jonas led the Knights to a 6–2 inaugural season, behind an average attendance of 11,240, including a Division III record crowd of 14,138.[19] Following the season, in March 1980, Jonas was offered the Knights head coaching job as a full-time position.[20] After leading the team to a 4–4–1 and 4–6 record in 1980 and 1981 respectively,[21][22] Jonas would leave the Knights following the 1981 season.[19] During the 1980 season, the Knights earned the only tie in program history, an 11–all game against Miles,[23] and Tim Kiggins became the first Knight to sign a professional contract.[19] After his departure, Jonas remained involved in the program, including doing radio broadcasts of UCF football games and a radio sports talk show.[24] Jonas led the Knights to a 14–12–1 (.518) record in three seasons.[25]

Following the departure of Don Jonas, Sam Weir, who was the head coach at Lake Howell High School, became UCF's new head coach and led the Knights in their move up to Division II in 1982.[19] Another change to the university's athletic programs in 1982 was the departure of O'Leary as athletic director, and the hiring of Bill Peterson, who was the Florida State head coach from 1960 to 1970.[26] In their first season playing Division II ball, the Knights went 0–10, and Weir decided not to return for the 1983 season.[27] One bright spot of the season was that Mike Carter became the first Knight to sign with an NFL team, the Denver Broncos.[26]

Lou Saban replaced Weir as the Knights head coach in 1983.[28] Saban had previously coached at Miami, Army, Northwestern, and in the AFL and NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots, to name just a few.[26] In UCF's first Black and Gold Spring game held in 1983, the defense won 14–6.[22] The Knights finished the 1983 season 5–6, including the team's first win over a Division I–AA opponent.[26] Starting the 1984 season filled with optimism, the Knights were shaken by a 1–6 start.[29][self-published source?] Following the disappointing beginning to the season, Saban stepped away from the program, and was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jerry Anderson.[26] Saban had a 6–12 (.333) record during his tenure as the Knights head coach.[30] Anderson finished out the year with the team in an interim position, with a 1–3 (.250) record.[31] UCF finished the season with a 2–9 mark.[26] In the course of the three seasons following Jonas' departure, the Knights went through three head coaches, and amassed a 7–25 record.[26]

Gene McDowell era (1985–1997) Edit

Reeling after a disappointing string of seasons, there were discussions within the community about the possibility of dismantling the program,[32] and Peterson announced his retirement as the university's athletic director.[33] In addition, due to financial troubles, the team had to postpone plans to move up to Division I-AA.[26] Without a head coach or athletic director, President Colbourn hired Florida State assistant coach Gene McDowell to fill both positions.[34] McDowell took the helm in 1985, and hired his eventual successor and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mike Kruczek as his offensive coordinator.[26] The Knights would finish with a 4–7 mark in McDowell's first year, including a 21–42 loss to UCF's first-ever Division I–A opponent, Louisville.[26] Due to financial hardships, McDowell waived half of his annual salary, and FSU head coach Bobby Bowden donated uniforms and cleats to the program.[26]

McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979, with a 6–5 record in 1986.[35] Also that year, Ted Wilson became the first UCF player to be selected in the 1987 NFL Draft, being picked by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round.[36] Following an 8–3 regular season record in 1987,[37] the Knights earned their first trip to the Division II playoffs, where they earned a 1–1 record.[35] After starting the 1988 season with five straight wins, UCF would be ranked No. 2 in Division II.[35] During a game against the defending D-II national champions Troy at the Citrus Bowl, UCF fans were so loud at one point that the Trojans quarterback Bob Godsey couldn't call plays.[38] Godsey complained to the referee about the crowd noise, but instead of helping Troy, the referee called a delay of game penalty on the Trojans.[39] The "Noise Penalty" game is legendary at UCF, and the win over Troy thrust the Knights into the position as the No. 1 ranked team in D-II.[35] Between 1986 and 1990 under the leadership of McDowell, the Knights held a 24–6 record at the Citrus Bowl.[35]

During McDowell's tenure, the program moved up to Division I-AA in 1990.[40] In their first year in the division, the Knights earned a 10–4 record, a program best, and a trip to the I–AA playoffs.[41] UCF would make it to the semifinals, and became the first school in history to qualify for the I–AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility.[40] The Knights would finish the 1991 and 1992 with winning seasons as well.[42][43] In 1992, Dr. John Hitt, UCF's fourth president, announced that the program would make the move to Division I-A in 1996,[44] and he hired Steve Sloan as the university's new athletic director.[40] Earning their eighth winning season in 1993, the Knights would again make the playoffs.[40] During the season, the team won their first game over a Division I–A team, a 38–16 victory at Louisiana Tech.[45] After another impressive season, UCF was selected as the preseason No. 1 to start the 1994 season.[46] The 1994 season would prove disappointing however, as the Knights would finish the season ranked No. 20 with a 7–4 record.[40] During the team's final season in Division I-AA, the Knights were reinvigorated by freshman sensation Daunte Culpepper. The quarterback would lead the Knights to a 6–5 record, and their tenth straight winning season in 1995.[47]

On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made its foray into Division I-A.[48] At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions (III, II, I-AA and I-A).[47] In their first two seasons in Division I-A, the Knights posted identical 5–6 records behind Culpepper. In 1997, assistant coach Alan Gooch was named the national assistant coach of the year, due to his work with deaf running back Dwight Collins.[47] In the wake of a federal fraud scandal revolving around improper cellular phone benefits and use, McDowell resigned as head coach on January 20, 1998.[47][49] Over his 13-year tenure at UCF, McDowell earned an 86–61 (.585) record.[50]

Mike Kruczek era (1998–2003) Edit

After the abrupt departure of Gene McDowell, offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek was named UCF's new head coach on an interim basis.[51] He would receive the position permanently later in 1998.[47] Daunte Culpepper led UCF to its best season ever with a 9–2 record in 1998 (with losses only coming to Purdue[52] and Auburn).[53] Culpepper finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting and set the NCAA record for completion percentage that year (73.4%).[47] Following the season, Culpepper was drafted with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, marking the highest ever draft pick of a UCF player.[47]

The Knights proved to be a scary team on the road against heavily favored opponents, with close losses including a 10–6 loss at Auburn in 1998, a 24–23 loss at Georgia in 1999,[54] and a 21–17 loss at Georgia Tech in 2000.[55] Kruczek's biggest victory would come in 2000 against Alabama at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the Knights won 40–38 on a last-second field goal by Javier Beorlegui.[56][57] After finishing 9–2 in 1998,[58] UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the inaugural Oahu Bowl.[59] That arrangement, however, was contingent on UCLA finishing the season undefeated; the Oahu Bowl was otherwise committed to taking a team from the Pac-10.[60] On the final day of the regular season, Miami upset UCLA, setting off a chain reaction that sent Washington to the Oahu Bowl and left the Knights out in the cold.[61]

Kruczek guided the team as a Division I-A independent until 2002.[62] After six difficult years as an independent, UCF played its much-anticipated first season as a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference in 2002.[57] They finished runner-up in the East division with a 6–2 conference record. They finished the season 7–5 overall, completing their 14th winning season in the past 17 years.[63][23] The excitement, however, would be short-lived.[57] After signing a three-year contract extension at the beginning of the 2003 season,[64] Kruczek was fired following a 3–7 start.[65] Kruczek was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch who finished out the dismal 3–9 season[66] with losses to Mid-American Conference rivals Marshall and Miami (OH).[57] The Marshall game marked UCF's first nationally televised home football game as it was aired on ESPN2.[67] Kruczek ended his six-year stewardship of UCF with a 36–30 (.545) record.[68]

An increased travel burden, lack of competitiveness, and lack of natural rivals within the midwest-based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference. Furthermore, the UCF athletic department was interested in an all-sports conference membership rather than a football-only affiliation.[69][57] In 2003, UCF was invited as an all-sports member of Conference USA beginning with the 2005 season.[70][57]

George O'Leary era (2004–2015) Edit

 
Coach O'Leary

Following the disappointing 2003 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary was named UCF's head coach in 2004.[71] This was a controversial and bold hire because O'Leary had previously left Georgia Tech after the 2001 season and been named head coach at Notre Dame, but resigned in disgrace five days into his tenure after inconsistencies were found on his resume.[72] The difficult coaching transition for 2004, the Knights' final year in the Mid-American Conference, saw the team hit rock bottom, going 0–11.[73]

Conference USA Edit

In 2005, UCF started their first season as a member of Conference USA. Not expected to improve much over 2004, they surprisingly won their first conference game against Marshall, 23–13, ending the school's 17-game losing streak, then the nation's longest such streak.[74][71] UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts.[75] Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF's Reflection Pond (a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash).[76] UCF then went on to win eight out of the remaining nine games on their schedule, finishing 7–1 in C-USA games and 8–5 overall,[77] winning the East Division and hosting the first ever C-USA Championship game, which they lost, 44–27, to Tulsa.[78][71] Shortly thereafter, UCF was invited to play in their first ever bowl game, the Hawaii Bowl, losing to Nevada 49–48 in overtime due to a missed PAT that would have tied the game.[79] In 2005 O'Leary was chosen by SportsIllustrated.com for the coach of the year award and received votes for the larger Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.[71] In May 2006, UCF extended O'Leary's contract for 10 years and increased his pay to $1 million plus incentives per year after he engineered the fourth-best single-season turnaround in college football history.[80][81]

2007 Edit

After an anemic 2006 which saw the Golden Knights go a mere 4–8,[82] the team rebranded in 2007 in preparation for its move to its new on-campus venue, Bright House Networks Stadium (later known as Spectrum Stadium and now as FBC Mortgage Stadium).[83] They dropped the "Golden" from their name, becoming the "UCF Knights".[84] Fortunes seemed to have changed as the Knights moved into new facilities. After defeating a BCS AQ conference school for just the second time ever, NC State by a score of 25–23,[85] they inaugurated their new stadium by hosting and losing to national power No. 6 Texas by a score of 35–32.[86] The Knights lost to archrival South Florida by a score of 64–12 in Tampa,[87] but went on to have a 10–4 overall record and won the C-USA East again, hosting the Championship game against Tulsa once more.[88] UCF defeated Tulsa in a near-reversal of the 2005 Conference USA Championship Game 44–25,[89] thereby gaining UCF's first ever Conference Championship title and a berth in the 2007 Liberty Bowl. Following UCF's victory, the Knights received 35 votes in the AP Poll, but did not reach the top 25, ranking 27th.[90] The Knights lost the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee by a score of 10–3 to Mississippi State.[91] The Knights went on to finish the year with its first 10 win season in the FBS. In 2007, Kevin Smith set an NCAA record with 450 rushing attempts and rushed for 2,567 yards, placing him 2nd on the NCAA's all-time single season rushing list behind only Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders.[92] Despite this, he was not selected even as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.[92] He also was the only running back in the 2007 season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Texas Longhorns.[92] He was a fan favorite, especially with student section at Bright House Networks Stadium.[92] Smith originally stated that he would return for his senior season at UCF,[93] however, he later changed his mind, announcing on January 6, 2008, that he would declare for the 2008 NFL Draft.[94] He was selected with the first pick in the third round by the Detroit Lions.[95]

2008 Edit

On March 18, 2008, running back Ereck Plancher collapsed shortly after a conditioning drill, and was then transported to a nearby hospital where he died approximately one hour later.[96] ESPN's Outside The Lines program on November 2, 2008, interviewed players who were at the training session at which Plancher became ill, and which after he died, and stated that the session was longer and far more rigorous than O'Leary and other UCF Athletics officials have admitted to publicly.[97] They also alleged that O'Leary and other coaches had initially warned players off from providing assistance to Plancher when he became visibly distressed.[98] After a 14-day trial in 2011, a jury found the UCF Athletics Association guilty of negligence in the death of Plancher. The jury awarded each of his parents $5 million.[99] Upon appeal, however, the Florida Supreme Court sided with the University of Central Florida, ruling that sickle-cell disease caused the death and the university didn't owe any money to Plancher's family.[98]

2009 Edit

After a lackluster 4–8 season in 2008,[100] UCF bounced back with an 8–5 record in 2009,[101] including winning their last six straight C-USA games. Among those wins was their first victory over a nationally ranked team, beating then No. 12 Houston on November 14 by a score of 37–32 at Spectrum Stadium.[102] UCF finished with a 45–24 loss to Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl, their third bowl appearance in five years.[103] Entering the 2010 season, with the recruitment of Jeffrey Godfrey and return of key seniors, including Bruce Miller, there were high hopes for the Knights.[104] After winning 5 straight games, and posting an 11-game conference winning streak, the Knights were ranked for the first time in school history following their nationally televised 40–33 victory over Houston on the road.[105] For the polls released on November 7, 2010, UCF was ranked in all three major college polls.[106] The Knights were ranked 25 in the AP Poll, 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25 in the Harris Poll.[107] In their first game as a nationally ranked squad, the Knights fell 31–21 to Southern Miss in Orlando.[108] UCF would bounce back and defeat Tulane by a score of 61–14[109] and Memphis by a score of 37–17.[110] With the wins, the Knights secured the C-USA Eastern Division championship and reentered the polls.[111]

2010 Edit

The Knights would go on to win the 2010 Conference USA championship game, defeating SMU 17–7.[112] Following the win, UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history, ranking No. 25.[113] The Knights ended the 2010 season with a 10–6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, marking the team's first-ever bowl victory.[114] UCF would end the season ranked 20th in the final coaches poll and 21st in the final AP rankings.[115]

2011 Edit

2011 proved to be a disappointing season as UCF finished with a 5–7 record and were not bowl eligible for the first time since 2008.[116] The season included out-of-conference losses to FIU[117] and BYU,[118] as well as conference losses to then-winless UAB,[119] a 1-point loss to No. 23 Southern Miss[120] and the continuation of the Knights woes at quarterback, as Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles battled for playing time.[121] Following the 2011 season, Jeff Godfrey planned on transferring, though he later decided to return to the Knights as a wide receiver.[121]

Invitation to Big East Edit

It was announced on December 7, 2011, that UCF would join the Big East Conference, but was rebranded the American Athletic Conference soon thereafter,[122] in all sports beginning in 2013.[123]

Following an investigation into recruiting violations in the men's basketball and football programs in 2011, on July 31, 2012, the NCAA announced sanctions – in addition to penalties UCF had previously self-imposed.[124] The NCAA imposed a one-year postseason football ban.[125] The penalty was in addition to a $50,000 fine, adding two years to UCF's previously proposed three years' probation, reduction of football scholarships, and tighter limits of football recruiting visiting days.[126][127]

2012 Edit

In 2012, the Knights finished 10–4[128] and won their fourth C-USA East Division championship, though they would fall 33–27 in overtime to Tulsa in the league title game.[129] UCF would play in the 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and win 38–17 over Ball State as quarterback Blake Bortles would be named the game's MVP after throwing four touchdown passes.[130]

2013 Edit

On April 19, 2013, UCF won its appeal with the NCAA and was eligible for postseason play in 2013.[131] The appeal would prove crucial, as in 2013, O'Leary led the Knights to their first twelve-win season (12–1),[132] first perfect conference record (8–0), first win against a Big Ten opponent (Penn State),[133] first win against a Top–10 team (No. 8 Louisville),[134] third conference title, and the program's first appearance and victory in a BCS bowl game, defeating No. 6 Baylor 52–42 in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.[135] The game was one of the biggest upsets of the BCS era.[136][137] On January 7, 2014, UCF was ranked No. 10 in the season's final AP Poll, the highest ranking in school history.[138] Blake Bortles would be drafted in the first round at third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft.[139]

2014 Edit

The Knights finished 9–4 in 2014.[140] The Knights kicked off the season in Dublin, Ireland against Penn State, losing to the Nittany Lions by a score of 26–24.[141] O'Leary's squad dropped to 0–2 after losing to No. 20 Missouri by a score of 38–10.[142] Central Florida then won its next five; defeating FCS foe Bethune–Cookman,[143] Houston,[144] BYU in overtime,[145] Tulane[146] and Temple.[147] The Knights' five-game winning streak was snapped with a 37–29 loss to UConn on November 1.[148] UCF won its next four to close the regular season; topping Tulsa,[149] SMU,[150] archrival South Florida[151] and East Carolina, where a last-second Hail Mary pass earned UCF a shared conference title.[152] O'Leary's Knights accepted a bid to the 2014 St. Petersburg Bowl, a game they lost to NC State by a score of 34–27.[153]

2015 Edit

The 2015 season, which began with high hopes, would be a disaster. After dropping their first three, UCF lost to South Carolina by a score of 31–14 on September 26 to fall to 0–4.[154] Following UCF's 59–10 loss to Houston on homecoming,[155] dropping the Knights to an 0–8 record to start the 2015 season, O'Leary resigned as head football coach.[156][157] Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett was named interim head coach and led the team for the remaining four games of the season.[158] UCF finished the 2015 season at a winless 0–12, its third such campaign in program history.[159]

Scott Frost era (2016–2017) Edit

 
Coach Frost

After an extensive coaching search, Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost was named as UCF's tenth head coach on December 1, 2015.[160][161] Serving under head coach Mark Helfrich, Frost had overseen one of college football's quickest and most explosive offenses at Oregon, won multiple Pac-12 conference championships, coached quarterback Marcus Mariota into a Heisman Trophy winner in 2014[162] and sent many players into the National Football League.[163][164] All this after a successful collegiate playing career at quarterback for Stanford and Nebraska in the 1990s and in the National Football League as a safety for five years.[165]

2016 Edit

In 2016, Frost and his explosive, up-tempo offense led the Knights to a 6–7 record.[166] UCF began the Frost era with a 38–0 shutout win over FCS opponent South Carolina State.[167] After losing its next two to Big Ten opponents No. 5 Michigan in a rout[168] and Maryland in double overtime,[169] the Knights defeated FIU[170] and East Carolina.[171] Central Florida then suffered a close 26–25 loss due to a late touchdown pass to Temple on October 15.[172] The Knights rebounded the following week to defeat UConn by a score of 24–16.[173] UCF suffered a defeat on October 29 to Houston,[174] then responded with wins over Tulane[175] and Cincinnati, gaining bowl eligibility.[176] Frost's squad concluded the regular season with losses to Tulsa[177] and archrival South Florida.[178] The Knights lost to Arkansas State in the 2016 Cure Bowl by a score of 31–13.[179] After the 2016 season, Oregon fired Mark Helfrich.[180] Amidst rumors that he might be interested in the Ducks opening, Frost announced he was not interested in Oregon and that he would return as UCF's head coach in 2017.[181] Ironically, the position eventually went to UCF's rival coach, South Florida head coach Willie Taggart.[182]

2017 Edit

Surprising even himself, Frost and his team went on to an undefeated regular season in 2017, defeating FIU,[183] Maryland,[184] Memphis,[185] Cincinnati,[186] East Carolina,[187] Navy,[188] Austin Peay,[189] SMU,[190] UConn,[191] Temple,[192] and rival USF in a War on I-4 shootout.[193] The Knights were supposed to play Memphis on September 9, but due to Hurricane Irma battering the state of Florida that weekend, the game, which originally had been moved up one day to September 8,[194] was rescheduled for September 30.[195] In order to reschedule the American Athletic Conference game, UCF canceled their scheduled game with Georgia Tech, leaving the team with only 11 regular season games as opposed to the usual 12.[196] The breakout season for Frost and his team made him one of the most sought-after coaches on the market, drawing interest from Florida and his alma mater, Nebraska.[197] Frost passed on the Florida job but avoided questions about returning to Nebraska.[198] In the 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game, Frost's team went on to play Memphis for the second time and won the title in a 62–55 double overtime thriller, securing UCF's third conference championship win.[199]

Just hours after winning the AAC, sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven-year, $35 million deal to become Nebraska's new head coach.[200] Frost and his staff returned for one last game in the 2018 Peach Bowl.[201] The No. 12 ranked Knights faced No. 7 ranked Auburn, and defeated them 34–27 to close out their undefeated season with a 13–0 record.[202][203] After the win, UCF athletic director Danny White claimed a national championship for the team,[204] while the Colley Matrix also ranked UCF as the number-one team of the season on its final ranking.[205] The team celebrated with a parade at Walt Disney World.[206] Additionally, the team's coaches were paid bonuses for their performance, the school hung a national championship banner in Spectrum Stadium[207] and gave out national champion rings.[208] The claim sparked considerable controversy and debate over whether the College Football Playoff should be expanded.[209][210][211]

Josh Heupel era (2018–2020) Edit

On December 5, 2017, Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was named UCF's head football coach.[212] Heupel arrived in Orlando with some impressive credentials, overseeing explosive offenses during his time as offensive coordinator at Missouri and his alma mater Oklahoma.[213] UCF signed Heupel to a five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $1.7 million in annual base salary.[214]

2018 Edit

In Heupel's first season, UCF rode its high-powered offense to start the season 12–0 and extend their winning streak to a school-record 25 games. In their rivalry game at South Florida, star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome knee injury and was taken straight to the hospital, eventually requiring multiple surgeries to save the leg. Milton was out for the season, and never played another down for UCF, transferring to Florida State after the 2020 season and playing his final season of eligibility there in 2021. Back-up quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. took over and guided the Knights to win that game as well as the Conference championship game a week later against Memphis. The undefeated and 8th-ranked Knights were once again not selected for the College Football Playoff. Without Milton, the Knights lost a close game against LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.

2019 Edit

In Heupel's second season, UCF lost a regular season game for the first time since 2016, at Pitt. UCF also fell on the road to Cincinnati, whose fans promptly rushed the field to celebrate. UCF dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in two years. UCF finished the season defeating Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl.

2020 Edit

In Heupel's third and final season, UCF started the season ranked, but lost three games in the regular season, including their first home loss since 2016 (snapping a 21-game home winning streak). They posted a winning record for the fourth straight year, but were blown out by BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl.

On January 27, 2021, Heupel was hired to coach the Tennessee Volunteers by Tennessee's new athletic director, the same Danny White who had hired Heupel at UCF.

Gus Malzahn era (2021–present) Edit

On February 15, 2021, new athletic director Terry Mohajir named Gus Malzahn as UCF's new head coach. The two had previously worked together at Arkansas State, and Malzahn made a name for himself with a 68–35 record at Auburn from 2013 to 2020, including three wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl rivalry, an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, and two New Year's Six bowl appearances.[215] His Auburn team lost to UCF in one of those New Year's Six appearances, the 2018 Peach Bowl.

2021 Edit

Malzahn won in his debut with the Knights, defeating Boise State, 36–31. Following several critical injuries, including to starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Malzahn's first season ended with a 9–4 record (3rd in AAC) including a win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.

In 2022, UCF's final year in The American, Malzahn guided the Knights to a 9–3 regular season record (2nd in AAC). They clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game, facing Tulane.

Conference affiliations Edit

Championships Edit

National championship Edit

Under head coach Scott Frost, the 2017 Knights completed a 13–0 perfect season. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff, instead completing their season with a New Years Day win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the No. 7 Auburn Tigers. On January 7, 2018, the day before the CFP championship game, UCF athletic director Danny White stated that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship, hang a national title banner, and hold a national championship parade and celebration, all moves which were lampooned and derided by some.[8][216]

On January 9, 2018, the Colley Matrix, an algorithm formerly used as part of the BCS computer rankings, ranked UCF No. 1.[217][218][219] All other NCAA-designated major selectors named Alabama as their 2017 national champion.[220]: 115  The NCAA's official record book lists UCF under the "Final National Poll Leaders" section, but the NCAA reserves the term "National Champions" for teams selected as champions by one of the four Consensus Polls (AP, USA Today/Coaches, National Football Foundation, and Football Writers Association of America) or winners of the BCS or College Football Playoff; and places a disclaimer next to UCF's name which says that since 2014, "the College Football Playoff [has been] used to determine national champions in FBS".[221] While it is not historically uncommon for certain polls to pick a champion other than the BCS or CFP winner, UCF is the only team which actively claims a national championship that was not awarded by the BCS/CFP or the AP Poll since the beginning of the BCS era, which was criticized by national media, fans, and even head coach Scott Frost.[222]

Season Conference Coach Selector Overall record Conference record Bowl Opponent Result
2017 The American Scott Frost Colley Matrix 13–0 8–0 Peach Bowl Auburn W 34–27

Conference championships Edit

Under George O'Leary's leadership, the Knights won four C-USA Eastern Division Championships (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012), and two Conference USA Championships (2007, 2010). O'Leary also led the Knights to The American conference championship in their first year in the league (2013), earning the conference's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game. In 2014, the Knights clinched back-to-back conference championships. The Knights won The American conference championship in 2017 under head coach Scott Frost, and again in 2018 under head coach Josh Heupel for the program's second set of back-to-back conference titles.

Season Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
2007 Conference USA George O'Leary 10–4 7–1
2010 11–3 7–1
2013 The American 12–1 8–0
2014 † 9–4 7–1
2017 Scott Frost 13–0 8–0
2018 Josh Heupel 12–0 8–0

† Co–champion

Division championships Edit

UCF won four division crowns and subsequently made four appearances in the Conference USA Championship Game, more than any other C-USA school, with the last being in 2012. Three of the four appearances were against Tulsa of the Western Division. The Knights went on to win two of the four C-USA Championship Games in which they appeared.

After moving to the AAC, UCF won two more division titles. In 2022, after the AAC had eliminated divisions, UCF qualified for a third AAC Conference Championship Game appearance by finishing as the #2 seed.

Season Division Coach Opponent CG Result
2005 C-USA East George O'Leary Tulsa L 27–44
2007 Tulsa W 44–25
2010 SMU W 17–7
2012 † Tulsa L 27–33
2017 AAC East Scott Frost Memphis W 62–55
2018 Josh Heupel Memphis W 56–41

† Co–championship

Bowl games Edit

Further information: List of UCF Knights bowl games

UCF has played in 14 bowl games and has compiled a 6–8 record in those games.[223] Since elevating to Division I FBS, UCF has been bowl-eligible for 16 of 25 seasons,[224] and received their first bowl invitation in 2005. The Knights nearly earned a bowl berth in 1998, when Daunte Culpepper led the team to a 9–2 record. UCF has been ranked going into their bowl game four times, being ranked No. 24 in 2010 (Liberty), No. 15 in 2013 (Fiesta), No. 10 in 2017 (Peach), and No. 7 in 2018 (Fiesta).[225][226] In 2019, though they had slipped out of the top 25 prior to the game, the Knights won their bowl game (Gasparilla) and placed No. 24 in the final rankings. In 2020, they were ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll and in week 4 they were ranked the highest at No. 11 but lost to unranked Tulsa and they fell out of the rankings; in week 16 they were unranked but they received votes, but after a loss in their bowl game (Boca Raton), they didn't receive any votes and were unranked in the final rankings.

Playoffs Edit

NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Edit

The Knights appeared in the Division I–AA playoffs twice with a record of 2–2.

Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result
1990 Gene McDowell First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Youngstown State
William & Mary
Georgia Southern		 W 20–17
W 52–38
L 44–7
1993 First Round Youngstown State L 30–56

NCAA Division II playoffs Edit

The Knights appeared in the Division II playoffs once with a record of 1–1.

Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result
1987 Gene McDowell Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Indiana (PA)
Troy State		 W 12–10
L 10–31

Head coaches Edit

UCF has had 12 head coaches since organized football began in 1979.[227] Gene McDowell, George O'Leary, Scott Frost, and Josh Heupel have led the Knights to the postseason. O'Leary, Frost, and Heupel have coached the team to an FBS conference championship, and a BCS/NY6 bowl game. Before leading UCF in 1983 and 1984, Lou Saban was a head coach in both the American Football League (AFL) and the NFL.[228] O'Leary also coached in the NFL between 2002 and 2004.

Coach Tenure Record Bowl/playoff record Pct
Don Jonas 1979–1981 14–12–1 .537
Sam Weir 1982 0–10 .000
Lou Saban 1983–1984 6–12 .333
Jerry Anderson † 1984 1–3 .250
Gene McDowell 1985–1997 86–61 3–3 .585
Mike Kruczek 1998–2003 36–30 .545
Alan Gooch † 2003 0–2 .000
George O'Leary 2004–2015 81–68 3–4 .544
Danny Barrett † 2015 0–4 .000
Scott Frost 2016–2017 19–7 1–1 .731
Josh Heupel 2018–2020 28–8 1–2 .778
Gus Malzahn 2021– 18-9 1-1 .667

† – denotes interim coach

Venues Edit

Citrus Bowl (1979–2006) Edit

 
Camping World Stadium, the Knights' home field from 1979 to 2006

Until 2007, the Knights played their home games at the Citrus Bowl (formerly Orlando Stadium, and now Camping World Stadium) in downtown Orlando. Located about 15 miles (24 km) from UCF's main campus, the stadium originally opened in 1936. The stadium's first college football game was played in January 1947 between Catawba and Maryville.[19] UCF played its first football game at the Citrus Bowl in September 1979, a 7–6 victory over Fort Benning. The facility was the home of the Citrus Bowl, and numerous neutral site games.

By 2004, Orlando city officials and UCF's administration expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the aging facility. While UCF was the primary leasing tenant of the Citrus Bowl for 25 years, they received little revenue from football games, and the stadium's capacity (65,000) was considered too large for the Knights. With an average attendance of 20,000–30,000 spectators per game, the stadium was left with a mostly empty appearance. The Knights' record home attendance of 51,987 (set at the 2005 C-USA Championship) was still far short of capacity. The location off campus was considered a significant factor in the inability to sustain a sizeable student section, while the stadium's upper decks were rarely occupied for UCF games.

When the university approached the city about possible renovations and new revenue-sharing measures for the stadium, they were met with resistance. The city generally wanted UCF to stay, but expected them to help pay for the upgrades to the facility.[229][230] At one point during the negotiations, stadium officials told then UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini that "the value of UCF's fans was nothing".[231] Though the city had expressed interest in renovating the Citrus Bowl with or without UCF's support, funding was seriously in doubt. The city was in the planning stages for a new arena, new performing arts center, and "creative village", with stadium renovations seemingly taking less and less priority.[232][233]

The Knights compiled an overall record of 112–60–1 at the Citrus Bowl, which includes Division II playoff games in 1987, a Division I-AA playoff game in 1990, the 2005 C-USA Championship Game and the 2016 Cure Bowl.

FBC Mortgage Stadium (2007–present) Edit

 
FBC Mortgage Stadium, the Knights home field since 2007.

In early 2005, as a response to the deteriorating condition of the Citrus Bowl, and lack of revenue derived from the games there, UCF formally proposed building an on-campus stadium. Additional motivations included drawing more students to the games, a more intimate setting, and establishing game-day traditions on campus. In December 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new on-campus stadium.[234] The new stadium, at the time named Bright House Networks Stadium, was originally planned to open in time for the 2006 football season, but neighborhood opposition delayed the time frame by a year.

Stadium construction began in 2006 and was finished in time for the 2007 season. The first home-game took place on September 15, 2007, as the Knights nearly upset the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns. The current seating capacity of the stadium is 45,300, and plans provide for a future expansion to 65,000 seats. Although the Knights lost their first on-campus home game, they finished the remainder of the stadium's inaugural season undefeated. UCF has hosted the C-USA Championship Game twice, and the AAC Championship Game twice. Following the 2014 season, the stadium underwent an $8 million renovation. The Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership was constructed on the east facade of the stadium, and a party deck known as the "Carl Black and Gold Cabana" was added to the east stands.[235][236][237] By many accounts the stadium was built cheaply and as fast as possible. Due to these factors the stadium tends to bounce up and down giving it the nickname "The Bounce House". The stadium was renamed to Spectrum Stadium in April 2017 following Charter Communications acquisition of Bright House Networks.[238] After the naming rights deal with Spectrum expired after the 2019 season, the stadium was renamed the Bounce House for the Knights 2020 season.

Just over two weeks before the 2019 season opener, the UCF athletic department announced that the entire season-ticket allotment was sold out for the first time in school history.[239] In addition, they created a formal waiting list for season tickets, also for the first time. In the press release, UCF athletic director Danny White teased a possible expansion of Spectrum Stadium in the near future if ticket demand remains high.

Rivalries Edit

Though UCF remains a relatively young program that has shifted conferences several times, it has several long-standing rivalries with schools throughout the duration of Conference USA and The American. The university's biggest rival historically is their instate rival, the University of South Florida Bulls, played from 2005 to 2008, and since 2013.[240] Other rivalries include the East Carolina University Pirates, Memphis Tigers, and Houston Cougars.[241]

One other unofficial rivalry, known as the Civil Conflict, exists between UCF and UConn. However, UCF does not acknowledge the rivalry, and has publicly dismissed it.[242][243][244]

South Florida Edit

Main article: War on I-4

The War on I–4 dates years before the two schools ever played a game against each other. The matchup was the subject of much discussion and fan enthusiasm since the 1990s, though the first game was not played until 2005. The rivalry, often known as the "War on I–4" or "I–4 Corridor Clash",[245] continued as a four home-and-away series through the 2008 season. The Bulls won each of the four games, which all drew strong crowds, but South Florida declined to continue the series after 2008.[246][247][248] The UCF–South Florida game resumed as a regular conference game beginning with the 2013 season, as UCF joined the American Athletic Conference.[249] The Knights won the first game as conference members 23–20 before 45,952 in Orlando.[250] In 2014, the Knights won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium, and delivered the first home shut-out in South Florida history, 16–0. In 2015, USF defeated the Knights 44–3 to finish a winless season for the Knights. In 2016, the War On I-4 trophy was introduced for the first time. USF took home the trophy by defeating UCF 48–31 and clinching their first 10-win season in school history, only for UCF to take the trophy back from them the following year during their national championship season in 2017.

UCF leads South Florida 8–6 in the football series through the 2022 season.[251]

Cincinnati Edit

Main article: UCF-Cincinnati football rivalry § Football

Cincinnati and UCF are tied in the series 4-4 since 2022.[252]

Individual awards and honors Edit

All-Americans Edit

Every year, several publications release lists of their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). UCF has had numerous players honored as first team All-Americans. To date, Kevin Smith is the only Consensus All-American.[253]

Conference honors Edit

2017: Scott Frost
2013: George O'Leary
2010: George O'Leary
2007: George O'Leary
2005: George O'Leary
2017: McKenzie Milton
2013: Blake Bortles
2007: Kevin Smith
2016: Shaquem Griffin
2014: Jacoby Glenn
2012: Kemal Ishmael
2010: Bruce Miller
2009: Bruce Miller
2012: Quincy McDuffie
2008: Joe Burnett
2015: Tre'Quan Smith
2010: Jeff Godfrey
2005: Kevin Smith

Heisman Trophy Edit

Quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and McKenzie Milton, and running back Kevin Smith are the only Knights to finish in the Top–10 of voting for the Heisman Trophy.[254][255][256]

Year Name Position Finish
1998 Daunte Culpepper QB 6th
2007 Kevin Smith RB 8th
2017 McKenzie Milton QB 8th
2018 McKenzie Milton QB 6th

Honored numbers Edit

UCF retires a student-athlete's jersey but does not retire the respective jersey numbers. The Knights coaching staff can choose to reissue a given number, as the retirement of the jersey does not require that the number not be worn again.[257]

Other honors Edit

Knights in professional football Edit

NFL Edit

See also: List of UCF Knights in the NFL draft
See also: Category:UCF Knights football players
 
Brandon Marshall, Class of 2006

As of May 2023, 23 former UCF players are on an NFL roster.[266]

NFL Edit


[267]

XFL Edit

USFL Edit

CFL Edit

Schedule Edit

UCF is one of 14 current full members of the Big 12 Conference. having joined that conference in 2023 after 10 seasons in the American Athletic Conference. In UCF's last season as an American Conference member, it was one of that conference's 11 football members, with 10 full members joined by single-sport member Navy,[b] With the departure of UConn after 2019, the conference contracted to 11 teams for football, and divisions were eliminated. From that point until UCF's departure, teams in The American played an eight-game conference schedule (four home games and four away games). The intra-conference opponents were scheduled on a rotating basis.

From 2015 to 2019, football in The American consisted of twelve teams, split into two divisions.[268][269] UCF was placed in the East Division with Cincinnati, UConn, ECU, South Florida, and Temple. The West Division consisted of Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, and Navy.[270] Intra-division games (five annually) operated on a two-year cycle, as a home-and-home series. Crossover division games operated on a four-year cycle (home-and-home with three teams, followed by home-and-home with the other three).

Future non-conference opponents Edit

Officially announced out-of-conference schedules as of July 2022 are as follows.[271] When UCF joins the Big 12 Conference in 2023,[272] the conference is expected to maintain a nine-game intra-conference schedule. As such, the Knights are expecting to contest three out-of-conference games annually.[273] Furthermore, the conference requires at least one of the three out-of-conference games to be against a Power Five opponent.[274]

A home-and-home out-of-conference series with BYU was scheduled for 2023–2024.[275] However, it was officially canceled on July 13, 2022, as BYU would also join the Big 12 in 2023.[276][277] Planned meetings versus FIU[278] (2022) and Liberty (2024) were also canceled. The Sam Houston Bearkats, which will enter Division I FBS in 2023 as members of C-USA, will instead play at BYU in 2023, and at UCF in 2024.[279] UCF eventually added Villanova for the vacated 2023 schedule slot.[280] UCF successfully petitioned for a first-year, one-time waiver to count their 2023 game at Boise State as their Power Five non-conference opponent, taking into account Boise State's recent successes and status as a top G5 team.[274]

In August 2022, UCF entered a contract to host James Madison in 2029.[281] In February 2023, FAU and UCF agreed to delay their 2025 meeting until 2028, opening a date for UCF.[282]

See also Edit

Footnotes Edit

  1. ^ The UCF campus has an Orlando mailing address but is entirely located in unincorporated Orange County, Florida
  2. ^ Since 2017, Wichita State has been The American's only full but non-football member.

References Edit

General:

  • Holic, Nathan, and the UCF Alumni Association. University of Central Florida: The Campus History Series (2009), ISBN 978-0-7385-6768-6
  • MacCambridge, Michael. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete history of the Game (2005), ISBN 1-4013-3703-1

In-text:

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September 03, 2023
knights, football, this, article, long, read, navigate, comfortably, current, readable, prose, size, kilobytes, please, consider, splitting, content, into, articles, condensing, adding, subheadings, please, discuss, this, issue, article, talk, page, september,. This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Its current readable prose size is 43 kilobytes Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page September 2019 The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida UCF in the sport of American football The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision FBS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA and are a member of the Big 12 Conference making UCF the youngest school among the Power Five conferences 4 Their head coach is Gus Malzahn The Knights play their home games at the 45 301 seat FBC Mortgage Stadium which is located on UCF s main campus in Orlando Florida United States 5 UCF Knights Football2023 UCF Knights football teamFirst season1979Athletic directorTerry MohajirHead coachGus Malzahn 3rd season 18 9 667 StadiumFBC Mortgage Stadium capacity 45 301 1 Year built2007Field surfaceGrassLocationOrlando Florida a NCAA divisionDivision I FBSConferenceBig 12 ConferencePast conferencesMid American Conference 2002 2004 Conference USA 2005 2012 American Athletic Conference 2013 2022 All time record287 226 1 559 Bowl record6 8 429 Claimed national titles1 2017 Conference titles6 2007 2010 2013 2014 2017 2018 Division titles6 2005 2007 2010 2012 2017 2018 RivalriesCincinnati rivalry South Florida rivalry Consensus All Americans1ColorsBlack and gold 2 Fight song Charge On MascotKnightroMarching bandMarching KnightsOutfitterNike 3 Websiteucfknights comUCF first fielded a varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I A now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision FBS in 1996 becoming the first program in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions of football and the only one until James Madison joined FBS in 2022 6 As a Division I AA program the Knights made the 1990 and 1993 playoffs and were picked as the preseason No 1 team to start the 1994 season 7 As of the end of the 2021 season UCF has compiled 278 victories six division titles six conference championships and an undefeated season in 2017 The Knights claim a national championship for the 2017 season despite being excluded from that season s College Football Playoff as they were chosen as the 1 team by the Colley Matrix 8 9 The Knights have made 14 postseason appearances since joining the FBS including winning two New Year s Six bowls the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and the 2018 Peach Bowl The program has produced one Consensus All American Kevin Smith in 2007 and three Heisman Trophy candidates Daunte Culpepper QB in 1998 Kevin Smith RB in 2007 and McKenzie Milton QB 10 in 2017 and 2018 UCF has produced a long line of accomplished NFL players including Blake Bortles A J Bouye Gabe Davis Shaquill Griffin Daunte Culpepper Brandon Marshall Latavius Murray Matt Prater Asante Samuel and Josh Sitton UCF has had four first round picks in the NFL Draft 16 Super Bowl players and seven pro bowlers The Knights main rivals are the South Florida Bulls Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1979 1984 1 2 Gene McDowell era 1985 1997 1 3 Mike Kruczek era 1998 2003 1 4 George O Leary era 2004 2015 1 4 1 Conference USA 1 4 2 2007 1 4 3 2008 1 4 4 2009 1 4 5 2010 1 4 6 2011 1 4 7 Invitation to Big East 1 4 8 2012 1 4 9 2013 1 4 10 2014 1 4 11 2015 1 5 Scott Frost era 2016 2017 1 5 1 2016 1 5 2 2017 1 6 Josh Heupel era 2018 2020 1 6 1 2018 1 6 2 2019 1 6 3 2020 1 7 Gus Malzahn era 2021 present 1 7 1 2021 2 Conference affiliations 3 Championships 3 1 National championship 3 2 Conference championships 3 3 Division championships 4 Bowl games 5 Playoffs 5 1 NCAA Division I AA playoffs 5 2 NCAA Division II playoffs 6 Head coaches 7 Venues 7 1 Citrus Bowl 1979 2006 7 2 FBC Mortgage Stadium 2007 present 8 Rivalries 8 1 South Florida 8 2 Cincinnati 9 Individual awards and honors 9 1 All Americans 9 2 Conference honors 9 3 Heisman Trophy 9 4 Honored numbers 9 5 Other honors 10 Knights in professional football 10 1 NFL 10 2 NFL 10 3 XFL 10 4 USFL 10 5 CFL 11 Schedule 11 1 Future non conference opponents 12 See also 13 Footnotes 14 References 15 External linksHistory EditSee also List of UCF Knights football seasons and List of UCF Knights bowl games It has been suggested that this section should be split into a new article titled History of UCF Knights football discuss September 2019 Early history 1979 1984 Edit The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the university s second president Dr Trevor Colbourn in January 1979 11 Colbourn believed that a successful athletics program would bring the university greater renown and tasked Dr Jack O Leary with the job of creating a new football program at the school 12 In addition Colbourn changed the name of the school to the University of Central Florida prior to this the college was known as Florida Technological University to express the university s expanded academic scope 13 Beginning at the Division III level O Leary then the university s athletic director held a meeting of prospective players who paid 14 per night to stay in the dorms and brought their own uniforms to the tryouts in March 1979 14 This would be the first football tryouts for prospective players and would serve as the first that many students would hear about the new athletic program 12 O Leary had previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama under Paul Bear Bryant 15 He would spearhead the effort to raise more than 40 000 to start the program and would complete a deal for the team to play in the Tangerine Bowl 12 Without a budget to hire a staff O Leary reached out to six UCF graduate students as volunteer assistants 12 From there O Leary was able to lure Don Jonas a former NFL quarterback and Orlando dignitary to become UCF s first head football coach on a voluntary basis 12 One day during a practice O Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of The Fighting Knights 16 He would reveal a template that would follow the team into the 21st century black jerseys gold pants and gold helmets 12 Less than one year after Colbourn had envisioned a football program for the university UCF played its first game on September 22 1979 against St Leo University 17 The Knights would prove victorious with a 21 0 shutout 18 and less than a week later the Knights would win their first home game by defeating Ft Benning 7 6 19 Jonas led the Knights to a 6 2 inaugural season behind an average attendance of 11 240 including a Division III record crowd of 14 138 19 Following the season in March 1980 Jonas was offered the Knights head coaching job as a full time position 20 After leading the team to a 4 4 1 and 4 6 record in 1980 and 1981 respectively 21 22 Jonas would leave the Knights following the 1981 season 19 During the 1980 season the Knights earned the only tie in program history an 11 all game against Miles 23 and Tim Kiggins became the first Knight to sign a professional contract 19 After his departure Jonas remained involved in the program including doing radio broadcasts of UCF football games and a radio sports talk show 24 Jonas led the Knights to a 14 12 1 518 record in three seasons 25 Following the departure of Don Jonas Sam Weir who was the head coach at Lake Howell High School became UCF s new head coach and led the Knights in their move up to Division II in 1982 19 Another change to the university s athletic programs in 1982 was the departure of O Leary as athletic director and the hiring of Bill Peterson who was the Florida State head coach from 1960 to 1970 26 In their first season playing Division II ball the Knights went 0 10 and Weir decided not to return for the 1983 season 27 One bright spot of the season was that Mike Carter became the first Knight to sign with an NFL team the Denver Broncos 26 Lou Saban replaced Weir as the Knights head coach in 1983 28 Saban had previously coached at Miami Army Northwestern and in the AFL and NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots to name just a few 26 In UCF s first Black and Gold Spring game held in 1983 the defense won 14 6 22 The Knights finished the 1983 season 5 6 including the team s first win over a Division I AA opponent 26 Starting the 1984 season filled with optimism the Knights were shaken by a 1 6 start 29 self published source Following the disappointing beginning to the season Saban stepped away from the program and was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jerry Anderson 26 Saban had a 6 12 333 record during his tenure as the Knights head coach 30 Anderson finished out the year with the team in an interim position with a 1 3 250 record 31 UCF finished the season with a 2 9 mark 26 In the course of the three seasons following Jonas departure the Knights went through three head coaches and amassed a 7 25 record 26 Gene McDowell era 1985 1997 Edit Reeling after a disappointing string of seasons there were discussions within the community about the possibility of dismantling the program 32 and Peterson announced his retirement as the university s athletic director 33 In addition due to financial troubles the team had to postpone plans to move up to Division I AA 26 Without a head coach or athletic director President Colbourn hired Florida State assistant coach Gene McDowell to fill both positions 34 McDowell took the helm in 1985 and hired his eventual successor and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mike Kruczek as his offensive coordinator 26 The Knights would finish with a 4 7 mark in McDowell s first year including a 21 42 loss to UCF s first ever Division I A opponent Louisville 26 Due to financial hardships McDowell waived half of his annual salary and FSU head coach Bobby Bowden donated uniforms and cleats to the program 26 McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979 with a 6 5 record in 1986 35 Also that year Ted Wilson became the first UCF player to be selected in the 1987 NFL Draft being picked by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round 36 Following an 8 3 regular season record in 1987 37 the Knights earned their first trip to the Division II playoffs where they earned a 1 1 record 35 After starting the 1988 season with five straight wins UCF would be ranked No 2 in Division II 35 During a game against the defending D II national champions Troy at the Citrus Bowl UCF fans were so loud at one point that the Trojans quarterback Bob Godsey couldn t call plays 38 Godsey complained to the referee about the crowd noise but instead of helping Troy the referee called a delay of game penalty on the Trojans 39 The Noise Penalty game is legendary at UCF and the win over Troy thrust the Knights into the position as the No 1 ranked team in D II 35 Between 1986 and 1990 under the leadership of McDowell the Knights held a 24 6 record at the Citrus Bowl 35 During McDowell s tenure the program moved up to Division I AA in 1990 40 In their first year in the division the Knights earned a 10 4 record a program best and a trip to the I AA playoffs 41 UCF would make it to the semifinals and became the first school in history to qualify for the I AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility 40 The Knights would finish the 1991 and 1992 with winning seasons as well 42 43 In 1992 Dr John Hitt UCF s fourth president announced that the program would make the move to Division I A in 1996 44 and he hired Steve Sloan as the university s new athletic director 40 Earning their eighth winning season in 1993 the Knights would again make the playoffs 40 During the season the team won their first game over a Division I A team a 38 16 victory at Louisiana Tech 45 After another impressive season UCF was selected as the preseason No 1 to start the 1994 season 46 The 1994 season would prove disappointing however as the Knights would finish the season ranked No 20 with a 7 4 record 40 During the team s final season in Division I AA the Knights were reinvigorated by freshman sensation Daunte Culpepper The quarterback would lead the Knights to a 6 5 record and their tenth straight winning season in 1995 47 On September 1 1996 UCF officially made its foray into Division I A 48 At that time the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions III II I AA and I A 47 In their first two seasons in Division I A the Knights posted identical 5 6 records behind Culpepper In 1997 assistant coach Alan Gooch was named the national assistant coach of the year due to his work with deaf running back Dwight Collins 47 In the wake of a federal fraud scandal revolving around improper cellular phone benefits and use McDowell resigned as head coach on January 20 1998 47 49 Over his 13 year tenure at UCF McDowell earned an 86 61 585 record 50 Mike Kruczek era 1998 2003 Edit After the abrupt departure of Gene McDowell offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek was named UCF s new head coach on an interim basis 51 He would receive the position permanently later in 1998 47 Daunte Culpepper led UCF to its best season ever with a 9 2 record in 1998 with losses only coming to Purdue 52 and Auburn 53 Culpepper finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting and set the NCAA record for completion percentage that year 73 4 47 Following the season Culpepper was drafted with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings marking the highest ever draft pick of a UCF player 47 The Knights proved to be a scary team on the road against heavily favored opponents with close losses including a 10 6 loss at Auburn in 1998 a 24 23 loss at Georgia in 1999 54 and a 21 17 loss at Georgia Tech in 2000 55 Kruczek s biggest victory would come in 2000 against Alabama at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa Alabama when the Knights won 40 38 on a last second field goal by Javier Beorlegui 56 57 After finishing 9 2 in 1998 58 UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the inaugural Oahu Bowl 59 That arrangement however was contingent on UCLA finishing the season undefeated the Oahu Bowl was otherwise committed to taking a team from the Pac 10 60 On the final day of the regular season Miami upset UCLA setting off a chain reaction that sent Washington to the Oahu Bowl and left the Knights out in the cold 61 Kruczek guided the team as a Division I A independent until 2002 62 After six difficult years as an independent UCF played its much anticipated first season as a football only member of the Mid American Conference in 2002 57 They finished runner up in the East division with a 6 2 conference record They finished the season 7 5 overall completing their 14th winning season in the past 17 years 63 23 The excitement however would be short lived 57 After signing a three year contract extension at the beginning of the 2003 season 64 Kruczek was fired following a 3 7 start 65 Kruczek was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch who finished out the dismal 3 9 season 66 with losses to Mid American Conference rivals Marshall and Miami OH 57 The Marshall game marked UCF s first nationally televised home football game as it was aired on ESPN2 67 Kruczek ended his six year stewardship of UCF with a 36 30 545 record 68 An increased travel burden lack of competitiveness and lack of natural rivals within the midwest based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference Furthermore the UCF athletic department was interested in an all sports conference membership rather than a football only affiliation 69 57 In 2003 UCF was invited as an all sports member of Conference USA beginning with the 2005 season 70 57 George O Leary era 2004 2015 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page August 2018 nbsp Coach O LearyFollowing the disappointing 2003 season Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach George O Leary was named UCF s head coach in 2004 71 This was a controversial and bold hire because O Leary had previously left Georgia Tech after the 2001 season and been named head coach at Notre Dame but resigned in disgrace five days into his tenure after inconsistencies were found on his resume 72 The difficult coaching transition for 2004 the Knights final year in the Mid American Conference saw the team hit rock bottom going 0 11 73 Conference USA Edit In 2005 UCF started their first season as a member of Conference USA Not expected to improve much over 2004 they surprisingly won their first conference game against Marshall 23 13 ending the school s 17 game losing streak then the nation s longest such streak 74 71 UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts 75 Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF s Reflection Pond a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash 76 UCF then went on to win eight out of the remaining nine games on their schedule finishing 7 1 in C USA games and 8 5 overall 77 winning the East Division and hosting the first ever C USA Championship game which they lost 44 27 to Tulsa 78 71 Shortly thereafter UCF was invited to play in their first ever bowl game the Hawaii Bowl losing to Nevada 49 48 in overtime due to a missed PAT that would have tied the game 79 In 2005 O Leary was chosen by SportsIllustrated com for the coach of the year award and received votes for the larger Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award 71 In May 2006 UCF extended O Leary s contract for 10 years and increased his pay to 1 million plus incentives per year after he engineered the fourth best single season turnaround in college football history 80 81 2007 Edit After an anemic 2006 which saw the Golden Knights go a mere 4 8 82 the team rebranded in 2007 in preparation for its move to its new on campus venue Bright House Networks Stadium later known as Spectrum Stadium and now as FBC Mortgage Stadium 83 They dropped the Golden from their name becoming the UCF Knights 84 Fortunes seemed to have changed as the Knights moved into new facilities After defeating a BCS AQ conference school for just the second time ever NC State by a score of 25 23 85 they inaugurated their new stadium by hosting and losing to national power No 6 Texas by a score of 35 32 86 The Knights lost to archrival South Florida by a score of 64 12 in Tampa 87 but went on to have a 10 4 overall record and won the C USA East again hosting the Championship game against Tulsa once more 88 UCF defeated Tulsa in a near reversal of the 2005 Conference USA Championship Game 44 25 89 thereby gaining UCF s first ever Conference Championship title and a berth in the 2007 Liberty Bowl Following UCF s victory the Knights received 35 votes in the AP Poll but did not reach the top 25 ranking 27th 90 The Knights lost the Liberty Bowl in Memphis Tennessee by a score of 10 3 to Mississippi State 91 The Knights went on to finish the year with its first 10 win season in the FBS In 2007 Kevin Smith set an NCAA record with 450 rushing attempts and rushed for 2 567 yards placing him 2nd on the NCAA s all time single season rushing list behind only Oklahoma State s Barry Sanders 92 Despite this he was not selected even as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award 92 He also was the only running back in the 2007 season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Texas Longhorns 92 He was a fan favorite especially with student section at Bright House Networks Stadium 92 Smith originally stated that he would return for his senior season at UCF 93 however he later changed his mind announcing on January 6 2008 that he would declare for the 2008 NFL Draft 94 He was selected with the first pick in the third round by the Detroit Lions 95 2008 Edit On March 18 2008 running back Ereck Plancher collapsed shortly after a conditioning drill and was then transported to a nearby hospital where he died approximately one hour later 96 ESPN s Outside The Lines program on November 2 2008 interviewed players who were at the training session at which Plancher became ill and which after he died and stated that the session was longer and far more rigorous than O Leary and other UCF Athletics officials have admitted to publicly 97 They also alleged that O Leary and other coaches had initially warned players off from providing assistance to Plancher when he became visibly distressed 98 After a 14 day trial in 2011 a jury found the UCF Athletics Association guilty of negligence in the death of Plancher The jury awarded each of his parents 5 million 99 Upon appeal however the Florida Supreme Court sided with the University of Central Florida ruling that sickle cell disease caused the death and the university didn t owe any money to Plancher s family 98 2009 Edit After a lackluster 4 8 season in 2008 100 UCF bounced back with an 8 5 record in 2009 101 including winning their last six straight C USA games Among those wins was their first victory over a nationally ranked team beating then No 12 Houston on November 14 by a score of 37 32 at Spectrum Stadium 102 UCF finished with a 45 24 loss to Rutgers in the St Petersburg Bowl their third bowl appearance in five years 103 Entering the 2010 season with the recruitment of Jeffrey Godfrey and return of key seniors including Bruce Miller there were high hopes for the Knights 104 After winning 5 straight games and posting an 11 game conference winning streak the Knights were ranked for the first time in school history following their nationally televised 40 33 victory over Houston on the road 105 For the polls released on November 7 2010 UCF was ranked in all three major college polls 106 The Knights were ranked 25 in the AP Poll 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25 in the Harris Poll 107 In their first game as a nationally ranked squad the Knights fell 31 21 to Southern Miss in Orlando 108 UCF would bounce back and defeat Tulane by a score of 61 14 109 and Memphis by a score of 37 17 110 With the wins the Knights secured the C USA Eastern Division championship and reentered the polls 111 2010 Edit The Knights would go on to win the 2010 Conference USA championship game defeating SMU 17 7 112 Following the win UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history ranking No 25 113 The Knights ended the 2010 season with a 10 6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl marking the team s first ever bowl victory 114 UCF would end the season ranked 20th in the final coaches poll and 21st in the final AP rankings 115 2011 Edit 2011 proved to be a disappointing season as UCF finished with a 5 7 record and were not bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 116 The season included out of conference losses to FIU 117 and BYU 118 as well as conference losses to then winless UAB 119 a 1 point loss to No 23 Southern Miss 120 and the continuation of the Knights woes at quarterback as Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles battled for playing time 121 Following the 2011 season Jeff Godfrey planned on transferring though he later decided to return to the Knights as a wide receiver 121 Invitation to Big East Edit It was announced on December 7 2011 that UCF would join the Big East Conference but was rebranded the American Athletic Conference soon thereafter 122 in all sports beginning in 2013 123 Following an investigation into recruiting violations in the men s basketball and football programs in 2011 on July 31 2012 the NCAA announced sanctions in addition to penalties UCF had previously self imposed 124 The NCAA imposed a one year postseason football ban 125 The penalty was in addition to a 50 000 fine adding two years to UCF s previously proposed three years probation reduction of football scholarships and tighter limits of football recruiting visiting days 126 127 2012 Edit In 2012 the Knights finished 10 4 128 and won their fourth C USA East Division championship though they would fall 33 27 in overtime to Tulsa in the league title game 129 UCF would play in the 2012 Beef O Brady s Bowl and win 38 17 over Ball State as quarterback Blake Bortles would be named the game s MVP after throwing four touchdown passes 130 2013 Edit On April 19 2013 UCF won its appeal with the NCAA and was eligible for postseason play in 2013 131 The appeal would prove crucial as in 2013 O Leary led the Knights to their first twelve win season 12 1 132 first perfect conference record 8 0 first win against a Big Ten opponent Penn State 133 first win against a Top 10 team No 8 Louisville 134 third conference title and the program s first appearance and victory in a BCS bowl game defeating No 6 Baylor 52 42 in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl 135 The game was one of the biggest upsets of the BCS era 136 137 On January 7 2014 UCF was ranked No 10 in the season s final AP Poll the highest ranking in school history 138 Blake Bortles would be drafted in the first round at third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft 139 2014 Edit The Knights finished 9 4 in 2014 140 The Knights kicked off the season in Dublin Ireland against Penn State losing to the Nittany Lions by a score of 26 24 141 O Leary s squad dropped to 0 2 after losing to No 20 Missouri by a score of 38 10 142 Central Florida then won its next five defeating FCS foe Bethune Cookman 143 Houston 144 BYU in overtime 145 Tulane 146 and Temple 147 The Knights five game winning streak was snapped with a 37 29 loss to UConn on November 1 148 UCF won its next four to close the regular season topping Tulsa 149 SMU 150 archrival South Florida 151 and East Carolina where a last second Hail Mary pass earned UCF a shared conference title 152 O Leary s Knights accepted a bid to the 2014 St Petersburg Bowl a game they lost to NC State by a score of 34 27 153 2015 Edit The 2015 season which began with high hopes would be a disaster After dropping their first three UCF lost to South Carolina by a score of 31 14 on September 26 to fall to 0 4 154 Following UCF s 59 10 loss to Houston on homecoming 155 dropping the Knights to an 0 8 record to start the 2015 season O Leary resigned as head football coach 156 157 Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett was named interim head coach and led the team for the remaining four games of the season 158 UCF finished the 2015 season at a winless 0 12 its third such campaign in program history 159 Scott Frost era 2016 2017 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page September 2019 nbsp Coach FrostAfter an extensive coaching search Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost was named as UCF s tenth head coach on December 1 2015 160 161 Serving under head coach Mark Helfrich Frost had overseen one of college football s quickest and most explosive offenses at Oregon won multiple Pac 12 conference championships coached quarterback Marcus Mariota into a Heisman Trophy winner in 2014 162 and sent many players into the National Football League 163 164 All this after a successful collegiate playing career at quarterback for Stanford and Nebraska in the 1990s and in the National Football League as a safety for five years 165 2016 Edit In 2016 Frost and his explosive up tempo offense led the Knights to a 6 7 record 166 UCF began the Frost era with a 38 0 shutout win over FCS opponent South Carolina State 167 After losing its next two to Big Ten opponents No 5 Michigan in a rout 168 and Maryland in double overtime 169 the Knights defeated FIU 170 and East Carolina 171 Central Florida then suffered a close 26 25 loss due to a late touchdown pass to Temple on October 15 172 The Knights rebounded the following week to defeat UConn by a score of 24 16 173 UCF suffered a defeat on October 29 to Houston 174 then responded with wins over Tulane 175 and Cincinnati gaining bowl eligibility 176 Frost s squad concluded the regular season with losses to Tulsa 177 and archrival South Florida 178 The Knights lost to Arkansas State in the 2016 Cure Bowl by a score of 31 13 179 After the 2016 season Oregon fired Mark Helfrich 180 Amidst rumors that he might be interested in the Ducks opening Frost announced he was not interested in Oregon and that he would return as UCF s head coach in 2017 181 Ironically the position eventually went to UCF s rival coach South Florida head coach Willie Taggart 182 2017 Edit Surprising even himself Frost and his team went on to an undefeated regular season in 2017 defeating FIU 183 Maryland 184 Memphis 185 Cincinnati 186 East Carolina 187 Navy 188 Austin Peay 189 SMU 190 UConn 191 Temple 192 and rival USF in a War on I 4 shootout 193 The Knights were supposed to play Memphis on September 9 but due to Hurricane Irma battering the state of Florida that weekend the game which originally had been moved up one day to September 8 194 was rescheduled for September 30 195 In order to reschedule the American Athletic Conference game UCF canceled their scheduled game with Georgia Tech leaving the team with only 11 regular season games as opposed to the usual 12 196 The breakout season for Frost and his team made him one of the most sought after coaches on the market drawing interest from Florida and his alma mater Nebraska 197 Frost passed on the Florida job but avoided questions about returning to Nebraska 198 In the 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game Frost s team went on to play Memphis for the second time and won the title in a 62 55 double overtime thriller securing UCF s third conference championship win 199 Just hours after winning the AAC sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven year 35 million deal to become Nebraska s new head coach 200 Frost and his staff returned for one last game in the 2018 Peach Bowl 201 The No 12 ranked Knights faced No 7 ranked Auburn and defeated them 34 27 to close out their undefeated season with a 13 0 record 202 203 After the win UCF athletic director Danny White claimed a national championship for the team 204 while the Colley Matrix also ranked UCF as the number one team of the season on its final ranking 205 The team celebrated with a parade at Walt Disney World 206 Additionally the team s coaches were paid bonuses for their performance the school hung a national championship banner in Spectrum Stadium 207 and gave out national champion rings 208 The claim sparked considerable controversy and debate over whether the College Football Playoff should be expanded 209 210 211 Josh Heupel era 2018 2020 Edit On December 5 2017 Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was named UCF s head football coach 212 Heupel arrived in Orlando with some impressive credentials overseeing explosive offenses during his time as offensive coordinator at Missouri and his alma mater Oklahoma 213 UCF signed Heupel to a five year contract worth a fully guaranteed 1 7 million in annual base salary 214 2018 Edit In Heupel s first season UCF rode its high powered offense to start the season 12 0 and extend their winning streak to a school record 25 games In their rivalry game at South Florida star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome knee injury and was taken straight to the hospital eventually requiring multiple surgeries to save the leg Milton was out for the season and never played another down for UCF transferring to Florida State after the 2020 season and playing his final season of eligibility there in 2021 Back up quarterback Darriel Mack Jr took over and guided the Knights to win that game as well as the Conference championship game a week later against Memphis The undefeated and 8th ranked Knights were once again not selected for the College Football Playoff Without Milton the Knights lost a close game against LSU in the Fiesta Bowl 2019 Edit In Heupel s second season UCF lost a regular season game for the first time since 2016 at Pitt UCF also fell on the road to Cincinnati whose fans promptly rushed the field to celebrate UCF dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in two years UCF finished the season defeating Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl 2020 Edit In Heupel s third and final season UCF started the season ranked but lost three games in the regular season including their first home loss since 2016 snapping a 21 game home winning streak They posted a winning record for the fourth straight year but were blown out by BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl On January 27 2021 Heupel was hired to coach the Tennessee Volunteers by Tennessee s new athletic director the same Danny White who had hired Heupel at UCF Gus Malzahn era 2021 present Edit On February 15 2021 new athletic director Terry Mohajir named Gus Malzahn as UCF s new head coach The two had previously worked together at Arkansas State and Malzahn made a name for himself with a 68 35 record at Auburn from 2013 to 2020 including three wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl rivalry an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game and two New Year s Six bowl appearances 215 His Auburn team lost to UCF in one of those New Year s Six appearances the 2018 Peach Bowl 2021 Edit Malzahn won in his debut with the Knights defeating Boise State 36 31 Following several critical injuries including to starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel Malzahn s first season ended with a 9 4 record 3rd in AAC including a win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl In 2022 UCF s final year in The American Malzahn guided the Knights to a 9 3 regular season record 2nd in AAC They clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game facing Tulane Conference affiliations EditNCAA Division III independent 1979 1981 NCAA Division II independent 1982 1989 NCAA Division I AA independent 1990 1995 NCAA Division I A independent 1996 2001 Mid American Conference 2002 2004 Conference USA 2005 2012 American Athletic Conference 2013 2022 Big 12 Conference 2023 present Championships EditNational championship Edit Under head coach Scott Frost the 2017 Knights completed a 13 0 perfect season The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff instead completing their season with a New Years Day win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the No 7 Auburn Tigers On January 7 2018 the day before the CFP championship game UCF athletic director Danny White stated that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship hang a national title banner and hold a national championship parade and celebration all moves which were lampooned and derided by some 8 216 On January 9 2018 the Colley Matrix an algorithm formerly used as part of the BCS computer rankings ranked UCF No 1 217 218 219 All other NCAA designated major selectors named Alabama as their 2017 national champion 220 115 The NCAA s official record book lists UCF under the Final National Poll Leaders section but the NCAA reserves the term National Champions for teams selected as champions by one of the four Consensus Polls AP USA Today Coaches National Football Foundation and Football Writers Association of America or winners of the BCS or College Football Playoff and places a disclaimer next to UCF s name which says that since 2014 the College Football Playoff has been used to determine national champions in FBS 221 While it is not historically uncommon for certain polls to pick a champion other than the BCS or CFP winner UCF is the only team which actively claims a national championship that was not awarded by the BCS CFP or the AP Poll since the beginning of the BCS era which was criticized by national media fans and even head coach Scott Frost 222 Season Conference Coach Selector Overall record Conference record Bowl Opponent Result2017 The American Scott Frost Colley Matrix 13 0 8 0 Peach Bowl Auburn W 34 27Conference championships Edit Under George O Leary s leadership the Knights won four C USA Eastern Division Championships 2005 2007 2010 2012 and two Conference USA Championships 2007 2010 O Leary also led the Knights to The American conference championship in their first year in the league 2013 earning the conference s automatic berth to a BCS bowl game In 2014 the Knights clinched back to back conference championships The Knights won The American conference championship in 2017 under head coach Scott Frost and again in 2018 under head coach Josh Heupel for the program s second set of back to back conference titles Season Conference Coach Overall record Conference record2007 Conference USA George O Leary 10 4 7 12010 11 3 7 12013 The American 12 1 8 02014 9 4 7 12017 Scott Frost 13 0 8 02018 Josh Heupel 12 0 8 0 Co champion Division championships Edit UCF won four division crowns and subsequently made four appearances in the Conference USA Championship Game more than any other C USA school with the last being in 2012 Three of the four appearances were against Tulsa of the Western Division The Knights went on to win two of the four C USA Championship Games in which they appeared After moving to the AAC UCF won two more division titles In 2022 after the AAC had eliminated divisions UCF qualified for a third AAC Conference Championship Game appearance by finishing as the 2 seed Season Division Coach Opponent CG Result2005 C USA East George O Leary Tulsa L 27 442007 Tulsa W 44 252010 SMU W 17 72012 Tulsa L 27 332017 AAC East Scott Frost Memphis W 62 552018 Josh Heupel Memphis W 56 41 Co championshipBowl games EditFurther information List of UCF Knights bowl games UCF has played in 14 bowl games and has compiled a 6 8 record in those games 223 Since elevating to Division I FBS UCF has been bowl eligible for 16 of 25 seasons 224 and received their first bowl invitation in 2005 The Knights nearly earned a bowl berth in 1998 when Daunte Culpepper led the team to a 9 2 record UCF has been ranked going into their bowl game four times being ranked No 24 in 2010 Liberty No 15 in 2013 Fiesta No 10 in 2017 Peach and No 7 in 2018 Fiesta 225 226 In 2019 though they had slipped out of the top 25 prior to the game the Knights won their bowl game Gasparilla and placed No 24 in the final rankings In 2020 they were ranked No 21 in the preseason poll and in week 4 they were ranked the highest at No 11 but lost to unranked Tulsa and they fell out of the rankings in week 16 they were unranked but they received votes but after a loss in their bowl game Boca Raton they didn t receive any votes and were unranked in the final rankings Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result2005 George O Leary Hawaii Bowl Nevada L 48 49OT2007 Liberty Bowl Mississippi State L 3 102009 St Petersburg Bowl Rutgers L 24 452010 Liberty Bowl Georgia W 10 62012 Beef O Brady s Bowl Ball State W 38 172013 Fiesta Bowl 6 Baylor W 52 422014 St Petersburg Bowl NC State L 27 342016 Scott Frost Cure Bowl Arkansas State L 13 312017 Peach Bowl 7 Auburn W 34 272018 Josh Heupel Fiesta Bowl 11 LSU L 32 402019 Gasparilla Bowl Marshall W 48 252020 Boca Raton Bowl 16 BYU L 23 492021 Gus Malzahn Gasparilla Bowl Florida W 29 172022 Military Bowl Duke L 13 30Playoffs EditNCAA Division I AA playoffs Edit The Knights appeared in the Division I AA playoffs twice with a record of 2 2 Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result1990 Gene McDowell First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals Youngstown StateWilliam amp MaryGeorgia Southern W 20 17W 52 38 L 44 71993 First Round Youngstown State L 30 56NCAA Division II playoffs Edit The Knights appeared in the Division II playoffs once with a record of 1 1 Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result1987 Gene McDowell QuarterfinalsSemifinals Indiana PA Troy State W 12 10L 10 31Head coaches EditUCF has had 12 head coaches since organized football began in 1979 227 Gene McDowell George O Leary Scott Frost and Josh Heupel have led the Knights to the postseason O Leary Frost and Heupel have coached the team to an FBS conference championship and a BCS NY6 bowl game Before leading UCF in 1983 and 1984 Lou Saban was a head coach in both the American Football League AFL and the NFL 228 O Leary also coached in the NFL between 2002 and 2004 Coach Tenure Record Bowl playoff record PctDon Jonas 1979 1981 14 12 1 537Sam Weir 1982 0 10 000Lou Saban 1983 1984 6 12 333Jerry Anderson 1984 1 3 250Gene McDowell 1985 1997 86 61 3 3 585Mike Kruczek 1998 2003 36 30 545Alan Gooch 2003 0 2 000George O Leary 2004 2015 81 68 3 4 544Danny Barrett 2015 0 4 000Scott Frost 2016 2017 19 7 1 1 731Josh Heupel 2018 2020 28 8 1 2 778Gus Malzahn 2021 18 9 1 1 667 denotes interim coachVenues EditCitrus Bowl 1979 2006 Edit nbsp Camping World Stadium the Knights home field from 1979 to 2006Until 2007 the Knights played their home games at the Citrus Bowl formerly Orlando Stadium and now Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando Located about 15 miles 24 km from UCF s main campus the stadium originally opened in 1936 The stadium s first college football game was played in January 1947 between Catawba and Maryville 19 UCF played its first football game at the Citrus Bowl in September 1979 a 7 6 victory over Fort Benning The facility was the home of the Citrus Bowl and numerous neutral site games By 2004 Orlando city officials and UCF s administration expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the aging facility While UCF was the primary leasing tenant of the Citrus Bowl for 25 years they received little revenue from football games and the stadium s capacity 65 000 was considered too large for the Knights With an average attendance of 20 000 30 000 spectators per game the stadium was left with a mostly empty appearance The Knights record home attendance of 51 987 set at the 2005 C USA Championship was still far short of capacity The location off campus was considered a significant factor in the inability to sustain a sizeable student section while the stadium s upper decks were rarely occupied for UCF games When the university approached the city about possible renovations and new revenue sharing measures for the stadium they were met with resistance The city generally wanted UCF to stay but expected them to help pay for the upgrades to the facility 229 230 At one point during the negotiations stadium officials told then UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini that the value of UCF s fans was nothing 231 Though the city had expressed interest in renovating the Citrus Bowl with or without UCF s support funding was seriously in doubt The city was in the planning stages for a new arena new performing arts center and creative village with stadium renovations seemingly taking less and less priority 232 233 The Knights compiled an overall record of 112 60 1 at the Citrus Bowl which includes Division II playoff games in 1987 a Division I AA playoff game in 1990 the 2005 C USA Championship Game and the 2016 Cure Bowl FBC Mortgage Stadium 2007 present Edit nbsp FBC Mortgage Stadium the Knights home field since 2007 In early 2005 as a response to the deteriorating condition of the Citrus Bowl and lack of revenue derived from the games there UCF formally proposed building an on campus stadium Additional motivations included drawing more students to the games a more intimate setting and establishing game day traditions on campus In December 2005 the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new on campus stadium 234 The new stadium at the time named Bright House Networks Stadium was originally planned to open in time for the 2006 football season but neighborhood opposition delayed the time frame by a year Stadium construction began in 2006 and was finished in time for the 2007 season The first home game took place on September 15 2007 as the Knights nearly upset the No 6 ranked Texas Longhorns The current seating capacity of the stadium is 45 300 and plans provide for a future expansion to 65 000 seats Although the Knights lost their first on campus home game they finished the remainder of the stadium s inaugural season undefeated UCF has hosted the C USA Championship Game twice and the AAC Championship Game twice Following the 2014 season the stadium underwent an 8 million renovation The Wayne Densch Center for Student Athlete Leadership was constructed on the east facade of the stadium and a party deck known as the Carl Black and Gold Cabana was added to the east stands 235 236 237 By many accounts the stadium was built cheaply and as fast as possible Due to these factors the stadium tends to bounce up and down giving it the nickname The Bounce House The stadium was renamed to Spectrum Stadium in April 2017 following Charter Communications acquisition of Bright House Networks 238 After the naming rights deal with Spectrum expired after the 2019 season the stadium was renamed the Bounce House for the Knights 2020 season Just over two weeks before the 2019 season opener the UCF athletic department announced that the entire season ticket allotment was sold out for the first time in school history 239 In addition they created a formal waiting list for season tickets also for the first time In the press release UCF athletic director Danny White teased a possible expansion of Spectrum Stadium in the near future if ticket demand remains high Rivalries EditThough UCF remains a relatively young program that has shifted conferences several times it has several long standing rivalries with schools throughout the duration of Conference USA and The American The university s biggest rival historically is their instate rival the University of South Florida Bulls played from 2005 to 2008 and since 2013 240 Other rivalries include the East Carolina University Pirates Memphis Tigers and Houston Cougars 241 One other unofficial rivalry known as the Civil Conflict exists between UCF and UConn However UCF does not acknowledge the rivalry and has publicly dismissed it 242 243 244 South Florida Edit Main article War on I 4 The War on I 4 dates years before the two schools ever played a game against each other The matchup was the subject of much discussion and fan enthusiasm since the 1990s though the first game was not played until 2005 The rivalry often known as the War on I 4 or I 4 Corridor Clash 245 continued as a four home and away series through the 2008 season The Bulls won each of the four games which all drew strong crowds but South Florida declined to continue the series after 2008 246 247 248 The UCF South Florida game resumed as a regular conference game beginning with the 2013 season as UCF joined the American Athletic Conference 249 The Knights won the first game as conference members 23 20 before 45 952 in Orlando 250 In 2014 the Knights won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium and delivered the first home shut out in South Florida history 16 0 In 2015 USF defeated the Knights 44 3 to finish a winless season for the Knights In 2016 the War On I 4 trophy was introduced for the first time USF took home the trophy by defeating UCF 48 31 and clinching their first 10 win season in school history only for UCF to take the trophy back from them the following year during their national championship season in 2017 UCF leads South Florida 8 6 in the football series through the 2022 season 251 Cincinnati Edit Main article UCF Cincinnati football rivalry Football Cincinnati and UCF are tied in the series 4 4 since 2022 252 Individual awards and honors EditAll Americans Edit Every year several publications release lists of their ideal team The athletes on these lists are referred to as All Americans The NCAA recognizes five All American lists They are the Associated Press AP American Football Coaches Association AFCA Football Writers Association of America FWAA Sporting News TSN and the Walter Camp Football Foundation WCFF UCF has had numerous players honored as first team All Americans To date Kevin Smith is the only Consensus All American 253 Daunte Culpepper QB 1997 NFL Draft Report Kevin Smith RB 2007 AP FWAA WCFF SN SI ESPN CBS Sports College Football News Scout com Joe Burnett KR 2008 ESPN SI Quincy McDuffie KR 2012 SI Jacoby Glenn CB 2014 AP Mike Hughes KR 2017 FWAA Shaquem Griffin LB 2017 AFCA Conference honors Edit Coach of the Year2017 Scott Frost 2013 George O Leary 2010 George O Leary 2007 George O Leary 2005 George O LearyOffensive Player of the Year2017 McKenzie Milton 2013 Blake Bortles 2007 Kevin SmithDefensive Player of the Year2016 Shaquem Griffin 2014 Jacoby Glenn 2012 Kemal Ishmael 2010 Bruce Miller 2009 Bruce MillerSpecial Teams Player of the Year2012 Quincy McDuffie 2008 Joe BurnettFreshman of the Year2015 Tre Quan Smith 2010 Jeff Godfrey 2005 Kevin SmithHeisman Trophy Edit Quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and McKenzie Milton and running back Kevin Smith are the only Knights to finish in the Top 10 of voting for the Heisman Trophy 254 255 256 Year Name Position Finish1998 Daunte Culpepper QB 6th2007 Kevin Smith RB 8th2017 McKenzie Milton QB 8th2018 McKenzie Milton QB 6thHonored numbers Edit UCF retires a student athlete s jersey but does not retire the respective jersey numbers The Knights coaching staff can choose to reissue a given number as the retirement of the jersey does not require that the number not be worn again 257 1 Wayne Densch Philanthropist to the UCF region 258 8 Daunte Culpepper QB 1995 1998 258 19 Joe Burnett CB 2005 2008 258 24 Kevin Smith RB 2005 2007 258 Other honors Edit AFCA Coach of the Year Award Scott Frost 2017 259 Archie Griffin Award McKenzie Milton 2017 260 Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award Scott Frost 2017 261 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Scott Frost 2017 262 Home Depot Coach of the Year Award Scott Frost 2017 263 Paul Bear Bryant Award Scott Frost 2017 264 Peter Mortell Holder of the Year Award Mac Loudermilk Punter 2018 265 Knights in professional football EditNFL Edit See also List of UCF Knights in the NFL draft See also Category UCF Knights football players nbsp Brandon Marshall Class of 2006As of May 2023 23 former UCF players are on an NFL roster 266 NFL Edit Jordan Akins TE Cleveland Browns Gabe Davis WR Buffalo Bills Breshad Perriman WR Indianapolis Colts Tay Gowan CB Minnesota Vikings Richie Grant S Atlanta Falcons Shaquill Griffin CB Houston Texans Jacob Harris WR Jacksonville Jaguars Mike Hughes CB Atlanta Falcons Trysten Hill DT Cleveland Browns Charley Hughlett LS Cleveland Browns Brandon Johnson WR Denver Broncos Justin McCray OT Carolina Panthers Latavius Murray RB Buffalo Bills Tre Nixon WR New England Patriots Matt Prater K Arizona Cardinals Aaron Robinson CB New York Giants Tre Quan Smith WR New Orleans Saints Kalia Davis DT San Francisco 49ers Alex Ward LS Los Angeles Rams Samuel Jackson OT Jacksonville Jaguars Divaad Wilson DB Jacksonville Jaguars Ryan Swoboda OT Detroit Lions Cole Schnieder C Green Bay Packers Anthony Montalvo DT Seattle Seahawks 267 XFL Edit Rannell Hall WR and CB for the Arlington Renegades Adrian Killins RB Arlington Renegades Terrance Plummer LB Orlando GuardiansUSFL Edit Nevelle Clarke DB New Orleans Breakers Jordan McCray C Memphis Showboats Marlon Williams WR Birmingham StallionsCFL Edit Brandon Alexander DB Winnipeg Blue Bombers D J Killings DB Calgary Stampeders Greg McCrae SB Winnipeg Blue Bombers William Stanback RB Montreal AlouettesSchedule EditUCF is one of 14 current full members of the Big 12 Conference having joined that conference in 2023 after 10 seasons in the American Athletic Conference In UCF s last season as an American Conference member it was one of that conference s 11 football members with 10 full members joined by single sport member Navy b With the departure of UConn after 2019 the conference contracted to 11 teams for football and divisions were eliminated From that point until UCF s departure teams in The American played an eight game conference schedule four home games and four away games The intra conference opponents were scheduled on a rotating basis From 2015 to 2019 football in The American consisted of twelve teams split into two divisions 268 269 UCF was placed in the East Division with Cincinnati UConn ECU South Florida and Temple The West Division consisted of Houston Memphis SMU Tulane Tulsa and Navy 270 Intra division games five annually operated on a two year cycle as a home and home series Crossover division games operated on a four year cycle home and home with three teams followed by home and home with the other three Future non conference opponents Edit Officially announced out of conference schedules as of July 2022 are as follows 271 When UCF joins the Big 12 Conference in 2023 272 the conference is expected to maintain a nine game intra conference schedule As such the Knights are expecting to contest three out of conference games annually 273 Furthermore the conference requires at least one of the three out of conference games to be against a Power Five opponent 274 A home and home out of conference series with BYU was scheduled for 2023 2024 275 However it was officially canceled on July 13 2022 as BYU would also join the Big 12 in 2023 276 277 Planned meetings versus FIU 278 2022 and Liberty 2024 were also canceled The Sam Houston Bearkats which will enter Division I FBS in 2023 as members of C USA will instead play at BYU in 2023 and at UCF in 2024 279 UCF eventually added Villanova for the vacated 2023 schedule slot 280 UCF successfully petitioned for a first year one time waiver to count their 2023 game at Boise State as their Power Five non conference opponent taking into account Boise State s recent successes and status as a top G5 team 274 In August 2022 UCF entered a contract to host James Madison in 2029 281 In February 2023 FAU and UCF agreed to delay their 2025 meeting until 2028 opening a date for UCF 282 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033Kent State New Hampshire FCS at Maryland at North Carolina Maryland James Madison Florida at Floridaat Boise State Sam Houston North Carolina Louisiana FAUVillanova FCS at FloridaSee also EditUCF Knights football statistical leaders UCF KnightsFootnotes Edit The UCF campus has an Orlando mailing address but is entirely located in unincorporated Orange County Florida Since 2017 Wichita State has been The American s only full but non football member References EditGeneral Holic Nathan and the UCF Alumni Association University of Central Florida The Campus History Series 2009 ISBN 978 0 7385 6768 6 MacCambridge Michael ESPN College Football Encyclopedia The Complete history of the Game 2005 ISBN 1 4013 3703 1In text FBC Mortgage Stadium at the University of Central Florida Whartonsmith December 9 2015 Retrieved May 28 2023 Colors University of Central Florida Brand Guide Retrieved August 4 2018 UCF signs shoe apparel contract with Nike Orlando Sentinel March 19 2010 Retrieved March 19 2010 Wells Adam June 10 2022 Cincinnati Houston UCF and BYU to Join Big 12 in Summer of 2023 bleacherreport Retrieved May 28 2023 FBC Mortgage Stadium at the University of Central Florida Whartonsmith December 9 2015 Retrieved February 3 2023 A look back at UCF s football s move to Division I A Press release UCF Knights July 19 2007 Retrieved January 10 2018 Division I AA Football Comes to Orlando University of Central Florida Athletic Association Retrieved January 1 2011 a b Anderson Nick January 7 2017 We are on the map Unbeaten UCF stakes claim to football national championship The Washington Post Retrieved January 8 2018 We think teams like ours should have an opportunity to settle it on the field White said We are claiming a national championship We ve been very clear about that National champions UCF Knights finish season ranked No 1 in Colley Matrix Orlando Sentinel Retrieved 2018 09 01 Romero Iliana Limon December 9 2017 UCF QB McKenzie Milton finishes eighth in Heisman Trophy voting Orlando Sentinel Retrieved December 29 2017 Trevor Colbourn the man who started UCF football USA Today a b c d e f The Birth of Saturday Knights Live Part 1 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association June 16 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 Facts About UCF UCF Office of Institutional Research Archived from the original on April 15 2012 Retrieved February 4 2011 Russon Gabrielle Trevor Colbourn Former UCF president dies at 87 Orlando Sentinel UCFKnights com General www ucfknights com Hail to the Fighting Knights UCF Athletics Holic Nathan Association UCF Alumni September 23 2017 University of Central Florida Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780738567686 via Google Books Greene Jerry September 14 2007 Greene O J monks paved way to gates Orlando Sentinel a b c d e f Finally Gametime Arrives Part 2 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association June 22 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 General www ucfknights com The History of UCF Football Finally It s Game Day UCF Knights a b The Birth of Saturday Knights Live The History of UCF Football UCF Athletics a b UCF Football History UCF Athletics UCF Tailgating BBQSuperStars com BBQ Superstars Five New Members Await Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News April 12 2013 a b c d e f g h i j k The Knights Move Up to D II Part 3 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association June 29 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 UCF took winding road to Division I A Online Athens onlineathens com Gypsy Lou was 25 years ahead of his time at UCF Orlando Sentinel Brannen Nick February 25 2015 Denver Broncos 360 Lulu com ISBN 9781312946002 via Google Books self published source Former UCF Head Football Coach Lou Saban Passes Away UCF Knights Daughters Amy John L Smith and the 10 Worst Interim Coaches in College Football History Bleacher Report http stars library ucf edu cgi viewcontent cgi article 2323 amp context centralfloridafuture bare URL PDF The Knights Move Up to D II Press release UCF Knights Green Shannon September 18 2015 UCF football embraces former head coach Gene McDowell Orlando Sentinel a b c d e UCF Develops Winning Ways Part 4 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association July 10 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 Ex NFL player from Zephyrhills heading to prison on gun drug charges Tampa Bay Times UCF Develops Winning Ways UCF Athletics Press release UCFKnights com UCF Knights www ucfknights com Ten Memorable Home Football Games University of Central Florida Athletics Association Archived from the original on August 14 2014 Retrieved February 4 2011 a b c d e Division I AA Football Comes to Orlando Part 5 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association July 18 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 UCF Football milestones Orlando Sentinel September 14 2007 UCFKnights com Football www ucfknights com UCFKnights com Football www ucfknights com A look back at UCF football s move to Division I A UCF Knights Division I AA Football Comes to Orlando Part 5 of 8 Saturday Knights Live The History of UCF Football www cstv com Archived from the original on August 7 2017 Karsnick Pat October 11 1994 Samford takes bite out of Golden Knights Central Florida Future pp 15 16 a b c d e f g Daunte s World Orlando s Biggest Attraction Part 6 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association July 26 2007 Retrieved February 4 2011 Anderson Ryan August 26 1996 I A IT S TIME TO PLAY Central Florida Future pp 1 27 Plus College Football Central Florida Coach Quits After Guilty Plea The New York Times January 21 1998 Retrieved May 26 2010 Green Shannon September 18 2015 UCF football embraces former head coach Gene McDowell Orlando Sentinel Shrieves Linda September 11 1998 Ucf Coach Mike Kruczek Orlando Sentinel Boilermakers Face Off Against Rival Hoosiers Press release Purdue Boilermakers Greene Jerry November 8 1998 Big Time Eludes Ucf On Auburn s Big Play Orlando Sentinel via Sun Sentinel 1999 Georgia Football Schedule Saturday Down South August 13 2014 NCAA Football Central Florida vs Georgia Tech usatoday30 usatoday com NCAA Football Central Florida vs Alabama usatoday30 usatoday com a b c d e f UCF Football Flashback Going on Krucz Control Part 7 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association August 8 2007 Retrieved February 5 2011 1998 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Greene Jerry December 2 1998 Knights Accept Oahu Bid Orlando Sentinel Schmitz Brian December 6 1998 The UM Grinch Ruins the Party for the Knights Orlando Sentinel USATODAY com Central Florida makes bowl debut in Hawaii usatoday30 usatoday com Favat Brian June 13 2011 A Brief History Of UCF Knights Football BC Interruption 2002 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Central Florida signs Kruczek to three year extension USA Today SportsTicker April 23 2003 Central Florida 3 7 fires coach Kruczek ESPN com November 10 2003 2003 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Football Readies for ESPN2 Meeting with UCF Herd Zone Mike Kruczek Coaching Record College Football at Sports Reference com Schmadtke Alan September 24 2003 Ucf A Hot Property In Realignment Talk Orlando Sentinel UCF Begins New Chapter in C USA Press release UCF Knights July 1 2005 a b c d George O Leary Makes His Mark at UCF Part 8 of 8 The History of UCF Football University of Central Florida Athletics Association August 17 2007 Retrieved February 5 2011 Wong John W Fountain With Edward December 15 2001 Notre Dame Coach Resigns After 5 Days and a Few Lies The New York Times 2004 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Marshall vs UCF Game Recap September 24 2005 ESPN ESPN com Collette Jason January 14 2012 Knights Herd Renew Rivalry SB Nation Tampa Bay Q amp A Another Day in the Life of UCF UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News October 21 2014 2005 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Tulsa vs UCF Game Recap December 3 2005 ESPN ESPN com Nevada tops UCF after kick sails wide The New York Times December 25 2005 UCF Head Coach George O Leary Signs 10 Year Contract Extension UCF Knights UCF Football Coach O Leary Signs 10 Year Contract Extension University of Central Florida May 25 2006 Retrieved January 1 2011 2006 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Football Facility Now Known as Spectrum Stadium Press release UCF Knights UCF Athletics Reveals New Logo and Font Press release University of Central Florida Athletics Association Retrieved August 3 2009 UCF vs NC State Game Recap September 1 2007 ESPN ESPN com Texas vs UCF Game Recap September 15 2007 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs South Florida Game Recap October 13 2007 ESPN ESPN com Conference USA Championships conferenceusa com Tulsa vs UCF Game Recap December 1 2007 ESPN ESPN com Football UCF Climbs to No 19 in AP Poll UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News October 27 2013 UCF vs Mississippi State Game Recap December 29 2007 ESPN ESPN com a b c d Green Shannon October 16 2015 Kevin Smith offers insight to UCF s young backs on injury prevention Orlando Sentinel Smith aiming for Sanders single season Dayne s career rushing records ESPN Associated Press December 18 2007 Retrieved December 6 2010 UCF s Smith turning pro reversing decision from last month ESPN Associated Press January 6 2008 Retrieved January 10 2008 Owens Green Shannon November 9 2014 Former UCF NFL standout Kevin Smith returns to school eager to start new chapter of life Orlando Sentinel OTL Plancher s death raises tough questions for UCF ESPN com November 2 2008 Report Plancher showed signs of distress at end of workout ESPN April 25 2008 Retrieved June 26 2008 a b Florida Supreme Court sides with UCF over 2008 football player death Sports Illustrated Limon Iliana June 30 2011 Ereck Plancher trial Jury finds UCFAA guilty of negligence in Plancher s death Chicago Tribune Retrieved June 30 2011 2008 UCF Knights Stats College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com 2009 UCF Knights Stats College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Houston vs UCF Game Recap November 14 2009 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Rutgers Game Recap December 19 2009 ESPN ESPN com UCF coach George O Leary says he won t name a starting quarterback until season opener Sept 4 Orlando Sentinel UCF vs Houston Game Recap November 5 2010 ESPN ESPN com UCF Football Earns First National Ranking UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News November 7 2010 UCF ranked No 23 in coaches poll and No 25 in AP vaulting into Top 25 for first time in school history Orlando Sentinel November 7 2010 Archived from the original on November 9 2010 Retrieved November 7 2010 Austin Davis rallies Southern Miss throwing for 264 yards 4 TDs ESPN November 13 2010 Retrieved January 1 2011 UCF vs Tulane Game Recap November 20 2010 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Memphis Game Recap November 27 2010 ESPN ESPN com 5 Reasons to Believe UCF Will Win C USA UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News July 28 2010 UCF defeats SMU for Conference USA 2010 Title ESPN December 4 2010 Retrieved December 4 2010 Limon Iliana December 6 2010 UCF ranked No 25 in final BCS standings Orlando Sentinel Archived from the original on December 10 2010 Retrieved December 6 2010 UCF caps best season in school history with bowl win ESPN December 31 2010 Retrieved December 31 2010 UCF football ranked in final Top 25 polls Orlando Sentinel November 11 2011 Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved November 11 2011 2011 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Florida Intl vs UCF Game Recap September 3 2015 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs BYU Game Recap September 23 2011 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs UAB Game Recap October 20 2011 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Southern Mississippi Game Recap November 12 2011 ESPN ESPN com a b UCF s Godfrey happy to play big role ESPN November 21 2013 Old Big East to be renamed American Athletic Conference CBS Sports April 3 2013 It UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News December 7 2011 UCF football and basketball teams hit with one year postseason ban from NCAA CBS Sports July 31 2012 UCF banned from postseason for year NCAA July 31 2012 NCAA adds 1 year postseason bans to UCF penalties WESH TV Orlando Archived from the original on December 9 2012 Retrieved July 31 2012 NCAA adds 1 year postseason bans to UCF penalties NBC News Retrieved August 2 2012 permanent dead link 2012 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com UCF vs Tulsa Game Recap December 1 2012 ESPN ESPN com Ball State vs Central Florida 2012 Beef O Brady s Bowl ESPN com UCF wins NCAA appeal no postseason ban for 2013 CFN 13 Retrieved April 19 2013 2013 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com UCF vs Penn State Game Recap September 14 2013 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Louisville Game Recap October 18 2013 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Baylor Game Recap January 1 2014 ESPN ESPN com Young Bob January 2 2014 UCF Kicks Down Door Crashes Final BCS Party The Arizona Republic Phoenix Retrieved January 2 2014 Jackson Darrell January 2 2014 UCF Pulls Biggest Upset in BCS with 52 42 Victory Over Baylor Glendale Star Retrieved January 2 2014 Football UCF No 10 in Final AP Poll UCF News University of Central Florida Articles Orlando FL News January 7 2014 Tall order Jags draft 6 5 QB Bortles at No 3 ESPN May 8 2014 2014 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Penn State vs UCF Game Recap August 30 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Missouri Game Recap September 13 2014 ESPN ESPN com Bethune Cookman vs UCF Game Recap September 20 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Houston Game Recap October 2 2014 ESPN ESPN com BYU vs UCF Game Recap October 9 2014 ESPN ESPN com Tulane vs UCF Game Recap October 18 2014 ESPN ESPN com Temple vs UCF Game Recap October 25 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Connecticut Game Recap November 1 2014 ESPN ESPN com Tulsa vs UCF Game Recap November 14 2014 ESPN ESPN com SMU vs UCF Game Recap November 22 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs South Florida Game Recap November 28 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs East Carolina Game Recap December 4 2014 ESPN ESPN com NC State vs UCF Game Recap December 26 2014 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs South Carolina Game Recap September 26 2015 ESPN ESPN com Houston vs UCF Game Recap October 24 2015 ESPN ESPN com UCF football coach George O Leary is retiring Orlando Sentinel October 25 2015 Retrieved October 25 2015 George O Leary steps down as UCF Knights head coach ESPN October 25 2015 Retrieved October 25 2015 Interim head coach Danny Barrett talks about responsibility of taking over UCF football Orlando Sentinel 2015 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Alex Brooks December 1 2015 UCF Confirms Hiring of Scott Frost as Head Coach Introductory Press Conference Set For Wednesday knightnews com Knights News Retrieved September 10 2018 Frost headed up the infamously fast Oregon offense for the last three seasons and was a key cog in developing Heisman winner and current NFL QB Marcus Mariota The 40 year old will become the tenth football head coach in school history and upon his introduction will be the tenth youngest head coach in the NCAA UCF set to hire Oregon OC Scott Frost to replace George O Leary CBS Sports December 1 2015 Archived from the original on December 1 2015 Retrieved December 1 2015 Heisman Trophy heisman com Retrieved September 9 2018 Bianchi Mike October 5 2016 UCF coach Scott Frost like Houston s Tom Herman will soon get a big time coaching offer Orlando Sentinel Green Shannon December 13 2015 UCF s Scott Frost was born to coach with parents fueling his journey from Nebraska to Florida Orlando Sentinel Scott Frost Bio Huskers com Retrieved September 9 2018 2016 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com South Carolina State vs UCF Game Recap September 3 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Michigan Game Recap September 10 2016 ESPN ESPN com Maryland vs UCF Game Recap September 17 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Florida Intl Game Recap September 24 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs East Carolina Game Recap October 1 2016 ESPN ESPN com Temple vs UCF Game Recap October 15 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Connecticut Game Recap October 22 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Houston Game Recap October 29 2016 ESPN ESPN com Tulane vs UCF Game Recap November 5 2016 ESPN ESPN com Cincinnati vs UCF Game Recap November 12 2016 ESPN ESPN com Tulsa vs UCF Game Recap November 19 2016 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs South Florida Game Recap November 26 2016 ESPN ESPN com Arkansas State vs UCF Game Recap December 17 2016 ESPN ESPN com Helfrich out as Oregon coach after stunning slide ESPN November 30 2016 UCF coach denies he s candidate for Oregon job ESPN December 2016 Spirited Taggart ready to restore Oregon brand ESPN December 8 2016 Florida Intl vs UCF Game Summary August 31 2017 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Maryland Game Summary September 23 2017 ESPN ESPN com Memphis vs UCF Game Summary September 30 2017 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Cincinnati Game Summary October 7 2017 ESPN ESPN com East Carolina vs UCF Game Summary October 14 2017 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Navy Game Summary October 21 2017 ESPN ESPN com Austin Peay vs UCF Game Summary October 28 2017 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs SMU Game Summary November 4 2017 ESPN ESPN com Connecticut vs UCF Game Summary November 11 2017 ESPN ESPN com UCF vs Temple Game Summary November 18 2017 ESPN ESPN com Kercheval Ben November 25 2017 Three TDs in 53 seconds UCF beats USF in college football s game of the year CBS Sports Memphis vs UCF football game now Friday because of Hurricane Irma The Commercial Appeal Murschel Matt Romero Iliana Limon UCF Memphis game postponed by Hurricane Irma to be played Sept 30 Orlando Sentinel UCF Georgia Tech and FIU Indiana canceled over Irma Sports Illustrated Will Frost coach Nebraska or Florida ESPN Video November 25 2017 The Florida Gators offered Scott Frost the head coaching job Here s why he turned it down Bradenton com Memphis vs UCF Game Summary December 2 2017 ESPN ESPN com Sherman Mitch December 2 2017 Homecoming Frost leaves UCF for Nebraska ESPN com Grell Clark December 3 2017 Frost likely to coach UCF in Peach Bowl he has AD s support Journal Star UCF vs Auburn Game Recap January 1 2018 ESPN ESPN com 2017 UCF Knights Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Gartland Dan UCF AD crowns his team national champs Sports Illustrated Retrieved November 21 2020 Simmons Roger January 10 2018 National champions UCF Knights finish season ranked No 1 in Colley Matrix orlandosentinel com Retrieved November 21 2020 UCF honors national championship with parade at Walt Disney World ABC News January 10 2018 Unbeaten UCF celebrates self proclaimed national title at Disney World Chicago Tribune Associated Press January 7 2018 Retrieved January 8 2018 Adelson Andrea April 21 2018 UCF AD sees promise fulfilled as Knights unveil championship banner ESPN com Retrieved April 22 2018 Sparks Matthew January 7 2018 Knights success should mark new day for CFP The Daily Independent Retrieved January 8 2018 Gleeson Scott January 6 2018 Nick Saban Kirby Smart both OK with UCF s national title claim USA Today Retrieved January 8 2018 Adelson Andrea January 7 2018 UCF honors national championship with parade at Walt Disney World ESPN com Retrieved January 8 2018 UCF hires Heupel as coach Shannon to be DC ESPN December 5 2017 UCF taps Missouri OC Josh Heupel as new coach Randy Shannon as DC CBS Sports December 5 2017 Matter Dave December 5 2017 Central Florida hires Mizzou s Josh Heupel as head coach stltoday com UCF football names Gus Malzahn as new head coach ESPN February 15 2021 Retrieved February 15 2021 Adelson Andrea January 9 2018 The national championship celebration before the title game ESPN com Simmons Roger January 9 2018 National champions UCF Knights finish season ranked No 1 in the Colley Matrix Orlando Sentinel Retrieved January 14 2018 Seeley Andy January 10 2018 Knights Ranked No 1 UCF Press release UCF Athletics Archived from the original on March 22 2018 Retrieved January 18 2018 Dill Jason NCAA officially recognizes UCF football s national championship claim Bradenton Herald Retrieved August 30 2019 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records PDF Indianapolis National Collegiate Athletic Association August 2018 Retrieved August 31 2018 NATIONAL CHAMPION MAJOR SELECTIONS 1896 TO PRESENT PDF NCAA Retrieved October 13 2021 Kirshner Alex May 15 2018 Saban takes his biggest shot yet at UCF s national title claim SBNation com Retrieved April 13 2023 UCF Knights Bowls College Football at Sports Reference com UCF Knights Football Record By Year College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved March 4 2021 UCF Root For Rout Of Miami Orlando Sentinel December 5 1998 Retrieved December 19 2012 Silent Knights Miami s Win Is UCF s Loss Orlando Sentinel December 6 1998 Retrieved December 19 2012 2018 Football Media Guide PDF UCFKnights com UCF Athletics pp 106 107 Retrieved August 21 2018 Longtime coach Saban dies at age 87 ESPN com Associated Press March 29 2009 Archived from the original on March 20 2014 Retrieved June 30 2013 Badger Emily April 28 2004 Stadium upgrades key to Orlando s BCS bid Part 1 The Orlando Sentinel p D1 Retrieved September 17 2019 via Newspapers com nbsp Badger Emily April 28 2004 Stadium upgrades key to Orlando s BCS bid Part 2 The Orlando Sentinel p D5 Retrieved September 17 2019 via Newspapers com nbsp UCF president John Hitt On campus stadium a godsend Orlando Sentinel January 15 2011 Retrieved December 2 2012 Garcia Jason Schmadtke Alan January 9 2005 UCF Stadium could doom Citrus Bowl Part 1 The Orlando Sentinel p A1 Retrieved September 17 2019 via Newspapers com nbsp Garcia Jason Schmadtke Alan January 9 2005 UCF Stadium could doom Citrus Bowl Part 2 The Orlando Sentinel p A15 Retrieved September 17 2019 via Newspapers com nbsp UCF Trustees Approve Financing Plan Groundbreaking for On Campus Football Stadium University of Central Florida Athletics Association December 14 2005 Retrieved December 2 2012 UCF exploring open air bar in Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando Sentinel April 2 2012 Archived from the original on November 10 2013 Retrieved November 9 2012 UCF s East Side Club gets a new name new six figure title sponsor Orlando Sentinel August 10 2015 Retrieved August 10 2015 UCF President John Hitt eager to open Wayne Densch Student Athlete Leadership Center Orlando Sentinel November 21 2014 Retrieved December 5 2014 Spectrum Stadium UCF Athletics April 12 2017 UCF Sells Out 2019 Season Ticket Allotment UCF Athletics August 12 2019 Retrieved August 26 2019 USF UCF Finally Meet Sun Sentinel September 16 2005 Retrieved November 30 2012 Top Ten Rivalries in The American Black and gold banneret January 13 2020 Retrieved January 4 2022 UConn Randomly Creates Rivalry With Central Florida Dubs It Civil Conflict UConn NESN com NESN com June 8 2015 Duffy Thomas UConn Promotes Rivalry Game with UCF Knights Deny Any Involvement Bleacher Report Sherman Rodger June 1 2015 UConn UCF s new Civil Conflict rivalry trophy is already the country s worst SBNation com Vox Media Getting Prepared for I 4 Corridor Clash South Florida Bulls November 2012 Retrieved December 31 2013 Auman Greg August 16 2006 Schedule news new commitment Tampa Bay Times Archived from the original on July 9 2013 Retrieved August 12 2012 Auman Greg September 6 2008 Should USF play UCF every year Tampa Bay Times Archived from the original on January 11 2013 Retrieved August 14 2012 Auman Greg April 29 2011 USF says no contracts proposed for football with UCF Tampa Bay Times Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved August 14 2012 Bianchi Mike December 7 2011 Finally Big East gives UCF some much needed good news Orlando Sentinel Retrieved August 13 2012 Hightower Kyle November 30 2013 No 17 UCF survives scare from rival USF 23 20 Yahoo Retrieved December 31 2013 Winsipedia UCF Knights vs South Florida Bulls football series history Winsipedia Winsipedia UCF Knights vs Cincinnati Bearcats football series history Winsipedia Awards compiled NCAA 2008 Record Book Division 1 Football NCAA DocStoc Archived from the original on July 14 2009 Retrieved December 17 2009 1998 Heisman Trophy 64th Award Heisman Trust 2007 Archived from the original on November 8 2011 Retrieved November 12 2011 2007 Heisman Trophy 73rd Award Heisman Trust 2007 Archived from the original on November 8 2011 Retrieved November 12 2011 Romero Iliana Limon December 9 2017 UCF QB McKenzie Milton finishes eighth in Heisman Trophy voting Orlando Sentinel Policy Governing the Commemoration of Athletic Jerseys University of Central Florida Athletics Association October 23 2010 Archived from the original on August 20 2013 Retrieved June 4 2011 a b c d UCF Athletics To Commemorate Four Football Jerseys During Homecoming Game vs Rice University of Central Florida Athletics Association October 18 2010 Retrieved December 22 2010 Scott Frost Matt Campbell and Many Others Honored During American Football Coaches Awards in Charlotte Press release American Football Coaches Association January 9 2018 Retrieved January 24 2018 Milton Named Archie Griffin Award Winner Press release UCF Knights January 22 2018 Archived from the original on February 24 2018 Retrieved January 24 2018 Russo Ralph D December 18 2017 College football Scott Frost named AP Coach of the Year after leading UCF to undefeated season NCAA com Associated Press UCF s Frost Wins 2017 Eddie Robinson Award Press release Football Writers Association of America December 14 2017 Retrieved January 24 2018 2017 UCF Head Coach Scott Frost Winner of The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award Mark Andrews of Oklahoma Named the 2017 John Mackey Award Recipient Press release ESPN December 6 2017 Retrieved January 24 2018 Scott Frost Named American Heart Association s 2017 Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Press release American Heart Association January 10 2018 Retrieved January 24 2018 http ucfknights com ViewArticle dbml DB OEM ID 34100 amp ATCLID 211783166 dead link Central Florida Knights in the NFL Ourlads December 20 2021 Retrieved December 21 2021 College Football Encyclopedias and NFL Records Pro Football Reference December 20 2021 Retrieved December 21 2021 Limon Romero Iliana UCF other departing C USA members on track to pay exit fees without fight Orlando Sentinel Retrieved December 10 2012 Rybaltowski Matt Big East announces divisions for 2013 14 Louisville Cincy in East Temple in West CBSSports com Retrieved December 10 2012 Myerberg Paul November 13 2012 Big East announces divisions adds conference title game USA Today Retrieved December 10 2012 UCF Knights Future Football Schedules FBSchedules com Retrieved July 14 2022 Adelson Andrea June 10 2022 Cincinnati Houston UCF reach exit deal with American to join Big 12 in 2023 ESPN com Retrieved June 10 2022 Beede Jason January 24 2022 UCF adds old conference foe Kent State to 2023 schedule Orlando Sentinel Retrieved January 25 2022 a b Beede Jason February 1 2023 Marc Daniels It s More Than A Schedule For UCF WYGM 96 9 The Game Retrieved March 27 2023 Heisler John September 24 2019 BYU Boise State Among Future UCF Football Foes UCFKnights com Retrieved September 24 2019 UCF Board of Trustees Accepts Invitation to Join Big 12 Conference UCFKnights com September 10 2021 Retrieved September 15 2021 Jeyarajah Shehan September 10 2021 Big 12 to add BYU Cincinnati Houston and UCF after they formally accept invitations to join conference CBSSports com Retrieved September 15 2021 Beede Jason November 23 2021 Big 12 Conference move leads to season ticket increases for UCF football for 2022 and beyond Orlando Sentinel Retrieved December 8 2021 Kats add future games with BYU UCF The Item July 13 2022 Beede Jason July 31 2022 UCF football adds Villanova completes 2023 non conference slate orlandosentinel com Retrieved August 15 2022 Kelley Kevin June 29 2023 UCF adds James Madison to 2029 football schedule FBSchedules com Retrieved July 23 2023 Kelley Kevin February 27 2023 Florida Atlantic UCF reschedule future football game FBSchedules com Retrieved July 23 2023 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to UCF Knights football Official website nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title UCF Knights football amp oldid 1173454869, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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