#18 UCF Knights Play Sloppy, Still Whip Huskies 49-24

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/12/16640288/ucf-knights-central-florida-uconn-huskies-scott-frost-otis-anderson-david-pindell-game-recap-2017

UCF Knights fans are not used to having teams that can make loads of mistakes and still win by a dominant margin.

Well, that’s what we’ve got now. Despite sometimes sloppy play (especially in the third quarter), the ultimate outcome was never in doubt.

Early on, it looked like things would wind up even more lopsided than they did. The UConn Huskies’ second drive was a disaster. Tony Guerard fell on a dropped toss. Though initially ruled an incomplete pass by UConn QB David Pindell was reversed on review and ruled a fumble and Knights’ ball.

And then some of the mistakes were on display. The Knights immediately moved backwards thanks to a trio of successive penalties – an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Scott Frost on the reversed play, holding, and then a false start. Ultimately the Knights were flagged ten times for 84 yards. Though groan-inducing, this trio of penalties didn’t end up meaning much – a couple of plays later (including a nice 15 yard run by Tre’Quan Smith) and freshman WR Marlon Williams had his first career touchdown. That score – coupled with earlier touchdown runs by Otis Anderson and Adrian Killins Jr. – put the Knights up 21-3, still in the first quarter.

But the Huskies didn’t lie down. They stopped the Knights’ second drive on fourth down (UCF and UConn went a combined 0-5 on fourth down conversion attempts). And then added their first touchdown of the day when Pindell perfectly executed a RPO play and found a ludicrously wide open Mason Donaldson in the end zone.

Not that it mattered all that much. UCF answered with a drive capped off with a 41 yard touchdown pass from McKenzie Milton to Tre’Quan Smith. Smith simply had a tremendous day, totaling seven receptions for 120 yards. And in the fourth quarter, Smith’s blocking was clutch in enabling a sixty-five yard touchdown run by Anderson.

UConn came out of the half swinging with a lightning quick, 91 yard touchdown drive (UConn’s longest drive of the year). Pindell showed some nice moves on the drive (including on his nine yard run to get the touchdown) and threw a long pass to an uncovered Arkeel Newsome.

UCF looked to be in a great position to answer, but Otis Anderson was stripped while making a nifty run after a catch. And though the Knights forced a quick three and out, their ensuing drive was simply bad. A botched snap resulted in a loss of 14 yards. Then Killins was tackled for a loss. And then a sack of Milton ended the series.

The offense was ineffective throughout the third, leaving the Knights with only their second scoreless quarter of the year.

The Knights looked more like themselves in the fourth quarter and poured on 21 points. Anderson redeemed himself with the aforementioned 65 yard touchdown run. It was the longest run this year by any Knight not named Adrian Killins Jr. Milton ran for a touchdown. And when Noah Vedral entered the game at quarterback for the Knights, he threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to an incredibly wide open Cam Stewart.

The Knights defensive backups allowed a Huskies touchdown with 36 seconds left in the game.

At 9-0, the Knights best start in program history continues. And with nine in a row, UCF’s also tied for the longest winning streak in program history.

The Knights travel to Temple next week.

13 UConn Rivalries Better than UCF

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/10/16621942/twelve-uconn-rivalries-better-than-ucf-civil-conflict-diaco

#18 UCF Knights vs UConn Huskies: Preview and Prediction

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/10/16629246/ucf-vs-uconn-preview-and-prediction-aac-scott-frost-orlando-preview-kickoff-tv-betting-knights

Know Your Foes: UCF’s Opponents After Week Ten

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/8/16625212/ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-strength-of-schedule-sos-cfp-rankings-selection-committee

Kirby Hocutt and the College Football Playoff selection committee are intellectually lazy.

The UCF Knights remain ranked at #18 by the committee. Last week, there were four two loss teams ranked ahead of UCF. This week there are eight. Most egregiously, two loss Michigan State rose a whopping twelve spots in the rankings by handing Penn State its second loss.

As discussed over here by the mothership, UCF’s ranking is simply too low.

The message the committee is sending with these rankings: we don’t care about the margins by which teams beat their opponents and – for Power Five programs – we don’t care all that much about how bad your losses are, either.

Hocutt’s position is that UCF’s “strength of schedule is the challenge in positioning them higher at this point in time.” Well, what’s good for the Group of Five goose is not good for the Power Five gander. Compare the Knights to fellow unbeaten team Wisconsin, which is ranked #6:

With this backdrop, let’s delve into our weekly look at UCF’s strength of schedule.

FIU Panthers (6-2 Overall, 4-1 Conference USA)

Look – even UCF’s season opening cupcake is bowl eligible. It’s only the third time in program history that the Panthers have reached bowl eligibility (first time since 2011).

Not that the Panthers’ wins have been especially impressive, but their 14-7 win this week over UTSA might have been “the most miserable C-USA game of the season.”

Maryland Terrapins (4-5 Overall, 2-4 Big Ten)

It’s great that the Knights clobbered their only P5 opponent of the season. Unfortunately, it’s not one that is going to look great on the resume. With a narrow road loss to Rutgers in what was a back-and-forth game, the Terps are back to a losing record.

It would be a shock if Maryland got to six wins, and its likely that the Terps won’t win another game. Their last three are against Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State.

#22 Memphis Tigers (8-1 Overall, 5-1 AAC)

The only G5 team other than UCF to be ranked by the selection committee, the Tigers moved up a single spot after blowing out Tulsa 41-14. Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson again was outstanding. His performance this year has been stellar, and it’s a credit to the Knights’ defense that they limited him so much in UCF’s win.

Memphis will likely win the AAC West, and beating an excellent Memphis team in the AAC Championship is one of the few potential resume boosts the Knights have left.

Cincinnati Bearcats (3-6 Overall, 1-4 AAC)

The Bearcats notched their first conference win of the year with their 17-16 victory over Tulane. It could have easily gone the other way. The Green Wave attempted a 36-yard field goal with less than a minute to play and missed wide left.

Cincinnati’s path to bowl eligibility is actually plausible. The Bearcats have games against Temple, ECU, and UConn remaining (all teams which, like the Bearcats, have losing records). Sure would be nice to have another bowl eligible team on the resume.

ECU Pirates (2-7 Overall, 1-4 AAC)

ECU never led and lost to Houston 52-27. They allowed the Cougars to put up 21 points in the first quarter, while scoring none of their own. The Pirates are irredeemably bad this year.

Navy Midshipmen (5-3 Overall, 3-3 AAC)

Navy suffered a surprising loss to Temple, which was well-prepared for the triple option and found improved offense with Frank Nutile at quarterback.

The way ahead is difficult for Navy. The Midshipmen have SMU, Notre Dame, Houston, and Army left on the schedule.

Austin Peay Governors (6-4 Overall, 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference)

Austin Peay has an outside shot at making the FCS playoffs. Their only losses are to three FBS programs (such losses are not taken into consideration when selecting teams for the FCS playoffs) and perennial FCS power Jacksonville State.

This week, the Governors beat Tennessee Tech. At 1-8, Tennessee Tech is the worst team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

SMU Mustangs (6-3 Overall, 3-2 AAC)

SMU gave UCF its toughest challenge of the year, but the Knights prevailed 31-24 (we had our Underdog Dynasty staff photographer at this game, and the photo gallery is over here).

The Mustangs capitalized on UCF miscues, including a McKenzie Milton pick six and an absurd number of missed tackles on the Mustang’s first offensive play (which yielded a catch-and-run for a long touchdown).

UCF was still the better team. And it’s good to see that the Knights can deal with adversity. Haven’t seen much of that so far this season.

UConn Huskies (3-6 Overall, 2-4 AAC)

UConn suffered a 37-20 loss against USF. The Huskies have one of the worst defenses in the country, and it showed against the Bulls.

Quarterback Bryant Shirreffs suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter and left the game. The Huskies will be without him for their game against the Knights this week.

Temple Owls (4-5 Overall, 2-3 AAC)

Temple is certainly a more dangerous team with Nutile at QB (and to think that earlier in the season I thought they had found a steady hand in Logan Marchi).

The Owls are another team that could plausibly get bowl eligible. Aside from their game against the Knights in two weeks, Temple plays 2-8 Tulsa and Cincinnati.

USF Bulls (8-1 Overall, 5-1 AAC)

The Bulls are again not ranked by the committee. That’s just plain wrong, but consistent with the lack of value the committee attaches to AAC teams.

Quarterback Quinton Flowers had an epic performance with 516 total yards against UConn – a USF record. The Bulls offensive playcalling was much improved. They’re a dangerous team, and one the Knights will have to respect, even if the committee doesn’t.

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, (we missed Week 8, sorry), Week 9.

UCF Hits a School Record 8-0 With Win Over SMU

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/5/16608216/ucf-knights-smu-mustangs-ponies-central-florida-2017-recap-mckenzie-milton-courtland-sutton-frost

UCF played sloppy throughout and still beat a team that had its best start in thirty years.

A trio of disasters hampered the Knights in the early going. A failed fourth and short. Surrendering an enormous 86 yard yard catch and run touchdown to SMU wide receiver James Proche. And a bad McKenzie Milton pick, where he threw behind Tre’Quan Smith.

The mistakes did not end there. Milton chucked a pick six in the first half (he could have chucked another with 7:52 in the fourth quarter, but it was dropped). And in the third quarter, TE Jordan Akins had a fumble in the end zone.

But that was all ultimately fine. The Knights got some tremendously explosive plays out of the periodically inconsistent offense. Adrian Killins, Jr. had two highlight touchdown runs, one for thirty-four yards in the second quarter and one for sixty-four yards in third. Killins is college football’s fastest player and supplies more evidence in that regard every week or so.

Of course, we know that Twitter star @TJL_SUdad has pioneered “cheese and bread” as the Killins long touchdown run catch phrase. But this is a game that makes me believe that 1990s hyperviolent comic book duo Milk and Cheese might the more appropriate comparison.

(If I show you the meaningless comic book panel, I also have to show you the highlight, right? Right.)

And it’s not like it was all bad for Milton. Far from it. Despite the turnovers and relative lack of accuracy, he rang up 412 passing yards, the most since Blake Bortles’s performance against Temple in 2013 (you’ll remember that game as The Catch. right? RIGHT?!).

The UCF defense was . . . largely forgettable. The Knights suffered from some of the tackling problems on display against Cincinnati, Austin Peay, and (to a lesser extent) against ECU. But throughout the game they made some big stops on third down. And they weren’t without their own highlights. UCF Safety Kyle Gibson had a crucial recovery of a fumble by a driving SMU in the end zone for a touchback.

Ultimately, the play of the game came with a bit over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. SMU wide receiver Trey Quinn dropped what should have been a certain fourth down catch on the UCF side of the field (on paper, Quinn is the closest to a sure thing one might expect - he’s the AAC’s leading receiver). It was immediately followed by a Killins run that ripped into SMU territory.

But the Mustangs still had a chance. With about three minutes left in the fourth, the Mustangs sacked Milton and knocked the Knights out of field goal range. Down seven, the Ponies had the ball deep on their side of the field with 2:55 seconds left.

. . . The drive ended with a turnover on downs.

But look, the Mustangs continue to look like a profoundly dangerous team. SMU quarterback Ben Hicks was largely on point (yes, he seemed to panic at times, but still). He ended up going 27/51 for 283 yards, a touchdown, and 54 yards rushing. He did not turn the ball over. And his receivers often made clutch catches. James Proche ended up with 7 receptions for 173 yards (including the ridiculous early touchdown catch). Trey Quinn (despite the huge drop) caught eleven passes, while Courtland Sutton held his own against UCF’s stellar CB Mike Hughes and caught five pases for 46 yards. They were helped by the Mustang’s rushing attack - Xavier Jones ran 19 times for 84 yards and a touchdown, with Braeden West chipping in for 55 yards as well.

UCF now has the largest active streak of scoring thirty or more points per game. Hey, I know a bitter rival who wishes they owned that streak.

The Mustangs move on to a key divisional game against Navy. The Knights will have the UConn Huskies at home.

And hey! Ashley Frost didn’t give birth during the game. Thank goodness. Every dad deserves to be there for the birth of his child (mom has no choice but to be there. Sorry, mothers. I’ve seen it go down, and you are the heroes).

Know Your Foes: UCF’s Opponents After Week Nine

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/11/1/16595436/ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-sos-strength-of-schedule-scott-frost-mckenzie-milton

With the first College Football Playoff Rankings out, strength of schedule now “officially” matters. The #18 UCF Knights have beaten opponents with a combined record of 30-25 (a .545 winning percentage). UCF’s average margin of victory is 31 points. UCF has the best scoring offense in the country (51 points per game) and, of the five unbeaten teams in the FBS, only the Knights have won each game by double digits.

And yet the undefeated Knights are ranked after four two-loss teams: Auburn (6-2), Iowa State (6-2), Mississippi State (6-2), and USC (7-2).

Its clear that tearing through AAC foes – even in UCF’s rapacious manner -- isn’t worth all that much in the eyes of the committee. And the Knights were unfortunately deprived of the opportunity to play a second Power Five program this year when Hurricane Irma prompted the cancellation of the Georgia Tech game.

If UCF wins out, then the Knights will play in a New Year’s Six Bowl. It would be extremely difficult, however, for UCF to be ranked high enough to make the playoffs. Even if UCF continues blowing out opponents, it would take absolute carnage above them for the Knights to move up. Absolute. Carnage.

But please. Root for carnage.

And winning out.

The Knights’ past and future opponents, in schedule order:

FIU Panthers (5-2 Overall, 3-1 Conference USA)

The Panthers continue to have one of their best seasons to date and are a serious contender to win the C-USA East Division. On Saturday, FIU had its best offensive game of the year and hung 41 points on Marshall on the way to an 11 point win. They’re quite good for a C-USA team.

Maryland Terrapins (4-4 Overall, 2-3 Big Ten)

Maryland was down 14-0 against Indiana before surging back to win 42-39.

It sure would be nice if UCF’s only Power 5 victim this year could get to bowl eligibility and at least a .500 record. Getting to five wins is very possible with a game against Rutgers this weekend, but to hit six, the Terps would need to upset one of Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State. Not as easy task for this Maryland team.

#23 Memphis Tigers (7-1 Overall, 4-1 AAC)

Memphis jumped to an early lead over Tulane and did not look back. The Tigers cruised to a 56-26 win.

There’s a very serious possibility of a UCF-Memphis match-up in the AAC Championship game. The Tigers have a single challenge remaining – SMU – and two far easier opponents (Tulsa and ECU).

UCF and Memphis are the only Group of Five teams ranked in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-6 Overall, 0-4 AAC)

The Bearcats were on a bye. Perhaps mercifully, given that they’ve yet to win a single conference game.

ECU Pirates (2-6 Overall, 1-3 AAC)

Also had a bye.

Navy Midshipmen (5-2 Overall, 3-2 AAC)

And yes, Navy had a bye.

Not a ton of AAC games this past week.

The Midshipmen resume play tomorrow against Temple.

Austin Peay Governors (5-4 Overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference)

Many UCF fans seemed not to enjoy crushing Austin Peay as much as they should have. The Knights hung a UCF record 73 points on the Governors and won by 40 this week. It was also the most points scored by any AAC team against any opponent this year.

The Knights’ defensive lapses – including missed tackles and assignments – can certainly be fairly criticized. And no AAC program wants to allow an FCS team to score 33 points. But remember that many of those came in fluky ways. The Governors caught a tipped pass for a touchdown. And caught a touchdown pass that UCF freshman DB Antwan Collier bobbled instead of intercepting. The Governors also had a lineman fall on one of their fumbles for a touchdown.

The Governors may be “only” an FCS team, but they’re a good FCS team. Their other losses are against Miami (OH) and Cincinnati, and FCS powerhouse Jacksonville State.

SMU Mustangs (6-2 Overall, 3-1 AAC)

SMU played a tighter than expected game against lowly Tulsa. The Mustangs were down 28-34 before scoring ten points in the fourth quarter to win. It’s the second week in a row that the Mustangs have cut it close – on October 21, they needed overtime to eke out a 31-28 over Cincinnati.

Of course, SMU’s offense is dangerous (though the defense is . . . not). Other than the War on I-4, this is the most challenging hurdle remaining for the Knights.

UConn Huskies (3-5 Overall, 2-3 AAC)

UConn played the SEC’s Missouri Tigers and got crushed by a score of 52-12. UConn did manage to score first with a safety when a snap went over the head of Missouri’s punter and through the end zone. But the Tigers responded with three touchdowns in the first quarter, swiftly putting the game out of reach.

Very, very, little went right for the Huskies in this one.

Temple Owls (3-5 Overall, 1-3 AAC)

On a bye week.

Told you there weren’t a ton of AAC games this week.

USF Bulls (7-1 Overall, 4-1 AAC)

The dreams of two undefeated teams playing in a clash of the titans on Black Friday is now gone.

On Saturday, USF went up against their first good opponent of the year, the Houston Cougars. And the Bulls lost 28-24. If you want to traumatize your Bulls friends this week, ask them about 4th and 24.

Through Week Nine, USF has still only beaten one team without a losing record, and that’s FCS Stony Brook.

Our game on Black Friday remains risky and – with the Bulls unlikely to lose again before then – a threat to winning the division. Despite not playing up top their potential, the Bulls are a talented team. They’re also hampered by bad playcalling on offense – a fact that was obvious against Houston.

Speaking of bad offense, the Bulls snapped their record 24 game streak of scoring 30 or more points. UCF now holds the longest active streak, with seven.

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7.

UCF Overcomes Navy for Best Start in Program History

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/21/16515014/ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-navy-midshipmen-recap-abey-otis-anderson-adrian-killins-jr

The #20 UCF Knights (6-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) endured their first tough - and sloppy - game of the season but prevailed 31-21 over the Navy Midshipmen (5-2, 3-2). The victory is hugely significant for the Knights, who now have matched their win total from last year. And at 6-0, this is the best ever start for UCF football. The Knights’ victory also wrecked a streak for Navy, which had won 17 regular season home games in a row.

Though the Knights never trailed, the game was tight throughout.

In the first half, UCF blew numerous opportunities. The Knights had a promising drive blunted by penalties. Then a drive stopped on a failed attempt to convert fourth and one in the red zone. And later, when UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton appeared to tweak his hamstring, Noah Vedral came on briefly; he promptly botched a snap to scuttle good field position. Matthew Wright also missed a 45-yard field goal attempt to close out the half.

The Knights suffered mistakes in the second half as well. The Knights surrendered several long passes to the Midshipmen, including a 75 yard touchdown pass by Zach Abey to Malcom Perry. And McKenzie Milton threw an interception (only his third of the year) in the fourth quarter.

Though far from its usual sharp performance, the UCF offense still accumulated 483 yards. This was a game in which UCF’s speedy young players (and the offensive line, which made huge holes for them) shined. Sophomore Adrian Killins Jr. rushed for 122 yards (his new career high) and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a 79 yard run to immediately answer a Navy TD that had knotted the game at 14-14 early in the second half. Freshman Otis Anderson also had a great game. With a few minutes left in the game and UCF only up three, Anderson had a clutch catch and run for a key first down. Two plays later, he put the Knights up 31-21:

Anderson also added a pair of catches for 47 yards. Nominally a wide receiver, Anderson continues to have success whether used in that role or as a running back.

Much credit for this win belongs to the Knights defense. Linebacker Pat Jasinski played fiercely throughout, ending with a career high fourteen total tackles. Redshirt Freshman cornerback Brandon Moore – usually the weakest link in the Knights’ secondary – had a tremendous game. He tipped a ball that safety Kyle Gibson then intercepted. Later, with the Midshipmen driving, Moore nailed Darryl Bonner on the pitch, forcing and recovering a fumble. Moore also ended Navy’s last drive by picking off a Garret Lewis pass (Lewis replaced Abey at quarterback after a hard hit dazed Abey in the third quarter).

The ten point win is UCF’s smallest margin of victory so far this year (UCF’s previous “low” was a 27 point win over Memphis). But this should not alarm Knights fans in the least. Instead, today’s result demonstrates that UCF can beat quality opponent even when the Knights aren’t playing their best game. Coupled with their win over Memphis several weeks ago, UCF has now beaten the two best teams in the AAC West.

UCF gets a bit of a breather, with FCS program Austin Peay coming to Orlando next Saturday. The Knights will also get a boost from the return of wide receiver Tristan Payton and cornerback Nevelle Clarke, who have now finished serving a six game suspension for failed drug tests.

#20 UCF vs Navy: Preview and Prediction

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/19/16485866/ucf-knights-vs-navy-preview-and-prediction-aac-scott-frost-orlando-preview-kickoff-tv-betting

Know Your Foes: UCF’s Opponents After Week Seven

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/17/16483148/ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-future-opponents-strength-of-schedule-new-years-six-g5

Last week in this space, we started talking strength of schedule and how, as between the winner of the War on I-4 and San Diego State, strength of schedule might matter a great deal.

Yeah, so Boise State knocked off SDSU 31-14. The only Group of Five team ranked above the UCF Knights is USF. And – obviously – the Knights have the opportunity to beat the Bulls. UCF controls its own destiny when it comes to playing in a New Year’s Six bowl.

The teams UCF have beaten this year are a combined 15-17. Sure, the Knights have only played two teams with winning records right now – Memphis and FIU. But UCF is blowing everyone off the field, and hasn’t been seriously challenged after the half in any game.

To put that in context, consider the obvious comparator, USF. The Bulls have played six games and the combined record of their opponents is 14-28. One third of their opponents to date have one win. Another third have two wins. The last third consists of a 3-4 Temple team and a 5-2 FCS program, Stony Brook.

As my colleague Luke noted on Twitter:

On to the Knights’ past and future opponents, in schedule order:

FIU Panthers (4-2 Overall, 2-1 Conference USA)

The Panthers beat their AAC foe Tulane this week 23-10. FIU had a balanced attack (218 yards rushing, 220 through the air) and held Tulane’s running game in check.

This is a big deal for FIU – at 4-2 in Butch Davis’s first season, the Panthers have now matched their previous best start in program history.

The Panthers aren’t a very good team, but they’re a very good-for-FIU team.

Maryland Terrapins (3-3 Overall, 1-2 Big Ten)

The Terps lost to their conference opponent Northwestern, in a game where the lead went back and forth. Maryland could not run the ball at all. And the defense was overwhelmed, surrendering 531 yards to Wildcats. The final score was 37-21.

#25/RV Memphis Tigers (5-1 Overall, 2-1 AAC)

A 30-27 win over Navy got the Tigers ranked in the AP Poll (though not the Coaches poll). This is the first time the program history that Memphis has beaten two top 25 teams in one season (you’ll recall the UCLA game?).

UCF’s 40-13 hammering of Memphis is the team’s best win to date.

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-5 Overall, 0-3 AAC)

The Bearcats were clobbered by USF this week, losing 33-3. The USF rushing attack was dominant and the Cincinnati offense was poor. The Bearcats totaled 273 yards of offense – only 3.9 yards per play.

The Bearcats have now dropped four in a row and been outscored 164-79 in those games.

ECU Pirates (1-6 Overall, 1-3 AAC)

UCF 63, ECU 21. Next.

Navy Midshipmen (5-1 Overall, 3-1 AAC)

The Midshipmen made a load of mistakes in their loss to Memphis this week. Navy suffered five turnovers. Quarterback Zach Abey was disastrous when called upon to throw the football and went 1-for-7 for 20 yards and two interceptions.

This was Navy’s first real test of the year; they failed it. I expect the Knights to inflict another loss on them this week.

Austin Peay Governors (4-3 Overall, 3-1 Ohio Valley Conference)

The Governors beat Tennessee State 21-17, despite playing most of the game with backup Jeremiah Oatsvall in at quarterback. Ausitn Peay played sound defense, forcing Tennessee State to settle for a number of early field goal attempts (on which Tennessee State was a measly 1-of-3).

SMU Mustangs (4-2 Overall, 1-1 AAC)

The Mustangs had a bye. They resume play next week with a game against the reeling Bearcats.

UConn Huskies (2-4 Overall, 1-3 AAC)

With a 28-24 win over the Temple Owls, UConn snapped an eight game conference losing streak and notched the Huskies’ first road win in almost two years. Much of the credit belongs to the defense which, after looking bad all year, stepped up.

Temple Owls (3-4 Overall, 1-3 AAC)

Temple’s loss to UConn emphasizes that apart from the two best teams in the AAC East, the rest of the division is bad, bad, bad.

#16/#13 USF Bulls (6-0 Overall, 3-0 AAC)

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the USF offense endured some early struggles this week. The first quarter of the Bull’s homecoming game against Cincinnati ended with the score 3-3.[1] But USF’s defense continues to be excellent, and the Bulls ultimately prevailed 33-3.

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6.

[1] Two weeks ago, the Knights led Cincinnati 20-7 at the end of the first quarter.

UCF Dismantles East Carolina, Moves up to #20 in the Polls

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/15/16479362/ucf-knights-central-florida-dismantles-east-carolina-pirates-aac-scott-frost-orlando-recap-box-score

Another game, another dominating performance by the UCF Knights offense. In what we knew would be a lopsided matchup, the Knights were able to dismantle the East Carolina defense in their 63-21 victory. The 63 points scored ties the single-game record set in 2001 against Liberty. Heading into week 8, #UCFast ranks #5 in offensive yards per game (547) and #1 in points per game (50.6).

McKenzie Milton continued his All-American worthy season by throwing for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns while completing 78% of his passes. He stays in 2^nd place behind Baker Mayfield for passer rating (203.6) and yards per attempt (11.6).

The passing game produced some big plays including a 37-yard catch from Tre’Quan Smith, a 42-yard catch from Cam Stewart and a 48-yard touchdown catch from Jordan Akins on the first drive of the game. Otis Anderson also played a big role catching 7 passes for 76 yards. The most impressive catch of the game may have been from defensive lineman Jamiyus Pittman who caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in the 1^st quarter.

5 different Knights scored a touchdown on the ground as carries were spread pretty even throughout this deep group of running backs. Special teams and defense contributed to the scoring as well with a 50-yard pick 6 by Tre Neal and a 66-yard punt return touchdown by Mike Hughes.

East Carolina was able to pull a few big passes and runs against the UCF defense, but the Knights were able to hold them in check allowing 347 yards and 21 points in total.

The announced attendance was 40,287 (91% capacity), which is a season high for UCF. Despite cracking the top-25, the Knights have yet to have a sell out this season through 3 home games. Sell out or not, the students came out in force, which was great to see.

The Knights are back in action this Saturday at 3:30 against Navy. It will be the first time in history that these two teams will meet. UCF moved up to #20 in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll while Navy dropped out of the rankings after losing to #25 Memphis. The Knights might be in for their biggest test of the season as they face off against Navy’s triple-option offense.

#21 UCF vs East Carolina: Preview and Prediction

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/13/16461482/ucf-knights-vs-east-carolina-pirates-prediction-aac-scott-frost-orlando-preview-kickoff-tv-betting

Know Your Foes: UCF’s Opponents After Week Six

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/12/16458938/ucf-knights-central-florida-american-athletic-conference-aac-future-opponents-recap-sos

he issue of whether the UCF Knights have a good resume looks increasingly likely to be significant this year. Now ranked #21/#22 in the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll (respectively), UCF is the third highest ranked team not in a power conference. Ahead of the Knights are the USF Bulls (#15/#18) and the San Diego State Aztecs (#18/#19).

The question of which non-power conference team plays in a New Year’s Six bowl is determined by the highest rank among G5 conference champions. While those rankings don’t start quite yet, it’s reasonable enough to assume the rank order would at least initially approximate the Coach/AP polls as far as UCF, SDSU, and USF are concerned. UCF and USF will have the opportunity to settle things on the field.[1] Between the winner of the War on I-4 and SDSU, strength of schedule may matter a great deal.

(This team is taking things one game at a time, and treating their record as 0-0 each week. Doesn’t mean we have to).

The Knights’ past and future opponents, in schedule order:

FIU Panthers (3-2 Overall, 2-1 Conference USA)

Lost 37-17 to a Middle Tennessee team that was depleted on defense. The loss knocks the Panthers out of first place in Conference USA’s East division. But our Middle Tennessee writer describes them as a “very solid” Conference USA team, so the Panthers have that going for them.

Maryland Terrapins (3-2 Overall, 1-1 Big Ten)

Suffered a devastating 62-14 blowout at the hands of #10 Ohio State. Quarterback Max Bortenschlager (who played most of the game against UCF) went 3-of-12 for 16 yards, was sacked four times, and lost two fumbles. He left the game following a hit to his head and was replaced by Caleb Henderson, now the Terps’ fourth quarterback in five games.

Root for Maryland to get a bounceback win this week against Northwestern, it’s one of the more winnable games remaining on their schedule.

Memphis Tigers (4-1 Overall, 1-1 AAC)

A week after the Knights held Memphis to 13 points (with a touchdown coming on the last play of the game), the Tigers hung 70 on poor UConn.

Riley Ferguson’s stat line against UCF (in for the entire game): 27-of-49, 321 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int.

Riley Ferguson’s stat line against UConn (not in for the entire game): 34-of-48, 431 yards, 7 TDs, 0 Int.

Memphis now plays Navy in a game UCF fans should watch. We play the Midshipmen in two weeks, and they’re the toughest remaining opponent not named USF.

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-4 Overall, 0-2 AAC)

I said I was done underestimating this Knights team, so I predicted a 24 point win.

It was a 28 point win. In only three quarters of play. This is tied for the Knights’ smallest margin of victory so far this season.

ECU Pirates (1-5 Overall, 1-2 AAC)

After showing signs of life against USF, the Pirates lost to Temple, 34-10. Like the Huskies, the Pirates are the dregs of the conference this year.

Expect an easy Homecoming game this week, and a stellar debut for the Knights’ space-themed uniforms.

Navy Midshipmen (5-0 Overall, 3-0 AAC)

Beat Air Force 48-45 thanks to a touchdown pass by Zach Abey with a mere 15 seconds left on the clock. The Midshipmen made a lot of mistakes along the way, including blowing a 21 point second half lead.

This was a game with a lot of offense – Navy rolled up 557 yards while Air Force ripped through the Midshipmen for 621 yards.

While a narrow victory over a one win Air Force team isn’t exactly impressive, Navy remains undefeated, dangerous, and is now ranked at #25/#24.

Austin Peay Governors (3-3 Overall, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference)

The Governors suffered their first loss to a non-FBS opponent so far this season. Jacksonville State beat them 34-14. Austin Peay has now lost the last eleven games in that series.

SMU Mustangs (4-2 Overall, 1-1 AAC)

Lost to Houston, 35-22. The Mustangs still had 544 yards of total offense, but they failed to capitalize on their opportunities. SMU might benefiting from an increased focused on the running game. The Mustangs ran the ball 26 times, in contrast to 59 passes.

UConn Huskies (1-4 Overall, 0-3 AAC)

The offense was able to keep the Huskies hanging with Memphis for a bit this week. But this team is just awful. It was UConn’s worst defensive performance in program history.

Hockey season started though.

Temple Owls (3-3 Overall, 1-2 AAC)

With a win over ECU (in which Temple scored 24 points unanswered), Temple is back to .500. The Owls Play UConn on Saturday, and will likely get to a winning record after that game.

#15/#18 USF Bulls (5-0 Overall, 2-0 AAC)

“Wisely avoided playing football this week.”

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5.

[1] I have long been confident that the Bulls, with their weak schedule, would be undefeated for the War on I-4. While UCF has to overcome good Navy and SMU teams, I’m predicting UCF will likewise be undefeated at that time.

What more do the UCF Knights need to do for a sellout?

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/11/16454946/what-more-do-the-ucf-knights-need-to-do-for-a-sellout-american-aac-scott-frost-orlando

UCF Knights Score on Every Possession, Cruise to 51-23 win over Bearcats

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/8/16444648/ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-cincinnati-bearcats-recap-2017-mckenzie-milton-scott-frost

Quarterback McKenzie Milton and the UCF Knights shredded the University of Cincinnati Bearcats defense and cruised to a 51-23 win. UCF got off to a hot start, and in the first five minutes scored touchdowns on passes of 54 and 79 yards, to Dredrick Snelson and Tre’Quan Smith, respectively. It took a total of five plays to take the 13-0 lead.[1] And the Knights never looked back or much slowed down. The offense operated virtually flawlessly, with the Knights scoring on each of their eight possessions (seven touchdowns and a single field goal). UCF now has the nation’s number one scoring offense.

It was only three quarters of football, as pouring rain and thunderstorms scuttled the last quarter. In that context, the statistics are even more impressive. UCF racked up 515 yards of total offense, averaging 12.9 yards per play. Milton’s stat line was a phenomenal 16-of-19 for 374 yards and five touchdowns, his best game yet. Smith had a staggeringly good five receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran off tackle for a touchdown. But perhaps the most ‘feel-good’ touchdown was the 21 yard catch by redshirt senior TE Michael Colubiale. Yes, the dude who tripped a few yards short of the goal line against Maryland.

All wasn’t perfect for the Knights, however. UCF allowed Bearcats QB Hayden Moore a pretty good night: 23-of-40 for 278 yards passing, 81 yards rushing and three total touchdowns (two of them rushing). The defense was also uncharacteristically porous on third down, allowing the Bearcats (a team that usually struggles to convert those opportunities) to go 9 of 15. And a trio of offsides penalties on consecutive plays late in the half got the Bearcats in position for a successful field goal attempt.

The highlight on defense was undoubtedly Seyvon Lowry’s interception. The big man now has interceptions in back-to-back games (giving him a total three for his career). With two, Lowry – a defensive end who’s not on top of the depth chart – is tied with cornerback Mike Hughes and safety Kyle Gibson for most picks so far this season.

Oh, and it looks like the UCF fans who made the trip had a nice time despite the rain.

In the wake of the game, UCF climbed up in both polls, reaching 21^st in the Coaches and 22^nd in the AP. The Knights play a very bad ECU team next weekend for homecoming.

[1] The Knights failed the two point conversion attempt after the second touchdown.

No. 25 UCF Knights vs University of Cincinnati Bearcats: Preview, Start Time, TV, Betting Line, Prediction

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/6/16434534/ucf-knights-vs-university-of-cincinnati-bearcats-preview-start-time-tv-betting-line-prediction

No. 25 UCF Knights vs University of Cincinnati Bearcats: Preview, Start Time, TV, Betting Line, Prediction

Start Time: 8 PM ET, Saturday, October 7.

TV: ESPNU

Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game

Live stats: http://gobearcats.com

Location: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Records: Of course, UCF is 3-0, 1-0 AAC. And if you’ve been reading our weekly Know Your Foes post, you’re also aware Cincinnati is 2-3, 0-1 AAC, with a loss to Marshall last week. Yikes.

The Series: UCF has a 2-1 edge. Last year, the Knights got to bowl eligibility with a 24-3 win. The Knights defense did some gloriously nasty things.

Betting Line: UCF opened as a 13.5 point favorite. Then the line moved to -17.

UCF Outlook:

Feels good to see that ranking in the headline.

Been too long not to enjoy it.

You don’t need me to tell you again that the Knights have cruised through the season so far, rolling over a trio of teams that are undefeated but-for their games against UCF. And while FIU isn’t very good (though good enough to be leading their division), wins over Maryland and Memphis are quality wins for the Knights. A battle-tested team (despite not being threatened in the second half all year), the Knights should easily hit 4-0 for the first time since 1988 (the Division II era!).

The McKenzie Milton-led offense has been rolling. The defense has been excellent. The defensive line is mauling people. The linebackers continue to be great. Mike Hughes has been a revelation at corner, and the secondary is far more secure than it looked at the start of the season.

I expect the defense to be the reason the Knights put the Bearcats away early. UCF leads the country in turnover margin with an average of +2.33 per game. Cincinnati is tied for 77^th in the country (with a bunch of other teams at) at -1. Likewise, the UCF defense has been brutal to opposing teams on third down. Opponents are a mere 8 of 37 on third down. The Bearcats rank a mere 99^th in third down conversions; they convert only a bit more than a third of the time.

Cincinnati Outlook:

The Bearcats have had a rough start under first year head coach Luke Fickell. Cincinnati started the season beating Austin Peay by a mere 12 points. Then lost to Michigan by 22 after keeping it close for about three quarters. Then needed end-of-game heroics to beat Miami (OH). And then lost to Navy. And then lost to Marshall. By 17.

Cincinnati is an uneven team with a lot of young players. The Bearcats have the second worse offense in the American Athletic Conference. Quarterback Hayden Moore is inconsistent – he’s been good at times and struggled seriously at others. Nor can Cincinnati run consistently. The Bearcats are one of the worst teams in the conference in yards per carry with 3.5. If Cincinnati winds up down early (as I think they will), they’re not going to have a lot of ways to get back in the game.

Defensively, Cincinnati is vulnerable on the ground. Neither are they great at defending the pass, but they’ve had less occasion to be tested through the air.

Prediction: Cincinnati is not nearly as good as UCF. And the Knights haven’t given me any reason to doubt their seriousness or intensity against seemingly overmatched opponents.

I’ve also been underestimating our Knights all year. Didn’t predict quite a big enough blowout against FIU. Predicted a Maryland win. and I predicted only a narrow win against Memphis.

So: no more. UCF by 24. At least.

Go Knights.

For more on this game, check out our “Five Questions” with Bearcats blog Down the Drive. Our reciprocal answers to their questions are over here.

Five Questions with Down the Drive (UC Answers)

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/5/16430028/preview-ucf-knights-university-of-central-florida-university-of-cincinnati-bearcats-2017-football

Know Your Foes: UCF's Opponents After Week Five

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/4/16426564/know-your-foes-ucfs-opponents-after-week-five-mckenzie-milton-scott-frost

With what UCF has displayed to date, I’ve become virtually certain that the winner of the War on I-4 clinches the division. Seeing what we have to date, I don’t believe either the Knights or the Bulls will have more than one loss by the time it’s Black Friday (and USF, with an extremely easy conference draw, really should be undefeated).

The riskiest game for UCF on the way to the War on I-4 is Navy. SMU should be easier, but still a potentially dangerous game. Aside from these three games, nothing else on the Knights’ schedule looks particularly concerning.

Our past and future opponents, in schedule order:

FIU Panthers (3-1 Overall, 2-0 Conference USA)

Struggled mightily against winless Charlotte before rallying behind the play of quarterback Alex McGough for a razor thin 30-29 victory. Embarassingly, FIU was down 26-7 near the end of the second quarter.

So despite their record (and holding first place in the East division of Conference USA), the Panthers are not a good team. Oddly enough, they could wind up being 4-1 after this week anyway – FIU plays an injury-ravaged Middle Tennessee team.

Maryland Terrapins (3-1 Overall, 1-0 Big Ten)

Oh, I love this one. The Terps handled Minnesota 31-24 despite being a 13 point underdog.

It’s a win that exposes the false narrative that UCF only beat the Maryland because they lost Kasim Hill to injury. Terps third string QB Max Bortenschlager – whom UCF rendered totally ineffective – had a very nice game against Minnesota, going 18/28 for 154 yards, two touchdowns, and adding a third touchdown on the ground.

The Terps play Ohio State this week, and this will ruin the “UCF’s first three opponents are undefeated apart from their losses to the Knights” factoid. Ah well. Maryland is a good team and a quality win for the Knights.

Memphis Tigers (3-1 Overall, 0-1 AAC)

Last week in this spot, I said I’d pick UCF to win in a tight game. Oops. Dude, we blew these guys away.

Memphis remains a good team and what I saw didn’t dissuade me from thinking they could win their division.

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-3 Overall, 0-1 AAC)

Lost to the Marshall Thundering Herd by 17 points.

At home.

Not good.

QB Hayden Moore was a disaster until garbage time and the running game did little to help. The Bearcats are a team with significant limitations.

ECU Pirates (1-4 Overall, 1-1 AAC)

The ECU offense showed up, but the Pirates still lost to USF in a 61-31 blowout. QB Thomas Sirk performed well. The defense was absolutely shredded, however.

Navy Midshipmen (4-0 Overall, 3-0 AAC)

Navy went down 14-0 early against Tulsa. Then the Midshipmen defense woke up. Navy ended up scoring 31 unanswered points to win.

Austin Peay Governors (3-2 Overall, 2-0 Ohio Valley Conference)

Not a lot of offense here, as the Governors notched a 7-0 win over Tennessee-Martin. Good for Austin Peay’s third straight win in a row, however. The Governors have only lost to FBS programs so far this year.

SMU Mustangs (4-1 Overall, 1-0 AAC)

SMU allowed East division bottom dweller UConn to hang around until the fourth quarter. In the end, the Mustangs put away the Huskies 49-28. Though SMU’s defense line played very well, the rest of the defense underwhelmed.

Seeing how the Knights rolled over Memphis, I’m not overly concerned about our future match-up. But make no mistake – SMU is better than almost all of our East division opponents.

UConn Huskies (1-3 Overall, 0-2 AAC)

The Huskies are a poor team, but the offense is making some improvements.

Still the worst team in the division.

Temple Owls (2-3 Overall, 0-2 AAC)

Lost to Houston, 20-13. The Owls defense did well enough, but Temple just couldn’t get things going offensively.

#18 USF Bulls (5-0 Overall, 2-0 AAC)

The Bulls didn’t start sharp (I’m sure you’re just shocked to hear that), but they poured it on in the second half, outscoring ECU 30-7 in their thirty point win.

This is an excellent USF team with tremendous potential. But they’re still having problems getting everything to click consistently.

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.

UCF Hammers Memphis, Stakes Claim to AAC Dominance

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/10/1/16391700/ucf-knights-memphis-tigers-university-of-central-florida-riley-ferguson-recap-football-recap-griffin

My feelings are best expressed by this video of Shaquem Griffin clapping in the opponent’s face, over and over.

And over.

And over.

UCF looks like the best team in the American Athletic Conference. There are tough games left to play against Navy, USF, and maybe SMU. But with a 40-13 hammering of presumptive AAC West leader Memphis, the UCF Knights are the team to beat.

Candidly, I don’t know where to start with this recap. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Shaquem Griffin had a strip sack of Memphis QB Riley Ferguson, which Pat Jasinski recovered. Tre’Quan Smith had two touchdown catches. Adrian Killins had a 96 yard touchdown run (this broke his own record for longest TD run in UCF history). And also a touchdown after a catch and run. Kyle Gibson had a crazy interception for the second week in a row. Mike Hughes had a great pick, also for the second week in a row. Seyvon Lowry had a big man pick – something we never tire of here.

The statistics are beyond gaudy. UCF had 603 total yards of offense (350 rushing, 253 passing). UCF still hasn’t allowed a sack. UCF’s defense held the Tigers to 75 rushing yards. UCF’s turnover margin is unearthly good, helped by being plus four today. UCF has outscored its three opponents 139-40. Each of those teams has lost only to UCF.

This is also another ‘it wasn’t even as close as the score suggests’ game. Inasmuch as losing by 27 could be considered remotely in the neighborhood. Memphis was down 40-7 and scored a touchdown with no time left on the clock afterwards. This is quite literally the most garbage of garbage time imaginable.

It was a given that UCF would move the ball against Memphis’s injury-depleted defense, but hard to imagine the defense would make the huge stops it did. When I previewed this came before Hurricane Irma, I predicted a shootout. Um, nope.

What I can’t tell you is that it was perfect. McKenzie Milton didn’t always make good choices and threw a bad interception into the end zone. There were some egregious penalties that looked at the time that they might seriously sting us (they didn’t). But dwelling on the relatively few miscues would seem terribly ungrateful. Maybe we’ll pick the nits another day (we won’t).

So there we go. The Knights are 3-0. The Knights blew out FIU (for whatever that’s worth). The Knights clobbered a Big Ten team (hey, those Terps went on to beat Minnesota this week). The Knights have blown out the Tigers, whom many thought would be the best team in the AAC West (they may still wind up in that spot). No one has seriously threatened UCF in the second half of a game all year.

I’ve assumed that this year was setting the table for next year. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this year is the year.

/insert unbridled optimism here.

Oh, and also highlights.

Go Knights!

Know Your Foes: UCF's Opponents After Week 4

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/9/26/16368060/know-your-foes-ucf-opponents-after-week-four-central-florida-knights-mckenzie-milton-scott-frost

The UCF Knights finally got to play their second game of the season last week. And what a game it was. The Knights manhandled Maryland 38-10. Credit to the lines – especially the defensive line – for winning in the trenches.

The downside was of course Jawon Hamilton’s season-ending non-contact ankle injury. Fortunately, he will use a medical redshirt.

After the Maryland win, the Knights look like a very good team; our chances to compete for a conference championship are real. And it continues to grow even more clear that the AAC East is going to be a two team race between UCF and USF.

Our former and future opponents are below in schedule order. Note the addition of FCS program Austin Peay on what had been a bye week. Great job by UCF to get an opponent rescheduled and the Knights back up to 11 games (not everyone’s so fortunate – our would-have-been opponent Georgia Tech has been unable to schedule a replacement game).

FIU Panthers (2-1 Overall, 1-0 Conference USA)

FIU is 2-1 and in first place in Conference USA’s East division. Nope, our blowout of the Panthers was still not a quality win. FIU has notched wins against Alcorn State (17-10, though FIU was more statistically dominant than you might guess from the score), and this past week’s 13-7 win over their conference foe Rice. Rice is terrible. Expect the Panthers to be 3-1 next week after playing another atrocious conference foe, winless Charlotte.

It’s not that the week 1 win over the Panthers does much for the resume, but the Knights did exactly what they should have – crushed an over-matched opponent without breaking much of a sweat.

Maryland Terrapins (2-1 Overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

You know what happened here. Highlights? Highlights.

The injury to Maryland’s quarterback Kasim Hill made an obvious difference in this game, but I’m confident in saying it didn’t change the outcome (and if we’re pretending injuries didn’t happen, add Hamilton back to our side). But the injury to Hill undoubtedly limits what Maryland can achieve going forward.

Memphis Tigers (3-0 Overall, 0-0 AAC)

A week after edging out a ranked UCLA team, Memphis was a bit out of sorts against the Southern Illinois Salukis and ultimately won 44-31. I predicted our game against the Tigers as a loss when it was scheduled before Irma. But seeing what we have this season, I’ll pick a UCF win in a tight game. Memphis’s defense is suspect. I have more confidence in the Knights’ ability to make stops.

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-2 Overall, 0-1 AAC)

The offense finally woke up a bit for the Bearcats, but this week the defense let them down against Navy. The Bearcats lost 42-32. Cincinnati QB Hayden Moore – who had made bunches of mistakes so far this season - had one of his best games.

I put the Bearcats in the middle tier of the division with Temple. Call them the East’s likely number three. I expect the Knights to beat them, though it’s no guarantee.

ECU Pirates (1-3 Overall, 1-0 AAC)

In this space last week, I claimed the Pirates were the worst team in the East. I was wrong. That dubious distinction belongs to UConn. The Pirates jumped to an early lead over the Huskies on Saturday and won 41-38.

Are there signs of life for the Pirates? Nah, probably not. The Huskies are terrible.

Navy Midshipmen (3-0 Overall, 2-0 AAC)

Navy’s triple option attack continues to put up yards and points with ease. Against Cincinnati, the Midshipmen had 569 yards rushing, with more than 300 coming in the first half. Navy hasn’t missed a beat. Though the strength of UCF’s front seven continues to be obvious, this nonetheless looks to be one of the three most dangerous games remaining on UCF’s schedule.

Austin Peay (2-2, 1-0 Ohio Valley Conference)

We’re all grateful for the chance to get the eleventh game in. Football season is far too short as it is. You may remember the Governors from their closer-than-expected loss against the Bearcats in week one. They also lost to the other FBS program they faced, Miami (OH). In week three, Austin Peay smashed Morehead State to end the Governors’ 29 game losing streak.

And on Saturday, Austin Peay beat conference opponent Murray State 27-7. The Governors lean heavily on the run and so far this season have one of the best FCS defenses.

SMU Mustangs (3-1 Overall, 0-0 AAC)

Beat Arkansas State 44-21, capitalizing on miscues by the Red Wolves. SMU is better almost all of UCF’s AAC East foes, but probably the third toughest cross-divisional foe the Knights will face. I’m oversimplifying, but the Ponies look to be a worse Memphis.

UConn Huskies (1-2 Overall, 0-1 AAC)

Come on.

Temple Owls (2-2 Overall, 0-1 AAC)

Dominated totally by USF’s defense – in part because USF’s defense is great and in part because Temple’s offense was profoundly terrible. The Owls utter inefficacy was something else – Temple had -22 yards at the half and Logan Marchi (I’ve claimed he was a steady hand at QB. Oops.) threw four picks. None of the three quarterbacks Temple used were effective.

The Knights’ defense will be tearing these guys apart.

USF Bulls (4-0 Overall, 1-0 AAC)

USF is still making mistakes, but the Bulls easily crushed Temple by a margin of 43-7. QB Quinton Flowers struggled passing, going a mere 8-20 for 96 yards. He also had the ball stripped on a pass play and returned by Temple for a touchdown. And Flowers had his lowest rushing total of the year with 59 yards.

I keep waiting for the Bulls to perform consistently in all phases simultaneously, but that hasn’t happened yet. Even if it doesn’t, the Bulls will march through their schedule (even if no one’s there to see it) until Black Friday. There’s a very real possibility this rivalry game will decide the division.

Previous ‘Know Your Foes’: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.

UCF Defense Dominates Maryland, Knights Cruise to 38-10 Victory

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/9/23/16355744/ucf-knights-central-florida-maryland-terrapins-terps-recap-2017-pittman-scott-frost-taj-mcgowan-hill

It ends up that this was pretty easy. In a game in which each team lost a key offensive player to injury, the UCF Knights defense controlled the line of scrimmage and hammered Maryland’s quarterbacks over and over. UCF now notches its first win over a Power Five program since beating Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2013 season.

The game was an early tug of war until Pat Jasinski leveled the Terps’ excellent freshman quarterback Kasim Hill. Hill left the field and did not return. It was all UCF after that. Backup RB Taj McGowan (a steady contributor and one of the few bright spots back in 2015) ran in two touchdowns, while TE Jordan Akins added a touchdown catch. In the fourth quarter, Adrian Killins Jr. ran for a touchdown and CB Mike Hughes snagged a pick six.

Undoubtedly injuries proved a factor. Hill’s loss was a turning point. The Terps had an early 3-0 lead until the injury, and the Knights outscored them 38-7 afterwards. But the injury to Hill doesn’t diminish the quality of this win for the Knights. UCF also played without starting RB Jawon Hamilton, who suffered an early non-contact injury. This was a win UCF earned.

The Knights defense was splendid. The line was especially murderous. Hill’s replacement for the Terps, Max Bortenschlager was clobbered throughout. The whole line performed well, but a special word is warranted for Jamiyus Pittman who had two monstrous sacks.

The Terps’ sole touchdown came on a drive extended by a flurry of UCF penalties. And it came too late in the game to raise anything but a false hope for the Terps.

The Knights’ offense was good though not outstanding. QB McKenzie Milton made mistakes, but Maryland could never make him pay. And importantly, the Knights never suffered a turnover. Ultimately, UCF had more than double Maryland’s total yardage: 428 to 197. That statistic says more about the bad positions the UCF defense inflicted on Maryland than it does about the Knights’ offense. Though to be fair, UCF played conservatively as the game wore on and things seemed out of reach for the Teps.

We have to reserve a final note for the UCF faithful who traveled to this game. They were loud from the beginning, and U-C-F chants could be heard on the broadcast early and often. This observation is exactly right:

This was a dominating victory in UCF’s marquee non-conference game. Let’s revel in it.