The UCF Knights (4-1; 1-0 AAC) pulled off what ended-up being a miracle in their 24-17 win over the Tigers of Memphis (1-3; 0-1 AAC) in the opening of American Athletic Conference play for the 2013 season. The game was nationally televised on ESPN3. UCF came out of the gate flat and appeared grossly unprepared to play a Memphis team that was coming off their first win of the season against Arkansas State last week. Quarterback Blake Bortles struggled in his completions, falling way below his season average completion rate of 70% to completing just 8-19 passes. The Knights Defense unit didn’t perform much better. Multiple missed tackles and numerous penalties seemed to stifle the Knights’ progress, with a defensive penalty towards the end of the first half giving the Tigers an automatic first down, simultaneously dooming the Knights scoreless for the remainder of the half. Thanks to scoring two touchdowns within nine seconds in the last few minutes of the game, the Knights stole the Tigers’ victory and came away with the win. Take a look at highlights from the UCF vs. Memphis game courtesy of ESPN below:
Photo Courtesy The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)