Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

14 years ago on this date, my dad and I witnessed UCF Football History as the Knights toppled the Crimson Tide of Alabama! That is an afternoon I will remember for the rest of my life! GO KNIGHTS!!! Watch the game-winning field goal below:

The UCF Knights (5-2; 3-o AAC) took care of business on Saturday, defeating the Owls of Temple (4-3; 2-2 AAC) 34-14 in-front of close to 40,000 fans who showed-up to Bright House Networks Stadium to celebrate UCF’s Homecoming. The Knights’ offensive unit finally played a solid 60-minutes of football, amassing a season-high 466 yards. QB Justin Holman was responsible for 336 of those yards, surpassing his play against BYU two weeks ago. Holman was 25 of 39 passes and didn’t throw a single interception the entire game. The UCF defense was also stellar, holding Temple to just one touchdown drive the entire game. Players credited the crowd, “The crowd was amazing,” said defensive lineman Miles Pace, who recorded one of UCF’s four sacks. “They played a big part on our defense especially when we were backed up on our goal line. The crowd is loud so it gets the offense rattled so they won’t be able to get a play off so the quarterback or the center couldn’t get the snap count so they played a big part on our defense.” UCF is now 11-0 in their last 11 contests in the American Athletic Conference as they move into a much colder environment to face the Huskies of UCONN this Saturday. The low for the game is expected to be 40 degrees; and the forecast predicts some rainy or snowy conditions. And although UCONN is 1-6 without a single conference win all season, they are coming off a very close 31-21 loss to #21 East Carolina. Kickoff for the UCF @ UCONN game is set for Noon and the game will be nationally-broadcasted on CBS Sports Network. The Knights are favored to beat the Huskies by 11.5 points. Below, check out video highlights of UCF’s victory over Temple, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference:

The UCF Knights (4-2; 2-0 AAC) extended their conference winning streak to 11 on Saturday in their 20-13 defeat of the Tulane Green Wave (2-5; 1-2 AAC) at Bright House Networks Stadium. The Knights continued to display some offensive struggles. Starting quarterback Justin Holman was benched in the third quarter for several minutes while backup Nick Patti took over at the helm. UCF’s turnovers were costly, with all but 7 of Tulane’s points coming from turnovers. But UCF’s defensive squad remained strong well into the end of the second half, stopping Tulane on a final 4th down to give the Knights back the ball and a win. UCF head coach George O’Leary was far from impressed with how the offensive unit performed during the game: “Their lives are going to change Monday because I’m not going to put up with that lackadaisical garbage I saw today from the offense,” O’Leary said with a stern expression. “. . . I’ve been around football too long to know that you can’t keep winning playing like that. You really can’t.” UCF plays at home again this Saturday for their 2014 Homecoming festivities. The Knights will play the Owls of Temple (4-2; 2-1 AAC) at 5:00pm at Bright House Networks Stadium with the game being nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. The UCF College of Nursing Tailgate Party will begin at 1:30pm in the Softball Lot underneath the scoreboard. Below, watch ESPN’s recap of the Knights’ victory Saturday over Tulane:

The UCF Knights (3-2; 1-0 AAC) football team defeated the Cougars of BYU (4-2; IND) 31-24 in overtime on Thursday in-front of a loud home crowd of over 41,000 and a nationwide audience on ESPN. The Knights dominated the first quarter of the game on both offense and defense, scoring 10 points in that quarter alone. BYU struggled offensively the entire exist half, amassing just 3 points. But the second half was a different story. BYU came out of halftime fired-up and ready to play. They scored 21 points in the third quarter alone before UCF finally began to put together an effective offensive front. The Knights climbed out of the hole they dug for themselves and eventually would tie the game up 24-24. UCF took the first OT possession and mounted a successful 7-point drive that put them ahead. When BYU regained possession to answer, they would go scoreless. The Knights’ defense coupled with the deafening crowd was enough to stop them on their final drive of the game, giving them a four-and-out scenario. The Knights now move on in conference play and host the Green Wave of Tulane on Saturday. Kickoff is set for Noon and the game will be nationally-televised on ESPNU. The College of Nursing tailgate party will begin at 10am in the Softball lot, under the scoreboard. Below, watch highlights of UCF’s thrilling OT victory over BYU courtesy of ESPN:

The UCF Knights (2-2; 1-0 AAC) dodged a MAJOR bullet Thursday night in their 17-12 defeat of the Houston Cougars (2-3; 0-1 AAC) in-front of a nationwide audience on ESPN. The Knights delivered an outstanding defensive performance, holding Houston to 331 yards (still more than the Knights’ 228) and not allowing a single Houston touchdown. The Cougar’s overall time of possession was also higher than UCF’s (32:17 vs. 27:43). With a late 4th quarter drive and time expiring, Houston looked as if they were going to win the game. But a game saving fumble by UCF’s Brandon Alexander gave UCF back possession of the ball. The Knights took a knee to let the game clock expire with less than 35 seconds remaining. The Knights play their final out-of-conference game this Thursday against the BYU Cougars (4-1; IND). Kickoff is set for 7:30pm and the game will be nationally-televised on ESPN. The College of Nursing tailgate party will begin at 3:30pm in the Softball Lot, below the scoreboard. Below, watch highlights of the Knights’ victory against the Houston Cougars, courtesy of ESPN: