The UCF Knights (0-2; 0-0 AAC) ventured to Stanford, California this past weekend to play the Cardinal. Unfortunately, starting quarterback Justin Holman suffered a compound fracture of a finger on his throwing arm on the first drive, leaving backup quarterback Bo Schneider to take the offensive reigns for the rest of the contest. Without any type of effective offensive game plan and having to rely on play from five true freshman, the Knights sputtered for the entire game. While the defensive unit remained strong during the first half, holding Stanford to just 10 points despite multiple trips to the UCF end zone, they eventually wore out in the second half, allowing the Cardinal to score 21 points to UCF’s paltry 7. The final score was 31-7.
Along with Holman, UCF’s starting center Joey Grant was also significantly injured. Head Coach George O’Leary informed the press on Monday that Grant will remain out for the rest of the season while Holman will need 2-4 weeks to recuperate. O’Leary also apologized to the 1,200 fans who attended the game for the embarrassing performance by his team: “I thought it was great they were there. I’m sorry we didn’t help them out more and give them something to cheer about.” The Knights now move on to a matchup against IAA Furman on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN3.