Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

The UCF Knights (2-0; 0-0 AAC) crushed the Wildcats of Bethune Cookman (0-2; 0-0 SWAC) 63-14 Saturday night in front of a packed Bounce House Stadium. It was a huge week for UCF, which accepted an offer to join the Big XII Conference by 2024, sealing the Knights’ future as a member of a Power 5 conference. The Knights now move on to face ACC foe Louisville (1-1; 0-0 ACC) on Friday night. That game will be broadcasted on ESPN at 7:30pm. Check out a synopsis of UCF’s win against Bethune Cookman courtesy of the AAC and video highlights of the game courtesy of UCF Athletics below:

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF improved to 2-0 on the season with a 63-14 victory over visiting Bethune-Cookman, Saturday at the Bounce House. Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

The Knights struck first with a rushing touchdown from Isaiah Bowser, his second of the season. Bethune-Cookman then countered with a score of its own to tie the game at 7-7. 

UCF took a 14-7 lead when Dillon Gabriel found Brandon Johnson in the end zone from 22 yards out. It marked the 25th straight game Gabriel has thrown a touchdown, taking sole possession of second place in the UCF record book for consecutive games with a passing touchdown.

Tatum Bethune snagged his second-career interception.

Isaiah Bowser rushed for a trio of touchdowns in the second quarter to help UCF get out to a 35-7 lead at halftime. Bowser tied the UCF record for rushing touchdowns in the game, matching Darriel Mack, Kevin Smith and Alex Haynes.

Gabriel had the longest rush of his career, running 44 yards and all the way across the field to make it 42-7 in the third quarter. The Wildcats got one score back in the third to make it 42-14.

Gabriel found Trillion Coles for a third-quarter touchdown, the first for Coles in his career, making it 49-14.

The Knights made it 56-14 when freshmen quarterback Mikey Keene hit Kaedin Robinson for a 30-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. It was Keene’s first touchdown in his first collegiate action, and Robinson’s first-career score on the first catch of his career.

Coles rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 63-14 in favor of the Knights.

The UCF Knights (1-0; 0-0 AAC) roared back from a 21-point deficit against the Boise State Broncos (0-1; 0-0 MWC) Thursday night (after a 3-hour weather delay) to win 36-31. The game was absolutely heart pounding; and it marked the biggest comeback win in Knights football history! Rumors of a potential B12 invite also heated up hours before the game, when ESPN began reporting that UCF, BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati were top contenders for B12 conference expansion.

This news crystallized on Friday when ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and other sports media outlets confirmed an official invite from the league could be coming by September 10th. The move to the B12 would be historic and monumental for UCF, marking its entrance into a Power 5 conference. Below, read UCF Athletics’ recap of UCF’s victory over Boise State and watch video highlights courtesy of the AAC:

The UCF football team opened the Gus Malzahn era with a 36-31 defeat of visiting Boise State, Thursday in a delayed start at the Bounce House. Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 318 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions as the Knights won their season opener for the sixth straight year.

The 2021 season opener for the UCF football team against Boise State, scheduled to kick off at 7:05 p.m. from the Bounce House Thursday night, kicked off at 9:45 p.m. after a lightning delay.

After stopping the Broncos on their first drive, the Knights drove the length of the field, but Boise State intercepted Dillon Gabriel and returned it for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Boise State scored again on a 3-yard rush to take a 14-0 first-quarter league.

Boise State extended its lead to 21-0 in the second quarter, but the Knights struck back with a touchdown from Gabriel to Alec Holler, the tight end’s first-career reception.

Gabriel found Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 8-yard pass with six seconds left in the first half to make it 24-14.

Early in the third, Gabriel hit Brandon Johnson for an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it just 24-21 in favor of the Broncos.

UCF took the lead, at 28-24, when Gabriel hit Jaylon Robinson for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Knights made it 30-24 on a safety early in the fourth quarter.

Boise State retook the lead after Gabriel’s second interception led to a Bronco touchdown to make it 31-30.

The Knights took a 36-31 advantage when Isaiah Bowser rushed for a score late in the fourth quarter. UCF’s two-point conversion was no good.

Terry Mohajir, UCF Knights new Athletic Director, wasted no time in hiring a new football coach for the program after Josh Heupel left for Tennessee last month. Former Auburn Football Coach Gus Malzahn will take over the reigns of the program. Malzahn, a mega-successful Coach with a stellar career, will be paid $11.5 million over a 5-year period. Take a look at the hire analysis by CBS Sports, grading it an A+, below: