Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

The #25 UCF Knights (11-3; 8-1 C-USA) defeated the UGA Bulldogs (6-7; 3-5 SEC) 10-6 in the 2010 Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee on New Year’s Eve, bringing the University home its first ever bowl victory. The Knights and Bulldogs relied largely on strong defensive efforts to stifle one another in a slugfest that put few points on the board. The UCF Knights defense held UGA to only 6 points, both coming from field goal scores. UCF was held to 10 points; but their sole touchdown of the game catapulted them above the ‘Dawgs in the final 6 minutes of play. UCF fate laid in the hands of its strong defense for two more UGA possessions. And they succeeded! The Orlando Sentinel summed-up the crazy ending of the game: “It appeared play expired when Georgia redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray tossed an incomplete pass to Marlon Brown, but the officials put two more seconds on the clock. Murray and the Bulldogs had one more chance to spoil UCF’s magical season. A crowd of UCF defensive backs and linebackers clogged the end zone, while the defensive line charged toward Murray. The Knights all shouted at each other, “Knock it down. Knock it down.” Ultimately, sophomore S Kemal Ishmael batted down Murray’s pass intended for Kris Durham, sealing the UCF win.” Besides their first bowl win, other notables of the 2010 season include: 1) Ending the season ranked for the first-time ever. UCF ranks #25 in the final BCS standings and #24 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and should finish close to #19-#20 by the time final rankings are released after the bowl season. 2) Securing more IA victories than any other program in Florida. 3) Winning the C-USA East Division Championship for the third time in the last five years and winning C-USA for the second time in the last five years. This was a season to remember and we all should be VERY PROUD of our Knights! GO KNIGHTS! Here’s to even more success in 2011!

Today, the UCF Marching Knights departed Orlando bound for Memphis, Tennessee to support their football program in the 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Knights (10-3; 8-1 C-USA) finished the season ranked #25 in the final BCS standings and were crowned Champions of Conference USA for the second time in the last five years. Their opponent, the University of Georgia Bulldogs  (6-6; 3-5 SEC) just completed a relatively poor season ranking 9th place in the SEC. Although the Dawgs have won the last 5 of their 7 games, they will end the season with a losing record should they fall to UCF at the Liberty Bowl. The Knights arrived in Memphis on Monday and set-up practice camp at the University of Memphis. The Knights and Dawgs have met once before.

In 1999, the Knights lost to UGA in Athens by just one point (24-23) which resulted from a questionable pass interference call from an SEC referree. That left many Knights fans with a sour taste in their mouths. On top of that loss, UCF has yet to win a bowl game. They lost last year to Rutgers in the St. Pete Bowl and have prior losses to Mississippi State (2007 Liberty Bowl) and Nevada (2005 Hawaii Bowl). Consequently, the Knights are ferociously hungry for their first post-season win. The match up between the two teams is close. UGA and UCF both have starting quarterbacks who are freshman. And while UGA’s AJ Green is a receiver to be reckoned with, the UCF defense has played tough against teams with much stronger offenses this season. Kickoff for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl is 3:30pm on Friday (New Year’s Eve). The game is nationally-broadcasted on ESPN. 

Pre-game festivities for the Liberty Bowl include the Liberty Bowl Parade (12/30: 3:00pm: Beale Street); Bash on Beale Pep Rally (12/30: 5:00pm: Beale Street); and the Battle of the Bands Pregame-Buffet (12/31: 11:00am: Arena Building).  

Below, watch Georgia’s QB Aaron Murray (of Plant City, Florida High School) discuss taking-on the Knights and the Knights’ Tuesday in Memphis:

The UCF Knights athletics department had an amazing week last week. First, the UCF (7-0; 0-0 C-USA) basketball program secured their greatest victory ever over the #16 UF Gators (5-2; 0-0 SEC). Then, on Saturday the Knights (10-3; 7-1 C-USA) earned the Conference USA Championship Crown after their victory over the SMU Mustangs (7-6; 6-3 C-USA). UCF scored on the opening possession of the game, with freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey hitting Latavius for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Knights steadily marched up the field on the 13-play, 73-yard drive. The points wouldn’t come quite as easily the rest of the game, forcing UCF’s defense to make a big stand against SMU’s vaunted high-scoring offense. The Knights led SMU 17-7 in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs got the ball back with 6:44 left in the game, plenty of time for the quick-strike SMU offense to mount a rally. Instead, the defense sacked SMU sophomore quarterback Kyle Padron three times on the final drive and shut down the Mustangs.

After the game, the Knights were awarded with the C-USA Championship trophy (pictured, above) and were offered a bid to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN on 12/31. UCF’s head coach George O’Leary gratefully accepted the bid on behalf of the University and on Sunday, the University of Georgia Bulldogs accepted their bid to represent the SEC in the Bowl. Also on Sunday, as the final season polls were released, the UCF Knights were ranked #24 in the Coaches Poll and settled at #25 in the BCS standings. Both were a first in the program’s 15-year history in IA. The Liberty Bowl pits Conference-USA’s #1 team against an SEC foe. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm on 12/31 and the game will be nationally-televised on ESPN. Below, watch the UCF Knights celebrate their C-USA Championship win with the UCF students: 

The UCF Knights (6-0; 0-0 C-USA) knocked off national powerhouse the Florida Gators (5-2; 0-0 SEC) 57-54 last night in the Florida Citrus Sports Florida Shootout at the Amway Arena. It was the biggest win in UCF history and the Knights’ first victory over a Top 20 opponent. UCF’s sole previous win over a ranked team was an upset of No. 25 College of Charleston in 2002. When first-year UCF coach Donnie Jones was asked to put the win in perspective, he responded, “Well I really can’t. I’m just kind at a loss for words right now. It’s kind of surreal that this happened. I’m really proud of our team. … We won with our defense. We beat a very good basketball team out there tonight.”

The Gators came into the game as heavy favorites and were nationally-ranked at #16; their only loss was against #2 Ohio State.  But the relentless Knights proved to be too much for the Gators to handle. The Gators pulled within one point with 1:03 left in the game, with the Knights clinging to a 53-52 advantage. UCF freshman guard Isaiah Sykes turned the ball over on an inbound pass, but Florida sophomore guard Kenny Boynton missed a jumper. UCF sophomore Keith Clanton rebounded the ball and kicked it out sophomore Marcus Jordan, who was fouled.

Jordan hit both freethrows, pushing UCF ahead 55-52 with 24 seconds left. Florida junior guard Erving Walker missed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, senior forward Vernon Macklin rebounded the ball and Boynton missed another 3-point attempt with 12 seconds left. Clanton was fouled and knocked down two freethrows, pushing UCF ahead 57-52 with nine seconds left. Walker hit a layup with four seconds remaining to cut the score to 57-54, but the Gators never got another look at the basket.

Story and Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (9-3; 7-1 C-USA) football squad secured the East Division Championship Crown Friday night without even having to play a game. With SMU’s win against ECU and Tulane’s win against Southern Miss, UCF was named the East Division Champion and granted the right to host the Conference USA Championship Game this Saturday against SMU (7-5; 6-2 C-USA). Despite an early sputter, the Knights also crushed Memphis (1-11; 0-8 C-USA) on Saturday and re-entered the Top 25, ranking #25 in the USA Today‘s Coaches’ Poll.

 The winner of Saturday’s C-USA Championship Game will receive an invite to C-USA’s top bowl berth, the Liberty Bowl, played at 3:30 on 12/31 in Memphis, TN. The opponent for that bowl is a team from the SEC. Many analysts have projected UCF vs. UGA in that game. The C-USA Championship Game will begin at Noon at Bright House Networks Stadium and is being nationally-televised on ESPN. The game is expected to sell-out; but tickets can be purchased by calling the UCF Athletics Office @ (407) 823-1000. The tailgating party for the Colleges of Nursing and Health & Public Affairs will begin in the Softball Lot (E5) at 9:00am.

The UCF Knights (8-3; 6-1 C-USA) football team delivered a crushing defeat to the Tulane Green Wave (4-7; 2-5 C-USA) in New Orleans, LA this past Saturday. UCF dominated the game on all fronts and lead Tulane 31-0 by the end of the first quarter. The Knights moved closer to clinching the 2010 C-USA Eastern Division Crown and hosting the Championship Game at Bright House Networks Stadium on 12/4. That will happen as long as the Knights take care of business this Saturday against the Memphis Tigers (1-10; 0-7 C-USA). UCF is also inching closer to being a ranked team once more. After falling to Southern Miss (8-3; 5-2 C-USA), the Knights fell out of the Top 25. But after the win against Tulane, UCF came in at #27 in the Coaches Poll. A major victory against Memphis could be enough to land the Knights back in the rankings. Conference USA also announced today that despite concern the SEC would push for an opponent from the Big East for the Liberty Bowl, its champion would be sent to Memphis on 12/31 for the game. Early predictions are pitting the Knights against the Georgia Bulldogs or the Tennessee Volunteers.

The UCF Knights football program is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in its history. UCF made the move to IA in 1996 but has never been in the Top 25. The closest ranking to the nation’s elite football teams came in 2007 when the Knights placed #27 after losing to MSU in the Liberty Bowl. This week, the Knights placed #25 in the AP Poll and #23 in the Coaches’ Poll. After beating the University of Houston Cougars (5-4; 4-2 C-USA) on Friday in front of a national audience on ESPN2, UCF (7-2; 5-0 C-USA) has ensured they will most likely host the Conference USA Championship Game at their own Bright House Networks Stadium on December 4th. Kickoff for that game is TBD and it will be broadcast nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2.

 But, before then, the Knights take on the Eagles of Southern Miss this Saturday (kickoff @ Noon–TG Party begins @ 10am in Softball Lot), the Tulane Green Wave on 11/20 in New Orleans (kickoff @ 3:30pm), and Memphis Tigers on 11/27 in Memphis, TN (kickoff @ 12:00pm). While certainly out of their control, there has also been a lot of chatter that UCF will be asked to join the Big East, considered by most to be a major upgrade from Conference USA and would also place the Knights in an AQ-BCS Conference. Their ranking in the Top 25 will definitely bolster the Knights as a team worthy of strong consideration. (Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel).

Homecoming was a happy affair on Saturday as the UCF Knights beat the Rice Owls 41-14. Freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey opened the game with a bang, connecting with senior receiver Kamar Aiken for a 59-yard pass. UCF’s defense pounced early and limited Rice to 41 yards total offense in the first half. The Knights’ offense was just as potent, scoring touchdowns on all four of its first-half possessions to claim a 27-0 halftime lead. The Knights’ advantage swelled in the second half, giving inexperienced reserve quarterback L.D. Crow valuable snaps. Crow, a junior who transferred from Stanford, moved from third to second string when junior quarterback Rob Calabrese suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 13 at Marshall. UCF was pinned on its 2-yard line, but Crow responded by leading the Knights on a nine-play, 98-yard scoring drive. He finished the drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass to senior H-back Ricky Kay. Godfrey turned in his strongest passing game of the season. He completed 13-of-18 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Godfrey also rushed for 41 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries. Junior running back Ronnie Weaver had another solid day, leading UCF with 53 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Senior defensive end Bruce Miller, junior defensive end Darius Nall and sophomore Josh Robinson led the Knights with six tackles apiece. Nall added 2.5 sacks, one quarterback hurry and forced one fumble. UCF now moves to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in C-USA and faces a formidable showdown against the East Carolina Pirates (5-2; 4-0 C-USA) this Saturday at 3:30pm at Bright House Networks Stadium. The victor of the game will most likely go on to host Conference USA’s Championship game. The Colleges of Nursing and Health & Public Affairs Alumni Tailgate Party will start at Noon in Softball Lot E5. UCF also picked-up 2 votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, more than the University of Florida Gators, who did not earn a single vote. (Photo and contributions courtesy Orlando Sentinel).

The UCF Knights (4-2; 2-0 C-USA) headed into Huntington, West Viriginia on Wednesday night with a showdown against the Thundering Herd of Marshall (1-4; 0-2 C-USA) on ESPN. The game was a soggy slugfest, with the Knights taking advantage of turnovers and easily handing the Herd a 35-14 loss. A rain delay that spanned an hour and eight minutes ended-up forcing a short 3-minute halftime. And the Knights’ backup quarterback Rob Calabrese was benched with a knee injury right after he scored UCF’s first touchdown (pictured, courtesy Orlando Sentinel). Starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey threw one pick during the game and the wet conditions caused a lot of fumbles and slip ups. But despite the challenges, the Knights put together a highly effective running game that really paid off. UCF returns to Bright House Networks Stadium for their next matchup against Rice on October 23rd. Kickoff is at 3:30pm.

After dominating Kansas State the entire game but eventually running out of steam in the last minute of the game, the UCF Knights (2-2; 0-0 C-USA) return home to Bright House Networks Stadium on Wednesday at 8pm to face the UAB Blazers (1-3; 0-0 C-USA), who last week took the Tennessee Volunteers into overtime. Last week, the Wildcats scored a touchdown on a quarterback scramble with 25 seconds left in the game, waking up just in time to seal a 17-13 win over the Knights. The Knights look for their first win towards a Conference USA Championship appearance. The game is going to be nationally-televised on ESPN. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm. The Colleges of Nursing and Health & Public Affairs Tailgate Party will begin at 4:00pm in the Softball Lot (Lot E-5), directly across the street from BHNS. (Excerpts and photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel).