Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

The UCF Knights (1-0; 1-0 AAC) started the 2018 football season off with a bang, crushing the UCONN Huskies (0-1; 0-1 AAC) 56-17:

AP: McKenzie Milton threw for 346 yards and five touchdowns and No. 21 UCF topped UConn 56-17 on Thursday night to extend the longest winning streak in the nation to 14 games. The reigning American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year completed 24 of 32 passes and ran for another 50 yards. Sophomore receiver Tre Nixon, a transfer from Mississippi, caught five passes, scoring on plays of 34 and 11 yards.  Backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. came on in the fourth quarter and broke a 70-yard touchdown run down the left sideline, making him the team’s leading rusher.

UConn quarterback David Pindell was a bright spot for the Huskies, throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown and running for another 157 yards and a score. New coach Josh Heupel’s fast-paced offense is as advertised, putting up 652 yards and scoring eight touchdowns on 11 drives, with each scoring drive taking less than 3 minutes off the clock. The Huskies seem to have found their quarterback in Pindell. In addition to completing 27 of 41 passes and running 22 times, he had another 50-yard touchdown run called back because of a holding penalty. The Knights head back to Orlando for their home opener next Saturday against South Carolina State. The Huskies face another ranked team when they travel to Idaho to take on No. 22 Boise State on the blue turf.

Check out highlights of UCF’s victory of the UCONN Huskies below, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference Digital Network:

The UCF Knights (13-0; 8-0 AAC) defeated the Auburn Tigers on January 1st in the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl, 34-27, capping a perfect, undefeated season. In addition to the State of Florida and numerous major national publications declaring UCF as National Champions, four of the voters in the Associated Press selected the Knights as #1 in the final AP Top 25 season poll. Coverage and highlights from UCF’s victory against the Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl appear below, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference:

ATLANTA — McKenzie Milton threw two touchdown passes and ran for 116 yards with another touchdown, leading No. 10 UCF to a 34-27 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over No. 7 Auburn on Monday that capped the Knights’ perfect season. UCF led 34-20 before having to stop a late Auburn comeback. Antwan Collier’s interception in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining clinched the win.

After Auburn took a 20-13 lead in the third quarter on a 4-yard run by Kerryon Johnson, Milton threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Otis Anderson to tie the game. Milton, under pressure, zipped an 8-yard scoring pass to Dredrick Snelson early in the fourth to give the Knights the lead. Chequan Burkett’s 45-yard interception return for a touchdown pushed the lead to 14 points.

UCF (13-0) won in its final game with coach Scott Frost, who stayed with the team through the bowl game after accepting an offer to become the new coach at Nebraska, his alma mater. The Knights thought they deserved a higher ranking after winning the American Athletic Conference and leading the nation in scoring, and they made a strong statement by beating Auburn (10-4). The Knights sacked Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham six times. Auburn had only one sack.

UCF led 13-6 at halftime despite behind held under 14 points at the break for the first time this season. With 6:58 remaining, Auburn’s Derrick Brown blocked a 25-yard field goal by Matthew Wright that would have given UCF a 10-point lead. Auburn couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity to tie the game. After the interception return by Burkett gave UCF a 34-20 lead, Auburn’s Eli Stove had a 7-yard scoring run with about four minutes remaining. By that time, many Auburn fans in the sellout crowd of 71,109 already had left the stadium.

With 2:18 remaining, UCF’s Matthew Wright missed a 38-yard field goal, giving the Tigers an opening for their last-gasp drive, which ended with the interception. The Knights, who lead the nation with 49.4 points per game, continued their streak of scoring more than 30 points in every game this season. The Knights passed every test, including on the line of scrimmage, as they proved they could match speed and strength with the Tigers. Milton overcame a slow start after completing only 3 of 17 passes for 30 yards in the first half. He completed 16 of 35 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Tigers couldn’t maintain momentum after opening the second half with two touchdowns for a 20-13 lead. Auburn insisted motivation would not be a problem after the crushing loss in the SEC championship game, but the Tigers had no answer when the Knights regained momentum. Stidham completed 28 of 43 passes for 331 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Knights will begin a new era with coach Josh Heupel, the former Missouri offensive coordinator.

The UCF Knights (12-0; 8-0 AAC) ended their season undefeated on Saturday and earned the title of 2017 American Athletic Conference Champions as they beat the Memphis Tigers (10-2; 6-2 AAC) in-front of a sold-out electrically-charged Spectrum Stadium crowd of close to 46,000! The Knights learned Sunday they would end the season ranked #12 in the CFP Rankings and will earn the coveted G5 slot in the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on January 1st. As reported by the AAC:

UCF for the second straight week prevailed in a shootout on its home field. The 12th-ranked Knights captured the American Athletic Conference championship on Saturday as they defeated No. 16 Memphis 62-55 in double overtime. It is the Knights’ third American crown in the past five years. They won the East Division last Friday with a 49-42 win over USF. It was a wild game. The top two scoring teams in the country combined for 117 points and 1,479 yards. It was tied at 48 at the end of regulation.

UCF had the ball first in the second overtime and scored on a 1-yard run by Otis Anderson. Memphis got as far as the UCF 9 on their possession but Riley Ferguson’s pass on second-and-goal was intercepted by Tre Neal as the Knights (12-0, CFP No. 15) secured a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first overtime. Memphis got the ball first and scored when Ferguson connected with Anthony Miller from 15 yards. UCF answered on a 2-yard run by Adrian Killins.

The Knights led 48-34 early in the fourth quarter but the Tigers (10-2, CFP No. 20) rallied to tie with 4:13 remaining on Ferguson’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Miller. Memphis had a chance to win it in reghttps://youtu.be/8hGtlqWKDuQulation but Riley Patterson’s 51-yard field-goal attempt with 28 seconds remaining was wide left. McKenzie Milton threw for 494 yards (28 of 40) and five touchdowns as he was named the game’s most outstanding player.

The UCF Knights (11-0; 8-0 AAC) handed their rival USF Bulls (9-2; 6-2 AAC) a loss on Black Friday in front of a sold-out, loud, and raucous crowd of almost 48,000 fans at Spectrum Stadium. The contest, nationally televised on ABC, was one of dramatic highs and lows, with the lead exchanging several times. The game had major implications for both teams’ seasons–the winner would go on to host the AAC Conference Championship game; that game’s victor will then earn a coveted spot in a NY6 Bowl (the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, GA). As reported by the AAC:

Mike Hughes 95-yard kickoff return with 1:28 remaining was the difference as No. 12 UCF completed the first unbeaten regular season in program history with a wild 49-42 victory over No. 19 USF on Friday to clinch the American Athletic Conference’s East Division title. The Knights (11-0, 8-0 AAC, CFP No. 15) will host Memphis in the conference title game on Dec. 2.

Hughes’ touchdown capped a crazy 53-second span where the Knights took an eight-point lead, South Florida tied it and then the Knights took the lead for good. The Bulls (9-2, 6-2) tied it at 42 when Quinton Flowers connected with Darnel Salomon for an 83-yard touchdown, and then found D’Ernest Johnson for a 2-point play. Flowers finished with 605 yards of total offense. On the ensuing kickoff, Hughes found an opening on the right side and scored.

South Florida drove to midfield late, but Mitchell Wilcox fumbled and it was recovered by Chequan Burkett. McKenzie Milton was 29 of 44 for 373 yards and four touchdowns. UCF led 21-7 late in the first quarter but South Florida took a 34-28 lead with 3:41 remaining in the game on Flowers’ 24-yard touchdown run, which marked the first time this season that the Knights had trailed in the second half.

UCF has scored 30 points or more in every game this season, which is the longest streak in the nation. Flowers threw for a career-high 503 yards (24 of 45, four touchdowns) and ran for 102. He had 348 yards alone in the first half with five completions of 30 yards or more. Tryre McCants had already set a USF single-game receiving record with 6 minutes remaining in the first half. The junior had 227 yards on nine receptions, including a 55-yard touchdown. The previous record was 191 yards by Andre Davis in a 2012 game at Nevada. McCants previous career high was 105 yards against SMU last season.

The Knights will now host the AAC Conference Championship game on Saturday at Bright House Networks Stadium. Kickoff is set for Noon and the game will be nationally televised on ABC. Check out video highlights of UCF’s win over South Florida courtesy of the American Digital Network below:

The UCF Knights (10-0; 7-0 AAC) crushed the Owls of Temple (5-6; 3-4 AAC) on Saturday in Philadelphia, marking their 10th win in an undefeated season. The AAC recaps the win:

PHILADELPHIA — McKenzie Milton threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score as No. 14/12 UCF took care of business against Temple, winning 45-19 Saturday to stay unbeaten heading into a showdown with rival USF. The Knights (10-0, 7-0 American Athletic conference, CFP No. 15) turned three Temple turnovers inside the Owls’ 25 into 17 first-half points, taking a 31-10 lead when Gabriel Davis stretched across the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown reception with 2:36 left in the second quarter.

The American’s East Division will be decided on Black Friday in Orlando, Florida, when No. 23/20 USF (9-1, 6-1) visits UCF. Temple (5-6, 3-4) could have been easy to overlook for the Knights. The game had no bearing on whether they play for a conference title and a loss probably wouldn’t have damaged their chances to play in a New Year’s Six bowl. Shaquem Griffin, the 2016 American defensive player of the year whose left hand was amputated when he was 4, was all over the field for the UCF defense.

He forced a fumble in the first half that set up a score and made his second career interception in the second half, running step-for-step down field with a receiver and cradling the ball into his chest. Frank Nutile, who helped revive Temple’s offense when he took over at quarterback four games ago, was picked off four times. UCF now faces what could be its toughest battle of the season against rival USF, who comes to Spectrum Stadium on Black Friday to face the Knights. That game will be nationally-televised on ABC with a kickoff set for 3:30pm. If the Knights win, they’ll take on the #22 Memphis Tigers (9-1; 6-1 AAC) for the second time this season in the American Athletics Conference Championship Game on 12/2. UCF defeated Memphis earlier in the season 40-13. Check out video highlights of UCF’s win over Temple, courtesy of the American Athletics Association, below:

Photo Courtesy American Athletic Conference.

The UCF Knights (9-0; 6-0 AAC) pummeled past the Huskies of UCONN (3-7; 2-4 AAC) 49-24 Saturday in a rainy day matchup at Spectrum Stadium. The win kept the Knights at #12 in the Coaches Poll. UCF was ranked #18 in the College Football Playoff Poll last week; and new standings will release Tuesday. The AP recaps UCF’s Saturday victory against UCONN below:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Otis Anderson rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns, McKenzie Milton passed for 311 yards and No. 14 UCF pulled away from UConn for a 49-24 victory on Saturday. Anderson had a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and helped the undefeated Knights break it open with a 65-yard touchdown run, making it 35-17 with 14:11 left.

UCF (9-0, 6-0 American Athletic Conference, CFP, No. 18) also got a solid performance from Milton, who was 24-for-36 passing. He tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Marlon Williams in the first quarter and a 41-yarder to Tre’Quan Smith with 7:43 left in the first half, helping the Knights to a 28-10 lead at the break. After Anderson’s second TD, Milton added a 4-yard touchdown run that made it 42-17 with 8:54 left.

David Pindell passed for 201 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score for UConn (3-7, 2-5), but the Huskies were unable to keep up with the high-scoring Knights. Pindell was inserted into the starting lineup in place of the injured Bryant Shirreffs. Pindell’s 9-yard touchdown run made it 28-17 early in the second half. UCF failed to score in the third, just the second time this season the Knights went scoreless in a quarter.

But they made up for it with a big finish. Noah Vedral’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Cam Stewart made it 49-17 with 7:03 left. Pindell led the Huskies with 21 carries for 96 yards. He was 18 for 31 through the air, also throwing an interception. Smith also finished with seven catches for 120 yards for UCF.

UCF takes on the Owls of Temple this Saturday in Philadelphia (5-5; 3-3 AAC). Kickoff is set for Noon and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Video highlights of the UCF v  UCONN game appear below, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference:

Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (8-0; 5-0 AAC) continued their win streak to 8-0 on Saturday in a 31-24 battle to the finish against the Mustangs of SMU (6-3; 3-2 AAC). The win also saw UCF move up to #12 in the Coaches’ Poll rankings and #14 in the AP rankings. Official playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night. The AP reports:

DALLAS — McKenzie Milton threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score, Adrian Killins Jr. rushed for two more touchdowns and No. 15/14 UCF stayed undefeated with a 31-24 victory over SMU on Saturday night. The Knights (8-0, 5-0 American, No. 18 CFP) remained on track to play in a major New Year’s Day bowl game if they can win out.

SMU’s best opportunity at an upset fizzled with 5:10 remaining when wideout Trey Quinn dropped a pass on fourth-and-3 that would have given the Mustangs (6-3, 3-2) a first down deep in UCF territory. The game wasn’t quite the shootout that was expected. UCF entered the weekend averaging 51 points, the most in the nation. SMU was averaging 41.5 points.

Still, there were plenty of explosive plays throughout. Two of UCF’s scoring drives lasted three plays or less but covered at least 75 yards. Killins scored on runs of 64 yards and 34 yards for UCF, splitting defenders and shedding would-be tacklers along the way. And early in the second quarter, Milton found wide receiver Gabriel Davis down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown strike.

SMU scored on its first offensive play from scrimmage when Ben Hicks connected with James Proche for an 86-yard touchdown player. The sophomore receiver made five defenders miss on the catch-and-run, following a couple blockers down the sideline to the end zone. Offensive miscues proved costly for both teams. The Mustangs saw a 56-yard drive in the first half end a yard short when running back Ke’Mon Freeman fumbled into the end zone for a touchback. Milton, who had thrown just three interceptions entering the game, threw two against SMU. One of them was returned by SMU defensive back Jordan Wyatt 36 yards for a touchdown.

The Knights next opponent is the UCONN Huskies (3-6; 2-4 AAC). Kickoff is set for Noon at Spectrum Stadium on the beautiful UCF Campus. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

Check out video highlights of the UCF win over SMU, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference below:

Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel.

The UCF Knights (7-0; 4-0 AAC) broke a high-scoring school record in Saturday’s 73-33 win against the Governors of Austin Peay (5-3). The win also saw the Knights maintain their undefeated record and bumped them up to #14 in the national  rankings (#15 AP/3#14 Coaches) after rival USF lost to Houston. As reported by the AP:

McKenzie Milton threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and scored another on the ground and No. 18/14 UCF reinforced its reputation for having one of the most explosive offenses in the country with a 73-33 win over Austin Peay on Saturday night.

The 73 points scored was a school record for the Knights, who lead the nation in scoring. UCF scored on 11 of 12 possessions. It’s the first time in program history that the Knights have started the season 7-0. Milton completed his first 14 passes and finished the game 24 of 26. He scored on a 3-yard run before going to the bench in the middle of the third quarter.

Dredrick Snelson caught five of Milton’s passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Hughes had a 91-yard kickoff return for a score and Shaquem Griffin returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown. Austin Peay (5-3) had some good moments offensively but couldn’t match UCF’s speed and depth. Governors wide receiver Kyran Moore scored on a 91-yard kickoff return and 35-yard touchdown reception while rolling up 346 all-purpose yards.

The game will be remembered as much for its bizarre plays as the final score. There were two kickoff returns for touchdowns (one each); a fumble return for a touchdown (UCF); a tipped pass for a touchdown (Austin Peay); going four-for-four on fourth-down conversions (two each); a lineman scoring a touchdown after recovering the second of two fumbles on a 5-yard run (Austin Peay); an unsportsmanlike penalty on a head coach (UCF); and a 27-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds.

Hughes’ 91-yard kickoff return was matched stride-for-stride by Kyran Moore during a wild second quarter when the two teams combined for 50 points. Griffin’s fumble return for a touchdown was part of the action and Taj McGowan scored twice on runs of two and four yards. Austin Peay had plenty of highlights, too. Governors guard Ryan Rockensuess scored when he fell on teammate Michael Hoover’s fumble in the end zone, after Hoover had scooped up Ahmaad Tanner’s fumble that started the play.

Trey Pruitt ran on to a tipped pass and got his feet down inbounds to finish off a 12-yard scoring play. Not to be outdone, Moore got credit for a 35-yard touchdown reception when he snatched the ball out of midair after UCF safety Antwan Collier dropped a sure interception. Watch video highlights of the game below, courtesy of the American Athletics Conference. UCF travels to Dallas this Saturday to take on the Mustangs of SMU (6-2; 3-1 AAC). That game will be nationally-televised on ESPN2 with kickoff set for 7:10pm EDT (8:10pm EST).

The UCF Knights (6-0; 4-0 AAC) bested the Navy Midshipmen (5-2; 3-2 AAC) in a conference battle to the finish. By Sunday, the Knights found themselves ranked #17 in the Coaches Poll and #18 in the AP Poll. The win also marks the first time UCF has ever won its first 6 games in program history. The American Athletic Conference reports:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Adrian Killins ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns, McKenzie Milton passed for 233 yards and No. 20 UCF beat Navy 31-21 on Saturday for the first 6-0 start in school history. It was tied in the third quarter before Killins bolted down the right sideline for a 79-yard touchdown run to put the Knights ahead for good. With the victory, UCF (6-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) became bowl eligible, matched its win total of last year and improved to 6-0 for the first time in the 39-year history of the program.

The Midshipmen (5-2, 3-2) kept it close, but their chances of pulling off an upset dwindled after quarterback Zach Abey was forced from the game in the third quarter. Abey was dazed from a hit to the helmet at the end of a run and had to be helped off the field. Abey, the key figure in Navy’s triple option, carried 25 times for 126 yards and a touchdown — his school-record eighth straight 100-yard game. He also threw a touchdown pass. His backup, Garret Lewis, directed a 75-yard drive that got the Midshipmen to 24-21 with 12:50 left.

Navy then intercepted a pass and moved inside the UCF 40 before Lewis sent a late pitch to Darryl Bonner, who fumbled when hit by cornerback Brandon Moore. Moore recovered the loose ball with just over seven minutes remaining, and UCF freshman Otis Anderson scored the clincher on a 10-yard run with 3:30 to go. The Knights came into the game averaging 50.6 points per game and with an average winning margin of 33.8 points. UCF didn’t come close to matching either of those numbers, but it did end Navy’s 17-game home winning streak during the regular season.

The Knights next take on the Governors of Austin Peay (5-3), in a makeup game that was scheduled as a replacement for the Knights having to cancel their home game with Georgia Tech as a consequence of Hurricane Irma. Kickoff is set for 5pm and the game will be nationally-televised on ESPN3. The College of Nursing tailgate party will begin at 2pm in the Softball Lot. Check out highlights of Saturday’s 31-21 victory over Navy by clicking the video below:

Photo courtesy of USA Today.

The UCF Knights (5-0; 3-0 AAC) continued to show why they’re the #1 offensive scoring team in the nation on Saturday, absolutely destroying the Pirates of ECU (1-6; 1-3 AAC) 63-21 in-front of over 40,000 fans who packed UCF Spectrum Stadium to celebrate Homecoming. The Associated Press recapped the game:

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — McKenzie Milton threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and No. 22 UCF also got touchdowns on defense and special teams in a 63-21 win against ECU on Saturday night. UCF moved to 5-0 for the first time in the program’s Division I era and remained tied with 18th-ranked USF for the American Athletic Conference East lead at 3-0. The Pirates (1-6, 1-3) have lost three straight.

Milton and the Knights came in with the highest scoring offense in the nation (47.5 points per game) and dominated the worst scoring defense (47.8 points) in FBS this season. UCF totaled 600 yards of offense, exceeding 500 yards for the third straight game, its longest such streak since 1998. The Knights didn’t score on every possession like they did last week against Cincinnati, but the defense and special teams chipped in. Safety Tre Neal returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Michael Hughes had a 66-yard punt return for a TD that put the Knights ahead 49-14 in the third quarter.

Milton, who was inconsistent as a freshman last year but has made a big leap this season, completed 21 of 27 passes for 324 yards. He hit Jordan Atkins for a 48-yard touchdown and Jamiyus Pittman for a 4-yard score. Milton also scored on a 1-yard run. Adrian Killins, Taj McGowan, Greg McCrae and backup quarterback Noah Vedral also had rushing touchdowns. ECU quarterback Thomas Sirk led two impressive scoring drives in the first half, but he struggled in the third quarter and was replaced by Gardner Minshew. Sirk went 9-of-21 for 91 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Check out video highlights from the game below, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference: