Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Theater Review: RAGTIME at Serenbe

Filed under: Performing Arts — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 22:54

Just five weeks after the spectacular production of RAGTIME was staged at Theater Under the Stars in Houston, an entirely different and very unique production of the show has found its way to the Tony-winning Serenbe playhouse in Serenbe, GA. This theater, about 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, is known for its incredibly unique stagings and productions that are far from traditional. 

Last year, the theater mounted what I concluded was an overall weak production of TITANIC, one of my all-time favorite musicals. The main issue with TITANIC lied in the overall weaker performers casted, who frankly didn’t have the singing talent necessary to pull off the demanding numbers of the show. That is certainly not the case with Serenbe’s RAGTIME; the performers here are absolutely incredibly talented and beyond capable. The orchestra also performs Stephen Flaherty’s score magnificently. 

The main story hinges around three composites of a changing American face at the dawn of the Twentieth Century. One, a rich upper-class White family, another African Americans, punctuated by the show’s main characters Coalhouse Walker, Jr. and Sarah, and immigrants, portrayed through the eyes of Tateh and his “little girl.” The supporting characters of the show, which include showbiz harlet Evelyn Nesbit, Model T manufacturer Henry Ford, Booker T. Washington, Harry Houdini, and Emma Goldman (among others) are also essential to ensuring the elaborate story unfolds competently. And unfortunately, the major criticism this staging of RAGTIME deserves concerns just how the story is conveyed.

The show is performed inside a giant circus tent in a Vaudeville style, with a very long center stage where the action occurs. That action occurs from one end of the tent to another, which makes following the scenes and scene transitions very difficult. Despite having VIP tickets, we were seated at one of end of the stage, which made it very challenging to see the various aspects of the crowded stage, with characters often flanking each other despite this having absolutely nothing to do with the plot. 

If you are unfamiliar with the show, you will find this claustrophobic approach to portraying the plot quite difficult to follow. One of the friends who saw the show with us on Saturday had never seen the show before; and he had absolutely no idea what it was about. At intermission, he was totally clueless as to what was going on. And by the show’s end, he remained entirely perplexed as to what the major elements of the plot were.

Now, if you know RAGTIME and are familiar with the show, you will LOVE this production, not because of its unique staging which is unfortunately much more of a distraction than enhancer, but because of the Broadway-worthy performers who blow every single number OUT OF THE PARK! Courtney Chappelle (Mother), Chase Davidson (Mother’s Younger Brother), Jacob S. Louchheim (Tateh), Marcus Terrell Smith (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), and Nicole Vanessa Ortiz (Sarah) are enormously talented and can really act and sing. Despite the awkward and inappropriate Vaudeville theme the show is framed through, these performers REALLY make this theater-going experience absolutely worthwhile. 

I applaud Serenbe for experimenting theatrically with traditional shows; but it’s essential to ensure the format in which a show is presented serves only to enhance it rather than significantly detract from it. Director Brian Clowdus made a heck of a blunder in thinking a Vaudeville-staging of RAGTIME, which deals with quite serious and nuanced thematic material, would be appropriate to the source material. The potential of what this show could’ve been is astronomical and limitless given its phenomenal cast.  But what’s here amounts to a silly, frenetic, and very questionable production that is chuck full of talent that this production simply doesn’t do justice. This doesn’t mean I don’t recommend the show—I DO! But, don’t expect to see RAGTIME how it should be presented. Instead, go for the incredible performances, hair-raising musical numbers performed by superbly capable performers, and a supporting orchestra that plays its lush and gorgeous Tony-winning musical score to absolute perfection. For ticket information, visit: http://www.serenbeplayhouse.com/ragtime.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Dr. Blackwell to be Inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing

Filed under: Nursing Science — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 14:31

Dr. Christopher Blackwell, Associate Professor & Director of AGACNP Programs in the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida was notified on May 16th that he has been selected for induction as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

According to AAN: The Academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy, practice and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership. Every day across America, the Academy and its members create and execute knowledge-driving and policy-related initiates to drive reform of America’s health system.

Academy’s more than 2,700 members, known as Fellows, are nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education management, practice and research. Fellows include association executives; university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; nurse consultants; researchers; and entrepreneurs.

Fellows have been recognized for their extraordinary nursing careers and are among the nation’s most highly-educated citizens: more than 90% hold doctoral degrees and the rest have completed masters programs. Invitation to the fellowship represents more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming America’s health system by

  • Enhancing the quality of health and nursing care,
  • Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum,
  • Reducing health disparities and inequalities,
  • Shaping healthy behaviors and environments,
  • Integrating mental and physical health, and
  • Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally.

Being inducted as a FAAN is widely considered to be the pinnacle of accomplishment and achievement within the nursing profession. The ceremony will take place in Washington, DC on October 26th. Dr. Blackwell will be joined by UCF College of Nursing colleagues Drs. Annette Bourgault and Vicki Loerezel, also selected for 2019 FAAN induction.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Theater Review: TUTS’ Production of RAGTIME

Filed under: Performing Arts — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:37

The sweeping and phenomenally-scored, written, and moving Broadway musical RAGTIMEhas come alive in what can only be described as an absolutely phenomenal production by Theater Under the Stars at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, TX. The show is helmed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Tony-nominated for her staging of the revival of the show that bowed at the Kennedy Center in 2011 and found its way to Broadway in 2013.

The show centers around three major social groups that are mixing, by force, in turn of the century United States. One is a rich white upper class family, the next a Black community experiencing the racial realities of a post-Civil War America, and the final the immigrants who are pouring into the country for a better life. The three groups eventually clash and meld with one another; the show highlights that by focusing on a handful of main players—Coalhouse Walker, Jr., a popular and accomplished pianist with a acute understanding of the realities of racism who has fallen in love and fathered a baby with a poor Black woman named Sarah, Father, Mother, Younger Brother and Mother’s son (Edgar) who are experiencing maturation of a familial unit that is being torn apart by the crushing change in a time when their racial privilege and class has afforded them major life advantages, and a Latvian immigrant father (Tateh) and his daughter, poor and incredibly strained by a move to a foreign land that wants little to do with them other than to exploit them for their work.

Told behind the backdrop of racial stress, the industrial revolution where workers are starting to fight against their oppressive enslavement, and the personal stories of these three groups, RAGTIME presents an elaborate story of American history by weaving a tapestry of incredibly moving story, soaring music, and phenomenal effect. I have personally seen many productions of the show, including the original Broadway production (which remains to this day one of the best theatrical experiences of my life), revival, and several regional productions. 

I can easily attest that the production of the show here is simply the BEST one I’ve ever seen outside of that original Broadway bow in 1997. We’ll get to the acting and singing—which are both superb—but let’s talk technical aspects first. Dodge has recreated much, if not most of the creative elements from her Tony-nominated RAGTIME, with erector set type elements with a posterior projection screen that serves as a backdrop for the settings. Two moving staircases serve as the centerpiece for many of the show’s sequences, utilized effectively throughout. There are some enhanced set pieces and accentuated props used sparsely. But the show largely retains the qualities of its predecessor while adding elements that only add to its quality. 

As for the acting and singing—WOW! The actors here are first-rate (many plucked right from the stages of Broadway) including Tony nominee Robert Petkoff, who figuratively “steals” the show. His turn as Tateh rightly earned him a Tony nomination. He would repeat that here if possible. Mother is played extraordinarily by Courtney Markowitz while Father is played by Drama Desk nominated Broadway veteran Ryan Silverman. Of all the times I’ve seen the show, I have never seen a performer with the voice and acting abilities of Ezekial Andrew. Andrew is operatically-trained, which I at first found to be a potential threat to his ability to play the character. Opera, after all, is a FAR different musical style than ragtime. But, he proves here that he is not only a versatile singer that knocks RAGTIME’s sweeping numbers out of the park, but an absolutely incredible and talented actor who brings a unique and refreshing portrayal of the show’s main character. Sarah is played by Danyel Fulton, who also blows the roof off of the theater! She brings the heartbreaking characteristics of Sarah to life. Fulton’s big solo number as well as that of Markowitz were standing-ovation worthy.


There’s just not enough praise I can give this show. Even the side characters of Evelyn Nesbit (Emma Degerstedt), Harry Houdini (Josh Walden, also the show’s associate director and choreographer), and all the other supporting roles are played to shocking perfection. I can only imagine the cost of bringing this show to Houston—from the HUGE cast of close to 40 and orchestra of the same size, a Broadway-caliber performers and creative team, and all the other professional elements at play here, TUTS has shown its abilities to stage productions as a regional theater are second to none. RAGTIME plays at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts through April 28th. Tickets can be purchased at: https://my.tuts.com/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=86. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Ranking the 2019 Best Picture Oscar Nominees

Filed under: Film and Entertainment — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:44

With the 2019 Academy Awards less than 48 hours around the corner (and the Annual Blackwell San Jose Oscar Party with it), it’s time to rank the nominees for the coveted award for Best Picture. There’s been some really good ones this year, making the ranking difficult. But nonethtlesss, here’s my ranking of the 8 films nominated in the category

#8: BlackkKlansman: Spike Lee (the favorite for Adapted Screnplay) directs this fantastic film about the true story of a Black FBI agent (played by Denzel Washington’s son, John) that helped infiltrate the KKK through the telephone and a white “avatar” (played by Adam Driver). Although the events in the film take place in the 1970’s, it’s relevance today is palpable. That’s unfortunately a little bit of the reason why it also ranks lowest on my list. While the film’s poignancy speaks for itself, Lee felt it necessary to emphasize the point with footage from Charlottesville and other racially-tense events planted at the end of the movie. While those current events are hideous and highlight continued unacceptable discrimination in American society, including it felt forced and out of place here. It also wasn’t necessary as the impact made by the story the movie is based on stands on its own. Nonetheless, it’s a great movie worthy of the nomination.

#7: Roma: Alfonso Cuaron directs an intensely moving film that follows a year in the life of Cleo, a Mexican nanny and housekeeper who manages the household of an lower upper middle class family on the brink in Mexico City during a series of politically-motivated protests that are becoming increasingly violent. Cleo’s life takes a series of twists and turns that are both heartbreaking and revealing, as various stressors in her life play out. Shot in black and white, the film is gritty and moving. It is, however, slow at times, which results in some unevenness to its trajectory. It is still a remarkably good film that leaves the audience speechless, sad, and happy, all in one.

#6: A Star Is Born: Bradley Cooper and Lady GaGa star in Cooper’s own film about the simultaneous rise of a female singer destined for stardom and the fall of her muse, a male singer who’s losing his battles with his own inner demons while the two fall in love. GaGa gives a downright phenomenal performance and lends her voice to the movie’s fantastic original music. If Gaga’s “Shallow” fails to win her the Oscar for Best Song, it’ll be just as much a travesty as Greatest Showman’s loss for “This Is Me” last year. While the performances are remarkable, the movie itself suffers from predictable cliches and incomplete storylines that make it a non-contender for the top prize.

#5 Black Panther: The Marvel Universe gets an exceptional addition with Ryan Coogler’s take on the story of the famed comic book hero Black Panther. With dazzling special effects and a solid story, Black Panther infuses the traditional comic book genre with elements of African art, culture, and superheroes and expands the cinematic experience of action movies in a way never done before. Michael B. Jordan plays a great villain in Erik Killmonger; and Chadwick Boseman slays it with his depiction of the iconic title character, making Black Panther and fun and energetic ride.

#4: Green Book: Very few people are familiar with the true story of the relationship between Black jazz pianist Don Shirley and Tony Vallelonga, a rough and tough Italian-American fresh off the streets of Brooklyn, who is hired by Shirley to serve as his driver and bodyguard during his summer tour in the Deep South in 1962. The two spark off an unexpected friendship and bond that transcends Vallelonga’s preconceived notions of Black people and Shirley’s perceptions of what a stereotypical Italian-American would have of Black people. The story is heartwarming, and at times, completely unpredictable. Those who have criticized the film for veering far from the truth behind the inspiration of the relationship depicted in the movie miss the point of Green Book. It’s not a documentary. It’s a story of an unexpected relationship between two men that became blind to race, sexuality, and heritage, to forge a bond that lasted their entire lives.

#3 Bohemian Rhapsody: Rami Malek gives a downright powerhouse performance as Freddy Mercury, an oddball artist who defied the boundaries of human sexuality and catapulted the band Queen into rock history. While not necessarily a Mercury biopic, the film puts him front-and-center and focuses on how his talent and eccentricities were both a blessing and curse for Queen. Mercury’s homosexuality is framed through his relationship with his first wife Mary, who was his best friend even after their divorce and all the way to his death of AIDS in 1991. Eventually Mercury fell victim to those who took advantage of him and his ever-increasing reliance on drugs and sex. But he rose like a phoenix to give a knockout final performance at Live Aid in 1985, which serves as the film’s final sequence and one that Malek mirrors to Mercury with perfection.

#2: Vice: Christian Bale gives an absolute whopper of a performance as the heinous Vice President Dick Cheney, who manipulated every person in his life for his own self-gain and selfishness. The film begins in Cheney’s later youth and shows how he was able to learn the art of deception quickly as a means to get ahead. Soon, Cheney’s thirst for power and money turn him to politics, where he uses his successes and failures to continue to defy the limitations that should’ve kept a very mediocre and underachieving person to living a very sub-average existence. The film is geniously made, using comedy, drama, and uniquely executed scenes to tell the story of a horrible person that was eventually able to use the ignorance of a low-intelligent President to elbow his way into a position where he was able to exert immense power. While a long shot for Best Picture, don’t be surprised if Bale takes home the Oscar for his portrayal of Cheney.

#1: The Favourite: Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and Rachel Weisz give the performances of their careers in this story of the ailing Anne, Queen of Great Britain, her snobbish and self-centered appearing lover Sarah Churchill, and Churchill’s lower-class cousin Abigail, who finds a way to manipulate the Queen and work her way up the social chain through increasingly back-stabbing and nefarious actions. The movie is at times funny, at times quite disturbing, and at times sad and shocking. It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in its ability to stir a cacophony of emotions into one hell of a ride that left me in complete shock and awe. I’ve also never experienced such brilliant story-telling that introduced the audience to one character that is so easily hated and another who is so easily loved and completely swaps those roles by the story’s end. It makes the audience question its own notions and interpretation of characters based on traditional story-telling experience and suggests people who might be thought of as sweet, kind, and funny are actually monsters and that monsters may not actually be monsters at all. These qualities make The Favourite my pick for Best Picture of 2018.

Monday, December 3, 2018

After Steamrolling USF, #8 UCF Wins Conference Championship against Memphis, Will Face LSU in Fiesta Bowl 1/1/19

Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:42

 

After crushing rival USF and losing their powerful leader in quarterback McKenzie Milton to a horrendous injury, the UCF Knights (12-0; 8-0 AAC) came back from a 17-point deficit at the half to defeat the AAC West Division Champion Memphis Tigers (8-5; 5-3 AAC) under the gun of quarterback Darrial Mack. Mack shrugged off two early turnovers to rush for three second-half touchdowns and rally No. 7 UCF to a 56-41 victory over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference championship game Saturday. With the red-shirt freshman filling in for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton, the Knights (12-0, No. 8 CFP) won their second-straight league title and extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 25 games. Mack also threw for 348 yards and two TDs without an interceptions to keep UCF, the only FBS team to finish undefeated a year ago, in the conversation about who’s deserving of consideration for berths in the College Football Playoff.

Greg McCrae rushed for 206 yards and one TD for the Knights, who beat the Tigers 62-55 in the 2017 AAC title game and rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to win 31-30 at Memphis during the regular season. This time, UCF trailed 38-21 at halftime before scoring touchdowns on five-straight possessions in the second half. Darrell Henderson scored on runs of 62, 12 and 82 yards and also throw a 4-yard TD pass to help Memphis (8-5) build its big halftime lead. But the nation’s second-leading rusher only gained 3 yards on six carries in the second half, finishing with 210 yards on 16 carries. Mack lost two first-quarter fumbles, setting up Henderson’s second touchdown and a field goal. The red-shirt freshman also fumbled into the end zone from inside the Memphis 1, however teammate Michael Colubiale recovered for a UCF touchdown in the second quarter.

Brady White was effective throwing the ball for Memphis until UCF finally stopped Henderson and Patrick Taylor, who scored on a 70-yard run and finished with 118 rushing, from running wild. The Tigers are winners of four of last five games and will face Wake Forrest in the Birmingham Bowl while the Knights will take a spot in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl, a coveted New Year’s Six Bowl. UCF enters the postseason unbeaten for the second straight year, and as the winners of their second straight American Athletic Conference Championship and were chosen by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to face LSU on New Year’s Day in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

UCF’s selection to a New Year’s Six bowl highlights a group of seven American Athletic Conference schools that will play in bowl games. UCF’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl marks the Knights’ third appearance in the top New Year’s bowls since 2013 and the American Athletic Conference’s fourth New Year’s bowl bid since the formation of the conference. Teams from The American are 3-0 in previous New Year’s Bowls. UCF was a 52-42 winner against Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl to cap the 2013 season, while Houston defeated Florida State 38-24 in the 2015 Peach Bowl before UCF took a 34-27 win against Auburn in last year’s Peach Bowl.

UCF was ranked No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, the highest final ranking for an American Athletic Conference team in the five-year history of the CFP. The Knights are ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press and Amway Coaches’ polls and will face an LSU team that is 9-3 and ranked No. 11 across the board. It will be the first meeting between the schools. Watch highlights of UCF’s victory in the AAC Conference Championship Game, courtesy of the American Athletic Association Digital Network, below:

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Dr. Blackwell Selected In Top 10 Nurse Practitioners in the United States

Filed under: National and International News — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 23:43

Dr. Christopher Blackwell, APRN, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, CNE, FAANP was selected by Point of Care Network as one of the nation’s top-10 nurse practitioners for 2018. Dr. Blackwell was selected in the category of Clinical Practice and Consultation. Congratulations to all the NPs who were selected as the top 10 in the United States! Check out all of the winners here: 2018’s Top 10 NPs in the United States

#9 Knights Shine on ESPN College GameDay, Whoop Cincy, Clench Division and Host Conference Championship Game; Face Rival USF Next

Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 23:29

 McKenzie Milton threw for 268 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to help No. 11 UCF remain unbeaten and extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 23 games with a 38-13 win against No. 19 Cincinnati on Saturday night. The junior from Kapolei, Hawaii, passed for three TDs without an interception and scored on a 3-yard run as the Knights (10-0, 7-0) clinched the American Athletic Conference East Division title and a spot in the league’s championship game. Milton rebounded from losing a fumble Cincinnati recovered in the end zone for a touchdown on UCF’s first offensive play to complete 13 of 25 passes, including TDs of 17 yards and 42 yards to Adrian Killins and 36 yards to Tre Nixon.

Malik Clements’ goal-line sack and Kimoni Fitz’s fumble recovery gave the Bearcats (9-2, 5-2) the early lead, but Cincinnati didn’t get in the end zone offensively until Tavion Thomas scored on a 1-yard run nearly six minutes into the fourth quarter. The first sign it might not be Cincinnati’s night came when Cole Smith the missed the extra point after Fitz’s TD. Even though the Bearcats eventually finished with 379 yards total offense to UCF’s 402, the team’s struggles were compounded when Smith missed a 38-yard field goal and then had 41-yarder blocked and returned 53 yards to set up the first of Milton’s two TD passes to Killins.

The Bearcats also wasted an opportunity to trim a 21-6 deficit when UCF’s Titus Davis sacked Desmond Ridder, forcing a fumble after Cincinnati drove inside the Knights 20 in the final minute of the opening half. The primetime matchup capped a day in which Orlando became the epicenter of college football, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcasting from the UCF campus for the first time and giving the Knights the type of national exposure they’ve craved for much of their winning streak.

The Bearcats are back in the national spotlight after only winning four games a year ago in their first season under coach Luke Fickell. They were beaten  Saturday night. Still, the future appears bright, considering they have an underclassman-laden roster that includes 35 true freshmen. Milton has thrown for at least one touchdown in 23 consecutive games. The Knights have also scored at least 30 points in every game throughout their school- and conference-record winning streak. UCF also learned Tuesday they’ve earned the #9 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings, the highest ever for a G5 conference team.  They’ll go for their second straight undefeated regular season next week against intrastate rival USF. The Black Friday kickoff for the UCF vs USF game is set for 3:30pm and the game will be nationally-broadcasted on ESPN. Catch highlights of UCF’s win over Cincy below, courtesy of the American Athletics Conference Digital Network:

Thursday, November 15, 2018

UCF Defeats Navy, Moves to #11, Hosts ESPN College GameDay on Saturday, Faces #20 Cincy in Primetime

Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:26

The UCF Knights (9-0; 6-0 AAC) defeated the Navy Shipment on Saturday in a sold-out Homecoming crowd last Saturday. McKenzie Milton threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, helping No. 11 UCF extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 22 games with a 35-24 victory over Navy on Saturday. Milton completed 17 of 21 passes without an interception, and the Knights (9-0, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) remained one of four unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, along with Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame.

Dredrick Snelson scored on receptions of 34 and 12 yards for UCF, which stayed atop the AAC East Division standings and on course to be part of the discussion about which teams are worthy of berths in the College Football Playoff. The Knights are 11th in the latest CFP rankings. The Midshipmen, coming off a 42-0 road loss to Cincinnati, have lost seven straight games, although they did rush for 374 yards Saturday after being limited to a season-low 124 on the ground the previous week.

Zach Abey scored on runs of 5 and 8 yards, finishing with a team-best 85 yards rushing on 26 carries for Navy. Tre Walker ran for 82 yards on seven attempts, and Mike Martin ran for 51 and a fourth-quarter TD for Navy, which only threw the ball twice. The Midshipmen finished a three-week stretch in which they lost to Notre Dame, Cincinnati and UCF, who were a combined 25-1 entering Saturday.

Their chances of slowing UCF’s potent offense hinged on getting its own running game going and dominating time of possession to keep Milton off the field. Milton was sharp in his second game since sitting out a road win over ECU with an undisclosed injury. The junior from Kapolei, Hawaii, hit 10 of his first 11 passes for 106 yards, completing throws to seven different receivers. He has at least one TD pass in 22 consecutive games.

After the win, it was announced  UCF would play the #20 Cincinnati Bearcats (9-1; Saturday at 8pm on ABC, earning the coveted primetime slot for the week. The Knights also learned Monday they would be hosting ESPN’s College GameDay for their first time in history on Saturday, setting the campus into a frenzied excitement. That broadcast begins at 9:00am and will give UCF an amazing opportunity to showcase its brand to a major national audience. Watch highlights from UCF’s victory over Navy below, courtesy of the American Athletics Conference Digital Network:

 

Saturday, November 3, 2018

#9 UCF Knights Overcome Tough Battle Against Temple for 21st Straight Victory

Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:08

The UCF Knights (8-0; 5-0 AAC) overcame a formidable foe in the Owls of Temple (5-4; 4-1 AAC) Thursday night in-front of a loud and spirited crowd at Spectrum Stadium to clench their 21st straight victory. The game was broadcasted live on ESPN and drew the highest Thursday night rankings since the season kickoff game:

McKenzie Milton threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 9 UCF hold off Temple 52-40 and extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 21 games Thursday night. Taj McGowan scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards, the latter finishing a long drive that put the Knights (8-0, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) up by nine points after Temple (5-4, 4-1) nearly rallied to tie it.

Milton, returning to the lineup after missing a game with an undisclosed injury, finished 17 of 33 with one interception. Dredrick Snelson scored on a 19-yard reception and Michael Colubiale had TD catches of 9 and 19 yards to ensure the Knights gained sole possession of first place in the AAC East Division. Anthony Russo completed 31 of 52 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns for Temple, which had a three-game winning streak snapped despite gaining 670 yards on a night the teams combined to gain over 1,300 yards.

Ventell Bryant scored on receptions of 15 and 8 yards for the Owls. Russo also threw to Branden Mack and Randle Jones while building a 34-28 halftime that lasted less than a minute into the third quarter. UCF took a 42-34 lead into the fourth quarter and stopped a potential tying two-point conversion before pulling away for good. In addition to staying on top of the East Division standings, UCF remained on course to be part of the discussion about which teams deserve to be part of the College Football Playoff in December.

The Knights, denied a spot in the four-team playoff field a year ago despite finishing as the only undefeated team in the FBS, were 12th in the initial CFP rankings released this week. In the first half alone, the teams combined for 808 yards — 510 passing and 298 rushing — with Russo throwing for 277 and three TDs and Milton countering with 233 yards and two TDs. Both quarterbacks had a rushing TD in the second quarter, Russo scoring on a 5-yard run on a fake field goal play.

The Owls are 5-2 since Russo took over at quarterback following losses to Villanova and Buffalo to begin the season. Armstead returned from missing two games with an ankle injury, immediately making his presence felt with a 33-yard burst on the first play from scrimmage. The senior running back finished with 142 yards on 27 carries. Milton had another big night, however the Knights kept the nation’s longest winning streak alive by running for 318 yards and doing a good job defensively of keeping Temple out of the end zone in the second half.

Check out highlights of the game below, courtesy of the American Athletics Conference Digital Network:

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

UCF Knights Ranked #12 in CFP, Ready for Temple After Bye

Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 22:55

The UCF Knights (7-0; 4-0 AAC) took a week off after their 37-10 drubbing of East Carolina (2-5; 0-4 AAC) on October 20th to get some much needed rest and relaxation. Darriel Mack Jr. stepped in for Heisman Trophy hopeful McKenzie Milton and rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, and UCF forced five turnovers in beating ECU 37-10 for its 20th straight victory. Nate Evans returned a fumble 94 yards for a momentum-changing touchdown with 10:07 left, Greg McCrae added a 74-yard TD run and the Knights turned all those takeaways into 24 points.

UCF — which was outgained 496-427 — went up 20-3 by scoring on four consecutive possessions in the second quarter, then made it a full-fledged rout with those late big plays. Receiver Quadry Jones threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Killins on a trick play, and Matthew Wright kicked three field goals for the Knights. With Milton sitting this one out while in full uniform from the sideline, Mack was 12 of 20 for 69 yards but was more dangerous with his legs, rushing 7 yards for an early touchdown.

Freshman Holton Ahlers was 29 of 53 for 406 yards with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Brown, and added 69 yards rushing in his first start. But his fumble while attempting a jump pass inside the 5-yard line was returned by Evans for the game-sealing score. The Pirates have lost three straight and four of five. Jake Verity put ECU up 3-0 midway through the first with a 34-yard field goal. ECU was on the verge of making this a one-score game with 10 minutes left before Evans’ fumble return.

UCF also learned Tuesday they are ranked #12 in the first set of rankings released by the College Football Playoff Committee as they make final preparations for their big Thursday night home game against the Temple Owls (5-3; 4-0 AAC). Kickoff for that matchup is set for 7:30pm; and the game will be nationally-televised on ESPN. Watch highlights from UCF’s 37-10 victory over ECU, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference Digital Network below:

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