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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:

The UCF Knights (4-0; 2-0 AAC) continued their rise in the Top-25 rankings this week, earning the #21 spot in the Coaches Poll and #22 in the Associated Press Poll. This comes on the heels of another UCF victory. The Knights destroyed the Bearcats of Cincinnati (2-4; 0-2 AAC), scoring on every offensive position. The final score was 51-23 with close to three quarters of play; the game was called due to weather.

Per the American Athletics Conference:

CINCINNATI — McKenzie Milton threw a career-high five touchdown passes — four in the first half — and Tre’Quan Smith scored four times Saturday night as No. 25 UCF rolled to a storm-shortened 51-23 victory over Cincinnati in the Knights’ first game as a ranked team since 2013. UCF (4-0, 2-0 American Athletic) has opened the season with four wins for the first time since 1988, when the Knights were in Division II. They failed to win a game two years ago, and then went 6-7 in coach Scott Frost’s first year.

Storms moved in with 4 seconds left in the third quarter and the game was called after a one-hour delay with more rain on the way. The Knights have dominated each game, outscoring opponents 190-63. Cincinnati (2-4, 0-2) has dropped three straight in Luke Fickell’s first season as head coach. The Knights moved into the top 25 with a 40-13 win over Memphis. They carried the momentum to the road by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions and getting points all eight times they had the ball. Milton hit open receivers for touchdowns of 54 and 79 yards on the Knights’ first two possessions. The sophomore quarterback finished 16 of 19 for 374 yards with touchdowns of 54, 79, 21, 41 and 22 yards. Smith caught two TD passes, giving him six this season, and added his first career rushing touchdown.

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

Photo Courtesy Orlando Senitnel

The UCF Knights (3-0; 1-0 AAC) pounded the undefeated Memphis Tigers (3-1; 0-1 AAC) 40-13 Saturday in front of close to 35,000 fans who withstood the rain pelting Spectrum Stadium on the UCF campus to cheer on UCF to victory. The win not only marked another solid performance for the Knights, who defeated B10 opponent Maryland (3-1; 1-1 B10) last week 38-10, but also garnered them enough votes to land in the top 25 since 2013. The Knights came in at #25 on Sunday in both the AP and Coaches Polls. To recap the win against Memphis, the American Athletic Conference reports:

McKenzie Milton threw for three touchdowns, Adrian Killins Jr. accounted for two more scores and UCF beat Memphis 40-13 Saturday night in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Killins’ first touchdown, a 96-yard run, was the longest play from scrimmage in conference history. Milton was 19-of-31 passing for 253 yards and had 88 yards rushing on 11 carries. Killins finished with five receptions for 64 yards and a score and added nine carries for 115 yards.

Taj McGowan’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal capped a 17-play, 92-yard drive to open the game for UCF (3-0) but, after the Knights failed to convert the PAT, Memphis took a 7-6 lead when Patrick Taylor scored on a 2-yard run with 5:15 left in the first quarter. Matthew Wright’s 28-yard field goal made it 9-7 midway through the second quarter and provided the first of 34-straight UCF points. Riley Ferguson passed for 321 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions and lost a fumble for Memphis (3-1). The Tigers came in averaging 43 points per game. The Knights finished with 603 total yards, including 350 rushing.

Check out video highlights of the win, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference below. UCF travels to Cincinnati this weekend to take on the Bearcats (2-3; 0-1 AAC). Kickoff for that game is at 8pm. The matchup will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

 COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Taj McGowan scored two touchdowns, quarterback McKenzie Milton ran for 94 yards and UCF (2-0; 0-0 AAC) capitalized on an early injury to Maryland (2-1; 0-0 B10) quarterback Kasim Hill in a 38-10 win Saturday. Coming off a three-week layoff because of Hurricane Irma, the Knights used a 21-point run over the second and third quarters to take control against a team trying to adjust to its third different quarterback in three games.Maryland lost starter Tyrrell Pigrome in its season-opening win over Texas before turning to Hill, a true freshman with seemingly enough poise and talent to sufficiently fill the void. Hill finished off the Longhorns and helped beat Towson 63-17 before leaving this game in the first quarter with an apparent leg injury.

He was replaced by sophomore Max Bortenschlager, who went 15 for 26 for 132 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a 57-yard touchdown by Mike Hughes with 5:11 left. Bortenschlager was also sacked five times. Hill was scrambling on a third-down play when hit by Jamiyus Pittman and Chequan Burkett. The quarterback remained on the ground for several minutes before being helped off the field. The Terrapins kicked a field goal on the next play but went nearly 32 minutes before scoring again late in the third quarter. By that time, UCF was well on its way to victory and the majority of fans had already made their way to the exits.

It was the second victory for the Knights against a Big Ten school. The previous win came at Penn State in 2013. McGowan finished with 33 yards on 12 carries, including touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards. The junior saw extensive action after starter Jawon Hamilton was injured on the Knights’ opening possession. It was 14-3 in the third quarter when Miller ran 55 yards to the Maryland 20. Not long after that, the sophomore tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Akins. Milton went 18 for 30 for 178 yards. Maryland’s DJ Moore caught a 20-yard touchdown throw from Bortenschlager to make it 21-10, but the Terps simply didn’t have the firepower to complete the comeback.

The Knights open-up their American Athletic Conference play next Saturday against the Memphis Tigers (3-0; 0-0 AAC). Kickoff is set for 7:00pm in Spectrum Stadium. The game will be nationally-televised on ESPN2. The UCF College of Nursing Tailgate Party for the game will begin at 4:00pm in the Softball Lot. Check-out highlights of UCF’s huge win over Maryland below, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference:

The UCF Knights (1-0; 0-0 AAC) opened their season in a fierce fashion, laying down an absolute whipping on the Panthers of FIU (0-1; 0-0 CUSA).

The Associated Press reports:

ORLANDO, Fla. —  McKenzie Milton threw for four touchdowns and 360 yards, and Central Florida routed Florida International 61-17 in Thursday night’s season opener to spoil coach Butch Davis’ return to the field for the first time since 2010. Milton capped the opening drive with a 22-yard scoring pass to Jordan Atkins, and the Knights capitalized on an interception and a safety to lead 40-10 at halftime. Milton was 16 of 21, with TD strikes of 50 and 3 yards to Tre’Quan Smith and 13 yards to Gabriel Davis before he and many other starters were pulled in the third quarter. Four UCF rushers scored — Jawon Hamilton on a 16-yarder, Taj McGowan on a plunge, Cordarrian Richardson on a 10-yard run, and Greg McRae on a 6-yarders. FIU’s Alex McGough hit Thomas Owens on a 75-yard TD pass and Napoleon Maxwell scored on a 55-yard run. The Golden Panthers turned it over four times. It was Davis’ return to the sidelines after amassing a 79-43 collegiate head coaching record in 10 years at Miami (1995-2000) and North Carolina (2007-10).

The Knights return to Spectrum Stadium next Saturday and open conference play early against the Memphis Tigers (1-0; 0-0 AAC). Kickoff is set for 8:00pm and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN News Network.

Watch video highlights of the Knights’ win, courtesy of ESPN, below:

Photo Courtesy Orlando Sentinel.