Aug. 21, 2010
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By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF football team appeared in the preseason Associated Press college football poll which was released on Saturday morning. It marks the first time that the Knights have appeared in the AP poll since earning 35 votes in the final regular season poll of the 2007 season after claiming the Conference USA Championship and a berth in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Those 35 votes placed UCF at No. 27 in the nation, trailing only Texas Tech in the Also Receiving Votes category.
On Saturday, the Knights picked up a 25th-place preseason pick from Cedar Rapids Gazette scribe Mike Hlas to account for their point which effectively ranks UCF No. 46 in the nation, tied with Boston College and SMU.
The Knights have high expectations for the 2010 season with a roster that includes 18 seniors and 17 returning starters. Many pundits have placed UCF atop the C-USA East Division this fall on the heels of an 8-5 campaign in 2009 which included a berth in the St. Petersburg Bowl. The Knights are particularly strong on defense where UCF returns the core of C-USA's top defense of a year ago. This includes preseason All-American Bruce Miller who leads the nation in both sacks (27) and TFLs (44) along with three starting linebackers who have combined for 84 career starts and 537 career tackles.
UCF opens its 2010 slate two weeks from tonight, Sept. 4, when the Knights play host to South Dakota at Bright House Networks Stadium.
To UKNIGHT behind your team and receive your free Knights Rewards Card's valuable discounts, reserve your 2010 football season tickets today. Call the UCF Athletic Ticket office at (407) 823-1000 or log onto UCFAthletics.com.