Nov. 8, 2004
UCF Game Notes in PDF Format
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ORLANDO - For the final time as a member of the Mid-American Conference, UCF plays its final road game at Ball State Saturday at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Ind. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and there is no television coverage of the game. The UCF ISP Sports Network (740-The Team) will provide live coverage beginning at 2 p.m. with the pregame show.
UCF enters the Ball State game off one of its toughest losses of the year after a 17-16 overtime loss to Ohio last weekend at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Ball State was idle last week, but the Cardinals are in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Both teams have two common opponents in 2004. UCF lost 26-21 to Akron and 30-28 to Northern Illinois while Ball State lost 35-23 to Akron and 38-31 to the Huskies.
Series Notes
UCF plays its final MAC road game Saturday at Ball State. Saturday's game is the third overall meeting in the series and the first since 1998. UCF won the last meeting, 37-14, in Orlando on Nov. 14, 1998. Ball State defeated UCF in the Golden Knights' only visit to Muncie, 31-10, on Sept. 21, 1996.
UCF is 0-2 all-time in games played in the state of Indiana. The last time UCF visited the Hoosier State, the Golden Knights lost 35-7 at Purdue on ESPN in 1998.
Israel Gets The Nod At Quarterback
True freshman quarterback Kyle Israel was named UCF's starting quarterback for the Ohio game by George O'Leary. Israel was the first UCF true freshman quarterback to make his first career start at home since Daunte Culpepper vs. Eastern Kentucky in 1995. Israel finished 4-of-13 passing for 33 yards vs. the Bobcats in his first career start.
Closing In On The Top Spot
Alex Haynes needs just 17 yards to become UCF's all-time leading rusher this weekend at Ball State. The Orlando native produced his 14th career 100-yard game last week vs. Ohio with 109 yards on 26 carries.
The 3,000-Yard Club
Alex Haynes became just the second player in UCF history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark at Marshall. Willie English is the only other 3,000-yard rusher in school history with a school-record 3,131 career yards.
Sack Attack
UCF totaled five sacks vs. Ohio including two by junior defensive end Paul Carrington.
The five sacks were the most by UCF's defense since the Golden Knights recorded five sacks at Buffalo on Nov. 9, 2002.
Carrington's Big Day
Paul Carrington totaled two sacks and his first career interception vs. Ohio. The interception was the first by a UCF defensive lineman since Oct. 28, 2000 at Alabama when Josh McKibben recorded an interception.
Alex The Attempt Leader
Alex Haynes became UCF's all-time rushing attempts leader with 23 carries for 131 yards at Buffalo. Haynes is one of only two players at UCF to total more than 500 rushing attempts.
UCF Career Rushing Attempts1. Alex Haynes (2001-Pres.) 6672. Willie English (1989-91, 93) 6063. Elgin Davis (1983-86) 485
UCF Career Rushing Leaders1. Willie English (1989-91, 93) 3,1312. Alex Haynes (2001-Pres.) 3,115
Haynes Continues To Hit Paydirt
Alex Haynes is second in school history with 25 career rushing touchdowns and third in career touchdowns with 26.
UCF Career Rushing TD Leaders1. Willie English (1989-91, 93) 382. Alex Haynes (2001-Pres.) 253. Daunte Culpepper (1995-98) 24
UCF Career Touchdown Leaders1. Willie English (1989-91, 93) 382. David Rhodes (1991-94) 293. Alex Haynes (2001-Pres.) 264. Gerod Davis (1992-95) 25
UCF Career 100-Yard Rushing Games1. Willie English (1989-91, 93) 152. Alex Haynes (2001-Pres.) 142. Marquette Smith (1994-95) 13
Alex Near The Top
Alex Haynes is fifth in the MAC in rushing in 2004 with an average of 87.5 yards per game. Haynes is also the second leading active rusher in the MAC with 3,115 yards.
MAC Active Rushing Leaders1. Joshua Cribbs, KSU 3,5212. Alex Haynes, UCF 3,115
The Long Ball
Mike Walker caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Steven Moffett for UCF's longest play of the season vs. Ohio. The 70-yard touchdown was the longest scoring play for UCF since 2002 when Doug Gabriel caught an 80-yard touchdown pass at Arizona State.
Defense Continues To Improve
Over the last two games, the UCF defense has played well for the Golden Knights. UCF is allowing an average of 18 points per game over the last two, including an average of 293 yards per game.
During the two-game stretch, UCF's opponents have converted just 27% of their third down conversions (9/33).
Scouting Ball State
The Cardinals of Ball State University enter Saturday's game with an overall record of 1-8 including a 1-5 mark in the MAC.
Ball State's only win of the season came in its MAC opener vs. Western Michigan (41-14). The Cardinals show losses vs. Boston College (19-11), Purdue (59-7), Missouri (48-0), Toledo (52-14), Eastern Michigan (31-24), Bowling Green (51-13), Akron (35-23) and Northern Illinois (38-31, OT).
Ball State's offense ranks 102nd nationally in total offense (310 yards per game) and 107th in scoring offense (18.2).
Defensively, Ball State is 114th in total defense (475.5) and scoring defense (38.5).
In the special teams area, Ball State is 115th in punt returns (3.3) and 116th in kickoff returns (15.0).
One bright spot for the Cardinals has been wide receiver Dante Ridgeway. One of 11 finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top wide receiver, Ridgeway is first in the nation in receptions per game (10) and third in receiving yards per game (122.5).
Ball State Coach Brady Hoke
Brady Hoke, a four-year football letterman at Ball State University from 1977-80 and a team captain for the Cardinals as a senior, was named the school's head football coach Dec. 18, 2002. Hoke is one of 17 NCAA Division IA head coaches in the country who will be coaching their alma maters in 2004.
Prior to being named Ball State's head coach, Hoke spent the previous eight seasons on the staff at Michigan under the guidance of Wolverine's head coach Lloyd Carr. Hoke spent the 2002 season as the associate head coach and defensive line coach. He helped the Wolverines to a 9-3 overall record last season and a berth in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl vs. Florida. Michigan was ranked ninth in the final ESPN/USA Today Poll and Associated Press Poll.
Hoke joined the Michigan coaching staff in 1995 as the defensive ends coach and remained in that position through the 1996 campaign. He began coaching the defensive line prior to the start of Michigan's 1997 national championship season.
Prior to joining the Wolverines, Hoke coached six seasons at Oregon State (1989-94) where he coached the defensive line (1989, 1991-94) plus coached the inside linebackers (1990). From 1984-88, Hoke spent five seasons coaching in the MAC -- at Toledo in 1987-88 and at Western Michigan from 1984-86.
Hoke began his coaching career at Yorktown High School, located just outside of Muncie, where he was defensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1982. In 1983, Hoke was the defensive line coach at Grand Valley State.