Jan. 20, 2005
COLUMBIA, S.C. - UCF's 2005 season opener at South Carolina will be televised in prime time, as the Golden Knights and Gamecocks will battle on ESPN. The 2005 season opener for both schools is set for Thursday, Sept. 1 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Kickoff for the nationally televised contest will be shortly after 7:30 p.m. The national television appearance for the Golden Knights marks the fourth consecutive season UCF has opened the year on ESPN. It is also the first-ever Thursday night, prime time appearance for the Golden Knights on ESPN.
The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3, will be the first nationally televised game of the 2005 season and will launch what promises to be a highly anticipated contest between two of the nation's elite coaches in George O'Leary and Steve Spurrier. The game also marks the first-ever meeting between O'Leary and Spurrier as head coaches.
Since 2002, UCF's season opening games at Penn State, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin have all aired on ESPN.
UCF is 0-2 all-time vs. South Carolina. The last time the two schools met, USC edged the Golden Knights, 33-31, in Columbia on Sept. 6, 1997.
The Golden Knights begin their inaugural season in Conference USA in 2005, with home games set vs. Houston, Marshall, Memphis and Tulane. UCF visits East Carolina, Southern Miss, Rice and UAB to round out the C-USA slate in 2005.