Oct. 8, 2005
Memphis at UCF Game Notes
October 8, 2005
Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Team Notes
UCF became the third team since 1950 to win three consecutive games after going 0-11 the previous season. South Carolina had winning streaks of four and three games in 2000 while Boston College won three straight games in 1979.
UCF has won three consecutive games for the first time since the end of the 2002 season. The Golden Knights are 3-2 on the season and 2-0 in Conference USA.
UCF's 38 points are the most since scoring 42 points on Nov. 30, 2002 vs. Ohio.
For the second straight week, UCF scored on its opening possession as the Golden Knights covered 80 yards on 11 plays, capped off by a six-yard touchdown run by junior TB Dontavius Wilcox. The rushing touchdown was Wilcox's first of the season.
UCF scored two touchdowns on its first two drives of the game for the second consecutive game.
UCF faced the nation's leading rusher in DeAngelo Williams of Memphis, marking the second time in two season's the NCAA leader in rushing has visited the Florida Citrus Bowl. In 2004, West Virginia tailback Kay-Jay Harris led the nation in rushing and totaled just seven yards on two carries vs. the Golden Knights.
UCF posted 219 yards of total offense in the first quarter, while limiting Memphis to eight yards.
UCF posted a season-high 551 yards of total offense. The last time UCF registered 500 yards of total offense was Sept. 13, 2003 vs. Florida Atlantic when the Golden Knights rolled up 565 yards of total offense.
The Golden Knights had 261 yards on the ground. The team's last 200-yard rushing game was at Buffalo in 2004.
Game captains for UCF were senior PK John Brown and senior FS Anthony Willis. Captains are selected each week by head coach George O'Leary.
Player Notes
True freshman TB Kevin Smith became the first UCF true freshman since Gerod Davis in 1992 to have two consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Smith set career-highs in rushing attempts (31) and rushing yards (164) vs. Memphis. Last week, Smith rushed for 110 yards at Louisiana-Lafayette. Davis rushed for 170 yards vs. James Madison (11/14/92) and 120 yards vs. Samford (11/21/92). The 164 yards were good for the fifth best showing by a true freshman tailback at UCF.
Junior QB Steven Moffett was 10-of-10 passing for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter of the last two games. Moffett started the game vs. Memphis in the first quarter 5-of-5 passing for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Junior WR Mike Walker established a career-high in receiving yards in the first half. The Orlando native caught six passes for 106 yards and one touchdown in the opening half of play vs. the Tigers.
Senior WR Brandon Marshall hauled in a career-long 69-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to give UCF a 21-14 lead. It marked the second time in two games Marshall caught a touchdown pass of 60 yards or longer after his 60-yard touchdown reception last week at Louisiana-Lafayette.
For the second time this season and the third time in their careers, Marshall and Walker eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the same game. Marshall finished the game with a career-high 133 yards on four receptions while Walker totaled 157 receiving yards on 10 receptions.
Redshirt freshman SS Jason Venson recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter. It marked the third consecutive games UCF has tallied an interception.
Steven Moffett averaged 20.7 yards per completion, good for sixth all-time on the UCF single-game register.
Junior DT Bryan Gabourel, sophomore TE Mike Merritt and sophomore FB Neal Bittong made their first career starts for the Golden Knights. UCF has 42 players on its roster with at least one game of starting experience.