Oct. 26, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The Knights will return to the gridiron for a rare Sunday night affair this weekend against Southern Miss. Kickoff between UCF and the home-standing Golden Eagles will be at 8 p.m. ET and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
After playing three non-Saturday games in 2006, the Knights only have this contest away from the traditional day for college football. This will be the first Sunday contest for the Knights since the 2003 season-opener vs. Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. UCF fell to the Hokies 49-28 in that contest.
The 2005 and 2006 Conference USA Freshman of the Year will be on the field, carrying the ball a lot for the respective teams. UCF junior Kevin Smith, the '05 honoree, ranks second in the nation with a 155 ypg average and needs 162 yards in the contest to set the UCF career rushing yardage mark. Alex Haynes currently holds the record at 3,359 yards.
Southern Miss boasts the league's '06 rookie of the year and Damion Fletcher has continued churning up the yards in his sophomore season for the Golden Eagles. Fletcher has 789 yards rushing and nine touchdowns through seven games.
The game will also serve as the second of the season for the Knights on the ESPN Family of Networks. This tilt is slated for ESPN as Eric Collins will handle the play-by-play duties, while Ray Bentley will do the analyzing and Dave Ryan will bring fans the sideline reports.
In the Sunshine State, the contest can also be heard on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, WQTM 740-AM in Orlando. Network affiliates include WMMV 1350-AM (Cocoa), WDCF 1350-AM (Dade City), WORD 1340-AM (Daytona Beach), WMMB 1240-AM (Melbourne), WLVJ 1040-AM/WKAT 1360-AM (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, South Palm Beach County), WPSL 1590-AM (Treasure Coast, North Palm Beach County) and WZHR-1400-AM (Zephyrhills).
Marc Daniels will provide the play-by-play, Gary Parris will have the analysis and Jerry O'Neill will man the sidelines for the UCF broadcast. Scott Adams is the studio host.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics.