June 30, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF hosts SMU for the first time at Bright House Networks Stadium on Oct. 4. The meeting will mark the second time that these two schools have competed against each other.
In last year's game in Dallas, UCF started off with a bang when Khymest Williams ran back the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The Knights ended up winning the game 49-20. Despite the fact that the Mustangs held the ball for over 10 minutes longer than the Knights, UCF took advantage of its possessions, created turnovers and scored early and often. The Knights scored on a kickoff return, an 80-yard run and a 72-yard interception return. Kevin Smith led the team to a 35-13 halftime lead while accumulating 177 yards on 20 carries.
The key addition to the SMU team this year is new head coach June Jones. Jones left Hawaii to take the reigns at the SMU and turn around its offense. Jones is an established winner and has impressive credentials. Under Jones, Hawaii won 76 games, had its first BCS Bowl berth, appeared in the top-10 nationally for the first time, broke 400 school records and 50 NCAA records. Jones is known for his run-and-gun, high scoring offense and looks to bring that offensive style to SMU. Last year his Hawaii offense led the nation in scoring, averaging 46.2 points per game. In comparison, during the 2007 season, SMU averaged only 28.3 points per contest.
The Mustangs return 41 letterwinners, including 15 starters. Seven of those returning starters are on the offensive end of the ball. Star receiver Emmanuel Sanders is returning for his junior season and looks to improve on his 74 receptions, 889 yards and nine touchdowns during last year's campaign.
The only question now for the passing game is who will be throwing the ball? While two veteran quarterbacks sat out the spring workouts for disciplinary reasons, the Mustangs turned to a pair of younger players to lead the team through the workouts. Freshmen Logan Turner and Daniel Miller finished the spring game completing 10-of-14 passes and 5-of-6 passes, respectively.
The Knights are coming off of the 2007 campaign with a record of 10-4. The squad won the Conference USA Championship and played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Season tickets for the 2008 UCF football campaign are currently available. To order season tickets, or to learn more about attending games at Bright House Networks Stadium, call 407-UCF-1000. The Knights are scheduled to play six home contests this year.
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 visit www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.