Aug. 11, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF will travel back to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., to take on Memphis for its final regular season road game on Nov. 22. The last time the Knights took the field at the Liberty Bowl, they didn't play the host Tigers, instead they took on Mississippi State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
The Knights struggled for yards and points in the game and eventually lost 10-3. They are hoping to come out of Memphis with a different outcome this time around.
In last year's match-up between the two Conference USA foes in Orlando, the Knights crushed the Tigers 56-20. UCF matched the conference record with seven rushing touchdowns in the game, including six in the first half, giving the Knights a 42-0 halftime lead.
UCF encountered a large amount of success from the use of a dual quarterback system. Kyle Israel completed 6-of-9 passes for 137 yards with one throwing and one rushing touchdown, while junior college transfer Michael Greco was a welcome change of pace when he completed 11-of-12 passes for 151 yards, and ran the ball 10 times for 77 yards with two touchdowns.
The Tigers return seven starters on the offensive side of the ball, but have to replace the quarterback and running back from last year's squad. Although the coaches have said that they will not name a starting quarterback until fall practices begin, they have several options at the position. Sophomore Matt Malouf was the backup last year, accumulating 46 passing yards with two touchdowns. Junior college transfer Arkelon Hall is also hoping to step into the role of starting quarterback. Malouf and Hall had their shinning moments throughout spring workouts, but both players had dismal performances in the spring game, accounting for four of the team's five turnovers.
Another junior college transfer looking to make his mark on the Memphis team is running back Curtis Steele. Steele made a strong push for the starting position when he had 94 rushing yards, including a 38-yard touchdown run in the spring game. Junior T.J. Pitts sat out the spring with a broken ankle, but is on pace to be back for fall practices. Pitts had 481 yards with one touchdown in last year's campaign.
The defense returns nine starters from 2007's 7-6 squad. Junior defensive end Corey Mills returns from last season when he registered 23 tackles, one interception, a fumble recovery and a sack. Senior return specialist turned defensive back Michael Grandberry was named co-MVP along with Mills during the spring game. In his brief appearances on defense last season, Grandberry recorded 10 tackles and had one fumble recovery.
In 2007, UCF went 10-4, claimed the C-USA Championship and participated in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Season tickets for the 2008 UCF football campaign are currently available. To order season tickets, or to learn more abut 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 onto www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also visit www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.