Nov. 14, 2009
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
| Box Score in PDF Format | CBS College Sports Highlights
| UCF vs. No. 12 Houston Nov. 14, 2009 |
| Live from Bright House Networks Stadium | |||||
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| No. 12 Houston | 10 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 32 |
| UCF | 0 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 37 |
Quote of the Knight
Redshirt senior quarterback Brett Hodges
"This win is huge for us now that we are bowl eligible, and huge for us to keep our conference championship hopes alive. It really was a team effort today and a huge win."
Back-to-Back Big Games
For the second-consecutive week, the Knights were meeting a nationally-ranked squad. Last week, UCF faced No. 2 Texas in Austin. The game with Houston marked the first time that UCF has faced a ranked team in consecutive games since opening the 2004 season against No. 21 Wisconsin and No. 10 West Virginia with a bye week in between. Houston was the third ranked team that UCF has faced this year. The Cougars are also the highest-ranked team that the Knights have faced in conference play.
The Recovery Man
In the opening quarter, Derrick Hallman made a big play for the Knights, recovering a fumble inside the Houston red zone. The linebacker/safety leads the Black and Gold with three fumble recoveries this season.
Coughing It Up
The Knights forced the Cougars to fumble the ball twice with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Derrick Hallman forced the first with 2:06 left on the clock, before Michael Greco stripped the ball from James Cleveland to tally his first-career forced fumble.
Feels Like the First Time
True freshman running back Jonathan Davis scored his first-career touchdown, a four-yard scamper, to cap-off a 10-play, 62-yard drive right before halftime to put the Black and Gold within a touchdown of visiting Houston. The running back is one of only four players to have scored a rushing touchdown for the Knights in 2009. Sophomore Brynn Harvey leads the squad with 10 rushing touchdowns, while Ronnie Weaver and Brett Hodges have each scored one this season. Davis' start against the Cougars was only his second this season.
UCF is Very Possessive
UCF held the ball for 39:30 as the team had just four incompletions and 152 rushing yards on the day. The 39:30 time of possession is a UCF record for the FBS era (since 1996), topping the 38:19 UCF had against Memphis on Oct. 8, 2005.
Welcome Home
The contest against the Cougars served as the Knights' Homecoming game. The matchup with Houston marked UCF's third Homecoming on campus, as the Knights moved into Bright House Networks Stadium in 2007. With the win over the Cougars, the Black and Gold improved to 20-10 all-time on Homecoming.
Back in Black
As part of UCF's "Armored in Black" Homecoming theme, UCF wore black jerseys Saturday for the first time at Bright House Networks Stadium. The Knights typically wear gold jerseys at home. The last time the squad donned its black jerseys was on Oct. 13, 2006, when it played Pittsburgh at the Citrus Bowl in front of a national audience on ESPN.
History in the Making
UCF's victory over No. 13/12 Houston gave the Knights their first victory in 23 tries over a nationally-ranked FBS team and also improved the Black and Gold's record to 5-1 this season, and 13-6 all-time at Bright House Networks Stadium. The win also made UCF bowl eligible for the third time in five years.
Comeback Kids
UCF trailed 17-10 at halftime, but rallied for the win. It marked the fifth time this year that UCF has won a contest after trailing at halftime. The Knights trailed by as many as 14 points in the game (17-3), matching the second biggest come-from-behind victory in school history. UCF came from 13 points down in its last home game, rallying from a 20-7 fourth quarter deficit to beat Marshall, 21-20, on Nov. 1.
Point of Attack
When Jonathan Davis found the end zone in the second quarter, the Knights scored their 208th point of the year. That number is significant because UCF totaled only 199 points in 12 games in 2008. The squad has registered 233 points this year.
What a Rush
Brynn Harvey's seven-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter gave the sophomore 10 touchdowns for the season. As a team, UCF only totaled eight rushing touchdowns all of last season. In 2009, the Knights already have 13 scoring runs. Harvey concluded the contest with a career-high three touchdowns. The last time a Knight scored three rushing touchdowns in a game was on Oct. 20, 2007, when Kevin Smith ran for three touchdowns against Tulsa.
Feeling Complete
During the contest, Brett Hodges completed 12-consecutive passes. That number tied for second on UCF's consecutive pass completion list. Daunte Culpepper tops the register, having completed 15-straight passes versus Samford in 1997.
First Catch, Big Results
Quincy McDuffie's first-career reception was a huge one, as UCF's regular return man caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Brett Hodges in the fourth quarter to put the Knights up by 10 points with 9:03 remaining in the contest.
Spoiling the Streak
Justin Boddie's interception in the fourth quarter spoiled Houston quarterback Case Keenum's streak of 123 consecutive passes without an interception. The pick was Boddie's first of the season and the third of his career. The Knights have totaled eight interceptions in 2009.
Other Notes
The scout team players of the week were Matthew Slack (offense), Troy Davis (defense) and Brandon Albright (special teams)... Thousands of UCF alums were in attendance for Homecoming, include Olympic gold medalist (beach volleyball) Phil Daulhauser... At halftime, the Homecoming court was introduced. Kyle Schumacher was named the King, while Caitlyn McManus was the Queen.