Nov. 29, 2010
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO - Back in the national rankings and back in the Conference USA title game, UCF is also plenty happy to be back at Bright House Networks Stadium one more time this season.
When the Knights lost three weeks ago on Senior Day to Southern Miss, the goal was to take care of business against Tulane and Memphis so that the Knights could play at home once more in the Conference USA title game.
Now, as the only C-USA team with seven league victories, the Knights will be hosting the league title game against SMU on Saturday at noon in Bright House Networks Stadium. The Knights (9-3 overall and 7-1 in C-USA play) are in the C-USA title game for a third time in six seasons, and fortunately for them all three have been in Orlando. And getting to host the title game, head coach George O'Leary said, is reward for a job well done this season.
``I think that's the No. 1 reason that you want to win the division and have the best record. It's a major plus hosting a conference championship game,'' O'Leary said. ``It's supposed to be a neutral game, but I don't buy that. You have the best record, then it should be your home game. It should be treated as a home game for us and that's how we'll treat it. It's great to be home and have the fans back again in December.''
UCF earned the right to host by being the league's dominant team from start to finish. Despite plenty of challenges from rivals East Carolina and Southern Miss, the Knights led the East Division from wire to wire. In conference play, they won on the road four times, won on ESPN three times and closed the season with convincing victories to wrap up the East Division title.
That kind of play allowed UCF to move back into the national polls for a second time this season. UCF is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Knights were No. 23 in the Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches poll three weeks ago only to briefly drop out after the loss to Southern Miss.
UCF had never before been ranked before this season. But since training camp, this season has had the feel of a particularly special one. And now the Knights are in position to potentially win their first league title since 2007 and head to as prestigious a bowl as possible.
``It's not satisfying yet because we still have a lot of work to do and one more game to play to win (the league title),'' said senior linebacker Derrick Hallman, who had his first interception of the season in UCF's 37-17 rout of Memphis on Saturday. ``I'm extremely excited to be playing this game. Like coach has told us, it's rare in life that you get a chance to accomplish all of your goals. We control our own destiny. We have to go out there this week and play how we know how to play.''
Tickets for the C-USA title game at Bright House Networks Stadium are on sale for $30 at TicketMaster.com, UCFAthletics.com or by calling (407) 823-1000. UCF also hosted the game in 2005 and 2007, losing to Tulsa in 2005 and defeating the Golden Hurricane in 2007.
UCF's nine wins are tied for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 10 in 1990 and 2007. O'Leary said his team did a good job of bouncing back from disappointing early-season losses to NC State and Kansas State and was really good at keeping the focus affixed on the primary goal of getting to the C-USA title game. All that's left now is to win and win another title.
``The main goal was to win the conference championship because that gets us the highest reward that we can have as far as our conference is concerned and the bowl that goes with it,'' O'Leary said. ``Again, it's a great win and a win that we have to attribute to the senior class. They've been in the program four or five years and they understand how things are supposed to be done. A lot of credit goes to the senior class.''
The Knights will be facing a SMU team that secured a spot in the title game by beating East Carolina 45-38 in overtime. The Mustangs had been shaky on the road all season, but the defeat of the Pirates pushed their road mark to 3-3 on the season.
SMU runs head coach June Jones' famed run-and-shoot offense and it ranks 20th in the nation in passing yards (278.3) and 55th in points per game (28.3). Sophomore quarterback Kyle Padron has five 300-yard passing days and has thrown for 3,306 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Senior wide out Aldrick Robinson has 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving, while junior Cole Beasley caught 79 passes for 976 yards and six scores through the air. And 6-foot-1, 235-pound tailback Zach Line has gashed defenses with his power running, rumbling for 1,297 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 10 TDs on the ground.
``They're obviously a team that belongs in the championship game,'' O'Leary said. ``They have a quarterback who can make some plays, they have a nice sized running back who moves the chains for them and a stout offensive line. Obviously, they are in that offense because they have receivers. Defensively, they have switched since the last time that we've seen them in 2008, but they have filled in with the necessary parts. They're very stingy and aggressive. They make you do things that you don't want to do.''
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John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.