Jan. 11, 2011
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Standout safety Kemal Ishmael is the ultimate team-first player, regularly putting the success of the UCF football squad above his own personal gains. And if that was ever in question, Ishmael proved himself on what will go down as one of the greatest plays in UCF history.
On the final play of the Dec. 31 AutoZone Liberty Bowl with UCF clinging to a four-point lead Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray lofted a high-arching Hail Mary pass toward the end zone. But before any of the three Georgia wide receivers in the area could go up for what potentially could have been a game-winning touchdown catch, the 5-foot-11 Ishmael went high into the air to spike the pass into the turf. UCF defensive backs Emery Allen and Darin Baldwin were in the area, but it was Ishmael who went the highest into the air for the game-sealing play.
The play preserved UCF's 10-6 defeat of Georgia and secured the Knights' first bowl win in school history. For Ishmael, his actions on the play shed some light into his team-first mentality, not to mention is spectacular instincts and talents as a safety.
``I knew the play before we had given up a big play and they were in position to score, but I was determined to not let that happen. I knew the DBs had to make a play,'' Ishmael said Tuesday. ``I was thinking, `Don't try to be a hero and make a (interception), just knock it down.' That's what (defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable) teaches us, so that's what I did.
``I didn't want to take any chances with the game, so I knew to knock it down,'' Ishmael continued. ``That was a really big win for our team.''
It certainly was, and in the days since UCF's landmark victory Ishmael said he has received several congratulatory text messages, pats on the back and chants from the UCF fan base. And it stretched all the way to Ishmael's home in South Florida where fans were raving about the growth of UCF as a program. Beating a traditional power from the Southeastern Conference such as Georgia legitimized UCF's climb to a No. 20 final ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll.
``There's a lot of talk about UCF now and how we're on our way now, but I believe that one year won't determine how great we are,'' Ishmael said. ``So now we have to keep going and keep winning like we did last year and this season.''
Ishmael's effort on the final play capped a stellar performance in the Liberty Bowl for the first-team All-Conference-USA safety. He had a team-high 11 tackles and two pass break-ups, helping the Knights hold Georgia's high-powered offense without a touchdown.
Consistency was one of Ishmael's biggest strengths. Huxtable calls him UCF's best pure tackler and that was evidenced by his team-leading 93 tackles this season. He had seven games with at least seven stops. And he added two interceptions, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
``Kemal, to me, has been `Steady Eddie' all season. He's around the ball a lot and he makes a lot of plays,'' UCF coach George O'Leary said. ``I think he's just starting to get the recognition that he should have gotten last year. He had a good year and people are respecting him play now.''
In addition to having the respect of UCF fans, Ishmael is sure to have their admiration for years to come for the final play he made in which he spiked the Georgia pass and secured the Knights' first bowl victory. Ishmael, a soft-spoken, unassuming type, said he is blown away by the fact that he had a hand - literally - in a play that is sure to live in the program's lore for years to come.
``I haven't really thought of it like that; I just looked at it as one of the plays in the game,'' he said. ``But since everybody keeps talking to me about it, it must have been a great play. But it's just one of those plays that you have to make to win the game.''
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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.