Sept. 3, 2011
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
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By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
| UCF vs. CSU State Sept. 3, 2011 |
| From Bright House Networks Stadium | |||||
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Charleston Southern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCF | 14 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 62 |
PATCH Parade of Champions Debuts at UCF
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on the campus of UCF, fans lined up and down Gemini Blvd. anxiously awaiting the first-ever PATCH Parade of Champions. The thirty-minute procession began on Aquarius Agora Drive, continued through Greek Park, turned on to Gemini and proceeded to Victory Way near the front of Bright House Networks Stadium. Making their way through campus were leaders in the surrounding communities of Ovideo, Winter Springs and Orange County. The parade also featured little league teams, businesses, organizations, student government representatives and dance teams.
"For our first year putting on a community parade, I'm glad UCF Athletics and the Krew of Leaders partnered in this event," Associate Athletic Director for Athletics Communications Joe Hornstein said. "We had over 40 entries in the parade and I know the fans along Gemini Blvd. certainly appreciated it."
A special treat for fans in attendance was the chance to see each of UCF's varsity sports teams march down Gemini Blvd. The Conference USA Champion women's basketball squad rode on one of the many floats to appear in the parade. UCF baseball also made its way through campus on a gigantic float covered in black and gold.
"We just came off of one of the most successful UCF athletic years in the program's history. Six of the conferences won championships," Hornstein said earlier in the week. "If you look at it, once the season ends either a new season for another team begins or it's summer and you really never have a time to recognize those students for their accomplishments. But what a better way than to create a parade in their honor. A community parade. We're embracing the community in a very family-oriented, game-day event leading into one heck of a football game."
The athletic department should have a lot to look forward to in the 2011-12 campaign, and the PATCH Parade of Champions was just the way to get the year started.
Let's Get It Started
Ronnie Weaver wasted no time picking up where he left off in 2010. The senior running back gained 66 yards on the first drive of the season, opening the game with a 44-yard scamper down the sideline to electrify the crowd inside Bright House Networks Stadium. Weaver led a rushing attack by the Knights that totaled 316 yards. He tallied his sixth-career 100 yard game to go along with his 15-career touchdown.
Back in the Backfield
After spending two years as a running back in the Knights offense, junior Jonathan Davis made his defensive debut at linebacker Saturday night. A 4A High School Defensive Player of the Year in Georgia, Davis wasted no time wreaking havoc in the Buccaneers backfield. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native racked up four tackles, including two tackles-for-loss and a sack.
Off to the Races
The Knights racked up 134 total rushing yards in the first quarter against Charleston Southern. The gaudy number on the ground between Ronnie Weaver (66), Latavius Murray (28), Jeff Godfrey (25) and Brynn Harvey (15) was more yards then the Knights gave up on defense 10 times during the 2010 season.
Here's to You Mr. Robinson
Named to the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe award watch lists in 2011, junior defensive back Josh Robinson added to his loaded résumé against the Buccaneers with his second-career interception return for a touchdown. As Macolm Dixon went back to pass on a third-down play, his off the mark heave found Robinson's hand as he jumped in front of the receiver and took it 33 yards to the house. It was the ninth pick of Robinson's career, tying him for fifth all-time with Reggie Edwards (1984-1987).
Freshmen Frenzy
Three redshirt freshmen made quite an impression in front of the fans at Bright House Networks Stadium against CSU. Quarterback Blake Bortles led the Knights in passing, connecting on 8-of-10 attempts for 144 yards. The Knights were led by first-year wideouts Joshua Reese and J.J. Worton who combined for half (seven) of the team's receptions and 150 of the squad's 244 yards through the air.
Pitching a Shutout
UCF's blanking of Charleston Southern was the second shutout in the last three years for the Knights in a season opener. The start of the 2008 campaign saw the Black and Gold squelch South Carolina State, 17-0, behind two Latavius Murry scores.
TEAM NOTES
-UCF won its 20th game (20-8) at Bright House Networks Stadium as the facility is in its fifth year of hosting the Knights.
-The Black and Gold is now 21-12 all-time in season openers, and 25-8 in home openers.
-Dating back to last year, UCF has won five-straight games and 10 of its last 11 contests.
-The Knights found the endzone in their first five possessions Saturday. The last time they scored a touchdown on their first five possessions of a game was vs. Rice Oct. 23, 2010.
-UCF held Charleston Southern to one first down, minus-7 rushing yards and 28 passing yards in the first half.
-The Knights held CSU to 119 total yards for the game
-UCF broke a school record with eight rushing touchdowns in a game. The previous record was seven against Memphis Sept. 22, 2007.
-The 62-0 final marked the second-largest shutout in UCF history (63-0 over Liberty Oct. 13, 2001).
-The most points UCF scored in a game is 71 vs. Gardner-Webb Sept. 5, 1992, however the 62 points scored today was the third-most since UCF joined the FBS in 1996.
-UCF went 8-8 in the redzone against the Buccaneers
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
-Linebacker Leilon Willingham was the only true freshman to start in the 2011 season opener. He is the first true freshman to start a season opener at linebacker since 2007 when both Lawrence Young and Derrick Hallman got the start at NC State.
-Jeff Godfrey tied a UCF all-time quarterback record with three rushing touchdowns. Daunte Culpepper was the only other UCF QB to rush for three touchdowns in a game when he accomplished the feat vs. Eastern Illinois Oct. 12, 1998.
-Adam Nissley recorded his longest-career reception when he hauled in a 45-yard pass from Jeff Godfrey in the second quarter.
-Josh Robinson had his second-career interception return for a touchdown (also had one in 2009) in the third quarter. It also was his ninth-career pick, which moved him into a tie for fifth on the UCF all-time list with Reggie Edwards.
-In his first-career collegiate appearance, redshirt freshman Blake Bortles completed 8-10 passes for 144 yards.
-Also making his first appearance in a Black and Gold uniform, redshirt freshman Joshua Reese led the team in receptions and yardage with four grabs for 97 yards.