Sept. 5, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Official game notes for UCF's contest against Boston College Saturday at 8 p.m. The Knights are looking to go 2-0 to begin a season for the first time since 1998.
Game Details:
Saturday - Orlando, Fla. - 8 p.m.
2011 Records:
Boston College - 0-1 Overall, 0-0 ACC
UCF - 1-0 Overall, 0-0 C-USA
Stadium:
Bright House Networks Stadium (45,323)
Series:
Boston College leads, 1-0
Live Coverage:
740-AM, UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_FootballSID
Television:
CBS Sports Network
Team Notes
CARRY THE MOMENTUM
? Dating back to last year, UCF has won five-straight games, and 10 of its last 11 contests.
? The win over the Buccaneers was the Knights' 20th in the five-year history of Bright House Networks Stadium (20-8).
A PRETTY BIG MARGIN
? The 62-0 win over CSU was the third-largest margin of victory in UCF history.
1) UCF 67, Grand Valley State 3 - Oct. 31, 1987
2) UCF 63, Liberty 0 - Oct. 13, 2001
3) UCF 62, Charleston Southern 0 - Sept. 3, 2011
? It also tied for the largest margin of victory in the country during week one (Cincinnati 72, Austin Peay 10).
PITCHING A SHUTOUT
? UCF fell an extra-point shy of tying the school record for the largest shutout when it topped CSU, 62-0.
1) UCF 63, Liberty 0 - Oct. 13, 2001
2) UCF 62, Charleston Southern 0 - Sept. 3, 2011
UCF-BOSTON COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
? UCF may have four players from New York (as well as head coach George O'Leary and assistants Jim Panagos and Charlie Taaffe) and one from New Jersey, but does not have any student-athletes from New England. However defensive coordinator John Skladany hails from Haverhill, Mass.
? BC has seven players from the Sunshine State, yet there are no high school connections between the two programs.
? O'Leary's first coaching gig was as an assistant head coach at Central Islip (N.Y.) High School from 1968-74. Only 27 miles away on Long Island, Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani was an assistant coach at Hempstead High School from 1970-72 and then the head coach in 1973. But the two schools did not meet during that time frame.
Offense Notes
THAT WAS A LOT OF POINTS
? UCF's 62 points vs. CSU were the seventh-most in a single game in school history, and the most it scored since Sept. 5, 1998.
1) UCF 71, Gardner-Webb 21 - Sept. 5, 1992
2) UCF 67, Grand Valley State 3 - Oct. 31, 1987
3) UCF 66, Samford 7 - Nov. 15, 1986
4) UCF 64, Louisiana Tech 30 - Sept. 5, 1998
T5) UCF 63, Buffalo 21 - Nov. 7, 1992
T5) UCF 63, Texas Southern 6 - Nov. 17, 1990
7) UCF 62, Charleston Southern 0 - Sept. 3, 2011
? Only four other schools (Cincinnati 72, Virginia Tech 66, Washington State 64 and Georgia Tech 63) scored more points than the Black and Gold during week one.
PILING UP THE YARDS
? UCF's top offensive games in the FBS era (since 1996):
1) UCF 59, KENT ST 43 - 612 yards - Oct. 4, 1997
2) UCF 63, LIB 0 - 602 - Oct. 13, 2001
3) UCF 56, MEM 20 - 601 - Sept. 22, 2007
4) UCF 42, ILL ST 15 - 597 - Nov. 2, 1998
5) UCF 44, YSU 32 - 575 - Oct. 31, 1998
T6) UCF 42, ULL 10 - 574 - Oct. 24, 1998
T6) UCF 48, EIU 0 - 574 - Sept. 12, 1998
8) UCF 33, FAU 29 - 565 - Sept. 13, 2003
T9) UCF 62, CSU 0 - 560 - Sept. 3, 2011
T9) UCF 64, LA TECH 30 - 560 Sept. 5, 1998
NOT A BAD PERCENTAGE
? In 10 offensive possessions vs. Charleston Southern, UCF found the endzone eight times, and it was 8-for-8 in redzone opportunities.
AN EFFICIENT COMBINATION
? Sophomore starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey was on the field for six of UCF's 10 offensive drives and finished 6-for-10 and 100 yards, and the Knights recorded a touchdown on all six of those drives.
? That enabled redshirt freshman Blake Bortles to appear in his first-collegiate game, and he promptly went 8-for-10 with 144 yards.
? The top freshmen quarterbacks in week one in terms of passing yards:
1) Brett Smith, Wyoming - 27-for-41 - 294 YDS
2) Chuckie Keeton, Utah State - 21-for-30 - 213 YDS
3) Nick Isham, Louisiana Tech - 20-for-36 - 176 YDS
4) Taylor Reed, Memphis - 23-for-35 - 149 YDS
5) Blake Bortles, UCF - 8-for-10 - 144 YDS
LIVING UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS
? Running backs Ronnie Weaver, Latavius Murray and Brynn Harvey along with QB Jeff Godfrey received a lot of hype during the preseason for what they could do in the ground game. And the Knights surpassed all of those expectations vs. CSU.
? Add in Kerlon Williams (two touchdowns) who made his UCF debut and receiver Quincy McDuffie (45 yards), the Knights totaled 316 rushing yards on 48 attempts to rank fourth in the nation.
? Harvey had a game-high 14 carries, while every other Knight had just eight attempts or less.
OPENING UP THE RECORD BOOK
? UCF posted a school record eight rushing touchdowns against the Buccaneers, surpassing the previous record of seven vs. Memphis Sept. 22, 2007.
? The eight touchdowns were one shy of the Conference USA record set by Southern Miss vs. UAB Nov. 1, 2008.
? UCF registered eight touchdowns or less in an entire season seven times. That includes the 2008 campaign when the Knights had eight rushing TDs and the 2004 season when they posted seven.
GODFREY SHOWS OFF HIS LEGS ONCE AGAIN
? Jeff Godfrey kick-started the 2011 season in a dizzying fashion as he rushed seven times for 46 yards, and tied a UCF single-game record for a quarterback with three rushing touchdowns, matching the record set by Daunte Culpepper vs. Eastern Illinois Oct. 12, 1998.
? Godfrey now has 13 rushing touchdowns in just over a year with the Knights, while Culpepper had 24 in his entire career.
PRESEASON WORK PAYS OFF
? A pair of redshirt freshmen made impressive debuts against Charleston Southern Sept. 3, yet their performances were not surprising after they both put on shows during the preseason.
? Jeff Godfrey's favorite target at Miami Central, Josh Reese, led all UCF receivers with four receptions for 97 yards and they were all from backup quarterback Blake Bortles.
? Meanwhile, J.J. Worton pulled in three passes for 53 yards in his first UCF outing.
? Through just one game, UCF already has two freshmen with at least one reception. The Knights had only one freshman with a reception (Marquee Williams had one catch) throughout all of 2010.
? In 2002, current NFL standout Brandon Marshall had just two receptions in his freshman season, as Reese and Worton have already surpassed that total as freshmen.
Defense Notes
LAYING A GOOSE EGG
? The 62-0 win was UCF's eighth shutout since joining the FBS ranks in 1996.
? It also was the 19th overall shutout in school history, and the third time the Knights blanked an opponent in a season opener (1979, 2008).
ADVANCING ON THIS "D" IS DIFFICULT
? UCF limited Charleston Southern to just 119 offensive yards, which was the third-lowest total by an opponent in the FBS era.
1) UCF 49, TLN 0 - 50 - Nov. 21, 2009
2) UCF 24, UAB 7 - 111 - Oct. 6, 2001
3) UCF 62, CSU 0 - 119 - Sept. 3, 2011
ADVANCING ON THIS "D" IS DIFFICULT PART II
? The defense also surrendered just six first downs against CSU, which ranked in a tie for the fourth-fewest in UCF history.
1) UCF 6, MILES 0 - 4 - Oct. 3, 1981
T2) UCF 17, SCSU 0 - 5 - Aug. 30, 2008
T2) UCF 55, S.LEO 0 - 5 - Sept. 20, 1980
T4) UCF 62, UCF 0 - 6 - Sept. 3, 2011
T4) MILL 8, UCF 7 - 6 - Sept. 27, 1980
PASSING YARDS LOW AS WELL
? The 70 passing yards allowed vs. CSU were the fewest by an opponent since 39 by Mississippi State in the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
? Fewest passing yards allowed in the FBS era:
1) MSU 10, UCF 3 - 39 - Dec. 29, 2007
2) UCF 28, NSU 0 - 49 - Oct. 16, 1999
3) VT 44, UCF 21 - 55 - Nov. 11, 2000
4) UCF 32, KENT ST - 58 - Nov. 16, 2002
5) UCF 62, CSU 0 - 70 - Sept. 3, 2011
SECONDARY DOING ITS JOB
? By holding Charleston Southern to just nine completions, it was the sixth time in eight seasons under George O'Leary that the Knights kept an opponent to under 10 pass completions.
LINEBACKERS AND FRESHMEN STEP UP
? UCF rolled through eight different linebackers in its victory over Charleston Southern, including a start by true freshman Leilon Willingham. He was the first true freshman linebacker to start a season opener since 2007 when both Lawrence Young and Derrick Hallman got the start at NC State.
? Willingham was one of three freshmen linebackers to record at least one tackle, joining Terrance Plummer and Troy Gray.
? Six freshmen overall (Clayton Geathers, Bruce Dukes and Jamar McClain along with the LBs) posted one or more tackles in the opener.
? A linebacker in high school, Jonathan Davis was UCF's starting running back to begin 2010. He switched back over to defense in 2011 and in his LB debut vs. CSU he wreaked havoc by recording two tackles for loss and a sack.
QUARTERBACKS WILL LOVE THIS NOTE
? The defense carries a streak of eight-straight games with an interception as the streak began Oct. 30, 2010, vs. East Carolina.
? Junior cornerback Josh Robinson continued that streak into 2011 when he picked off his ninth-career pass vs. Charleston Southern and ran it back 32 yards for his second interception return for a touchdown in three years as a Knight.
? Robinson now ranks in a tie for fifth on the UCF all-time chart in interceptions.
? He was named a College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention defensive back for week one.