Oct. 30, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Coming off a 41-0 thumping of Memphis Oct. 29, UCF (4-4, 2-2) goes outside the division Thursday to rumble with Tulsa (5-3, 4-0) at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network in a game that is being presented by McDonald's. The Knights are 4-0 this year at Bright House Networks Stadium, outscoring opponents, 149-9.
Game Details:
Thursday - Orlando, Fla. - 8 p.m.
2011 Records:
Tulsa - 5-3 Overall, 4-0 C-USA
UCF - 4-4 Overall, 2-2 C-USA
Stadium:
Bright House Networks Stadium (45,323)
Series:
Tied, 2-2
Live Coverage:
740-AM, UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_FootballSID
Television:
CBS Sports Network
Team Notes
UNDER THE LIGHTS ON A THURSDAY NIGHT
? The Knights are 2-2 all-time on Thursdays, and this will be the second time this season they will play on a Thursday evening (loss 26-24 at UAB Oct. 20).
? The meeting with the Golden Hurricane marks the first Thursday home game in UCF history.
? This will be the fourth trip to Orlando for the Golden Hurricane, as UCF has only made one journey to Tulsa. The two schools met on the Knights' home turf for both the 2005 and 2007 C-USA Championship Games, and currently the series stands at 2-2.
? Tulsa serves as the only school UCF has played which hails from the Sooner State.
? The winning team in all four meetings has scored at least 44 points and also generated more rushing yards.
? Tied with Houston for first place in the C-USA West Division, Tulsa (5-3, 4-0) rolled past SMU Oct. 29, 38-7, forcing the Mustangs to throw four interceptions (three to cornerback Milton Howell), lose one fumble and rush for just 85 yards.
? Senior quarterback G.J. Kinne was 24-for-36 with 274 yards, an interception and a touchdown vs. SMU, as 173 of those yards went to junior Willie Carter.
? The Golden Hurricane have won four-straight after difficult non-conference games vs. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State.
? Tulsa leads C-USA with 13 interceptions, and ranks third in total offense (435.0) and seventh in total defense (410.9).
DEFENDING THEIR TURF PART I
? UCF leads the country with just nine points allowed at home, ahead of Alabama (27) and LSU (31):
1) UCF - 9 Pts. - 2.3 Avg. 4 Home Games
2) Alabama - 27 Pts. - 5.4 Avg. - 5 Home Games
3) LSU - 31 Pts. - 7.8 Avg. - 4 Home Games
? More comparisons when UCF plays at Bright House Networks Stadium:
Category - UCF - Opponents
Scoring - 149 - 9
Touchdowns - 19 - 1*
First Downs - 92 - 25
Rushing Yards - 1,052 - 182
Passing Yards - 822 - 342
Total Offense - 1,874 - 524
Time of Possession - 37:30 - 22:30
Third Downs - 42% - 17%
Red Zone - 20-for-25 - 0-for-2
* Off a fumble recovery
? An opponent has not attempted an extra point this year in Orlando (Marshall went for the two-point conversion after its fumble recovery Oct. 8).
DEFENDING THEIR TURF PART II
? Outside linebacker Jonathan Davis has 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks at home.
? The most rushing yards by an opponent was 57 by Boston College, while Memphis was the first team to record triple-figures in passing yardage (101).
? Charleston Southern was the only offense which entered the red zone on the Knights in Orlando in 2011. They failed to score on a missed field goal and a turnover on downs.
OWNING THE CLOCK
? UCF ranks second in the country behind only Texas (35:33) by averaging 34:51 in time of possession, including controlling the ball for over 40 minutes against Marshall (40:14) and Memphis (40:03).
Offense Notes
"MOTORING - YOU KNOW THOSE BOYS DON'T WANT TO PLAY NO MORE WITH YOU"
? UCF has been a "Night Ranger" this year on offense, posting two games of at least 500 total yards and four contests with 422 yards or more.
? It marks the second time under head coach George O'Leary that the Knights have had two games where they collected 500 yards or more of total offense in a single-season (2007).
? UCF's national ranking through eight games from 2007-11.
Season - Total Offense
2007 - 49th
2008 - 119th
2009 - 98th
2010 - 61st
2011 - 43rd
? Year-by-year total offense under head coach George O'Leary:
Season - Total YDS - YPG
2004 - 2,671 - 267.1
2005 - 5,217 - 401.3
2006 - 4,478 - 373.2
2007 - 5,763 - 411.6
2008 - 2,754 - 229.5
2009 - 4,431 - 340.8
2010 - 5,236 - 374.0
2011 - 3,363 - 420.4
? UCF's all-time top seasons in total offense in terms of yards per game:
Season - Total YDS - YPG
1) 1998 - 5,365 - 487.7
2) 1992 - 4,788 - 478.8
3) 1994 - 4,889 - 444.5
4) 2002 - 5,233 - 436.1
5) 1993 - 5,091 - 424.3
6) 2011 - 3,363 - 420.4
JUST DOING HIS THING
? Looking to return to his 2010 form when he was the C-USA Freshman of the Year, Jeff Godfrey torched the Memphis defense Oct. 29 in the 41-0 win. He went 14-for-17 for 200 yards and ran 10 times for 97 yards, combining for two touchdowns.
? Godfrey's 97 rushing yards were his most of 2011, while his 29-yard rushing touchdown was his longest rushing TD of his career.
? In the air, Godfrey tied himself for eighth on UCF's single-game completion percentage chart, as he also was 14-for-17 (82.4) vs. Memphis in 2010.
? Godfrey currently ranks first all-time among UCF quarterbacks with a 67.5 completion percentage. Daunte Culpepper finished his career at 63.9.
? At home, Godfrey is 53-for-74 (71.6 percent), has only been sacked once and has six rushing touchdowns.
CHURNING THE LEGS
? The Knights are 13th in the country with 22 rushing touchdowns, and have had two games this year where four-different players recorded a rushing TD (Charleston Southern and Memphis).
? The 22 rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most in UCF history:
Season - Rushing TDs
1) 2007 - 41
T2) 2010 - 36
T2) 1990 - 36
T4) 2011 - 22
T4) 1995 - 22
? Jeff Godfrey and Latavius Murray both have 19-career rushing touchdowns to rank seventh all-time.
DUFF MAN
? After struggling through an injury, junior wide receiver Quincy McDuffie was in fine form vs. Memphis, hauling in three passes for 49 yards and rushing three times for 29 yards.
? McDuffie accounted for both a rushing and a receiving touchdown, becoming the first Knight to accomplish the feat since Latavius Murray in the 2010 C-USA Championship Game.
Defense Notes
EASIEST WAY TO WIN: PUTTING UP A ZERO
? With a 62-0 victory over Charleston Southern Sept. 3 and a 41-0 blanking of Memphis Oct. 29, UCF has posted two shutouts this year.
? Most shutouts in a single-season:
Season - Shutouts
1) 1979 - 3
T2) 2011 - 2
T2) 1981 - 2
T2) 2001 - 2
? The Knights have held opponents to under 10 points four times this year (all at home). The record was set in UCF's first season of 1979 when it held teams to nine points or less six times in just eight games.
LOVING LIFE AT HOME
? Game-by-game breakdown of how dominant UCF's defense has been at home:
Opponent - Rush Yards - Rush TDs - Pass Yards - Pass TDs - Total Offense
CSU - 49 - 0 - 70 - 0 - 119
B.C. - 57 - 0 - 84 - 0 - 141
MAR - 43 - 0 - 87 - 0 - 130
MEM - 33 - 0 - 101 - 0 - 134
Total - 182 - 0 - 342 - 0 - 524
A NEW WAVE OF STARTERS
? In its eighth game of the season, UCF had a total of four defensive players make their first starts vs. Memphis Oct. 29: DE Toby Jackson, DE Jose Jose, MLB Terrance Plummer and CB Brandon Alexander.
? Combined with LB Troy Gray and SS Clayton Geathers, six of the Knights 11 starters were either junior-college transfers or freshmen, while there were no seniors on the field for the first snap.
? Eligibility of UCF's 11 defensive starters vs. Memphis:
DE Troy Davis - Jr.
DE Toby Jackson - Jr.*
OLB Jonathan Davis - Jr.*
CB Josh Robinson - Jr.
FS Kemal Ishmael - Jr.
DT Victor Gray - RS So.
DT Jose Jose - So.*
SS Clayton Geathers - RS Fr.*
OLB Troy Gray - Fr.*
MLB Terrance Plummer - Fr.*
CB Brandon Alexander - Fr.*
* - In their first full year on the UCF defense
ONE OF THE BEST
? Through eight games in 2011, UCF still holds top honors in C-USA in all five major defensive categories. That includes total defense where the Knights lead second-place Southern Miss in fewest yards allowed, 245.3 to 333.9.
? And the Knights remain in the top-10 nationally in rushing, passing, passing efficiency, total and scoring, ranking in the top-six in each category.
? FBS national rankings:
FBS School - Total Defense
1) Alabama - 180.50 YPG
2) Michigan State - 228.75 YPG
3) UCF - 245.38 YPG
FBS School - Passing Defense
1) Michigan State - 127.25 YPG
2) Alabama - 135.63 YPG
3) South Carolina - 135.88 YPG
4) Wisconsin - 156.00 YPG
5) UCF - 160.88 YPG
FBS School - Scoring Defense
1) Alabama - 6.88 PPG
2) Temple - 10.00 PPG
3) LSU - 11.50 PPG
4) Penn State - 12.44 PPG
5) UCF - 14.25 PPG
FBS School - Rushing Defense
1) Alabama - 44.88 YPG
2) Cincinnati - 72.71 YPG
3) LSU - 76.63 YPG
4) Florida State - 77.00 YPG
5) UCF - 84.50 YPG
FBS School - Passing Efficiency Defense
1) Alabama - 83.63 Rating
2) South Carolina - 89.51 Rating
3) Michigan State - 95.34 Rating
4) Penn State - 96.34 Rating
5) LSU - 96.48 Rating
6) UCF - 98.85 Rating