ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Following a 38-0 win over South Carolina State in the head coaching debut of Scott Frost Sept. 3, UCF embarks on its first road trip with a Saturday showdown at Michigan at noon on ABC.
UCF Game Notes in PDF Format
Live Stream of Monday's Press Conference at 11:45 a.m.
Game Details:
Saturday - Ann Arbor, Mich. - 12 p.m.
2016 Records:
UCF - 1-0 Overall, 0-0 American
Michigan - 1-0 Overall, 0-0 Big Ten
Stadium:
Michigan Stadium (107,601)
Series:
First Meeting
Live Coverage:
FM 96.9 & AM 740 - Orlando
Twitter.com/UCF_Football
Television:
ABC
Away Game Info:
Michigan Stadium Guide
Team Notes
UCF vs. UM
• UCF has never faced Michigan since the program's inception in 1979.
• The Black and Gold holds a 6-1 all-time record vs. teams from the Great Lakes State.
• As a football-only member of the MAC from 2002-04, UCF went 2-1 against the Mitten, with wins over Western Michigan and Central Michigan but a road loss at Eastern Michigan.
• The only other school from Michigan that the Knights have faced is Grand Valley State (UCF won, 67-3, in 1987.
• This Saturday will be the Knights' first trip to the state since 2003.
• At No. 7/8 in the preseason polls, Michigan delivered a 63-3 win over Hawaii on Sept. 3.
• Junior Wilton Speight was 10-for-13 with three touchdowns and an interception in his first start.
• The run game against Hawaii posted 306 yards as eight different players had a rush of 10 yards or more.
• Senior linebacker Mike McCray had 3.5 tackles for loss including two sacks and a forced fumble.
• The UM defense combined for 10 tackles for loss on Sept. 3.
• The Wolverines only have two road games before Nov. 12, and leave the state of Michigan just once before that date.
ORLANDO UNITED
• UCF is wearing Orlando United decals on the back of its helmets to honor Pulse victims.
LARGE CROWDS
• The top three crowds UCF has played in front of were at Big Ten institutions:
-Ohio State 2012 - 104,745
-Penn State 2002 - 103, 029
-Penn State 2004 - 101,715
FACING THE BIG TEN
• UCF's most recent battle against the Big Ten was a home-and-home series with Penn State in 2013-14. The Knights knocked off the Nittany Lions in Pennsylvania in 2013, and PSU was slated to visit Orlando in 2014 before the game was moved to Ireland. In Dublin, PSU used a last-second field goal to split the series.
• After taking on Michigan this week, UCF will host Maryland in what will be the first time the Knights host a program from the Big Ten since Purdue in 1999.
• UCF has also faced current Big Ten teams Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
YOUNG PROGRAM KEEPS GROWING
• UCF first took the field in 1979 as an NCAA Division III member, moved to Division II in 1982 then the FCS level in 1990.
• The Knights' last year in FCS was Daunte Culpepper's first in Black and Gold in 1995.
• UCF broke into the FBS in 1996 and first joined a conference (MAC) in 2002.
• After George O'Leary guided the program from 2004-15 which included four conference titles and a victory in the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Scott Frost has taken over in his first stint as a head coach.
UCF'S NEW LEADER
• On Dec. 1, 2015, UCF introduced Scott Frost as the 10th head coach in program history.
• Frost arrived in Orlando after serving as the Oregon offensive coordinator from 2013-15, and its wide receivers coach from 2009-12.
• A National Championship quarterback at Nebraska, Frost immediately switched UCF's style of football to a spread offense and a 3-4 defense.
RANKED OPPONENTS
• UCF is 2-2 in its last four games vs. ranked opponents, highlighted by two wins over top-10 teams in 2013 (No. 8/6 Louisville and No. 6/5 Baylor).
Offense Notes
#UCFAST DEBUTS
• Anticipation was building for Sept. 3 ever since Scott Frost was named UCF's head coach. When the new fast-paced offense debuted, fans enjoyed the show.
• The Knights ran 91 plays vs. South Carolina State, the most in a game since 92 against Kent State on Nov. 16, 2002.
• The 38 points and 462 yards were the most since the 2014 season against SMU (53, 490).
GROUND GAME TAKES CHARGE
• UCF's running backs combined for 197 yards and two touchdowns in the opener.
• A year ago, the Knights averaged 81.2 yards on the ground and had four rushing touchdowns overall.
• Jawon Hamilton was the only true freshman to start on offense for UCF on Sept. 3, and he led the game with 53 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
WHAT RETURNS
• Almost the entire starting group from 2015 returns for the 2016 campaign, as the only consistent starter gone is guard Tarik Cook. H-backs Joseph Puopolo and Cedric Thompson also completed their eligibility with the Knights last year.
GETTING REPS
• Against SCSU, eight different Knights had at least one rush. That list includes freshmen Jawon Hamilton, Jaquarius Bargnare and Adrian Killins.
• Meanwhile, 12 different players hauled in one reception or more. That was highlighted by quarterback Justin Holman bringing in his first catch, as well as true freshman wideout Dredrick Snelson.
Defense Notes
BROS BEING BROS
• Senior cornerback Shaquill Griffin may already be a steady starter for the Knights, but his identical twin brother, redshirt junior outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin, had yet to earn a start. Until this season.
• Taking on South Carolina State, the Griffins started alongside each other for the first time, and both contributed in a huge way to get the shutout win.
• Shaquill hauled in an interception and a pass break-up, picking up from last year when he had two picks and 13 break-ups.
• Shaquem tied for the team-high with six tackles. He boasted his first career sack and forced fumble, and he also had a break-up and a quarterback hurry.
• One of the eye-opening players in spring and preseason camps, Shaquem was a defensive back before making the transition to linebacker under the new 3-4 scheme.
• Shaquem only has one hand after suffering from Amniotic Band Syndrome, which is when a strand of amniotic sac comes free and entangles itself with part of the fetus. He eventually had his fingers amputated at 4-years old.
GETTING THE DONUT
• With the 38-0 win over SCSU, UCF collected its first shutout since blanking USF in Tampa in 2014.
• It was the 23rd shutout in UCF's history (since 1979).
THAT FELT GOOD
• UCF limited the Bulldogs of SCSU to just 223 total yards.
• The lowest output by an opponent last year was Furman which had 270.
WHAT RETURNS
• Seven starters from last year's group are in the mix for the 2016 season. That includes the entire secondary.
• Six of UCF's top seven tackles from 2015 are back.
Special Teams Notes
SOLID START
• A pair of freshmen shared kicking duties in 2015. Matthew Wright attempted all 17 of UCF's field goals, converting 13 of them highlighted by making eight straight at one point. He was 17-for-17 in extra points as well.
• Wright opened 2016 by tying a UCF single-game record with four field goals, connecting on attempts of 46, 34, 45 and 37 yards. His 4-for-4 effort all came in the first half.
• Donald De La Haye is serving as the kickoff specialist for the second straight year thanks to the distance he gets on his boots.
ONE FINAL SEASON
• Caleb Houston had two solid seasons as the Knights' punter from 2013-14. The senior then had one of the best campaigns in UCF history last year.
• Houston landed 28 of 65 punts inside the 20 with only two touchbacks.
• His 44.2 average in 2015 was the second-highest, trailing only current Detroit Lions placekicker Matt Prater's 47.9 in 2003.
• He combined for 11 punts of 50 yards or more his first two seasons, then had 17 in 2015.
• Houston carries a 42.0 punting average for his career, which also only trails Prater who had a 47.6 average.
• Against SCSU, all three of Houston's punts landed inside the 20.
WHO IS BACK DEEP?
• Sophomore Tristan Payton (kick returns) and junior Chris Johnson (punt returns) are back in the same roles for 2016. Payton took his lone return back 47 yards vs. SCSU, while Johnson had an 11.5 average on four returns.
