Houston, Texas (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF Knights (4-3, 2-1) hit the road for the second consecutive week as they head to the Lone Star State to face the No. 24 Houston Cougars (6-2, 3-2) at TDECU Stadium. The contest is the Knights' final regular season game outside the state of Florida. Below are some key facts and statistics about Saturday's match up.
Match Up Facts:
- This will be the eighth time these two programs have faced off on the football field. The Knights lead the all-time series 5-2.
- The Cougars are the reigning American Athletic Conference and Peach Bowl Champions. Entering this contest, UH has lost two of its last three games.
- In their last visit to Houston, the Knights came away with a 17-12 win. The game included a touchdown-saving tackle by senior safety Brandon Alexander, which knocked the football out of the hands of Greg Ward Jr. and rolled out of the end zone for a touchback.
- Houston enters this weekend ranked first in the conference and sixth in the nation giving up only 98.5 rushing yards per game on defense.
Key Offensive and Defensive Statistics:
- True freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton heads into Saturday following a career game at UConn. The Hawaii native threw for 317 yards, three touchdowns and completed 29 passes in the Knights' win over the Huskies.
- Following a touchdown reception last week at UConn, true freshman running back Adrian Killins has scored three different ways – rush, kick return and reception.
- The Knights remain stout on defense this season, currently ranked third in the conference in scoring defense by giving up only 23.7 points per game.
- Following his feature on ESPN College GameDay, redshirt junior linebacker Shaquem Griffin remains one of the top defensive players in the conference. The St. Petersburg native is tied for second in the conference in sacks (6) and third in tackles for loss (9).
Marc's Minute:
UCF's Director of Broadcasting, Marc Daniels, looks back at some of the historic matchups between these two programs and looks ahead to this week's battle in Houston. Check it out in the video above.
Weather Report:
Saturday's forecast in Houston calls for mostly sunny skies with a 20 percent chance of rain. The projected high is 86 degrees and the projected low is 68 degrees. Temperature around kickoff is expected to be close to 80 degrees.
Links/Media Coverage:
UCFKnights.com - Progressing Week By Week
UCFKnights.com – Thursday Frost Bytes
Orlando Sentinel – UCF depth tested as Knights' showdown with Houston looms
UCFSports.com – Demeitre Brim, UCF defense look to contain Houston QB Greg Ward Jr.
Radio/TV/Video
Kickoff is set for noon ET/11 a.m. CT at TDECU Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPNU and in Orlando on radio station 96.9 FM/740 AM. It's also available on iHeart app and the UCF Knights app. Radio coverage will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET/9:00 a.m. CT.