UCF 31 (6-6, 4-4 AAC) at USF 48 (10-2, 7-1 AAC)
Nov. 26, 2016 | Raymond James Stadium | Attendance: 36,056
Weather: Partly Cloudy | Temp: 79 degrees | Wind: 6 MPH from North/Northeast
Team Notes
- The Knights accumulated 402 yards of total offense. It was the fifth time this season that UCF eclipsed the 400+ yard mark.
- The 338 passing yards were the most this season by UCF. McKenzie Milton (225 yards), Justin Holman (41 yards) and Tristan Payton (72 yards) each registered a completion.
- USF now holds a 6-2 advantage in the series.
Offensive Notes
- Freshman Jawon Hamilton's three-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the game was the first time the Knights scored a TD on their opening drive since facing Temple (10/15/16).
- It was Hamilton's fourth touchdown on the season and tied a season best.
- Sophomore Tristan Payton sparked life into the Knights' offense in the second quarter with a 72-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Tre'Quan Smith on a reverse handoff from senior Dontravious Wilson.
- The 72-yard pass play was the second-longest from scrimmage, just topping a 71-yard pass from Milton to Jordan Akins against Maryland (9/17/16). An 87-yard rush by Adrian Killins at Michigan (9/10/16) still stands as the longest play from scrimmage.
- It was Payton's second completion on the season, totaling 96 yards
- Sophomore Tre'Quan Smith racked up a career-best 183 yards receiving during the game, putting him at four games this season with over 100 yards receiving.
- The career-best yardage for Smith surpassed his previous high of 137 yards at Houston (10/29/16). He now has seven career games with over 100 yards receiving.
- Smith hauled in two TDs to also set a new career high.
- Sophomore Taj McGowan notched his second touchdown of the season with his three-yard score in the third quarter.
- Senior QB Justin Holman connected on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Smith in the fourth quarter. It was his fourth passing TD of the campaign.
- Freshman McKenzie Milton registered 26 completions and moved into second on the Knights' freshman QB charts with 172 completions this season. He currently ranks fourth in passing yards (1808), passing touchdowns (10) and completion pct. (57.9%) on the freshman charts.
Defensive Notes
- Sophomore Pat Jasinski and senior Mark Rucker each recorded a sack for the Knights against the Bulls.
- Jasinski now has 2.5 sacks, while Rucker upped his total to 3.5 sacks on the season
- Senior Demeitre Brim caused a turnover for the Knights defense when he forced a fumble in the second quarter.
- Senior Drico Johnson was there for the recovery as he tip-toped along the sideline and secured the ball before it went out of bounds.
- Brim was all over the field for the Knights as he led the team in tackles with eight, which included six solo stops.
- Junior Shaquem Griffin added two more tackles for-loss to his total, giving him 19 for the season. He entered the game ranked No. 8 in the nation in that category.
Special Teams Notes
- Sophomore Matthew Wright made a 37-yard field goal and went a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points.
- Senior punter Caleb Houston boomed a 52-yard punt and now has 12 punts of 50 yards or more this season.
UCF Captains
- UCF's captains for the game were redshirt seniors WR Taylor Oldham, S Drico Johnson, LB Mark Rucker and freshman DB T.J. Mutcherson.
The Toss
- UCF won the toss and chose to receive; UCF elected to defend the south end zone.
Next Up
- The Knights are bowl bound with a 6-6 record and await their destination, which will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 4. For more information and to secure bowl game tickets, click here or call 407-823-1000.