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Recap: Knights 61, FIU 17

ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF football team opened the 2017 season with a bang on Thursday night at Spectrum Stadium, as the Knights toppled FIU 61-17 behind a career night from sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton.

The Knights struck first on their opening drive and never looked back. The offense marched the ball down the field on a six-play, 75-yard drive. Milton hit Tre'Quan Smith for a 19-yard first down on third-and-9 from their own 26. Back-to-back passes to freshman Gabriel Davis for 26 and seven yards took the Black and Gold to the FIU 22. Milton dropped back to pass and hit senior Jordan Akins down the middle and over a defender for the opening score of the game.

Following a field goal by FIU kicker Jose Borregales to cut the UCF lead to 14-10, the Knights caught fire and struck for 40 straight points. UCF took a commanding 40-10 lead into the break, outgaining the Panthers 219 to 41 in the process. Six different players put points on the board for the Black and Gold, as Milton was 6-for-9 for 182 yards and one touchdown during the streak.

The Knights look to take the momentum into next Saturday's matchup against American Athletic Conference foe Memphis. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPNews.

MILTON - 16-FOR-21, 360 YARDS, 4 TOUCHDOWNS

  • Milton set career highs in both passing yards and touchdowns.
  • The Kapolei, Hawaii, native notched the 24th most yards passing in a game in school history.
  • Milton threw for 357 yards in the first half alone.
  • He completed three passes of 50 yards or more.

"I did have a lot of time," Milton said after the game. "Our O-line did awesome job today and they have been doing a great job since spring ball. The strides they have made from last year to this year is day and night and I can't appreciate them enough. I love those guys death."

#FROSTBYTES
"It was a good start. I've seen our team improve in camp and in the offseason. It carried over to the field, which is great to see, you never know exactly what you are going to get in the first game. I think our guys were ready to play."

"McKenzie had a really good day, but a lot of guys on the team had a good day. I give a lot of credit to the O-line for protecting for him. He wasn't under much duress back there and when he was he had easy lanes to escape. But really from Mckenzie, there is a lot of people questioning things with him and people are always critical of coaches and quarterbacks. I admire the kid for getting through what he got through last year. What you saw on the field today is what we have been seeing at practice for almost two years, and it carried over on to the field tonight."

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FRESHMEN COMBINE FOR NEARLY HALF OF OFFENSE

  • The Knights saw tremendous play out of several freshmen in their first game in the Black and Gold.
  • Between the true and redshirt freshmen, the rookies totaled 183 yards of offense with two touchdowns.
  • Davis, Otis Anderson and Emmanuel Logan-Greene were constant targets for Milton and Noah Vedral, combining for 106 receiving yards and one touchdown.
  • Corddarrian Richardson recorded his first career touchdown, finishing with 3.4 yards per carry on seven touches.
  • Not to be outdone, Antwan Collier forced a fumble on the defensive side of the ball.


UCF RADIO HIGHLIGHTS

KNIGHTS IN THE NEWS
McKenzie Milton leads UCF to a 61-17 win over FIU - Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
UCF Football Game 1: Five Biggest Takeaways - Despina Barton, Spectrum Sports
UCF's hometown beatdown of FIU is a performance Orlando should embrace - Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

RISE AND CONQUER
The second season of UCF Football under head coach Scott Frost is just around the corner. Fans can explore all of the new ticket options at Spectrum Stadium by visiting WeRiseandConquer.com or calling (407) 823-1000.

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