ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF football team is set to head to Atlanta for the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but a number of former Knights continued to battle it out in the NFL over the holidays, highlighted by Shaquill Griffin's first career sack in the pros.
Griffin finished the day with five tackles and the sack as his Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-12 on Christmas Eve. The Seahawks improve to 9-6 on the season and remain alive in the playoff hunt.
Twin brother of current senior leader Shaquem Griffin, Shaquill has totaled 53 tackles and 13 passes defended as a rookie in 2017. His sack on Sunday was the first of his professional career, and the former UCF cornerback never had a sack in college either.
Back to back sacks! @ShaquillG making veteran plays. ??#SEAvsDAL
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 24, 2017
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHAQUILL'S FIRST CAREER SACK
Another contender in the NFC was fueled by the performance of a former Knights this weekend, as Latavius Murray helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to another victory, defeating the Green Bay Packers 16-0.
Murray rushed 21 times for 69 yards and caught one pass for six yards in the victory. Murray has 731 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season as his Vikings are 12-3 and in the hunt for a first round playoff bye.
#BUILTBYUCF – WEEK 16
Kamar Aiken: Played vs. Baltimore
Blake Bortles: 32/50 for 382 yards, 2 touchdowns, 5 rushes for 31 yards
A.J. Bouye: 3 tackles, 1 pass defended
Leger Douzable: Inactive
Clayton Geathers: Inactive
Shaquill Griffin: 5 tackles, 1 sack
Charley Hughlett: Played vs. Chicago
Kemal Ishmael: 1 tackle
Brandon Marshall: Missed game due to injury
Justin McCray: Started vs. Minnesota
Latavius Murray: 21 rushes for 69 yards, 1 catch for 6 yards
Breshad Perriman: 2 catches for 14 yards
Matt Prater: 1/2 FGs
Josh Robinson: Played vs. Carolina
Josh Sitton: Missed game due to injury
Justin McCray, in his first season in the NFL, has started seven games for the Green Bay Packers in 2017. He's done it at three different positions. McCray has started four games at right tackle, two at left guard and one at right guard.