ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) - Sunday afternoon the Knights met in their team room to find out which New Year's Six Bowl Game they would be playing in and who their opponent would be. A few guys on the team were especially excited for the announcement as they anticipated going to their hometown, Atlanta, Georgia, for the Peach Bowl.
"You hear it's a possibility," said Pat Jasinski. "And getting to be able to be back home around friends and family, it's going to be awesome. I can't wait."
At 3:05 p.m. it was confirmed the UCF Knights would be playing the Auburn Tigers in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
"Anytime you can play in the Peach Bowl, or the type of bowl that it is, it's awesome," said interim head coach Troy Walters. "The guys earned it and to play a team like Auburn on a national stage the guys are excited, and we can't wait to get back on the field and practice to finish this season 13-0."
Growing up in a bordering state to Alabama, the Auburn rivalry became a family affair for defensive lineman Joey Connors.
"It would be fun to play Auburn," he said. "On one side of my family my brother married someone who went to Auburn and everything. My best friend goes there so it's a good rivalry."
Connors said a lot of his family still lives in the Atlanta area and that his brothers who have moved away will even get to make an unexpected trip home to see their sibling play. However, it won't only be Connors' family in attendance to watch him play on the big stage.
"All of my friends have already texted me, so it'll be exciting to be able to go home and play I in front of a home crowd," he said.
Other UCF players who grew up in Atlanta are Tre Neal and Jordan Akins, who both played key roles in this weekend's American Athletic Conference Championship victory. Akins scored an early touchdown and Neal had the game-clinching interception.
"I can't wait for the guys to get on the field and show the country, against a good football team, what we are really about," Walters said.
The Peach Bowl will be played on January 1, 2018 at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.
