ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF will be the center of the college football universe on Saturday night when the No. 11/11 Knights take on No. 19/20 Cincinnati in primetime on ABC at 8 p.m. With the added bonus of College Gameday coming to Orlando, UCF will be on display for the college football world.
Head Coach Josh Heupel took a few minutes on Thursday morning to meet with the media about what this weekend means to both the football program and UCF as a whole.
“We’re going to showcase what our brand is all about,” Heupel said. “We have a great university. I think when you walk outside of the stadium there’s an excitement that surrounds our program. It’s unique in college football. This is a young, passionate fan base, and we have a chance to showcase that. When kickoff happens, we’ll be able to show the type of competitors we have. We play an aggressive, attacking style of football, and we’re going to have a chance to show that to the nation.”
Even with all the hype surrounding the game this weekend, Heupel spoke about how focused the team was on preparing for Cincinnati.
“We want our players to enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the moment and go thrive in it,” Heupel continued. “The kids have been focused during the course of the week in their preparation. If you came out to practice, you wouldn’t think it’s been any different from the first nine weeks of the season. The kids are dialed in and focused.”
Saturday’s game has officially been declared a sellout with just a few standing-room only tickets available. Heupel expects an amazing atmosphere when the Knights hit the field in primetime.
“I have a great appreciation when we walk out of that tunnel for what Knightmare has done,” Heupel said. “Spectrum Stadium is packed on both sides for every game 60 minutes before kickoff. Our fans have gotten to the games and packed the house. Will it be electric in there? Yeah. We’re excited about that. It’s going to be a great night.”
Saturday will also be the final regular season home game for the senior class. Heupel credited the group of seniors for helping him transition into his first head coaching position smoothly.
“I have a great appreciation for the willingness of these seniors,” he added. “When I came in, they accepted the things that were different. I appreciate their leadership and making sure everyone inside our program has bought into our culture. They’ve been great mentors to our younger players. When you look at their careers and what they’ve been through and the adversity that’s struck them, it speaks to their maturity when you look at how successful they’ve been on the field.”