TAMPA – The UCF football team finished off the 2020 regular season with a win, taking home the War On I-4 trophy for the fourth straight year in defeating rival South Florida 58-46 Friday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium.
The Knights finished the season 6-3 overall and 5-3 in American Athletic Conference play as one of only a handful of teams across the country that started play in September to play all its scheduled games.
Offense was to be found everywhere as the two teams combined for 1,223 yards, but the Knights got the best of it, putting up the most points they ever have in the series. UCF's 58 were the second most ever by either team in the series, which is now tied at six wins each.
Sophomore quarterback Dillon Gabriel went for 336 yards passing and four touchdowns through the air, while scoring another on the ground to lead the Knights to victory.
His main scoring target on Friday was senior Jacob Harris, who caught five balls for a career high 110 yards and a career-best three touchdown receptions. Senior Tre Nixon also caught five passes for 94 yards and sophomore Jaylon Robinson had five for 81.
The duo of Greg McCrae and Bentavious Thompson dominated the ground game, both going over 100 yards rushing. McCrae rushed 25 times for 130 yards and a score, while Thompson ran 16 times for a career high 110 yards and two touchdowns.
The UCF defense, which came into the weekend leading the nation with 20 takeaways, got another two on Friday in the form of fumble recoveries from Aaron Robinson and Keenan Hester. Divaad Wilson also was credited a forced fumble on the latter.
Landon Woodson also had a career day on the defensive side of the ball, totaling a career high seven tackles and three sacks. He only had two sacks in his career prior to Friday and had yet to record one this season.
From Coach Heupel
"Guys were excited. This is a trophy game. You throw records out the window. I thought our guys played hard. They kepth competing. It was the next man up mentality, and we found a way to create enough big plays to be on the right side of it."
From Jacob Harris
"I had extra motivation being in my hometown, being the last game of the season and it being a trophy game, that's everything you could ask for."
Notes
• The Knights improved to 28-7 with Josh Heupel at the helm.
• UCF evened the all-time series against South Florida at 6-6 and won for the fourth straight time in the War On I-4.
• The Knights scored on the ground and through the air, their 48th straight game doing so, a streak that leads the nation.
• UCF's 58 points were the most points scored by the Knights in a game in this series and the second most by either team (South Florida, 64 in 2007).
• UCF scored 30 or more points for the 45th time in its last 47 games and scored 24 or more points for the 48th consecutive game, a streak that ranks second in the nation. The Knights also eclipsed 40 points for the 29th time in the last 47 games and hit 50 for the 15th time in the last 47 outings.
• Greg McCrae matched a career high with 25 rushes for 130 yards and a touchdown. He is now alone in fourth with 28 career rushing touchdowns and fifth all-time with 2,543 career rushing yards, passing former teammate Adrian Killins Jr., Brynn Harvey and Latavius Murray on the UCF charts on Friday.
• Bentavious Thompson also rushed for more than 100 yards, the first time doing so in his career, finishing with a career high 16 attempts for a career-best 110 yards and matching his career high with two scores.
• Jacob Harris led the way in receiving, recording career highs of 110 yards and three touchdowns on five catches. It was the second time a UCF player had three touchdowns in a game this season (Marlon Williams, 10/24/20).
• The Knights came into the game leading the nation with 20 takeaways and got two more on Friday, recovering two fumbles.
• Aaron Robinson and Keenan Hester both grabbed the first recoveries of their careers.
• Landon Woodson came into the game with two career sacks and none on the season, and had three on Friday. It was the first 3-sack games since Titus Davis on 11/17/18. He also had a career high seven tackles.
