ORLANDO - The UCF football team raced out to 42-7 lead over visiting Bethune-Cookman and never looked back Saturday night at the Bounce House, defeating the Wildcats 63-14 to improve to 2-0 on the season. It was the most points the Knights have scored since putting up 63 against Temple on Oct. 26, 2019.
UCF (2-0) chose to receive and scored on its first drive as senior running back Isaiah Bowser scored his first of four first-half touchdowns from 17 yards out to give the Knights the early lead. Bethune-Cookman (0-2) countered with a score of their own on the ensuring drive to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter.
The Knights then scored five consecutive touchdowns to take a commanding 42-7 lead into halftime and put the game away. Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel found senior receiver Brandon Johnson for a 22-yard touchdown late in the first quarter before Bowser put three away with a pair of 1-yard scores and a 9-yard touchdown run to match the UCF record for rushing touchdowns in a game.
Gabriel rushed for a touchdown of his own early in the third period - the longest rush of his career, a 44-yard jaunt that included running from the left sideline to the right sideline before finding the end zone - and then found Trillion Coles in the end zone for a score before giving way to backups in the rout of the Wildcats.
Coles also rushed in a score from four yards out in his first action since 2019 and freshman quarterback Mikey Keene found sophomore receiver Kaedin Robinson in the end zone for the first touchdown for both new Knights.
Sophomore Quadric Bullard led the UCF defense with seven tackles, while junior Tatum Bethune recorded his second-career interception in the victory.
GABRIEL CLIMBING THE CHARTS
- Gabriel continues to climb the all-time charts at UCF, now having thrown a touchdown pass in 25 consecutive games, passing McKenzie Milton for the second longest streak in UCF history.
- He also passed Blake Bortles for fifth in touchdowns responsible for with 74 in his career and passed Bortles again, this time in career passing yards, now totaling 7,853 in his three-year career.
- Gabriel finished with 312 passing yards in the game, the 13th time he has thrown for 300 or more yards, moving him into sole possession of third place at UCF, again passing Milton.
- The junior was 23-of-36 and did not turn the ball over on Saturday.
BOWSER BLOWS BY BETHUNE
- In just his second game as a Knight, Bowser did something only three other UCF players can claim to have done, scored four rushing touchdowns in a single game.
- Alex Haynes was the first to do it on Sept. 22, 2001, Kevin Smith did it twice during his historic 2007 season - on Nov. 10, 2007 and Dec. 1, 2007 - and Darriel Mack Jr. did in the 2018 AAC Championship Game on Dec. 1, 2018.
- It marked the third time Bowser has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games and the third time he has scored multiple touchdowns in a game.
- Bowser finished with 12 rushes for 59 yards and the four scores before sitting the second half.
DEFENSE DIGS DOWN
- The UCF defense allowed only 279 yards of total offense to the Wildcats, marking the second consecutive game of holding its opponent under 300 yards.
- It is the first time a UCF defense has allowed less than 300 yards of total offense to its opponents in back-to-back games since doing so to SMU and South Florida on Nov. 22 and Nov. 28, 2014.
- Tatum Bethune recorded his second-career pick and the second for UCF this season.
- The Knights had eight pass breakups, led by Dyllon Lester with a career-high three in the win.
COACH MALZAHN
"I think our guys handled themselves like champions. There were really good adjustments. I think our coaching staff is communicating well with our players and the players are communicating well with the staff. We are learning each other as we go and in just the first two weeks we have had great communication."
RYAN O'KEEFE
"I tried to take advantage of every target I had. At the end of the day, it's all about performance in this sport. My teammates they're always pushing me to be the best. It was a fun game. I enjoyed it."
SOUNDS OF THE GAME
UCF Knights · 2021 UCF Football vs. Bethune-Cookman - Highlights