The UCF football team (3-3, 1-2 AAC) returns home this weekend to host Memphis (4-3, 1-2 AAC) in the fifth annual #UCFinSpace game. The Knights take on the Tigers Friday at 7 p.m. with coverage on ESPN2 and FM 96.9 The Game.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Oct. 22
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Live Stats: click here
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GAME NOTES - UCF VS MEMPHIS
A UCF WIN WOULD...
• Be better than a loss
• Total 178 FBS wins for UCF in program history
• Keep UCF undefeated at home, at 4-0.
• Make the Knights 5-0 all-time in #UCFinSpace games
• Give the Knights a 14-2 advantage over Memphis in the all-time series between the two teams.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
| Overall | UCF, 13-2 |
| in Memphis | UCF, 6-2 |
| in Orlando | UCF, 7-0 |
| at Neutral Location | -- |
| Last Meeting | Memphis 50, UCF 49 - Oct. 17, 2020 (Orlando) |
| Streak | Memphis won 1 |
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Memphis is in its second season under head coach Ryan Silverfield, who took over after Mike Norvell left for Florida State.
• Last season, the Tigers went 8-3 in the shortened 2020 campaign, going 5-3 in AAC play and defeating Florida Atlantic 25-10 in the Montgomery Bowl.
• Memphis started the 2021 season 3-0 with a win over Mississppi State, but lost the next three against UTSA, Temple and Tulsa, before topping Navy Oct. 14.
• Freshman Seth Henigan is at quarterback, having thrown for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions. JJ Russell leads the defense with 77 tackles and has 3.5 tackles for loss.
TEAM NOTE
AWESOME ACADEMICS
• This past spring, UCF Athletics extended its streak to 27 consecutive semesters with a department average GPA of 3.0 or better and it marked the ninth straight semester of a 3.2 or better as a department.
• The UCF football team put 49 student-athletes on the AAC All-Academic Team this past spring.
• A total of 37 football student-athletes earned Dean's List honors over the course of the 2020-21 school year, with Derek Gainous, Anthony Montalvo and Alex Swenson earning the accolades both semesters.
• Gainous, a senior safety for the Knights, also received CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this past year.
OFFENSE NOTE
THE BIG BOYS ARE BACK
• UCF returns its an entire offensive line from last season, which includes six different o-linemen that started games in 2020.
• Both Matthew Lee at center and Edward Collins at tackle started all 10 games a season ago, while Cole Schneider started nine times at guard, Samuel Jackson started eight times at both guard and tackle, Lokahi Pauole started eight times at guard, and Marcus Tatum started five times at tackle.
• Between the six of them, the offensive linemen have now combined for 117 career starts at UCF and 128 total collegiate starts, including Tatum's 11 starts at Tennessee.
• Schneider leads the pack with 40 career starts in his time at UCF, but got his first start at center at Louisville on Sept. 17, filling in for the injured Lee.
DEFENSE NOTE
DEFENSE UP AND DOWN
• The Knights held their first two opponents to 283 yards and 279 yards of total offense, respectively. UCF was 2-0. In the three losses this season, the Knights have given up 501 yards, 406 yards, and 476 yarads of offense. In the Oct. 9 victory over ECU, UCF allowed just 16 points and 360 yards of offense.
• UCF ranks 110th in scoring defense, allowing 33.2 points per game, 72nd in total defense, giving up 384.2 yards per game, 44th in passing defense (207.5), and 96th in rushing defense (176.7).
• New defensive coordinator Travis Williams has had the task of turning around UCF's defense that ranked 123rd in the nation in total defense a season ago, allowing 491.8 yards per game, and 92nd in scoring defense, giving up 33.2 points per game.
• Allowing less than 300 yards in each of its first two games, UCF did so in consecutive outings for the first time since achieving the feat against SMU and South Florida on Nov. 22 and Nov. 28, 2014.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Knights have won all four #UCFinSpace games.