ORLANDO - With Saturday's 14-10 home win over Tulane, the UCF football team improved to 3-0 in the second half of the 2021 season and remained perfect at the Bounce House, at 5-0.
In wins over Memphis (24-7), Temple (49-7), and now Tulane (14-10), it has been the UCF (6-3, 4-2) defense that has been the difference maker, allowing just 24 points in those game. It's the least amount of points given up by the Knights in three consecutive games since allowing just 14 in three games late in the 2014 season.
On Saturday, the UCF defense did it with no takeaways, holding Tulane (1-8, 0-5) to under 300 yards of total offense, totaling nine tackles for loss, seven breakups and five quarterback hurries.
Down 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Andrew Osteen punted 40 yards from the Tulane 41 and the Knights downed it at the one yard line to pin the Green Wave deep in their own zone.
The UCF defense stopped Tulane yet again and got the ball back at the Tulane 38 yard line. Freshman quarterback Mikey Keene led the Knight offense to the game-winning drive that ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Keene to Brandon Johnson.
RYAN REELS IN 11
• Ryan O'Keefe caught a career-high 11 passes in the win, finishing with 94 yards and a score.
• O'Keefe went over 1,000 receiving yards in his career during the game.
• His touchdown was his fifth receiving score of the season and the eighth of his career.
COACH MALZAHN
"Our defense played outstanding. I am really proud of them. They are taking on Travis's personality. He was a dynamic player himself. Him and his staff are doing a super job and our defense is growing each week and starting to settle in. They are tackling well and putting pressure on the quarterback."
BRYSON ARMSTRONG
"We play hard; we play fast; we play for each other. We rally around each other. You saw we were getting excited out there when we see one of our buddies make a play. I get more excited for those guys than when I make a play. We really just play together. I don't know what our identity is, but the culture of this team in general is something special."
SOUNDS OF THE GAME
UCF Knights · 2021 UCF Football vs. Tulane - Highlights
