ORLANDO – Following one of the best performances in program history, UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee has been named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week and a Manning Award Star of the Week, both organizations announced on Monday.
Plumlee tied the program record with seven total touchdowns in last Thursday's 70-13 win over Temple with four passing and three rushing. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native tied the mark set by former UCF standouts Darin Slack in 1987 and Daunte Culpepper in 1998. His seven touchdowns are the most by any player in the American Athletic Conference this season.
He threw for a career-high 373 yards on 18-for-22 passing and he rushed for 37 yards on seven attempts. Plumlee ignited the scoring for UCF in the contest, scoring from nine yards out to cap a 10-play, 74-yard drive in the first quarter to give the Knights a 7-3 lead. After Temple scored to take a 10-7 advantage, Plumlee found the endzone for the second time on the day with a one-yard rush to help UCF regain the lead, 14-10. Plumlee's third rushing touchdown with five seconds remaining in the first half pushed the Knights' lead to 22 heading into halftime – their largest lead at halftime this season.
Plumlee closed out his day by throwing a touchdown pass on each of his last three throws with an 11-yard strike to O'Keefe, 68-yard pass to O'Keefe and 64-yard touchdown to Hudson. In the third quarter, he was 5-for-5 and threw for 198 yards with three touchdowns.
The Knights quarterback earns AAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, and a Manning Award Star of the Week for the first time.
UCF will return to action this weekend when the Knights travel to East Carolina for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 22, from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The game will air live on ESPNU.